.us Is the .us easy brandable in the US?

[OHMY!]

Hi,

I am based in the UK and Dubai and a virgin to US markets.

I was thinking of setting up a business dedicated to the US market only and in most cases the .com I would love has been registered and the owners are not interested in selling as they are making a lot of money via sedo. Anyway, back to the point. I was wondering if the .US is used a lot in the US along side the .com? Do you see ads on tv for .us sites? I want to know is it wise spending money advertising and promoting a .us business?

If you can help me in anyway I would be very grateful.

Regards,

Dan

 

[JamesDavid]

imageshack.us & del.ico.us

These are the two biggest in the US extension that I know of. You don't see alot mainstream yet but it is a very fast growing extension....

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Currently, I don't see much branding in .us. Most US companies have the frame of mind that you must have .com to have a brand. However, I think if the .com is not for sale and may not go for sale, .us is an alternative that will likely grow with time. The only other alternative might be search for a longer more obscure name for branding in .com.

 

[OHMY!]

Thank you for both your inputs. I think I might stick with the .us and heavily promote it.

Any other opinions?

 

[mktgmark]

I think heavily promoting your .us isn't a bad idea. .US isn't there yet and will grow more in the future. I personally would prefer the exact domain I wanted with a .US extension than a more obscure and longer .com name. Promotion can go a long ways in making your developed .US a success.