18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.thehartfordHartford Fire Insurance Companythehartford.comView

The Hartford, comprising Hartford Fire Insurance Company, its parent company The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., and their affiliated companies, is a leading provider of insurance and wealth management services for millions of consumers and businesses worldwide and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. The Hartford currently has 95 operating companies with approximately 24,500 employees and an approximate consolidated GAAP Equity for HIG of $22.9 billion as of December 31, 2011.

The Hartford’s history dates back over two centuries. On May 10, 1810, the Connecticut General Assembly passed an act to incorporate The Hartford Fire Insurance Company. In 1822, The Hartford reinsured the New Haven Fire Insurance Company – one of the first instances of reinsurance in America. In 1825, The Hartford wrote the first fire insurance policy for an American institution of higher learning – Yale University. In 1970, The Hartford was acquired by ITT Corporation for $1.5 billion – the largest corporation takeover in American history to date. In 1981, Hartford Life became the first major insurer to introduce universal life insurance coverage. In 1984, The Hartford won the contract to provide auto and homeowners insurance to members of the AARP – an agreement that is still in place today. In 1995, The Hartford became an independent entity from ITT Corporation and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HIG.” In 1997, The Hartford changed its name from ITT Hartford Group, Inc. to The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. In 2000, The Hartford Mutual Funds reached $10 billion in assets faster than any other retail-oriented mutual fund family in history. In 2010, The Hartford proudly celebrated its 200th anniversary.

The Hartford is consistently recognized for its superior service, its sustainability efforts, and as one of the world’s most ethical companies. A small sampling of these recognitions is as follows:

• Named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute for the past five consecutive years

• Received 13 DALBAR Awards for variable annuity service

• Named a 2012 Top Military Friendly Employer by GI Jobs Magazine

• Named a Best for Vets 2011 Employers by Military Times EDGE Magazine

• Ranked No. 12 on Newsweek’s Green Rankings for U.S. Companies, naming The Hartford one of the greenest companies in America in 2011

• 2011 S&P 500 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (for the 4th consecutive year)

• Achieve Without Limits campaign received the 2011 Amazing Impact Award from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC)

• Several of The Hartford’s offices across the country named Top Workplaces


The Hartford places a high value on its brand and the protection of its trademark registrations, and markets its brand extensively and defensively on the internet. The Hartford currently owns 574 domestic and international trademark registrations covering a variety of trademarks in its portfolio, and owns over 1,400 domain names, operating websites using domain names in the .com, .ie, .co.jp, and .co.uk spaces.

The Hartford offers a wide range of products including, but not limited to, diverse insurance and investment products, personal property insurance including home and auto insurance, business insurance (both small commercial and middle markets), wealth management, retirement administration, and mutual funds. Additionally, The Hartford is proud to have established strong affinity relationships with a number of key organizations. A small sampling of these organizations is set forth as follows:

• AARP – The AARP Auto and Home Insurance Program from The Hartford has provided AARP members with outstanding value and protection for over two decades.

• AKC – The Hartford and the American Kennel Club have joined together to promote responsible dog ownership and offer auto and home insurance to AKC registered dog owners.

• Sierra Club – The Hartford has teamed up with the Sierra Club, one of America’s oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organizations.

• National Wildlife Federation – The Hartford is proud to team up with the National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest conservation organization.

The acquisition of .THEHARTFORD gTLD is an opportunity to enhance The Hartford’s web presence by emphasizing The Hartford’s brand, products and services, such as those listed above. The gTLD will also allow The Hartford to provide Hartford-licensed, appointed and⁄or authorized agents⁄brokers, customers, business partners or similar business-related parties, and employees (“Hartford Users”), such as the affiliated organizations listed above, with a trustworthy means of exchanging information with The Hartford with the confidence that they have made a valid and authentic Internet connection to The Hartford. The Hartford expects to register under 1,000 second-level domain names in accordance with its financial template provided in the response to question 46. The .THEHARTFORD gTLD will operate as a closed registry with no other registrants of .THEHARTFORD domain names other than The Hartford. This closed gTLD Internet space will improve contact with our customers and better enable the delivery of innovative solutions and extraordinary service. The gTLD will also be beneficial for promotional purposes and awareness building, and will enhance The Hartford’s brand marketing and brand management, thereby creating means to increase revenues. In sum, the addition of the .THEHARTFORD gTLD will improve The Hartford’s security and control over its web presence, benefit user interaction and enhance customer trust, and drive customers to The Hartford.

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gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixzDetail