.Co goes big at SXSW

.Co will be in your face at SXSW interactive.

Say what you will regarding .co (and I know a lot of you will), but you have to give the TLD credit for doing more than anyone else to create a brand around a TLD. It’s a model for anyone who wants to launch a fresh top level domain next year.

Case in point: the firm’s presence at SXSW later this stretch.

SXSW Interactive is the perfect venue for a firm trying to court startups, entrepreneurs, and tech firms.

And the firm is going to SXSW in a big way. You can see its calendar of events here. (All of these programs are open to SXSWi badge holders).

250,000 people are expected in Austin over the entire SXSW festival (which includes education, interactive, film, and music). Interactive is actually the biggest show of the four, so .co will hit a lot of these people with its sponsorship.

The firm is also giving the royal treatment to firms in the startup ecosystem using the .co brand. The firm has highlighted over a dozen of them on its blog. .Co will be helping these firms make connections and do business during the event.

Today the firm also launched StartupLife.co.