The Web as a Brand-Building Tool:
Are you Building
or Demolishing
by Joyce L. Bosc
There is a tendency in the consumer goods marketplace to jump on the brand bandwagon,
and in the ensuing excitement, leave construction of the Internet presence in the
dust. Companies on this “brandwagon” focus on traditional advertising
first, because it is the most visible and controllable tool in the marketing communications
kit. Then they expand their efforts into direct marketing, perhaps throw in some
public relations, and finally turn back briefly to paste together a façade
of a Web storefront. Add this to the fact that many companies contract with separate – and
often competing – agencies for advertising, direct marketing, public relations
and Web activities, it’s easy to see how a company’s Internet presence
can become part of the problem instead of part of the solution to building a strong
brand. Neil Johnston, partner at Lippincott & Margulies, reminds us that from
a brand perspective, the world of the Web is not all that different from the rest
of the brand-building world. “The people who are out there building brands
[on the Web] need to realize that the same rules apply,” says Johnston. “You
have to have a brand promise first.” And that is where some companies fall
short.
A Blueprint for Brand-Building on the Web
To understand the value, power and capabilities of the Web as brand support, take
a step back from the breathless excitement of the technology explosion and examine
the nuts and bolts. From a brand perspective, the Web is comparable to much more
traditional direct marketing tools, such as direct mail. Format and legibility are
key – your customers must be able to read and understand the flow of the information
you present – and copy must be written specifically for the Web to fit the
characteristics and idiosyncrasies of your Internet customer. Her are some additional
tips for making the Web work for, instead of against, your brand.
Study the Web
Understanding what we do know about Web marketing will accomplish two things: 1)
You will learn how to get past the “click mentality” and go beyond direct
response, and 2) You will be able to manage expectations for what the Web can and
cannot accomplish for your brand.
Use the Technology
This surpasses ownership of the site. By going beyond clicks to target and analyze
more useful data, such as length of visit, repeat visits and popularity of certain
features or information, you can use the Web to learn a lot more about the behavior
of your customer than you know now. Arm yourself with this data to improve your next
Web branding effort, and the next, and so on. “No one gets it exactly right
every time,” cautions Leslie Laredo, president, The Laredo Group. “Take
what you learned from the last and apply it to the next.” Select the right
tools. The Web is not a stand-alone brand-building solution; it is a suite of tools
in itself. Its unique strengths make it an important component in brand-building
efforts, but all of your Web activities must be an integrated part of your brand
to help you succeed. Jeff Leibowitz, CEO of The Laredo Group, reminds consumer companies
that the Web is a tool you may want to use sometimes, but not always. “It
is usually a good additive to a marketing campaign,” says Leibowitz.
Build a Brand Team
Make sure everyone in the organization is drafted into your “Brand Police
Force” – not only for your website, but also for your communications
vehicles, and activities. Reach outside the marketing department and go beyond senior
executives to make everyone who works for you a brand enforcement officer. Enroll
your internal team and your agency in the brand, and empower them to speak up if
they see a brand misstep or if they have an idea for strengthening the brand. Reserve
judgment. The Internet is a young medium,. Be patient and let it grow. While we wait
for the Web to mature, avoid the pitfalls of judging by your own personal experience.
Construct with Care
Experts speculate it may take decades before we truly learn how to use the Web
as effectively as we use other media today. “This is radio in the 20s, or
television of the 50s,” adds Leibowitz. “You may not have figured it
out yet, but you will.”
Web Can Damage Brand Name
The truth is, no one yet understand the power of the Web and all of its possibilities.
On the grand marketing communications timeline, the Web is a very young medium, and
we’re still discovering how it impacts consumer business. But we are beginning
to understand how damaging the Web can be to a consumer brand. When Web advertising,
such as a banner, does not complement other outreach tools, the foundation of the
brand begins to crack. If a customer logs onto your website and experiences a completely
different impression of your products or company, your hard-won brand begins to crumble
When the company treats its Web presence as an afterthought the brand can come crashing
down, and the customer is lost forever.
Websites Lag in Brand Support
The sorry fact is, a company’s Web presence often lags months or even years
behind the brand the company has built on other fronts. The speed and technology
that power the Internet have not overcome this tendency to construct Web presences
that do not shore up the company brand – an oversight that must be corrected
t o truly utilize the brand-building power of the Web. “It’s not just
about being on the Web for the sake of being there,” says Johnston. “It’s
about using [the Web] as another way of creating a positive brand experience.” Leslie
Laredo, president of The Laredo Group, offers three issues behind the Web’s
lagging presence in the brand-building arsenal. Ownership. Every company with an
Internet presence does not have a brand manager per se, and instead the function
is often spread unevenly across multiple workgroups within the organization. Control
of the website may reside under the IT group, completely outside the scope of the
brand manager or the marketing team. “We hear this all the time,” says
Laredo. Responsibility for developing and maintaining the Web brand is unclear and
different departments or vendor agencies will jockey for position or ignore each
other completely. In the end, the brand loses when ownership of the Web presence
is fragmented.
When the company treats its Web presence as an afterthought, the brand can come
crashing down, and the customer is lost forever.
Measurement. Companies still don’t know exactly what they get for the dollars
they invest in the Web. “The cost per click doesn’t sell the value of
the Web as a tool,” explains Laredo. More advanced measurements that include
repeat visits, length of visit and other, more detailed information provide a clearer
picture of how the Web impacts the consumer. The fact that we measure other media
so much more effectively makes the value of Web branding even fuzzier, but some consumer
companies are beginning to make the connection. The Coca-Cola Company has used banner
ads that are not “clickable” – true brand advertising on the Web.
Laredo recommends before-and-after brand analysis studies for the Web activities
to help companies measure the impact of the Web on their brand and to help refine
future Web efforts. Integration. Frequently a company’s Web presence, whether
the corporate site or Web advertising, does not complement the rest of the company’s
marketing plan. “People still look at the Web as a separate thing off in the
corner,” says Laredo. Better Web integration builds a stronger brand. Period.
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Joyce L. Bosc is founder
and CEO of Boscobel Marketing Communications
Inc., in Silver Spring, MD., one
of the most respected and sought after branding, public relations and marketing consulting
firms in the mid-Atlantic region. A branding pioneer, Bosc launched the corporate
identity and branding of America Online from its infancy, including AOL’s first
free software direct mail campaign. In 1995, she co-founded ESTN Communications Group,
to provide niche services for government outreach. Boscobel Marketing Communications
conducts Brand Destination Workshops for clients and non-clients to assist in all
areas of communications, branding and company messaging.
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