Internet is a new medium of communication; it has changed the way we market our products and services. It has managed to challenge several marketing processes pushing a new way of implementing the same techniques with a different approach. Off late with the rise of interactivity in the guise of Web 2.0, the way we market products and services has encountered great levels of dynamic approach.
Brand managers conveniently forget application of the basic principles of Branding. It is important that they do not consider Interactivity as an alternative to Branding. Interactivity is simply a new channel that is largely misinterpreted. Several brand managers believe that they are required to portray and re-create different brand values for their presence on the Web with something that relates to Interactivity. On the flip side, there are still a lot of organizations that exist with merely putting up their offline brochures on display in the website thereby killing the interactivity and blending. Webalue.com’s Marketing Head, Vipin Patil, who has spent a decade in web development agrees, ‘Most companies looking at developing their identity online evidently misunderstand the characteristics of Internet. In the past 10 years I have had a few clients who even refused to display their email IDs on the website citing them as an unmanageable added source of enquiry management (They would only display their physical office address and telephone numbers on the ‘Contact’ pages). ‘Interactivity’ still has a long road to cover before such businesses adopt them on right lines.’
The right approach is to adopt interactivity as a new channel to branding (just like TV and Radio) and creatively align this new medium with the current offline brand values. This also ensures consistency constituting to brand strength. M&M did this quite fabulously. Their customers can actually order a customized bag of M&Ms where messages they create can be printed on each piece of the candy with any of the available colours and delivered at the comfort of consumer’s home. And Interactivity doesn’t end their consumer’s can even send in a photo and have their face printed on every M&M candy. This is interactivity and brand attachment at its best. Result?? Brand’s Consistency remains INTACT and Brand’s Interactivity seems Fabulous. Another example of this could be SUNSILK Gang of Girls initiative, which we recently covered on Webalue.com Communications.
Related posts:
- How offline marketing boosts online effect by 40% This intensive course, held on 18th March, shows you why...
- How to ‘track’ and then ‘carve’ your Brand’s Perception Online A brand personality and its attributes play a cardinal role...
- Branding Queries: What is Online Marketing? We received a mail from one of Rachael, a marketing...
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Marketing Research Online Marketing research has witnessed a growth trend in the...
- Building successful Brands on the Internet Certain academic research suggests that 79 % of a website...
-------------------------------------------
Are you a Marketing Expert? Have you considered marketing your services on the Internet?
Being a professor of Marketing units, this article has surely given me some insights into Online Branding. The Web 2.0 scenario has changed the Internet Business to some unseen levels and as always only those with lightening speed presence of mind gained the sustainable advantage of the change.
I wonder what will happen to the market when the so called Web 3.0 scenario comes into existence.
(3.0) Only great things, I believe Dr. Cleaver.
I wish more and more small businesses would embrace online branding. For many it is way under their radar. I’m afraid if a “lightning speed presence of mind” is a pre-requisite then there is going to be a consistent loss of opportunity to competitors who get it.
@ Dr. Ron
Great thought and great question. Web 3.0 is presumed to replicate ‘Intelligent data’ and awe-filled information retrieval.
I believe Web 3.0 will intensify the ‘Race to Information’. The market players with the most unique valued information will make it big. I also believe that there will be a change in Information generation. Today, information is generated on Demand, tomorrow Demand will be generated on Information available.
And if that is to happen, then you’ll surely hear a lot about Webalue.com in the Web 3.0 era.
You could very well be right, as thats what a recent focus group concluded with.
looking forward to have webalue.com on the global charts..
Meheer – I generally dont comment on websites I read.. But only once a month or (sometimes) quarterly, I find true people letting out true and valued information. Being a student I just wanted to acknowledge your blog and especially YOU for sharing your creative Branding ideas and knowledge publicly. Your ideas help students like me put forth creative projects ranking us much ahead of other colleagues. Thanks, I am sure several other (stand-out) students truly appreciate.
@ Robby
Thank you for your comment. If anything, I am intrigued by this one of a kind response that I just recieved.
My Branding knowledge and creativity are just my thoughts and a practice to exercise freedom of expression. They are meant to work for SMEs as well as MNCs who dare to be different. But mind you, they do not use the knowledge as it is. They integrate this knowledge to suit several of their processes and positions.
Your comment indicates you ‘Idolising’ me in an indirect way, which is the only thing I disagree to and must suggest to you that if you like to use my knowledge do it with your own hand of creativity and freedom of expression. I do not recommend you take the content of this blog as it is for a sole reason being that the content application varies from case-to-case basis.
Good luck
I work as a Sales and Marketing staff in a young IT company in Nigeria. I am very eager to take marketing and my company to the next level. Please, how can you help me to achieve this aim? Thank you.
@ Oni – Sent you an Email. Awaiting your Reply