Digital media is rapidly reshaping the branding game. The former terms of brand positioning, equity, and reputation have recently been replaced by a new discourse about building platforms, digital brand management and creating interaction within virtual social networks.
“The first Internet banner ad appeared in 1994; in 2000 advertising first appeared on Google.com, and a few years later the first Tide commercials showed up on YouTube”, according to Sheila Shayon, a Brand Channel contributor. Nowadays people are “friending” brands and local businesses on Facebook – creating a new platform for buzz building and branding opportunities that has shifted from traditional print and TV media messages to a multidimensional, 24/7 real time digital feed.
Traditionally, brands reflect the media outlet: “logos are predominant in print, jingles in radio, taglines and image in TV spots”, says Shayon. But with recent technological developments and adoption of digital tools, social media feeds and microblogging – old rules no longer apply. Brand strategy is no longer defined by technology, or brand history. Today, “digital branding deals with behavior”, she points.
Companies such Bravo and Zagat are using Foursquare to direct audiences to real-world places with program tie-ins, as is HBO’s “How to Make It in America.” Clarins is crowdsourcing their next perfume development by asking their fans to submit ideas on everything – from scent to packaging. Fashion houses connect with consumers by streaming live shows online with simultaneous curated Twitter coverage by bloggers and editors in real time. Pepsi’s Refresh project is another prime example of an ongoing relationship between consumer behavior and brand. The very nature of the Internet cultivates a behavioral metric: how many friends do you have, where do you shop, where have you traveled.
“Consumers plus products plus technology results in a new kind of online brand experience,” according to Shayon. The digital playbook requires an intricate balance between gain and the cost of a consumer’s interaction. Unlike the past, today brands must deliver something more than just an aspiration, but rather an service, a reward, or an interaction. Image, message, and brand trust are simply analog remnants from another era.
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