Using the Power of Digital Branding to Build One Brand

Author: Leslie Crombie and Amy Simmons

These emerging technologies are changing the way brands communicate and build relationships with consumers but also with employees, customers and channel partners.

The adoption of technologies, online behaviors and online-only brands has created a new strategic imperative for brands to evolve from the perfunctory corporate web site to become 24/7 creators of dynamic digital experiences that express the brand in unique, compelling ways Given the interactive DNA of Web 2.0 technologies, companies are forced to evolve into generators of branded content that inspire and engage daily, rather than simply inform when there’s a new press release to deploy. The need for a digital branding strategy and investment has never been greater as companies increasingly search for relevant ways to create and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.

By design or default, every brand has a digital experience. Unfortunately, not all digital experiences are created equal. For every Apple or eBay that’s created a compelling ownable digital brand, there is a multitude of companies for whom “digital” remains simply the opposite of analog. The epicenter of these successful digital experiences: a strong brand strategy. In this world of ever-emerging new media, your company’s digital presence is quickly becoming the only experience that potential customers may ever have with your organization. Wondering where to start? Begin with asking these two fundamental questions:

Does your current digital experience best reflect your brand?

First, Know Thy Brand: The digital experiences of Apple, BMW’s Mini USA, Virgin Airways, and Burger King share a common trait – they all emanate from a strong brand promise. A brand promise provides meaningful differentiation, creates preference and offers relevance to its audiences. It embodies a clear idea and value proposition. A brand promise connects with people on a functional and emotional level. Can you define your organization’s brand promise? What do you want your customers to think, feel, experience about your brand? Why should they choose you? Why should they pay more for you? If you can’t answer these questions, neither can your customers. Your investment might be better spent on brand strategy development.

Become a Digital Detective: To evaluate your brand’s current experience assumes that it has been identified. The best way to understand your current digital brand is to undertake a cross-organizational audit of all online touch points. A digital brand audit can also uncover those places where the consumer experience does not align with the desired brand experience and those places where there are tremendous opportunities to deliver on the desired brand experience. The best online brands understand the need to deliver and engage on the brand promise. Nike partnered with Apple to create Nike+, a digitally driven offering that combines products and services of Nike with Apple’s Nano. Using Nike’s sensor-embedded running shoes, runners wirelessly connect the sensor with their iPod Nano, where they can create personalized workouts, specialized playlists and workouts created by world famous coaches. Results are then uploaded to a personalized account on the Nike+ web site where users can review and analyze results and progress and connect with other Nike+ runners around the world. The result: a multitouch digital experience that delivers on a very specific brand attributes of “performance” and “innovation” in a unique, relevant way.

Watch for Portfolio Proliferation: Large organizations historically end up with large portfolios of digital properties. Companies with little or no governance structure are fertile environments for site proliferation and, ultimately, brand confusion. And, all too often, the portfolio is made up of sites that are known. Simply searching for what’s out there will likely turn up things you would expect, but also some things that will surprise you. A recent financial services company uncovered hundreds and hundreds of web sites that existed in the absence of a unifying digital brand strategy. And, if they are a surprise (and for some, a shock) to you, then what do your customers think? An audit can also help uncover “rogue” experiences or properties that are often holdovers from old campaigns or brand initiatives. For some companies and categories, the existence of outdated digital properties can create potential liability issues, beyond just bad digital experiences for your customers and employees.