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Internet Branding: When Advertising Fails To Deliver
Posted in Internet
The creation of a strong image is what brings success to individuals, partnerships, and even corporations. People need to know who you are, what you do, where you do it, why you do it, and how you do it in order to be interested in what you have to offer. And interested people means WoM (word-of-mouth), which means more sales and more traffic. It’s a damn domino effect!
On the Internet, branding is no less aggressive as it is in the real world (TV, newspapers, trade shows, etc). With the intense competition for publicity as the over-saturated Internet ad market grows, companies sometimes go a long way (with increasingly deeper pockets) in order to get the word out on their new releases. The traditional methods of advertising no longer work: Internet users have turned a blind eye to the boring standard IAB spots we’ve been using for years. Aligning products and services with high traffic websites is the new thing, and effective branding is the key to doing it.
There are a three main ways of implementing branding successfully online:
3. The “we’re better than them” method - the company flexes its muscles and makes users feel as though there is no competition; that the company is superior, no questions asked. Effective in viral WoM.
Ex. Microsoft blasts Gamespot.com’s PS3 section homepage with Xbox 360 wallpaper and super-leaderboard-size ads.
2. The “we care about our partners” method - the company tries to show that they care for a service (such as a website) by aligning themselves in a personal way. Effective in spreading positive reaction towards the advertiser in a large community.
Ex. Axe purchases “presented by” statement on PSP3D.com’s logo, and performs a site ad spot takeover.
1. The “we are really rich” method - the company slams the target audience with a large amount of advertising, and likewise, press attention in order to create an “in-your-face” effect which imprints an image in user’s heads. Effective in getting users to remember said product/service, as well as spreading WoM.
Ex. Storm Warning Unrated DVD performs full site takeover (wallpaper + roadblock + logo). The works.
As you can see, the advertising techniques presented above are, simply put, ruthless. Some viewers would call them annoying, others would call them marketing masterpieces. But the gist of it is that the early techniques for advertising are obsolete. With interstitial, video pre-roll, and other types of interactive advertising popping up all over the Internet, webmasters are trying their best to make more room for more ads, and advertisers are trying their best to better allocate their ad dollars to achieve the biggest bang for the buck.
In 2008, it’s all about the branding. The 468×60 banner of yesteryear is worthless.
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