From Bricks to Clicks: 5 Steps to Creating a Durable Online Brand

The convergence of the Web and branding profoundly changes our world and resides at the heart of the New Economy. Particularly in the "post-crash" period of the Internet age, where financiers and customers are looking to companies with profitability and endurance, branding is the critical differentiator used to distinguish one company from another. Few executive or marketing staff understand how to build a Web brand thoroughly, much less its purpose, its opportunities or its contribution to the bottom-line; however, many experts regard brand as arguably a company's most valuable attribute, and venture capitalists often today look first to the brand and then to the technology or the business plan. We begin the 21st century in every bit as much of a brand revolution as the Industrial Revolution-sparked 20th century. Foremost in the minds of executives is, "How can I extend my brand on the Web and continue or establish my success in unfamiliar waters?" So, how do you take a successful offline brand and make it a successful online brand? Walmart, arguably one of the strongest offline brands in the country, failed (twice!) to establish their brand online.
It found that its offline customer was indeed very different from its online customer. Barnes and Noble faced similar challenges developing their online presence by noticeably hesitating because of lack of expertise in extending their strong offline brand online. Now they are playing a game of catch-up. Industry experts believe that this issue may be the biggest issue facing companies for the next 3-5 years. This book offers advice and a proven method for developing and managing an online brand that coordinates and compliments the offline brand. A state-of-the-art, authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the most important factor in building a Web presence, the book should become a useful guide for every CEO, marketing executive and anyone else interested in building a brand online. At the very core of the book is the Web brand development process that Timacheff and Rand live by. This proven and effective process includes five stages: discovery; framework; verbal articulation; sensory (visual, auditory) design and articulation; and execution. It is a sure-fire way to ensure a successful online brand.
This book will address a variety of brand topics and how they all relate directly to the Web. Case studies and interviews with various people will punctuate the brand text, emphasizing the various points. Because many books exist on the fundamentals of brand development and brand management, this book does not focus on the 101 of online branding, but rather focuses on the various aspects of branding and branding challenges relating directly to extending offline brands to the Web.