Online branding

The role of brands and branding in the new economy that is characterised by digitisation and globalisation are attracting considerable attention. Taking the organisational perspective the challenges for branding in online environments relate to: the message capacity of Web pages, the need to integrate branding and marketing communications across different channels, the trend towards organisational value propositions, brands as search keys, the opportunity to link and develop brand positions, globalisation, and the increased engagement of the public sector with branding. In the context of the brand experience, key themes are customer control, customisation and customer relationships, the help yourself nature of the medium, the increasing emphasis on experience, and the opportunity offered by m‐commerce to revolutionise the brand experience. An online brand development strategy includes the following stages: setting the context for the brand, deciding on brand objectives and message; developing a brand specification; developing a brand design, creating the Web site and other communications using the brand, launching and promoting the brand, building the brand experience, and finally, reviewing, evolving and protecting the brand.