An Overview of Corporate Internet Branding

If you are in business, or plan to be in business in the near future, one thing you'll soon realize is that identifying and understanding your market, carving a niche and developing a useful corporate brand are all very challenging, but vitally important assignments.

If you expect to gain any amount of measurable success, you'll need a plan. That plan begins with knowing the most important things about your business (like who your target customers are), and understanding how to apply this knowledge to other areas such as product development, customer service, and your corporate branding strategy.

Why is branding so important?

You've probably heard this said by other marketing professionals many times - your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors (think Coke and Pepsi - direct competitors with very unique brands).

Your brand will also set your product or service apart from those of your competitors (think Xerox and their awesome print ads for their full color laser printers).

Developing a unique brand will make your company more memorable to your target market (think Apple Computers). It will help you stand out in the crowd instead of blending in.

Your brand can also communicate some very important messages to your target market, like what immediate benefit they can expect to get from using your product or service. Oil of Olay tells women that they will obtain more youthful, radiant skin by using their product - even their logo communicates this.

So what message would you like to convey to your target market? If you were the creator of the Mercedes-Benz you'd want to convey a message of high class luxury. Creator of the Honda Accord? Reliability and a bit of luxury at an affordable price. And I'm sure everyone now equates Saturn with affordability, dependability...and a company that really cares about it's customers. They've done a great job of crafting just the right message for their target market.

So in a nutshell, branding is about creating a unique identity for your company that sets you apart from your competitors for the right reasons (for your target market); along with conveying a winning message (and invoking the right emotions) that will make your target market want to buy your product or service. It's not that simple, but surprisingly, it is.

How does corporate Internet branding differ?

Don't make the mistake in thinking that corporate Internet branding only has to do with the Web. Sure, building a useful online presence for your company is a big part of the picture, but more traditional marketing concepts influence just how your corporate Web site will look and function.

For example, you'll need to take into consideration the visual image you want to portray to your target market, and determine how this image will spill over into your print material and print ads, as well as your corporate Internet brand (Web site).

Your marketing message should also influence your corporate Internet branding strategy. Are you going for an aggressive print and audio message? Does this mean your corporate Web site copy should also be aggressive? Think about it - one side of branding will always affect the other. It's very unlikely that a successful branding strategy will incorporate opposite concepts.

The Xerox message is much the same for their entire corporate brand - an aggressive (and colorful) message conveying how vivid and awesome their color laser printers are.

So, what do I need to consider for my corporate Internet brand?

There are many, many things you'll need to consider when developing your corporate Internet brand, and you'll soon realize how these things set this form of branding apart from the traditional sense of branding (think logos, business cards and brochures, print ads and radio ads).

For starters, you'll want to develop a visual image that is consistent with your other branding strategy, but also sets the corporate Web site apart. Since the Web site is an entirely different entity than your print material or ads, you'll need to look at it differently, while keeping in mind what is already in place for a successful company brand.

You'll need to consider the message your company conveys, along with the product or service you sell, and the expectations of your target market. If you are targeting busy people who never seem to have enough time, you'll want to develop a corporate Web site with this in mind. Give them what they want instantly, and there's a much better chance that they'll visit your Web site again.

If your corporate brand is all about sending a value-added message, make sure your Web site includes useful information, tips and resources or tools that your clients can gain extra value from. They'll remember your branding message better and it'll quickly gain more weight.

It takes time and effort to build a successful brand

Whether we are talking about your entire brand or just your corporate Internet brand, it takes a considerable amount of careful research and effort to build the right brand for your company. This article is just the tip of the iceberg, and many areas have been left uncovered. The best thing to keep in mind when developing your brand is to remember that a lot of purchases are based on a perceived benefit and a positive emotional experience. This simple principal holds true for just about any type of product or service you can think of.

Start by asking yourself:

What does my target market want from me right now?
What positive emotional feeling will prompt them to buy from me?

Good luck with establishing your own successful brand!

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