Netting brand success

We are living in the cyber-age and the world, as we know it, is changing at breathtaking speed. From talking to friends, selling and buying, auctions, playing games, looking for a job or a life-partner, it is all possible in the digital world.

Naturally, advertising companies are also hitching a ride on the information technology bandwagon and brands are also keen to take advantage of the heavy traffic on the information superhighway.

Talking about the importance of the digital world for brands, Toby Mills, Digital Director, The Brand Union, Middle East told Emirates Business: "The digital world is extremely important to all brands, both established and new. There are countless examples of young upstarts overturning more established brands by purely utilising the power of the digital world. Because of this, the digital world is an area that brands can no longer afford to ignore, rather they must ensure is a key part of their brand strategy.

As customers are becoming increasingly technologically savvy, their expectation of the digital brand experiences grows. If these expectations are not met, then it will have a substantial negative impact on the brand value. To this end, all brands must ensure that they capitalise on the digital opportunities and offerings available. The scope and expectations are huge as are the benefits if successful.

The digital world has become a vital territory that companies must explore and brands must conquer if they wish to survive, let alone succeed in these challenging economic times. "

Aneesh Sharma, Brand Strategist, Landor Associates said: "Everybody needs a digital presence. The web has replaced conventional forms of search (i.e. Yellow Pages, and to some extent, word of mouth as well). Whereas before, if I needed to find a mover in Dubai, I would possibly ask a friend, or call up 181, but today, I look online. Even the fastest, sharpest, most efficient mover without a website won't get my business. However, the degree of digital presence depends on the industry in which you operate and your target audience's affinity for all things digital."

Explaining about the advantages of the digital world, Mills said: "The biggest advantage of the digital world and more specifically the online marketplace is the ability to measure the success of campaigns in a variety of key areas.

"Not only can the financial benefits of a specific campaign, advert or even article be recorded but the increase in brand awareness and brand experience can also be easily recorded and monitored. This enables companies to quickly calculate their return on investment, tweak campaigns to maximise their effect and ensure it's providing a positive experience for their customers.

"The digital world also provides a fast and effective method to communicate with its target audience at cheaper costs than traditional mediums. Traditional mediums have for too long restricted companies to shouting out to a crowd of people and hoping their message is heard and understood. Not only does digital technology provide a means to send instant tailored messages directly to customers and potential customers and measure the impact, but it also provides a means to start a conversation with their customers. This instills a sense of involvement in the brand which increases brand loyalty and pride as customers feel in control. Ultimately all organisations should have a digital strategy as it provides an effective way to communicate with customers."

Sharma said: "In the digital world, nothing is permanent. You can modify and enhance your message according to the feedback you get, the market conditions and your own business strategy. Moreover, with no set format to adhere to, the sky's the limit in terms of how you present yourself to the world.

"Apart from that the other advantages are the reach to a global audience, the low cost of production in relation to reach and impact. Also, it is an invaluable source of feedback from customers to help you enhance your products and services. At the same time, the web is a chance to use the web as a tool to shape your image by creating the kind of buzz you want. It is also a platform by which a great deal of information can be shared with a captive audience in many dynamic ways, from blogs to Second Life catastrophes to iPhone applications and everything in between."

According to the analysts, the real success stories are companies who do not treat the digital world as a separate entity but as part of a holistic brand strategy. Online and Offline strategies that tie in seamlessly with each other have a far greater impact on brand awareness then segregated and disconnected campaigns. Large multinationals, like Apple and Adidas are leading the way in this area. Hollywood is also very successfully utilising the internet to launch new movies and TV series by cleverly tying the programmes into online campaigns.

Mills explained the Adidas technique. "Adidas are a great example of a brand increasing its brand awareness by utilising a variety of digital techniques. During the last World Cup, Adidas utilised brand tracking technology to monitor discussions on their brand and its current campaigns and products lines. This online tracking highlighted online discussions regarding an issue with one of their products which was caused by customers not following included instructions. Based on the information obtained, Adidas altered their production and packaging process to resolve any issues or confusion. They also undertook an online campaign to alter current owners to a simple solution to the issue all the while continuing to monitor discussions to ensure success and measure the value."

Middle Eastern companies who have embraced the digital world and reaped the benefits are firms such as Emirates Airlines and Jumeirah hotels.

Their openness to digital opportunities has been driven by their need to appeal to broader markets many of which have higher expectations then local audiences historically have. However, this is now rapidly changing and local companies in the region are finding themselves racing to catch-up.

Sharma said: "There are innumerable success stories of brands that have used the web to shape how their brands are seen today. What first comes to mind are tech companies such as Dell and Apple; media companies such as The New York Times & CNN. And who can forget the venerable banking industry – think ING Direct."

According to Mills, even though there are no direct drawbacks from embracing the digital world however neglecting it can be damaging to the brand experience. Alternatively, it can be damaging if the digital experience does not live up to expectations and frustrates the user more than it assists them.

Mills said: "A negative experience can be caused by a variety of different causes but they are mainly caused by neglect, poor planning or bad implementation of a digital campaign. Due to the pervasiveness of the digital world combined with the ease and speed of communication a negative experience can easily spread and spin out-of-control."

Sharma said: "That is one major risk because of the speed of proliferation of ideas, whether positive or negative. Especially with sources like YouTube, an isolated incident can have major impact on your reputation capital. Think of the Domino's Pizza YouTube video and its wide-reaching implications."

There are many examples of failures in the digital world that have damaged brands. Recent examples show how sometimes the simplest problems and misunderstandings can lead to huge issues. For instance, Amazon is one of the largest online retailers who have mastered the digital world to not only market their company but also to service their customers. However, they recently updated their cataloguing system which resulted in a large number of books losing their high ranking and being mislabelled. Within hours many social networking sites were ablaze with fury at Amazon for their actions. Even though the mistake was rectified, it had done its damage. The digital world is a very fickle place which without foresight and planning can seriously damage a brand.

Mills said: "Also, careless blanket online advertising has led to brands being advertised along side unsuitable content with a negative impact on the brand image."

So, the million-dirham question is how does a brand get it right?

Sharma said: "The two words that will ensure that your brand gets it right and stands out in the digital world are 'Relevant Innovation'."

Mills said: "As is the case with any successful brand, increasing brand awareness requires creating and implementing a detailed and thorough brand strategy. Building on this, the key to a successful digital brand strategy is ensuring that it is incorporated as part of a holistic campaign and not treated as a separate entity in its own special bubble. By utilising both traditional and digital mediums, a brand can increase its awareness far greater than either medium would achieve alone.

"It is important to meet your customer's expectations and provide a positive brand experience which not only adds value encouraging them to return but which they will also communicate across their social network. Ultimately planning and strategy are the best ways to ensure a brand will succeed in the digital world. However, this must be undertaken as part of the bigger picture and a holistic approach, otherwise opportunities will be missed."



Creating a Brand World for a digital environment the right way

Plan your strategy and ensure your actions are thought through and not knee jerk responses otherwise you could end up doing more damage than good.

The digital environment is not detached from the outside world. The most successful digital branding exercises are always undertaken in conjunction with offline traditional branding exercises.

Success in the digital realm has the potential to propel a brand forward very quickly as it suddenly becomes visible to an entirely new market. If the brand is not prepared, it can quickly become saturated or over exposed. If a brand is not ready or open to the changes and impact the digital world has, success can quickly turn to disappointment sizzling away, never to be resurrected.

Brands must continually strive to grow their digital representation. Constantly challenging their digital agencies to explore new opportunities will ensure brands stand out and customer expectations are met.

Listening to customer's comments as well as the general online discussions is vital to a brand. This will ensure that it maintains customer's interest and expectations and also ensures the customer feels like an integral part of the process and hence increasing their loyalty.

Essentially, customers look for a positive experience and added value. If the brand ensures that these are retained within the digital environment, they will succeed.

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