Is Branding On The Internet Effective?

Online branding is moving through a metamorphosis, similar to that of television when it first came out in the 1950s. And I’d say we’re about 1975 at this juncture, in relevant terms. Internet technology continues to evolve, as are consumers’ likes and dislikes. Like two opposing points on the X and Y axis, the two will eventually intersect, illustrating the point of when consumers are happy with the experiences being delivered by the online branders.The distinct differences between direct response advertising and brand advertising crosses over to the internet with probably more challenges than the two have faced in other media forms. But clients’ demands have not changed. They want results (direct response), but they also seek style (brand). On the Internet, these are typically accomplished in very different forms and consumers come across them in different ways.With traditional media, everything is “pushed” at the consumer through television ads, radio ads, direct mail, and print advertising. On the web, it’s vastly different. Where some content is pushed, most of it is controlled by consumers deciding where to go and not go online, as well as what to review or not review.Where “brand” marketing is concerned, it is a delicate equation that consists of meeting the entertainment value expected by consumers, and the branders making a valuable impression in the mind of consumers. Up to now, branding has failed through unsuccessful banner advertising, which sports about a 40% ignore rate. Banners are just not capable of providing the entertainment value of a television commercial – such as the Volkswagon commercial with the little boy dressed as Darth Vader.Recently, banners ads have shown more promise with interactive options, such as a car ad where the vehicle can change colors with a mouse rollover. However, even that falls short when the consumer is in complete control of engaging the action. With internet bandwidth and computer processor speeds expanding to stream video, the era of pre-roll video commercials is catching on (especially on news sites). But the vast majority of brand advertising still falls short. Several things will help correct this in the next few years:Continued expansion of broadband into rural areas and the increase of bandwidth in urban markets, creating more critical mass to reach consumer groups.
The development of Web TV; currently in the infancy stage, but backed financially by players such as Verizon and Microsoft.
Consumers’ growing reliance and enjoyment of the web (fueled by points 1 & 2)
Brand marketers better understanding the parameters set by consumers on what they are willing to engage. The days of banners ads on a web page appearing like a NASCAR uniform are over.Where this will go, and how rapidly it will occur, remains to be seen. Changes on the internet do occur much faster than most of us can anticipate. Much of this will also be driven by the continuing decline of traditional media formats. The future of just much the internet will continue to expand is exciting to witness.