feels—that the move from traditional media like print advertising is not always a smooth

conversion.

That being said, the Web presents an entirely new set of tools to sell a company’s brand

story to their audience. Design and copy are as important as they have always been, and so

is the flavor—oroverall thematic feeling—ofthe presentation, like “professional,”

“customer-centric,” “fun,” “engaging,” “family-oriented,” and so forth.

Internet technology allows a deeper immersion into the story through interactive conver-

sations. A few companies—especially in the commercial sector—build complex viral sites

to help reinforce their brand.1 Some agonize over the graphical nuances of a button to

ensure it matches the company’s established visual motif. Others reinvent their marketing

language to appeal to a more global audience.

The ageless problem of brand marketing is the difficulty in quantifying return on invest-

ment. Most smart companies know they have to invest in their brand development, and

constantly tweak messaging to do so, but never fully understand exactly how that invest-

ment is being rewarded. On the living Web—where content grows exponentially, new

technology is rolled out every few months, and trends come and go faster than reality

shows on MTV—building a brand can be a daunting task for any corporation. It takes time,

money, and brio. (It may also take nagging the director of marketing to get the green light.)

Home as advertisement

To build market awareness, a company traditionally purchased advertising space in maga-

zines, on billboards, and in other printed media that they hoped would be seen by their

target audience; radio ads that might be heard by the right people; and television spots

that might be seen by their future customers. Unless your business is an ice cream stand or

boutique clothing store, you can count on few people actually driving by to purchase any-

thing without having seen an advertisement first.

On the Web, the rules have changed. The funnel is flipped. The “headquarters” have

become the single most efficient place to advertise. Instead of a physical building trying to

cast a wide net of advertising to procure new business, corporations can purchase laser-

precise media or write link-worthy content that lures potential customers back to the web-

site, where carefully designed pages make the final sale through a shopping cart or push

them into making contact with the company.

Few companies have truly embraced the marketing potential of new media. Too many

websites are built as static, uninviting brochures that fail to engage the customer; like a

corporate office park, the veneer turns people away instead of inviting them to learn more

about the institutions. A good website, by contrast, invites prospects in to learn more,