Book Review: The Open Brand - Characteristics of an Open Brand
(Page 3 of 4 )
In the third section, the authors note the two major trends that contribute to what they call the open brand framework. The first is the increased visibility of consumers as artists and content producers who no longer need third parties to reach the rest of the world. The second is the advent of creative production -- something that anyone who has watched a really good amateur YouTube video can appreciate.
The authors then map out how these two trends play against the way an O.P.E.N. brand works. "When we cast them as x- and y-axes on a grid, they frame four types of essential and interconnected consumer experiences -- on-demand, personal, engaging and networked. Optimizing these consumer experiences in alignment with a brand's business objectives constitutes the way to open up to a web-made world," they explain. They then detail the important characteristics of each kind of experience.
In fact, the authors go into quite a bit of depth about each kind of experience. If the first two sections gave you a feel for the nature of the new marketing realities, this section begins to show you in some detail how to reshape the way you promote your brand. For instance, the on-demand section explains that "as many consumers arrive at your site via deep-linking from blogs, personal web pages and other media beyond your control, every page on your site should function as both your home page and transaction page." Web designers, SEOs and SEMs, take note of this; there's plenty more where that came from.
In fact, of the first three sections, this one is probably the most valuable for SEOs and SEMs. You need to read the first two as well, because they lay the groundwork. But in this section, you begin to get practical advice about what you should be doing and where you should be focusing your efforts. The authors also provide copious examples of brands that have stood out in providing one or another of the four kinds of consumer experiences they outline.
Next: Making the Transition >>
More Website Promotion Articles
More By Terri Wells
