Insightful articles, opinion and commentary about mobile and web.

By Simon van Wyk

I have a background in marketing, but my understanding of branding seems at odds with the 2010 opinions I see from social media commentators, marketing and advertising agencies.

I read LoveMarks, but I don’t love brands. I read the definition which says: “Lovemarks reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without. Ever.” I don’t actually feel this way about any brand. My life is busy and I reserve that level of investment for the important people in my life, not the stuff I buy. I assumed other people felt the same.

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By Simon van Wyk

Following on with this month’s theme of the legends of marketing, let’s focus on case studies in all types of marketing, not just digital marketing. Here are some websites where you can find some really useful examples to apply to your own business:

Marketing Magazine case studies: This Australian publication has dozens of case studies to choose from. My favourites include Cabana Boys, a creative agency born during the depths of the GFC, the ANZ Bank’s sponsorship of the Broadway musical Wicked, Australia’s quintessential sandshoe, Dunlop Volleys, and the Transport Action Commission of Victoria’s “Pictures of You” campaign.

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By Simon van Wyk

In this month’s podcast and in his book “Branding Only Works on Cattle”, Jonathan Salem Baskin discusses a few examples of “anti-branding”, successful branding by companies that are focused on getting people to buy things, rather than simply creating an image or a feeling. I’ve collected some links to more information about these successful anti-branders. read more

Online brand communities take a lot of work and time to nurture and grow. How do you know they’re providing value for your company? Some recent work in this area includes:

• Online Community ROI (Return on Investment) TCO Analysis (Total Cost of Ownership) – this worksheet helps you work out ROI and TCO for implementing an online community or social network.

• Online Community ROI – A collection of statistics that build a solid case for building online brand communities. Accompanying PowerPoint here.

• Measuring Success in Online Communities – Summary of a presentation on the topic at the recent NewComm Forum.  Accompanying PowerPoint here.

• Measuring the Success of Online Communities: the academic view – a link to articles on this topic in Google Scholar.

• How do you measure success online? – A blog and robust set of comments on the topic on the Econsultancy website.