Brand Failures

On the Internet, brand failure has become the norm. Those companies that
somehow manage to make a profit are considered freaks, while those that
struggle month by month to stay alive are applauded for their efforts.
Such has been the lasting impact of the dot.com fallout which occurred at
the turn of the millennium, the quickest way a brand can devalue its name
is to add ‘.com’ to the end of it. Yet paradoxically, those brands that ignore
the Internet are also placing their reputations in jeopardy.
Just as the Internet is now a part of life, so it must be a part of brandbuilding.
The danger is to treat it as an entirely separate entity rather than
simply as another communications medium or sales channel. Of course, the
Internet does have unique characteristics, which need to be acknowledged.
It facilitates two-way communication. It also enables consumers with a
grudge to spread their anti-brand message in a way not possible with
traditional one-way media. Most significantly, it levels out the playing field.
Competitors large and small, wherever they happen to be located, are within
equal reach.
Due to the democratic nature of the Internet, even the smallest of companies
can eventually become the biggest brands. This is because having a
unique approach is far more effective than spending millions on online and
offline advertising. Furthermore, because of the immediacy of the Internet the
value of a great concept can be spread around the world in a matter of minutes.
Whereas for the industrial age choice meant ‘any colour so long as it’s
black’, on the Internet users are presented with a kaleidoscopic range of
possibilities. When Brand X fails to deliver, Brand Y is always only one click
away. After all, if someone is visiting a site from a search engine (and most
people do) they are likely to have a list of 10 or so other sites they want to
visit. This means successful branding is more important than ever, in order
to stand out from the competition.
As the Internet progresses there is a move away from thinking about ‘eyeballs’
to a concentration on relationships. Many leading e-business figures