1st Edition

Creating Brand Cool Brand Distinction in the Online Marketplace

By Joan Abraham Copyright 2021
    114 Pages
    by Routledge

    114 Pages
    by Routledge

    In this intriguing blend of branding how-to and business memoir, an industry pioneer presents the thought process and tools to create a successful Ecommerce business by developing a distinct emotional attraction to a brand, beyond individual product offerings.

    Leveraging her 26 years of experience in online marketing and branding, Joan Abraham reveals the thought process behind successfully addressing today’s marketing challenge: clearly defining the business’s brand essence using its owned social media channels to personalize the full character of the brand. Creating Brand Cool addresses the importance of developing a unique state of being that personally resonates with today’s consumer. Abraham energizes the creative and strategic thinking for attracting and maintaining brand loyalty when the competition is a click away.

    Appealing to branding and social media marketing professionals, as well as students in these fields, this book is a primer for building an online community and distinguishing a brand from the competition. It is relevant to all types of business, from small businesses to globally recognized brands.

    Introduction 1 Anyone Can Be an Amazon.com Social Media Allows a More Personal Brand Experience; Social Media Exposes the Brand Character; The Value of Ecommerce to Niche Markets; Customer Service Is the Center Core of the Brand; The Value of Online Advertising for Brand Awareness; The Value of Strategic Partnerships for Branding 2 The Website as Brand Central Where the Branding Process Begins; The Art and Science of Branding; The Experience Offered on the Website; Lifestyle Marketing; Technology in the Retail Environment: Omnichannel Retailing; Aspiration Is Cool; Cause Marketing Is Cool; Ecommerce and Brand Recognition; And Then There Is Everyone Else; Brand Awareness Provides Trust; Search: Keyword Marketing; Content Mapping; The Value of Design in Creating the Brand Experience; Graphic Presentation Personalizes the Product; Style and Design Enhanced with Partnerships; The Consumer Loves Stories; The Website as Flagship 3 Putting the Sensory Appeal into the Sell Consistency Is Key for Brand Distinction; The Necessity of Tailoring the Brand Voice; How Do We Get the Message to Our Audience?; Brand Symbols; Emails; Personal Means Respect the Recipient; Online Lifestyle Networks; Bundled Lifestyle Networks; Mobile Advertising Is All About Getting Personal Responsibly; The Value of Media and the Research We Have Access To; Lifestyle Marketing Is All About Getting Personal; Failure Is a Part of Success; The Return on Investment with Social Media Is Engagement 4 Research Is Your Sherpa Research Process; Methodologies: Qualitative; Quantitative; Primary vs. Secondary Data 5 Surround Sound Media for Online Branding Cloud Living and the Impact of Data; Research Directs the Media Efforts; Mass Media Gets Personal; And Then COVID-19…; The Websites of Traditional Media; The Best Messaging Traverses Channels; The Big Picture: Mass Marketing for Big Budgets and Building Trust; Bundled Multi-media Buys to Surround the Audience; Localizing the Media Buy; Direct Response + the Internet; Expanding Local Messaging; Live Events + Email; A Note about Landing Pages; Daily Communication; Collecting and Growing an Email List; Fashion and Music Partnerships; Influencers and Bloggers: New Partnerships for Lifestyle Cool; Apps; And Now: Back to Surround Sound Media 6 Strategic Partnerships for Lifestyle Marketing Co-Branding Partnerships; Sponsorship of and Product Placement in Entertainment; Magazines as Lifestyle Partners; Pooling of Resources; Creativity and Innovation Are Born Out of Diverse Cultures; Partnerships Are Service Tools for Your Customers; Walmart and Moosejaw 7 Entertaining the Sale; It’s All About the Story The Value of Original Content for Online Messaging; Entertaining the Sale; The Online Environment Demands Authenticity; Creativity Is the Magic Sauce for Brand Distinction 8 Merchandising an Ecommerce Website Visit Your Competitors and Stay Up to Date; Branding Partners Give Tide Detergent a Sense of Style; Personal Shopper Merchandising; Merchandising a State of Mind; How Does the Customer Travel Through Your Site?; Video Brings the Merchandise to Life 9 Customization Cutomized Products Enhance the Brand Image; Technology and Data Offer New Retail Concepts; The Social Channels Offer Customized Service; Personal Style Offers the Best Customization; Bundled Lifestyle Websites Customize the Placement of Online Banner Ads; Programmatic Mapping for Customizing Online Ad Buying; Promotions Give You Something to Talk About; The Distinction of a Once Great City for Brand Identity; Customized Products as Brand Distinction; Good Promotions Can Lead to a Great Job; Brand Building Themes; As a Style Maker Your Lifestyle Showcases Your Brand Identity; The Power of Social Media for Inside Access; Capsule Collections Are Today’s Norm: The Need for New Never Stops; Vintage Style 10 Cause Related Marketing and Sustainability for Brand Distinction Colin Kaepernick Takes a Knee; The Commitment Must Be Authentic; Attention to Detail with Cause Branding Is Essential; Young People Have the Ideas and the Accessibility; Micro Loans Change a Life; Corporate Branding That Gives Back; Sustainability; Going Forward Cause Marketing Will Play A Major Role in Defining a Brand 11 Localization and Globalization No Limits No Boundaries But Don’t Forget the Local Familiarity; Glocal Thinking; The Value of Pop-Up Shops; Personalize the Event; Merchandise into a Lifestyle Event; The Global Marketplace: Remember No Boundaries; Test Markets That Show Interest; Don’t Overlook an Interested Audience; It Takes a Global Village to Build a Sweater; Breaking Down the Barriers of Entry for Reaching the Global Market; Accommodating Local Customs; Ah… but the Lure of American Brands 12 Imagine the Possibilities; the Role of Virtual Reality in the Future of Retail Technology Will Create Our Greatest Fantasies Online and In-store; Disruptors That Create Change and Innovative Thinking; Too Many Stores; Reimagining the Mall to Address Modern Lifestyles; Social Media Is the Magic Bullet That Changed Everything; The Science of Online Marketing; Online Media Buying Simulations Are a Great Learning Tool; Today Everyone Has Access to Style; The Power of Influencers; New Communication Content Is Necessary for the Web; Testimonials; Merchandising the Experience; Optimization Makes Sure the Message Gets Through; Where Are We Going?; And the Future…

    Biography

    Joan Abraham’s focus on the Internet over the last 26 years has created new merchandising and marketing paradigms for branding in a global marketplace. Among her accomplishments are two one-hour specials for the Oprah Winfrey Show, the establishment of a network of video walls in shopping malls nationwide for advertisers, and online media campaigns for The Chrysler Corporation, NBC, ABC-TV, Phillips Van Heusen and the city of Detroit.

    She currently heads up StyleBranding, Inc. which she founded in 1996. The company specializes in the next generation of online content for branding and marketing in the Ecommerce arena. She has recently retired after 25 years at Parsons School of Design in New York where she taught Ecommerce Marketing and Fashion Branding. Abraham developed the Ecommerce marketing course for Parsons in 1996 and graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan.