Brand Thunder and House of Blues Bring the Spotlight of the Stage to the Internet Browser

Brand Thunder, the custom browser specialists, announced today an agreement with House of Blues to deliver a customized Internet browser experience that celebrates the music and art it brings to its fans.

Experiencing House of Blues is a true event from the top-name music acts, to the eclectic mix of folk art to the Southern-inspired dining. Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! bring that kind of immersive experience to the Internet browser. A Boom! is unlike other browser-based tools with its visual takeover of the browser, integrated toolbar for content and functionality, plus the multimedia sidebar for videos, photos and more. The House of Blues browser Boom! is expected this September.

“House of Blues is a great fusion of cultural and musical influences,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “It’s going to be fun applying Brand Thunder’s browser technology to extend the experience to their fans online, and done so in a way that maintains the spirit of diversity that lives throughout their company.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can switch real-time between any installed Booms!, or change from a full Boom! view to a small Boom! (toolbar only), all without restarting the browser.

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates custom-browser experiences. Brands enjoy a more persistent connection to their Internet consumer through the custom browser Boom!, which increases website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The custom browser Booms! feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at Brand Thunder’s Gallery.

About House of Blues:
Founded in 1992, this dynamic company with soul, spirit and vision was acquired by Live Nation in November of 2006. With 13 branded clubs, including Atlantic City, Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Diego, each House of Blues club features live music, Southern-inspired cuisine in an eclectic environment celebrating the African American cultural contributions of blues music and folk art. www.houseofblues.com

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Betting on Sponsors, bwin Becomes First for a Boom!

Brand Thunder’s Euro Football Boom! secured the company’s first corporate sponsor — bwin International Ltd. Given the international appeal of Brand Thunder’s products and the fervent betting that occurs with soccer fans worldwide it was a natural integration for this division of Vienna-based bwin Interactive Entertainment AG.

Sponsorships have been a part of our vision for a long time. A custom browser Boom! serves a self-selected, targeted audience – very appealing to advertisers. Each Boom!, however, is designed to deliver an immersive experience whether its for a team, a site or a topic. Additionally, you’re dealing with the extremely high visibility and extended exposure of an open Internet browser. What is functional and acceptable within a web page is not necessarily what works within the browser. The goal is to respectfully deliver placements that honor the user experience.

Depending on the brand, sponsorships may need to be overt or integrated. No one would be surprised to see several ads on a NASCAR vehicle and a sponsor program for that Boom! may offer one series of options. A sponsor treatment for the unofficial Office Boom! may need to be more integrated and contextual in its presentation.

Despite the appropriate audience of international soccer fans, placement within the browser design would have created a visual disconnect. Instead, we worked with bwin to introduce them to the user through the download page for the Boom! and within the header of the video sidebar (pictured above). While more traditional in their style and placement, these integration points were the right ones for this client and Boom!.

The capabilities and opportunities continue to grow for creating welcome experiences from sponsors to end users and across Booms!. And, if you’re in the market for reaching a targeted audience, we would welcome hearing from you.

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Brand Thunder Makes Indianapolis Colts Roster with First Custom Browser for an NFL Team

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) June 12, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC, the custom browser specialists, today announced an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts to bring its fans the first custom browser for an NFL team. The customization is delivered through a small download called a Boom! and is expected to arrive in time for July training camp.

Brand Thunder’s browser Boom! is unlike other browser-based tools with its visual immersion of the browser, in addition to integrated content and functionality. The energy and team spirit is fully captured in the entire browser theme. Links to the team site are included as is breaking news delivered within the Boom!’s toolbar and sidebar. Colts fans will enjoy instant access to team news, photo galleries and videos, plus a whole lot more.

“Each year, the Colts try to add something new that will keep us ahead in the NFL,” said Tom Zupancic, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing of the Indianapolis Colts. “This browser Boom! From Brand Thunder gives Colts fans something unique and powerful that we are excited to offer to our fans.”

“The Colts have a very progressive and active team in the area of new media and sports marketing,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “It’s not surprising they are the first NFL team to offer a Boom! to their fans, and we’re thrilled to be working with them.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can switch real-time between any installed Booms!, or change from a full Boom! view to a small Boom! (toolbar only), all without restarting the browser.

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates custom-browser experiences. Brands enjoy a more persistent connection to their Internet consumer through the custom browser Boom!, which increases website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The custom browser Booms! feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NHL, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

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Brand Thunder Unveils “Canvas” and the Ability to Add Any Photo or Image to Your Browser Theme with Just a Click

COLUMBUS, OH (May 28, 2009) — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, today announced the beta release of Canvas, a major advance in Internet browser personalization. This lightweight browser enhancement puts the look and feel of the browser fully in the hands of the user by allowing any picture on their computer, or any image on a web page, to be set as the theme for their Internet browser. Canvas is available for download at http://brandthunder.com/Canvas and represents the easiest method to customize the browser on such a personal level.

“Brand Thunder was built on the premise of allowing users to personalize their browser experience,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “Today, with Canvas, we radically redefine what that means. There’s no other tool that’s as easy to use and gives this amount of visual control over the user’s existing browser.”

With Canvas installed, users may instantaneously wrap the browser with images or photos found on sites like Flickr and Facebook, even animated gifs by right-clicking the image and selecting “Add to Image Canvas.” Any image added to Canvas becomes part of the “MyPix” button, the equivalent of a browser photo album where the user can switch browser themes any time they wish. Clicking the Manage button allows the user to add and remove images, or to modify the look by changing image position, background color and tiling.

“The browser theme offers one of the most visible customizations for the computer,” Murphy said. “Wallpapers and screensavers have been available for a long time, but once software is opened the wallpaper is hidden. The screensaver is primarily on when you’re not at your computer, so you don’t get to enjoy it much. We’ve put the same kind of personalization and ease of use into an application that is open for hours at a time, the browser.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. With a Boom!, users can switch real-time between any of the browser looks they created without restarting their browser. Canvas works with Brand Thunder’s other Booms! offering a custom browser experience as often as users like.

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates custom-browser experiences. Brands enjoy a more persistent connection to their Internet consumer through the custom browser Boom!, which increases website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The custom browser Booms! feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NHL, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-408-8202

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Posted in Press Releases | Tags: brand thunder, Brand Thunder Boom, Branded Browser, browser boom, custom browser, Facebook, Flickr, Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, Patrick Murphy, Yahoo | No Comments »

Brand Thunder and Surf Canyon Partner to Bring Personalized Search to Custom Browsers

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) May 19, 2009 — Surf Canyon Inc. (http://www.surfcanyon.com) and Brand Thunder, LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com) announced today an agreement to integrate Surf Canyon’s highly praised personalized search application into Brand Thunder’s custom browser Booms!. Given the complementary nature of the two products, the partnership will focus on improving the search experience for users of Brand Thunder’s Booms!.

Surf Canyon enhances major search engines by improving relevancy and accelerating discovery of appropriate search results. The improved relevancy comes from the connection between Surf Canyon and the Brand Thunder Boom!. For example, a query for “King James” from a Cleveland Cavaliers Boom! could favor results for LeBron James over results for the 16th Century’s King James VI & I. Additionally, Surf Canyon uses clicks within the search results page to quickly refine suggestions and speed the time it takes a user to find the desired results.

“This is the first bundling partnership for Surf Canyon,” said Mark Cramer, CEO of Surf Canyon. “We’re excited about working with Brand Thunder as they offer an excellent showcase of how much better search can be when an audience’s interests are factored into their search queries.”

“Search is so core to a user’s Internet experience,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “Surf Canyon has received such a positive response, we felt it was a natural extension to our goal of providing a better and more personal browsing experience.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can switch real-time between any installed Booms!, or change from a full Boom! view to a small Boom! (toolbar only), all without restarting the browser.

About Surf Canyon:
Surf Canyon develops real-time implicit personalization technology for Internet search. Its patent-pending Discovery Engine for Search™ transforms result pages from lists of static links into dynamic knowledge resources, enabling users to more quickly and easily find pertinent information buried among all the irrelevant results, significantly accelerating the search process. The company is headquartered in Oakland, CA and was founded in 2006. For more information please visit www.SurfCanyon.com.

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates custom-browser experiences. Brands enjoy a more persistent connection to their Internet consumer through the custom browser Boom!, which increases website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The custom browser Booms! feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NHL, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-408-8202

###

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Brand Thunder Drafted by JOCKlife.com to Bring “The Voice of the Athlete” to Custom Browsers

Brand Thunder, the branded browser specialists, announced today an agreement with JOCKlife, LLC to build a browser enhanced to meet the needs of sports fans everywhere.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) March 19, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC, the branded browser specialists, announced today an agreement with JOCKlife, LLC to build a browser enhanced to meet the needs of sports fans everywhere.

The exclusive voice of the athlete is coming to a sports fan’s web browser. For the first time, sports fans can enhance their web browser with the JOCKlife look and feel, which will include streaming sports news headlines, scores, videos and commentary across the sports landscape, amateur to professional. Additionally, JOCKlife browser users will be able to move seamlessly between versions of the browser that match their specific sport of choice. Users can choose between four distinct views with each designed to meet the needs of the general sports fan and/or diehard baseball, basketball or football followers. With any selection, users will enjoy news, information and scores tailored to their customized choice.

“JOCKlife.com is a growing and avid community of sports fans, and Brand Thunder’s Booms are a natural fit to keep them connected to their favorite sports, and of course, the athletes themselves,” stated Patrick Brougham, Sponsorship Director. “This is another important step in assisting the sports fan to stay connected to their favorite sport, team and athletes through a creative and exciting application.”

“JOCKlife.com has a unique approach with professional athletes from professional and amateur teams taking an active role on the site,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “We’re excited at the prospect of merging their exclusive news, editorials, videos and blogs into a customized browser experience for the sports fan.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can dynamically switch between JOCKlife’s Booms without restarting their browser.

About Brand Thunder:

Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates a more persistent presence between corporate brands and their Internet consumer through its branded-browser customization, which leads to increased website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The customized browsers feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NCAA, NHL, Starpulse.com, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

About JOCKlife.com:

JOCKlife.com is “The Voice of the Athlete.” Acting as an unfiltered source, JOCKlife.com vows to truly be the voice of the athlete allowing the viewer, to get a broader and greater sense of who their favorite athlete really is by allowing the athlete to speak without fear of misquotes and out of context interpretations. JOCKlife.com tells the real story from the athlete’s perspective without bias. Get it all directly through athlete blogs, exclusive interviews and videos, and get it from the top players from the best teams, amateur to professional.

Contact:

Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-408-8202

###

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Brand Thunder Nets Deal with NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers for a Team-Branded Internet Browser

COLUMBUS (March 4, 2009) — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the branded browser specialists, announced today an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring the first NBA custom browser to Cavaliers fans.

Cavaliers fans will enjoy an Internet experience where the browser is immersed in the look, feel and content of Cavaliers basketball. The customization is delivered through a small download, called a Boom, and since it becomes part of the browser it stays with the user regardless of the website being visited. Once installed, fans will be able to switch seamlessly between a version featuring the colors, logo and news from the Cavaliers team, or one that includes elements of CavFanatic.com, the team’s official social network site.

“We’ve had a record breaking season in many areas, both on and off the court. Our websites are no different. Just like so many fans like to wear our colors and logos on clothing and decorate their walls at the office and at home, Brand Thunder has created a way for our fans to now outfit their web browsers too.’” said Jeff Lillibridge, Director of Web Services of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “Our work with Brand Thunder will help us connect with our fans in a fun and convenient way whenever they are online. Bring on the Boom!”

“It’s hard to find another team that has as much energy around it as the Cavaliers,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “This is a great way for the team to stay connected to those fans. And being an Ohio-based company, we’re thrilled the Cavs will have the first NBA Boom.”

Booms are lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can dynamically switch between Booms without restarting their browser.

About Brand Thunder:

Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates a more persistent presence between corporate brands and their Internet consumer through its branded-browser customization, which leads to increased website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or internet site. The customized browsers feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NCAA, NHL, Starpulse.com, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

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Brand Thunder Brings the Boom to Custom Branded Browsers

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) February 19, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the branded browser specialists, announced today its feature release of the Brand Thunder Boom, which allows dynamic switching of the Internet browser look, feel and functionality.

Booms provide lightweight themes that can change background images, colors, navigation buttons and tabs. They can also add toolbars with custom navigation and widgets as well as sidebars for videos, pictures, music, news and more. The user can switch from one Boom to another without restarting their browser.

“The more we learned about use of the custom browsers, the more we realized seamless transition from one to the other was important,” explained Michael Kaply, Software Engineer for Brand Thunder and developer behind the Boom technology. “In true creative fashion, the solution came to us when we were looking at a completely different issue.”

“We really make an attempt to listen aggressively and respond quickly to the needs of our users,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “And to our mutual benefit, they often identify improvements that were not yet on our list.”

About Brand Thunder

Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates a more persistent presence between corporate brands and their Internet consumer through its branded-browser customization, which leads to increased website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or internet site. The customized browsers feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, NCAA, NHL, Starpulse.com, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

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GOALLLLLLL ! Brand Thunder signs Major League Soccer

Brand Thunder Heads into Relationship with Major League Soccer

Brand Thunder, the branded browser specialists, announced today an agreement to bring its Internet browser Booms to Major League Soccer (MLS) and its 15 clubs.

Columbus (PRWEB) February 12, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC, the branded browser specialists, announced today an agreement to bring its Internet browser Booms to Major League Soccer (MLS) and its 15 clubs.

Soccer fans will soon enjoy an Internet experience tailored specifically to them. Through a small download, their Internet browsers will take on the look, feel and energy of Major League Soccer. Whether they choose the league view or their favorite club, each Boom will feature logos and colors, plus the addition of news, rich media or links specific to their selection.

Booms are lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality. Users can dynamically switch between Booms without restarting their browser.

“Soccer fans are known for their fervor. We needed an Internet offering that lived up to that,” said Chris Schlosser, Director of Digital Strategy for MLS. “We look forward to working collectively with Brand Thunder to bring our passionate fans even closer to their favorite clubs and players.”

“We’re creating a comprehensive and meaningful experience for the true soccer fan,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “And with our Boom technology, fans aren’t locked into a single view, they can move from club, to league, to another team with a click of their mouse.”

About Brand Thunder,
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates a more persistent presence between corporate brands and their Internet consumer through its branded-browser customization, which leads to increased website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or internet site. The customized browsers feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, Major League Soccer, Nationwide / NASCAR, NCAA, NHL, Starpulse.com, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples can be found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the U.S. and around the world. Having recently finished its 13th season, MLS will have 15 teams in the 2009 season, which begins March 19: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and, in its inaugural season, Seattle Sounders FC. A Philadelphia expansion team will debut in 2010. For more information about MLS, log on to the League’s official Web site at www.MLSnet.com.

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Brand Thunder’s Branded Browser Recognized by Business Community – Finalists Announced for TechColumbus Innovation Awards

COLUMBUS OH (January 15, 2009) — Brand Thunder LLC, the branded browser specialists, is proud to announce it is among the finalists for the TechColumbus Innovation Awards and is in the running for Outstanding Startup Business and Outstanding Product (company with less than 50 employees).

On Thursday, February 5, 2009 the 2008 TechColumbus Innovation Awards will recognize outstanding achievements in technology leadership and innovation at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. From a record number of entries from individuals and companies in all disciplines and industries, 13 winners will be honored and the region’s progress as an emerging tech center will be celebrated.

“We’re humbled to be considered for a TechColumbus Innovation Award and included among such high-quality companies,” said Patrick Murphy, CEO and founder of Brand Thunder. “We’re thankful for the assistance TechColumbus continues to extend to our company. It is a gem among the many valuable assets the entrepreneur community of Columbus provides.”

About the TechColumbus Innovation Awards

The TechColumbus Innovations Awards celebrate and honor individuals and teams in a variety of disciplines. Each category is an important component of the technology and innovation community. Receiving the top honor showcases an individual or team which is dramatically impacting Central Ohio and beyond. For more information about TechColumbus and the Innovation Awards, visit http://www.techcolumbusinnovationawards.org.

About Brand Thunder

Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates a more persistent presence between corporate brands and their Internet consumer through its branded-browser customization, which leads to increased website visits and revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the look and feel of their Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or internet site. The customized browsers feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, but can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include the Huffington Post, NASCAR, NCAA, NHL, Starpulse.com, Universal Music and Yahoo!. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact

Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-408-8202

###

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