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Year of the Dragon Browser Themes by

Chinese New Year Browser Theme

If you’re going to be celebrating the Chinese New Year, Tet, Losar or any other lunar calendar celebration that I’m not aware of – you need to check out Brand Thunder’s dragon browser themes. It’s the Year of the Dragon and we have the browser skin for you.

3D Dragon Browser Theme

Year of the Dragon browser theme

3D Dragon Browser Theme It started as a joke to release a 3D browser theme, but it has it’s fans. Sorry, we don’t have the red and blue glasses that really make this theme pop. You’ll enjoy it regardless with the classic style Chinese dragon. A great way to start off a very auspicious year.

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Browser Theme SOPA Blackout by

If you came to Brand Thunder yesterday, or even earlier today, you probably assumed we were part of the Internet blackout effort to stop SOPA. While I might say that was fortunate timing, the real truth is that we experienced an unfortunate server meltdown. For us, there were two scary parts to the story of January 18.

Please read both of them. We can really use your help with the first point. The second point is a much more subjective one. I won’t say which way to throw your support, but it’s an issue worth your time to have an informed opinion.

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Internet Explorer Skins by

That big blue “e” on your desktop has been getting you on the Internet for years. Internet Explorer remains the most popular browser in the world despite the voracious competition from Firefox and Chrome.

What’s different from year’s past is it’s no longer acceptable to have that blue E pull up a boring gray browser. Internet Explorer skins for your browser give you the ability to personalize your Internet experience and enjoy a little style when you’re online. Whether you enjoy professional sports, the hottest music artists, your college alma mater, the latest in news or just nice elements of style – the following is a sampling of some of the IE Skins you will find in Brand Thunder’s Theme Gallery.

Alabama Crimson Tide 2012 BCS National Champions Skin

Regardless of what you think of the BCS Bowl Championship Series, you can appreciate a classic theme from a storied college team that has returned to top form. When you surf the Net, you should also Roll Tide with an IE Skin.

Roll Tide Browser Theme

Jacob Latimore Skin

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Community Toolbar Meets Desktop Wallpaper by

The first desktop wallpaper, as used on the Xe...

The first desktop wallpaper, as used on the Xerox Star in 1975. -Image via Wikipedia

Community toolbars have been around for years helping online publishers build engagement with their fans and online community. The power of this tool has helped build Conduit, the leader in this space, into what some say is a billion dollar company. Engagement is a powerful tool.

For many years more, desktop wallpapers were the path to customization and personalization for the personal computer – from family photos to wonderful waterfalls – we’ve either seen or tried them. They are easy to install and change. There is no way to interact with the wallpaper, they exist simply for the visual enhancement they offer. The only real downside? Wallpapers spend the majority of time covered by the applications running on the computer. You get to enjoy that beautiful graphic when you start up and shut down your computer – hello and goodbye.

So, what’s it like to take two great ideas and merge them into one. It’s like asking the question, can you get two great tastes to taste great together?

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CBS Sports & Fathead Find Winning Combo with NCAA Browser Theme Promotion by

CBS Sports Spectacular

Image via Wikipedia

What’s it take to grow your user base and build awareness for a business partner? CBS College Sports and Fathead found using the browser theme for marketing promotions is a great way to convert users and deepen engagement.

CBSSports.com College Network is a leader in delivering web services, e-commerce, streaming and mobile services for college and university’s athletics websites. Fathead is a leader in sports and entertainment wall graphics. Nice set up for bringing companies together that serve similar audiences.

The results – SPECTACULAR!

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10 Tools for Business Development and Relationship Management by

Image representing Jigsaw as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Patrick Murphy recently did a Brand Thunder interview with Shoestring Ventures, The Startup Bible Blog. One of their questions was “What other web-based products would you recommend to entrepreneurs, business owners or freelancers?” I realized the recommendations fell into categories discussed in our blog post about Sales Strategy: Browser Theme – Hunter vs. Farmer.

Given that start, here’s a short list of tools useful to that category of startup, small or medium business or freelancers. Tools to help you and your clients. Add your favorites in the comments.

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Conduit Community Toolbar vs. Browser Theme by

Brand Thunder often finds itself lumped into the category of toolbar. It’s not a comparison I necessarily agree with, but anything that’s a recurring perception is worth a look.

Here’s an overview of toolbars, browser themes and what each can do for your web site, business or community.

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Brand Loyalty: It’s an SMB Online Marketing Tool, Too by

Branded

Image by TerryJohnston via Flickr

Brand loyalty is nothing new, but we usually think of Coca-Cola or Nike. Huge global behemoths that consumers ask for by name and wear proudly on their heads, lips, body and feet.

But online marketing has changed the way brand loyalty is acquired and earned.  With the explosion of social media, businesses are making a solid attempt to be honest and open in their marketing communications. This plays to the strength of the small or medium business (SMB) since SMBs don’t have the deep pockets for huge marketing spends and agencies leading the social media charge. We do it ourselves and we’re the most knowledgeable and open about our products and companies.

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Sales Strategy: Browser Theme – Hunter vs. Farmer by

FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 25:  A Coca-Cola delive...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

We’re all in sales. Whether you’re Coca-Cola or the GateWay College Gecko soccer teams, you’ve got an audience you’re trying to reach and some action you’re trying to inspire. These two groups may be miles apart in terms of scale, but they’re both actively engaged with their communities online. Coke has it’s MyCokeRewards.com and the GateWay Geckos use Facebook, Twitter. and their Browser Theme. They are strengthening their ties with their existing audience, and, in effect, selling more.

For many businesses, the sales strategy falls into two roles: Hunter and Farmer. Every company will have a mix of these two that fit best with its overall objectives.

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How to Change Your Google Chrome Theme by

Image representing Google Chrome as depicted i...

Image via CrunchBase

Changing your Google Chrome Theme is very simple. Just a few steps and you’re on your way to updating the look and feel of your Chrome browser or perhaps just resetting it back to the default. Follow these simple steps for changing from your current Chrome theme to another custom Chrome theme.
1:  Go to Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore?category=theme or choose from some of our Chrome Themes: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search?q=brand+thunder

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