Brand Thunder to Bring Custom Browser Experience to Comcast Customers by Kevin Dwinnell

We talk a lot about the power of a browser in staying connected to your consumer and fan base. It should come as no surprise that a company able to define the standard of using social media to support its members would gravitate toward offering a Brand Thunder Boom! to its users as well. So, while we might claim a lack of surprise, there’s no lack of joy about working with Comcast.

We’re building a browser experience that helps Comcast subscribers find and access the breadth of content and functionality available from Comcast.net. While the product is still a few weeks away, we’re excited by the prospects of bringing the Boom! to a new market. Comcast is one of a handful of companies offering a fusion of entertainment, information and communication. We’re looking forward to demonstrating how the browser is an effective gateway to what they offer and what the end user needs.

Posted in Commentary, News | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, browser boom, Comcast, custom browser, Mass media, Social media, Web browser | No Comments »

Brand Thunder Ignores Economic Downturn by Tripling Business in Nine Months by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — September 16, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today it has three times the number of clients and custom browser Booms! available to end users compared to December 2008. The visual intensity combined with useful content and functional integration into the browser have proven popular with both clients and end users of the Brand Thunder Booms!.

At the end of 2008, 18 signed clients and 31 browser add-ons resulted in over 500,000 downloads of its browser customizations. In middle of September 2009, the client list has grown to over 60 partners and 83 Booms! in the market with dozens more Booms! in the build process for release in the coming weeks. Downloads are approaching 1.5 million.

The browser customization is delivered through a small download called a Boom! and wraps the user’s web browser in a graphically-rich experience with integrated content and functionality that best serves a brand’s audience. Clients can include videos, streaming music, breaking news, Twitter feeds plus buttons that link to their most popular pages on their sites. The browser becomes a valuable connection between brand and its community and delivers continuous invitations back to the site of the sponsoring brand.

The client list taking advantage of the browser add-on continues to grow and now includes brands in the U.S., Canada and U.K. such as House of Blues, Major League Soccer, teams from the NBA and NFL, newspaper publishers, radio stations, TV affiliates, webcomics and more. This is in addition to companies like Geffen Records, Universal Music Group, Huffington Post, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NHL teams among others.

Additional milestones attesting to Brand Thunder’s growth include increasing strategic channel partners from 7 to 11 and spanning six countries on three continents. Despite a seasonal nature to a majority of product and clients, the active user rate has more than doubled during the first nine months of 2009.

“Our Washington Capitals browser has been a great success,” said Sean Parker, Director of New Media, Washington Capitals. “Over the last two years we have seen a significant increase in our Firefox visitor traffic. I am sure part of this increase is due to our branded browser. Brand thunder has done a great job of integrating Capitals news feeds, Caps365 and customized buttons into the theme, which reinforces our brand to our fans and drives traffic to our site. I am looking forward to seeing the new enhancements Brand Thunder will be adding to our browser for this upcoming season.”

“We help people customize their online experience and make that experience easy, better and more personal,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “The result has been a growing and excited fan base, which makes it easier to bring on an amazing list of clients.”

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.

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

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

###

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: Branded Browser, brandthunder, browser boom, custom browser, firefox, Major League Soccer, Washington Capitals, Web browser | No Comments »

Your Web Content is Done, But is it Available? by Kevin Dwinnell

A lot of time and money is spent on developing a company website. Even more is spent attracting users to that site. Yet, we find a surprising number of sites that missed the critical questions of “Is my content accessible and is it distributable?”

Make it Accessible

There are too many options available today from a PC to a Mac, from an iPhone to a Pre, from Windows to Linux to limit your content to being usable in a single application or platform. The World Wide Web Consortium has been fighting for web standards for years. Their key objectives are accessibility, internationalization, device independence and mobile. Go to their site, www.w3.org, for a starting point. It’s more than a step toward open standards; it’s a move toward best practices.

Putting their guidance into practice eliminates concerns over how your audience is trying to view your content. Your content will be ready for consumption regardless of the user’s tools, and it’ll be working for the benefit of your business.

Make it Reusable

Now that you’re sure your content is accessible, you can even take your site out of the equation. The market hasn’t just changed around how users are accessing your site, the rules have changed about where they are wanting your content. They want the content at Google Reader, or Feedly or SpreedNews or any number of sites that help them digest the volumes of information that interests them. If you’re forcing them to come to your site, you’re pushing them somewhere else.

Making your content available via RSS helps you get it and keep it in the hands of your audience. And RSS is back in the headlines with instantaneous updates. You can find out more at www.rsscloud.org or read a quick RSS overview on Kathryn Corrick’s blog.

Your efforts with RSS won’t just make your users happy. It’ll also please your new media marketing team who will have content available for desktop widgets, Facebook apps, browser sidebars, news tickers and more.

Make it Digestible

We know attention spans are short. Keep your content and efforts to the point, and keep that in mind when you look at your RSS feeds and the information you’re pushing out. You should be limiting the feed to the most recent information or the last dozen or so items. Forgetting about this point can leave some readers trying to pull a massive amount of data that your user will never wait for.

If you want some other brainstorming ideas, check out this list of 100 Resources compiled by WebDesignDev. It’ll get you thinking in a 100 good ways.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, custom browser, feedreader, GoogleReader, marketing, New Media | No Comments »

Brand Thunder Introduces New Advertising Sponsor Placements within the Browser Chrome by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH – September 4, 2009 – Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today the availability of clickable sponsored placements within the browser chrome of its custom browser Booms!. These sponsored placements are visually integrated within the browser theme, remain regardless of the website being visited, and fully take advantage of the hours users spend online.

The sponsorship program was designed to simplify implementation for Brand Thunder clients. It leverages Brand Thunder’s ad server allowing for a full range of tracking and reporting, plus providing easy updates for sponsorship graphics. The browser chrome placement assures high-visibility and engagement due to its proximity to the web address bar and browser search box.

“Our clients have expressed a need to provide new and exciting opportunities to their corporate sponsors,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “These new sponsor placements will allow us to meet that need in a manner that integrates seamlessly and stylistically with the rest of the Boom! and keeps the overall user experience intact.”

A Boom!, a free, lightweight, active customization, is unlike other browser-based tools with its visual immersion, integrated content and added functionality. It has proven to be a popular way for fans to personalize their web experience with their favorite sports team, music star, newspaper, news site and more. Users can switch real-time between any installed Booms!.

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-304-1316

###

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: boom, brand thunder, Branded Browser, brandthunder, Browsers, custom browser, Online advertising, online sponsorship, sponsorship | No Comments »

Measuring Engagement – Maintaining Engagement by Kevin Dwinnell

MediaPost’s Online Spin had another interesting article yesterday titled “The Three Rs Of Engagement” by Cory Treffiletti. Cory discusses how there is no standard for defining engagement because engagement depends on the objectives of the marketer. But he proposes three unifying themes necessary to define engagement — and they are Recency, Resonance and Relevance.

I like the structure of the three Rs. The classic dictum of reach and frequency can be rolled under recency. They are the elements to help with recall. You could argue Resonance and Relevance also aid recall, but I’d put the burden of meeting those two Rs with creative execution and strategy. Creative will help you Resonate and getting that message to the right audience will ensure your Relevancy.

The three Rs also identify the keys to success when you’re dealing with a branded application like our Booms!. With an app, especially one used regularly, you are ensured Recency and since an app typically requires user action to download and use Relevancy is also virtually guaranteed. Now if you can provide the value that Resonates with that user, you’ve got a truly powerful tool to drive a lot of usage from your end user.

While you do this, you have to maintain Trust. This is implied in most marketing efforts, but essential in something like an application where the user extends a lot of faith from the moment they decide to download or install, and is committing themselves to hours of connection at a time. If you abuse the relationship you sought through the engagement capabilities of an app, you undermine more than any single marketing effort. In our world, that threshold can be pretty low if we disrupt the user’s experience. So if we don’t manage Trust very well, our three Rs quickly turns into ARRRG.

Posted in News | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, browser boom, custom browser, internet application, internet apps, marketing engagement, MediaPost | No Comments »

Brand Thunder and Phoenix Suns to Bring a Planet Orange Experience to Internet Browsers by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH – September 2, 2009 – Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today an agreement with the Phoenix Suns to offer its fans a unique online experience.
Basketball fans who use the popular internet browser Firefox will be able to download a Phoenix Suns branded browser at Suns.com, featuring the team’s logo and colors, as well as prominent links for quick access to the club’s various digital and social media channels.

“We are always looking for new ways to connect with our fans, and our fans are always looking for new ways to show their love of Phoenix Suns basketball,” says Suns VP of Digital Jeramie McPeek. “The Suns branded browser is a great way for the citizens of Planet Orange to express that pride, and enhance their overall experience online.”

A leader in technology among pro sports franchises, the Suns’ official website, Suns.com, has been named the top team site in the NBA on three occasions, while the team’s official social network, PlanetOrange.net, and virtual tour site, SunsLockerRoom.com, were both recognized with Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards in 2008. The Suns’ family of sites average more than 50 million page views from more than 200 different countries.

“The Suns have been so savvy in the Internet space, that there’s a robust amount of content and functionality to build a really engaging fan experience,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “We expect some new and exciting surprises out of this.”

Brand Thunder’s browsers are free, lightweight active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality.

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

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

###

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: Branded Browser, brandthunder, browser boom, custom browser, Mozilla Firefox, National Basketball Association, NBA, Phoenix Suns | No Comments »

Brand Thunder and “Full Speed 2 a Cure” Create a Custom Browser Designed to Improve Awareness and Early Detection of Breast Cancer by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — August 28, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today an agreement with racecar driver Emerson Newton-John’s “Full Speed 2 a Cure” motorsport cancer awareness campaign (http://www.fullspeed2acure.com) to deliver a custom browser Boom!. The launch of the Boom! coincides with a special auction for a keepsake Gladiator GarageWorks Workbench signed by all 33 drivers from the 2009 Indianapolis 500 and in order of their pole position. All proceeds from the auction benefit “Cure Breast Cancer” (http://www.curebreastcancer.org )

Users of the Boom! can participate in the auction and provide other support through the multimedia sidebar. Other features of the Boom! include an audio greeting from Olivia Newton-John, asking woman to perform monthly self-breast exams, plus links to the sites of ONJ, renowned breast cancer surgeon Dr. Ernie Bodai, Larry Foyt and more. Brand Thunder’s browser customizations provide a more persistent connection to users whenever they are connected to the Internet, regardless of the web page they are viewing, making them an ideal component for the “Full Speed 2 a Cure” campaign.

“I’m not aware of anyone who doesn’t have a personal story about cancer and its affect on their lives,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “Knowing that some of our product features can contribute in a meaningful way to people’s lives is wonderful.”

“Thanks to Brand Thunder for their hard work on what we all believe will be an informative and enjoyable way for people to learn about our campaign, our partners, and the importance of early detection,” said Emerson Newton-John, founder and principle of “Full Speed 2 a Cure.”

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).

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-304-1316

###

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: boom, brand thunder, brandthunder, Breast cancer, Cancer, custom browser, Emerson Newton-John, Health, Olivia Newton-John | No Comments »

Brand Thunder Signs with WeatherBug to Bring Integrated Weather Content to Custom Browsers by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — August 20, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today an agreement to include WeatherBug content within its branded browser experiences.

Brand Thunder reworks the visual style of a browser theme to match the colors, logos and imagery of its partners while also adding content and functionality to the browser. Brand Thunder now includes WeatherBug content as part of its capabilities portfolio enabling clients to better tune their customized browsers to the needs of their end users. Through the WeatherBug API, Brand Thunder can integrate weather into virtually any location on the browser; ensure the appearance works within the unique design of each browser; and provide one-click access to the full extent of WeatherBug content on WeatherBug.com.

“We’re pleased to have a premier brand, like WeatherBug, as our partner,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “Weather impacts so many daily decisions, from simply deciding what to wear, to whether to act on the browser alert about recently released tickets to the next Major League Soccer game. I’m glad this is now available as an option for our users and clients.”

“Brand Thunder provides a great affinity product for both its users and clients. The inclusion of weather is a logical extension of its value proposition and we’re proud to bring our live local weather to the platform,” said Alan George, Director of Business Development for WeatherBug.

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-304-1316

###

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: brand thunder, Brand Thunder Boom, Branded Browser, custom browser, WeatherBug | No Comments »

Help Your Customer, Help Yourself by Kevin Dwinnell

Brand Thunder received some nice coverage over at Folio Magazine yesterday. The story focused on our latest release for the Columbus Dispatch and some technical benefits we added behind the scenes to make the product more useful to Dispatch readers and ultimately The Dispatch itself. I encourage you to read the Folio story and get their take on the work we’ve done.

What we did was enhance search queries made from the browser so that Dispatch content related to the query is presented in a news block at the top of the search results page. It’s not intrusive, it’s presented respectfully and it’s a true value add. Dispatch readers will more easily find Dispatch content, and getting more readers into its online content is what helps The Dispatch.

I like it because it’s a concrete example of marketing using new media. I get lost in all the discussions around social media and how brands need to become part of the discussion. What does that mean? (I know there are a lot of great blogs that discuss this, but the information falls out of my head the moment I leave the site.) I feel we’ve delivered a good example of helping our client’s community, satisfying a need of that community and seeing our client benefit from it. I also think it’s closer to what the social media experts want when they say “engage your community” and less on the side of the conversion marketers who are driving clicks and sales.

Another real world example is Woot. They do a great job on their shirt.woot.com site. The community designs t-shirts based on a topic provided by Woot. The user generated designs are voted on by the community and the top ones are made into t-shirts ($10 + free s&h). It provides a creative outlet and recognition for designers. It’s fun, even for the casual observer like me. And for Woot, it’s a fantastic model for keeping the community active and coming back. You know they’re going to sell some shirts along the way. Woot creates entertainment for its visitors, helps designers with exposure and generates revenue directly from it.

If you know a little about the history of Woot, you know they have killer writing and very active discussion boards. When Woot first launched, each night there was a race to make the first page of comments. You can see how that became the springboard for looking at other ways to engage their community and still stay true to their commerce mission.

We do have the benefit of leveraging the brand affinity between our client and their customer. That provides a lens through which we can view our products and benefits. “Our customers have expressed a connection to this brand by downloading our Boom!. Is there an opportunity to super serve them by knowing about that relationship?” The ideas and opportunities flow from there. So what unique feature can you leverage to help better serve the needs of your audience? And what do you possess that will help your customer with their needs? From that point, you just might see your next opportunity.

Posted in Commentary, News | Tags: brand thunder, browser boom, Columbus Dispatch, custom browser, folio magazine, Internet forum, marketing, Woot | No Comments »

Brand Thunder and Columbus Dispatch Deliver First Daily Newspaper Browser Experience by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — August 19, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today the availability of the Columbus Dispatch Boom!. The first product of its kind to serve the audience of a daily newspaper, this browser add-on is designed to strengthen relationships and enhance loyalty between The Columbus Dispatch and its readers and subscribers.

The Dispatch Boom, available at http://www.dispatch.com, customizes the user’s Internet experience by enabling seamless and fast access to Dispatch news stories and content. Users will find links to key sections in the paper, a newsreader and a sidebar with news summaries for the Buckeyes and Blue Jackets plus tools for reaching The Dispatch and managing subscriptions. It also features the Surf Canyon search enhancement to help users find Dispatch coverage of news and events. Any search for news terms, regardless of the search service being used, will return Dispatch stories at the top of the results page helping users to quickly find their paper’s coverage of a story. The Boom! offers two distinct looks: one with a view of the Columbus skyline and the other with a look into the ‘Shoe, Ohio State University’s football stadium.

“There’s strong appeal to reading the morning paper and there’s an equally strong desire for the immediacy of news over the Internet,” said Phil Pikelny, Vice President for Dispatch Digital & Chief Marketing Officer at The Dispatch Printing Company. “A Brand Thunder custom browser is a great way for our readers to stay informed when online.”

“The browser offers several ways to get breaking news to users, which makes it ideal for a newspaper and its readers,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder, noting that Dispatch.com is the No. 1 local Web site in the Columbus market. “We’re happy to serve our hometown paper which we hope will be only the first among many newspapers to offer this exciting software to their readers and subscribers.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! are free, lightweight, active customizations that can include themes, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality.

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 http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: brand thunder, Brand Thunder Boom, Branded Browser, brandthunder, Columbus Dispatch, custom browser, Surf Canyon | No Comments »