Old Spice Overkill by Kevin Dwinnell

Enough with the endless coverage of the Old Spice viral videos.  Marketing is a simple game – you break through the clutter, you build awareness, you make a sale.  Just like baseball is a simple game – you hit the ball, you catch the ball, you throw the ball.

There’s been so much attention given to the success of the campaign, it seems like nobody believed this Internet marketing thing really works.  It does and it’s a solid part of the overall marketing plan.  Just as the description of marketing and baseball above grossly simplify the games, credit should be given to P&G for the overall execution of the Old Spice campaign.  It’s been hard to miss Old Spice lately, whether its online videos, coupons or in-store promotions.  They had an abundance of presence, not a single good tool.  That presence helped break through the clutter and ultimately drive sales.

This is just another example of a well executed marketing plan.  We’re in the midst of relaunching the Huffington Post browser themes.  HuffPost isn’t successful because it rolls out one cool tool for their community.  HuffPost is aggressively building its content, Arianna is everywhere, and they continue to offer community tools like their interactive browser theme.  It’s an ongoing promotional and growth campaign that keeps gathering attention for them.

The same can be seen with The Daily Beast.  It’s another good news site with their own interactive browser theme.  Yet, you’ll also find Tina Brown across the media, whether it’s on Good Morning America or NPR, representing the Daily Beast and its excellent editorial staff.  You can find an example of her brand building for The Daily Beast as well as a list of excellent reads at her Must Reads at NPR.

It’s this hustle on multiple fronts that pays off.  Kudos to the Old Spice marketing team for a big hit.  A nice work across the board to build that success.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: browser theme, business, Daily Beast, Good Morning America, Huffington Post, interactive browser theme, marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Old Spice, Tina Brown | No Comments »

Interactive Themes by Mike Kaply

Posted in Commentary, News | Tags: add-ons, brand thunder, Daily Beast, Interactive Theme, Mozilla Firefox, persona interactive, Personas, Website | No Comments »

Brand Thunder and The Daily Beast Launch First-Ever Web Browser Theme with a Dynamically Updating Photo in the Design by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH – January 26, 2010 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, in conjunction with The Daily Beast announce the release of an Internet browser theme tailored specifically to the avid newsreader. It is the first theme to update with The Daily Beast’s photo exclusives, plus the story headline can be revealed on mouse over or the user can click to read the full story. The browser theme also integrates content and functionality directly from The Daily Beast including a news ticker of breaking news and links to important site categories. It can be downloaded at http://www.thedailybeast.com/browser-theme.

Users will enjoy a multimedia sidebar that keeps them connected to the hottest news via a special view of the Cheat Sheet, Buzz Board, Blogs & Stories and Video sections of The Daily Beast. With the sidebar, users can surf the web while keeping a detailed view of breaking news open in the browser.

“Delivering relevant news into the browser is a great way to keep our community attuned to what’s happening now,” said Byran Keefer, Director of Product for The Daily Beast. “The Brand Thunder Boom! feature set allowed us to move beyond simple text and into something that’s as visually compelling as it is functional.”

“The Daily Beast forced a unique twist in our product, which is the same approach they take on their web site,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “Pulling a new image into the browser theme each day is a great high-level feature for their fan base and just plain cool.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Boom! technology provides an extreme makeover of the Internet 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 Boom!.

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates custom-browser experiences for major brands. 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 and Universal Music. Samples found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

Contact:
Patrick Murphy, CEO
Brand Thunder, LLC
614-408-8202
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Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: brand thunder, brandthunder, browser theme, Daily Beast, Interactive marketing | No Comments »