Browser Theme and BrowserID: Personas Naming Quandary by Kevin Dwinnell

Image via Wikipedia

Mozilla is showing it has the naming skills of George Forman and using the same name for a second product. After years of Personas representing easy-to-use, lightweight themes that let you personalize the look of your Firefox, it’s now your name. Or, to be more accurate, your online identification. Mozilla is stepping away from how your browser represents you to you, and toward how your browser represents you to others. Confused? Exactly.

Prince (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

But that’s not the first time the browser industry has stumbled over its naming.

Read the rest of this page »

Posted in Commentary | Tags: engage, firefox, Google Chrome, Mozilla, Newhart, Persona, Prince | No Comments »

Firefox 10 Themes by Brand Thunder

Firefox 10 has hit the shelves, or at least the virtual shelves of the Internet and your browser. The release came out yesterday and Firefox 10 can be downloaded right from Mozilla: Firefox 10 download. Firefox continues to iterate new versions of the browser about every six weeks to stay current with the rapid releases from one of their top rising competitors, Google Chrome.

The latest Firefox 10 release fixed about a half dozen flaws that were critical and several that were high priority. One of the most important updates was the browser’s ability to automatically mark nearly all add-ons as compatible with each upgrade. With the rapid updates to the browser, users complained of add-ons that were incompatible with new versions. Firefox 10 now offers “Automatic add-on compatibility” for all add-ons including 3rd party developers. This includes Firefox 10 themes created by Brand Thunder. Check out some of the best Firefox 10 themes for your browser:

Read the rest of this page »

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: add-ons, firefox, Firefox 10, Firefox Themes, Mozilla | No Comments »

Why do People Love Black Firefox Themes? by Brand Thunder

It’s amazing looking through some of the Firefox Theme Galleries out there, the relative consistency of dark or “black” Firefox themes and personas at the top of the popularity charts. It seems that people like the dark black background against their browser helping to highlight the content below with pages across the Internet that are typically white or light colored. Perhaps they are just fans of the color black or maybe their favorite band or sports team wears all black? Whatever the reason, Black Firefox Themes are some of the more popular themes each year. We’ve taken the liberty to highlight some of the Best Black Firefox Themes and Personas. Which is your favorite?

Read the rest of this page »

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Black Firefox Theme, firefox theme, Mozilla | No Comments »

How to Change your Mozilla Firefox Theme by Brand Thunder

Image via Wikipedia

If you’ve recently changed your browser to Mozilla Firefox, you may not quite like the way the browser looks even though you’ve decided you like the functionality of it.  If this is the case, then you’ll find that you can easily customize the look of your browser with Mozilla Firefox themes.

What are Firefox Themes?

Themes are overlays that change the look and feel of your browser without affecting the functionality of

Read the rest of this page »

Posted in Commentary | Tags: browser theme, firefox, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, NASA, Web browser | 1 Comment »

Overview of Chrome Backgrounds & Themes by Brand Thunder

Image via Wikipedia

Google Chrome is the most recent entrant into the browser wars. Chrome has rapidly gained market share since its release and has already found a following amongst web surfers. Through its minimalist design, which is typical of Google products, you’ll find that the web browsing experience has become even easier. Google’s Chrome browser has the same important features as the other two major browsers, Internet Explorer and Firefox, such as multiple tabs, but also features additional ease of use with Google products such as Gmail or Google Docs.

Read the rest of this page »

Posted in Commentary | Tags: background, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Philadelphia Flyers, theme, Web browser | 1 Comment »

Brand Thunder Does Some Good Work with Mozilla by Kevin Dwinnell

Brand Thunder is a proud member of the Mozilla community, so you can imagine the honor we felt when they asked us to do work for them.

In its support of the UKs CyberMentors program, Mozilla had Brand Thunder deliver an Add-on featuring a custom theme and an integrated toolbar allowing users quick access to the key content and tools that are core to the CyberMentors program. You can see the work here.

Our branded Firefox experiences are designed to drive interaction and engagement between an organization and its end user. Compelling design plus useful content and functionality can go a long way to achieving that, and it’s something people will adopt in droves. We saw this early in our history when we launched the Washington Capitals and helped double the Firefox usage on their site. You can see the attractiveness to both the organization and the end user.

Now, consider for a moment, CyberMentors is a Beatbullying project. Its goal is to give victims of bullying (or bullies wishing to stop) a place to go and get help from people their own age. CyberMentors is young people helping and supporting each other online. With that kind of role, don’t you want to do everything you can to help? We did too.

We’re grateful to Mozilla for the vote of confidence in our work and for letting us play a part in such a meaningful program.

Posted in Commentary, News | Tags: beatbullying, brand thunder, cybermentors, firefox, Mozilla, Washington Capitals | 3 Comments »

Elaboration on Earning Customer Loyalty by Kevin Dwinnell

Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It is a commentary over at MediaPost. Guy Maser gives some simple and straightforward ideas to help you better serve your existing customer. The fundamentals often aren’t that complex. His suggestions are geared for a certain type of business, but his premise is applicable anywhere – do something for the benefit of your current customers.

I’d take it a step or two farther. What can you do for your customer today? How much of your time was spent working on tasks focused on revenue for you as opposed to experience for them? When was the last time you focused on figuring out what would “wow” your customer? Do you have a daily “to-do” task that focuses specifically on the customer?

Questions like these drive a set of behaviors that can benefit your customer and ultimately your business. Just picking up the phone and calling a customer can have a very positive impact as well as offering a chance to get first hand feedback. Reviewing message boards and comments, on your sites and sites related to your product can be very insightful, but also give you an opportunity to respond and learn. I found a comment in Mozilla’s Add-ons that warranted a reply, but Add-ons doesn’t offer a reply option. Fortunately, this member had an email address in his profile and I was able to reach him. I can’t vouch for this instance, but in the past, these extra steps have gone a long way.

Think of all the other touch points available through the Internet. What if some of the viral-video energy went into service videos? Pictures and text also works. I completely disassembled my laptop to fix a cracked solder joint and couldn’t believe the number of parts. I found a step-by-step guide, however, that allowed me to do it myself in about the amount of time it would have taken just to drive it to a repair shop. It was awesome.

We mention frequently the items we often include in our browser Booms! News feeds, RSS, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and more. These are all easy to implement touch points with your consumer. Some of these elements get the news to your customers as effectively and more timely than any email campaign can. You don’t even have to do the bulk of the communicating at sites that offer a dialogue. Listening goes a long way, but you will have to say something, just so your customers know you’re there.

The list can go on and on. There’s no one path to earning your customer’s loyalty, but it clearly requires pursuing some path.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, browser boom, custom browser, Facebook, Internet forum, Mozilla, MySpace, RSS, Social media, Twitter, Viral video | 1 Comment »

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

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/.

Posted in Press Releases | Tags: firefox, Mozilla, NBA, themes | No Comments »