Brand Thunder to use Bing to Extend Web Search into Interactive Browser Themes by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS (February 16, 2010) — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the browser customization specialists, announced today its relationship with Microsoft Corp.’s Bing to integrate their web search into all Brand Thunder interactive browser themes.

Interactive browser themes are like an extreme makeover for the web browser. With an easy-to-install browser add-on, end users transform their drab web-browser into an immersive experience. The theme features official logos, colors, images and style, plus content and functionality that extend browser’s capabilities and can include video, music players or other Internet widgets. Bing is now central to the experience as the default search engine included with all Brand Thunder products.

The growing list of company’s leveraging the communication power of an interactive browser theme includes leading Internet news sites, The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/firefox) and The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/browser-theme), leading sports teams like
NHL’s 2009 Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins (http://penguins.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=56396) and the 2009 SPL Champions Glasgow Rangers (http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RangersOfficialBrowser/0,,5,00.html), colleges and universities including the University of Cincinnati Bearcats (http://www.gobearcats.com/ot/browser.html), corporate clients like Comcast and Mercedes Benz and many more. The full list of active custom browser themes can be found at http://brandthunder.com/gallery/.

“Bing is an innovative new search product and we’re looking forward to working together to address the core need of search,” says founder Patrick Murphy. “Brand Thunder uses brand affinity and strong design to attract users to our product, but it’s the integrated content and functionality, like Bing, that helps keep them there.”

About Brand Thunder:
Formed in April 2007, Brand Thunder creates extreme makeovers for the Internet browser. Brands enjoy a persistent connection to their Internet consumer driving more website visits and increased revenue. Through a software installation, end users change the drab Internet browser into an immersive experience from their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or Internet site. The interactive browser themes feature official logos, colors, content and functionality, and can also extend capabilities including video, music players or other Internet widgets. Current business partners and clients include Bing, The Daily Beast, 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: Bing, brand thunder, brandthunder, browser theme, firefox theme, Microsoft, Web browser, Web search engine | No Comments »

9 High-Growth Companies Showcased at SIIA Information Industry Summit by Kevin Dwinnell

The SIIA Information Industry Summit has a reputation as the digital information industry’s flagship conference. It’s an annual Summit of industry leaders for providing strategic guidance to senior business leaders representing publishers, content technology companies, bankers, analysts, bloggers and press. This year Brand Thunder is fortunate enough to join.

Brand Thunder was invited along with eight other early-stage businesses that offer content or content technology products and are poised for growth. During SIIA Previews sessions held throughout the Information Industry Summit, CEOs from each of the companies will highlight the innovations that have made them successful.

The list below gives a quick overview of each of the selected companies and is copied from the Summit’s website, found here.

Boardroom Insiders uses public source data to build deep and insightful profiles of senior executives at major companies nationwide. A feed monitoring system enables continuous updating of profiles, ensuring they reflect the most current news about companies and executives.

Brand Thunder offers an easy-to-install browser add-on, through which users transform their web-browser into an immersive experience. These custom-browser experiences feature themes with content, official logos, colors, images and style, plus functionality that extend browser’s capabilities.

DeepDyve is the largest online rental service for scientific, technical and medical research with over 30 million articles from thousands of authoritative journals. For as little as $0.99, users can rent and read the full-text of countless articles from DeepDyve’s vast collection of prestigious content.

HaraBara is building HaraBara GreenBase (TM), an essential information resource with a comprehensive, in-depth way to access actionable information related to green, sustainable, environmentally-oriented products, company actions, technology, research, engineering and government developments.

HearPlanet turns your cell phone into a multimedia guide to the world. The platform enables aggregation and creation of media and delivers it to mobile phones. HearPlanet focuses on audio content, making it the perfect solution for driving, sightseeing, museum going or any time you want information without distraction or slowing down.

NetProspex has built a database of crowd-sourced business contacts, overlaid with a central authority technology system to determine and maintain quality. Manual tele-verification makes NetProspex’s B2B contact database the most accurate resource for user-generated contact information.

ORLive is the leading destination for medical and surgical video. The company provides over 100 medical device manufacturers and hospitals the opportunity to engage with their customers, enhance, and extend their brand via a trusted and reliable branded communications channel.

Parse.ly is a service and a platform for personalized content recommendations. Users tell Parse.ly what they care about, and our system matches their interest profile against thousands of online news and blog articles.

Snac Inc. is a mobile software and services company that has developed and deployed into Beta a mobile widget service that helps companies connect more frequently, quickly and effectively with their mobile consumers.

Posted in News | Tags: brand thunder, browser theme, content providers, iia10, siia, Web browser | No Comments »

Florida Panthers Launch Fan-Focused Browser Theme with Brand Thunder by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH – January 12, 2010 – Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com) and the Florida Panthers (http://www.floridapanthers.com) announced today the launch of an interactive browser theme designed to keep fans in touch with the team. Panther fans can find the free download at http://panthers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=59831.

Through a small browser add-on, the user’s web browser will get a complete makeover that includes a Florida Panthers theme, links to the most popular sections of the team site, a news ticker for breaking headlines and a multimedia sidebar full of team videos and its Twitter feed.

“We continue to look for new and innovative ways to stay connected with our fans,” said Michael Yormark, President & COO of the Florida Panthers. “This browser theme with its integrated news, video and Twitter offers both style and substance to the online experience of every Panthers fan.”

“The Florida Panthers have great online content for their fans,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “That great content is delivered as it happens within the browser making it a powerful community tool.”

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! are 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 extreme makeovers for the Internet browser. Brands enjoy a persistent connection to their Internet consumer, 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 interactive browser themes 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 Bing, The Daily Beast, 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: brandthunder, browser theme, Florida Panthers, nhl, Web browser | No Comments »

The Case Against Engagement. Really? by Kevin Dwinnell

An article over on Adweek this week discussed engagement and its misuse in advertising circles. Since Brand Thunder’s Booms! have engagement as a core value proposition, I immediately found myself on the opposing view side. To be fair, some of the points made have merit – but it’s not necessarily a problem with engagement.

Our custom browser experiences prove valuable because they are engaging. The browser is the most used application on the computer. You wrap that in branding, images, content and functionality and you’ve got a pretty compelling product. You put that in the hands of your loyal audience and you’ve got a powerful engagement tool that’s going to strengthen that connection with the end user.

I don’t see engagement as the problem. For advertisers, though, I can see the problem being where the engagement label is applied. If your user is engaged with a web site, the ads only chance is to interrupt that experience which probably isn’t going to get the response you want (though there are billions of dancing mortgage ads that will argue this point with me).

When engagement is within the site, if you’re not a natural part of the site, your value declines. AOL Instant Messenger never really cracked the ad mystery because the high volume of ads and a user’s intense focus on the application. Engagement with the product is through the roof, but with the ads is horrendous. Brand marketers found their integration points however with avatars and skins and you saw users respond.

To claim engagement isn’t valuable to the advertiser or is overhyped, to me, misses the mark. An advertisers interaction with its end user is incredibly valuable, and that’s engagement. Just don’t expect it when their attention is firmly somewhere else.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: advertising, Adweek, brand, Branded Browser, browser boom, custom browser, Instant messaging, Web browser | No Comments »

Brand Thunder Expands Advisory Board with Industry and Entrepreneurial Vets from AOL, Microsoft and UGOBE by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — October 29, 2009 — Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today the addition of three new members to its Advisory Board. The board now includes Bob Christopher, former CEO of UGOBE, John Dixon, former VP at AOL, and Mark Harris, Technology Strategist for Microsoft. The members were chosen for their demonstrated success in consumer technology and business building.

“Our business is at the point of growing exponentially,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “As we look to scale the business, we needed the wealth of knowledge and resources these gentlemen bring. We think their contribution will be invaluable to Brand Thunder’s business as they each bring a expertise in areas critical to our ongoing success.”

Bob Christopher brings leadership and operational experience in building successful technology companies with international focus. Bob recently served as CEO of UGOBE where he raised $24 million to launch the first consumer lifestyle robot company. Bob’s experience includes President of the investment forum InnerCircle 1,and Chief Strategist and President for Nikotel, a worldwide VoIP company.

John Dixon offers incredible depth of knowledge about online businesses and management. He recently served as Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Alliances at AOL and was instrumental in developing partnerships across industries including PC Manufacturers, sports, search providers and content creators. John’s experience includes marketing and brand management for H. J. Heinz Company.

Mark Harris, a 14-year veteran with Microsoft, brings a discipline for technology serving its consumer. Mark led the releases for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 R2. He currently works with large healthcare accounts in central and northeast Ohio as a Technology Strategist.

Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! wrap the user’s web browser in a graphically-rich experience with integrated content and functionality from their favorite sports team, entertainment brand, publication or Internet site. The browser becomes a valuable connection between brand and its community delivering continuous engagement and increased loyalty.

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, 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: AOL, brand thunder, browser boom, custom browser, H. J. Heinz Company, Microsoft, Web browser, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP | No Comments »

Brand Thunder Launches Beta in Preparation to Storm Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Browser Experience by Brand Thunder

COLUMBUS, OH — September 29, 2009– Brand Thunder LLC (http://www.brandthunder.com), the custom browser specialists, announced today beta group availability to test the most visually immersive add-on available for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. Fans of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks (http://canucks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=48312) or Washington Capitals (http://capitals.nhl.com/browser) can request access to private beta groups and their opportunity to experience Brand Thunder’s Boom! beyond Firefox.

Brand Thunder creates persistent connections between major brands and their online consumers via the Internet browser. Each browser Boom! delivers a visual takeover of the browser, an integrated toolbar for content and functionality, plus the multimedia sidebar for videos, photos and more. Previously, the Boom! was only available to users of the Firefox browser. With the addition of Internet Explorer, 90% of the browser market will have access to a more custom and personalized Internet experience.

“The customization capabilities we’re adding to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer are a pretty big step forward for the users of the IE browser,” said Patrick Murphy, founder and CEO of Brand Thunder. “And it’s a huge win for our clients who want it as simple as possible to give their fans a stunning web browser.”

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!.

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

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Posted in News, Press Releases | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, browser boom, custom browser, firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Mozilla Firefox, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Web browser | No Comments »

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 Browser, Like No Other – Introducing Canvas by Kevin Dwinnell

Today, Brand Thunder announced Canvas our latest Boom! and a major step forward in Internet Browser visual style flexibility. You can read the press release here, but in a nutshell, you can make any photo, or any image on a web page, your browser theme. This is a totally new experience in the browser space.

Now the browser can be something very personal with the addition of photos of family, friends or pets. Or, you might go for extremely stylish and explore the free textures that are abundant on the web. You might even go for something more lively by adding an animated gif (like the one in this post). It’s all up to you. It’s your Canvas.

While I could drone on for a thousand words or more, it’d be better to install it yourself from our Canvas download page and see what you can do with your pictures.

Don’t miss the Tips & Tricks at the very bottom of the Tutorial (this is the page you land on after installing, or you can access it under the B/T button at the right of the browser). You’ll get a good idea of options you have as well as some fun sites to explore for images to add to Canvas. And, each visual you add is housed under a My-Pix button where you can switch between them any time you like.

One last request. It’s a beta. We’d like your help. As proud as we are of this innovation, there’s plenty of room for improvement. Once you’ve tried it, drop by our page on GetSatisfaction.com and give us your feedback. Community help and support would be greatly appreciated.

We hope you enjoy it.

Posted in Commentary, News | Tags: brand thunder, Brand Thunder Boom, Branded Browser, Browsers, custom browser, firefox, Get Satisfaction, Tips & Tricks, Web browser | 2 Comments »