New Media and Your Brand

More and more companies are using new media solutions as part of their marketing mix. You've certainly heard of podcasts and RSS by now. But what does it mean for your brand?

"Feed branding," as a recent article by Nick Wren on www.brandchannel.com calls it, includes podcasts, RSS feeds, ringtones and digital radio. Similar to the stir video on demand has caused, these new media solutions are gaining popularity, even as their business models (i.e. how to make them profitable) are still being figured out.

Podcasts are audio broadcasts that are uploaded to MP3 players. RSS feeds are subscriptions that deliver news or other content from web sites. Both are on demand, meaning they are available for listening or reading whenever the user desires. And that is good news for your brand, since you will hit consumers when they are most receptive.

According to Wren, applications of podcasts include "supplying sales forces and prospects with product, usage or other information, establishing corporate communication networks for dispersed locations, facilitating knowledge capture, allowing meetings to be recorded and shared, and even providing guidance for new employees."

RSS feeds meanwhile "eliminate the need to cruise favorite websites or blogs for updated information. Summaries or even actual clippings are automatically delivered to inboxes."

And therein lies the beauty. It's all about convenience, something we know consumers respond to. The results are notable too, with some firms reporting RSS advertising click through ratios of 10 percent, an increase of 20-30 percent over email ads, Wren says.

Podcasts are free for the most part, but sooner or later advertising (or subscription fees) will creep into the mix. In fact, some publishers are already experimenting with ads before or after the broadcast. With 12 million iPods sold to date, the evolution of podcasts and other new media is something we should all be watching ... and better yet, planning for as part of our ongoing brand development.