Interbrand has launched Brandchannel.com, an online exchange for
brand practitioners, offering information and debate on the subject of
brands and branding.
Kim Faulkner, Brandchannel managing director, said that while the portal
was set up by Interbrand, it would remain an independent entity focused
on providing a "global perspective on brands - what works, what doesn't
work and what hasn't even been tried".
The service, which is available free, offers case studies and analysis;
latest in academic thinking; peer networking; and reference sources from
journalists, and legal and marketing specialists.
According to Faulkner, Interbrand came up with the idea to set up the
site, but plans were delayed when the company found the brandchannel.com
domain had already been registered.
"Although the URL wasn't being used, it had been registered. This idea
had been an ambition of ours for some time. We are passionate about
brands and as this is our business, so it seemed logical that we act on
this and offer a learning experience for people interested in
brands."
She added the site would be particularly valuable to Asian companies
interested in building a strong brand - enabling them to contribute to
and learn from international experts and practitioners of branding. The
site looks at both international and Asian brands. "During the Firestone
product crisis we had people debating the issue and how it threatened
one of the oldest brands in the automotive industry," she said.
International contributors to the site include Paul Melhuish, marketing
manager of Land Rover in South Africa; Edwin Young, and Beijing
correspondent for China Economic Quarterly.
Brandchannel chairman Chuck Brymer said: "Branding is critical to the
creation of earnings power, and a strong antidote in times of corporate
and product crisis."
