i-Branding: developing the internet as a branding tool

Purpose - To derive an applicable conceptual framework of branding via the internet form; to show how that framework can, by organising and integrating current knowledge, assist marketing planners in the development of successful internet-based branding strategies. Design/methodology/approach - The conceptual framework presented here derives from a thorough analytical and critical review of the literature on branding in the conventional and virtual marketing environments. Findings - There are three key themes in the mainstream branding literature, supplemented in the proposed framework by a fourth research stream self-evidently relevant to internet-based branding. It is clear that the resulting four main elements of the framework are strongly interrelated in the practice of brand management in the online environment. Practical implications - The "Four Pillars of i-Branding" should be of intellectual interest and practical value to marketing planners and those advising them, providing a more systematic approach to the understanding and application of branding, online. Originality/value - The literature of "i-Branding" is at present at a formative stage, with limited integration among its themes. The framework described here provides the basis for the rational formulation and implementation of branding strategies, applying internet-based tools to the tasks of marketing communication and customer relationship-building in particular.