Marketing a Brand on the Web

eMarketer has released a new study, "Brand Marketing Online: Paid, Owned, Earned," about the use of online advertising to promote a brand (sometimes called branding): "At this phase in brand marketing’s shift to the digital space, it is difficult to judge one media’s value by dollars alone. That said, marketers tend to spend more for paid media than owned or earned. And the trend toward more online brand-focused ad spending is clear: Between 2010 and 2014 it will rise from a 35.7% share to nearly 42%. The heraldeded Old Spice Man campaign from Procter & Gamble for example, started off with TV commercials (paid), migrated to a brand microsite and Facebook fan page (owned), and is still boosted by consumer interaction and word-of-mouth on social sites and beyond (earned)—while continuing to be fed by more online advertising to drive traffic."