Differentiating your publication’s online brand
In print, your circulation is limited to the surrounding geographic area, meaning your brand has little competition. But online, you have to differentiate your publication from the thousands of other brands out there. And that might mean ditching your print masthead for a more modern nameplate.
Take these three brands, for example. Although on a local level these brands may be established, on the Web, they’re nearly identical and, frankly, unoriginal.
While it’s understandable that these newspapers would want to use their already-established brand on the web, a Web site presents the unique — and rare — opportunity for a newspaper to rebuild its identity.
Examples of online news brands
Having an online brand different from print isn’t uncommon. Generally, online brands are distinguished by their nameplates like these sans serif logos:
Steps to building an online brand
- Develop a unique name if your print identity is a common one. For example, The San Diego Union-Tribune is “Sign On San Diego” online; The Detroit Free-Press is “freep.com.”
- Develop a logo. You can play off your print logo or create something completely unique and original. There should be a single, differentiating icon that can be used everywhere and recognized as representing your newspaper. (For example, CoPress’ icon is a puzzle piece)
- In print, use that logo when referring or teasing to the site so your readers associate your print brand with your online brand. As shown in the Baltimore Sun example, the online brand is incorporated into the print masthead.
- Use the logo everywhere online: your site, social networks, in the corner of your videos, etc. When people see your logo, they should associate it with your news site.
- Run a few house ads in print and online to let your readers know you’re changing your look
- Keep it consistent. Once you develop a new online brand, don’t switch it up, or else you’ll risk your news organization’s credibility.
Brands in student media
The following logos were taken from student media Twitter pages. This is an example of where a single icon can come in handy, as opposed to using an entire nameplate.
Great post, Lauren. I personally am a big fan of uniting the brand and design cues of print and online, and would encourage organizations doing online rebrands to take it to the print product too. I think the Whitman Pioneer might be working with this strategy over the summer.
Well as the Web Editor of The Recorder (the top example) it is kind of embarrassing to see this article pop up in my personal RSS feed, but I agree with 100%. After having the position of Web Editor placed on top of my Photo Editor spot, I have been learning the ins and outs of WordPress (Something we as a newspaper are new to, launching our site in March) and creating a sleeker online brand. While it’s hard for our E-i-C to move away from that Cloister Black “R”, I know it is necessary online. I’m hoping to get The Recorder Online in a position where we can have high quality multimedia uploaded at will via Flickr and Vimeo Pro accounts and stories up well before print.
Next step: selling this idea to the Executive Editors.
Thanks for the ideas and motivation.
Thanks for the heads-up. I suppose you’ll check in as we make changes?
-Melissa Traynor
The Recorder
Wow, your new theme is pretty darn slick, Edward. Looking forward to seeing it grow over the summer!
The print/web identity of the boston globe is probably the most confusing media branding ever. Does anyone know how on earth, what looks like a photoshop accident, ended up as the logo for a very big quasi respectable news organization?
Great post. I agree with everything you’ve mentioned, except for your opening: “In print, your circulation is limited to the surrounding geographic area, meaning your brand has little competition. But online, you have to differentiate your publication from the thousands of other brands out there.”
Personally, I think that in the case of college/university media, you have a specific niche that you’re serving/targeting: students (and in some cases, this may include faculty, community, etc.) This applies to both print and web. You’re not out the serve the world, but rather, a small subsection of the world, so even if your branding is generic, it’s okay as long as it’s uniquely identifiable by (and works for) your target market.
Also, should mention, as an add-on to #s 4 and 6:
Develop an “About” statement for your online identity. Make it varying lengths, but keep the gist of the message the same, and use it across different social networks in which you participate.