Marketing on the Internet

Advil
www.advil.com

Select one consumer products company and analyze their online branding efforts. Your
analysis should address the following key issues and questions:

• Does this company employ a branded house or a house of brands strategy?
Provide evidence to support your conclusion.
House of brands-because it is an individual product brand and it has a separate URL for its brand, there is a very focused content, simplified imagery, very little confusion. The URL is simply www.advil.com, and when you get there the site is clean and simple and it completely focuses on the product, its uses, FAQs, online shopping, and different types of Advil (products.. ie Adult, children, PM, liqui-gels…etc) The brand is very personal-makes it a lifestyle brand. Their copy says “I’m all Advil because Advil works on all my pains”

• Research their management of brands online. Categorize in detail how they are
able to navigate customers to specific products or brands by describing website
functionality, URL protocol or multiple domain combinations.
Advil’s site is actually pretty sleek. When you get there, you are faced with a pretty simple webpage where you are confronted with a simple navigation: on the left-side column you see links for Adult products, children’s products, pain free living, FAQ, buy online, find a store near you, and Wyeth Special offers. I like this set up because the main categories are simple and direct you to where you want to go. Under each link you are lead to a page that allows you to browse through all of their available products-including images of each and a description. Also, you are always offered some sort of coupon, rebate, or special offer on each page along with constant links that offer helpful advice, learning opportunities, and general information about their product and pain relief in general. Everything on the site is consistent, user friendly, and informative. If there is a certain type of pain relief you are looking for, you will certainly find it easily on this site.

• Describe the strengths and weaknesses that you see in their approach to online
branding.
I find the site user friendly, and simple. It is a pain reliever, so you don’t have to hype it up a whole deal because they know that people will always have a demand and interest for this kind of product. I like the fact that there is so much information about usage, with medical advice and ways to learn more about pain relief in general. It is a helpful tool for people who use pain relievers often, such as people with arthritis, chronic migraines, etc. Not only that, they have resources available that help you locate places to purchase their products, although you can not directly purchase them through their website, they direct you to other online drugstores where you can purchase their products. I really like their ‘Pain Free Living’ link where they give you tips about children’s care and a learning center where you can ‘read important articles—from Arthritis to Migraines to Muscle Aches.’
The look of the site is consistent with the packaging and there is not any ‘visual pollution,’ as I like to call it. There is nothing distracting, but it is not so simple that it is boring. Colors and fonts are appealing and consistent, and it is easy to find what you are looking for.
I would have liked to see a link to commercials or advertisements on their site. I find that with a product that is so personal as Advil that humanized commercials might be an interesting addition. You can find Advil commercials on youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgqtjdF5lkM