Building Strong Digital Brands. Dieter Georg Herbst

      We would like to express our sincere thanks to Janita Gall and Jerrold Freitag for the great collaboration!

      Prof. Dr. Dieter Georg Herbst

      The question of how to further improve digital branding has occupied me for many years. Along my search for answers, I devour books, speak with consumers, consult with colleagues and closely follow the latest research. What motivates me? I wish to create beautiful things in order to make the world more beautiful. Digital branding offers enormous potential in this regard: stories, images and powerful emotions go hand-in-hand with digital brands.

      As an internationally recognized expert in Digital Brand Management I consult worldwide for companies, organizations and individuals. Moreover I am honorary professor for Strategic Communications Management and Head of Department of the masters program Leadership in Digital Communication, Head of the accreditation course Digital Brand Management around the World at the Berlin University of the Arts (Germany), guest professor at the JiaoTong University in Shanghai (China), chief instructor for Corporate Communications and Social Media in two EBMA programs at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) as well as lecturer for Digital Brand Management at the University of the Arts London (Great Britain). I work and teach worldwide. As a member of the Council of Internet Sages I look ahead with other visionaries into the digital future.

      Contact: www.dietergeorgherbst.de

      Thomas Heinrich Musiolik

      Annoyance, boredom and disappointment with most brands drives me to look for the perfect brand code. I want to experience and feel brands. I want brands to excite me. I want to feel their passion and contagious energy – I want a mind orgasm.

      That is how I approach the quest for the perfect brand code as director of the Digital Brand Lab and in my role as post-graduate researcher. Which brand code stands for what? Which feelings and emotions does it evoke? How does it need to look in order to facillitate multisensory brand communication in digital media with the end game being to turn the the brand of the future into a liveable experience in the digital world and ensure an unforgettable mind orgasm.

      In addition, I have authored various books and articles in professional marketing & communication journals. My goal has always been to improve lives functionally and emotionally. You can count on my wizardry, a little insanity and a thirst for knowledge: I will make the world a better place and change the future.

      Contact: www.digitalbrandlab.de

      Table of Contents

       1 Chapter 1: Strong Digital Brands Evoke Strong Emotions

       1.1 Unit 1: Introduction

       1.2 Unit 2: Strong Digital Brands Are of Increasing Importance

       1.3 Unit 3: Strong Brands Reward Us with Powerful and Positive Emotions

       1.3.1 How brand management has evolved

       1.4 Unit 4: Strong Digital Brands Generate Emotion

       1.5 Unit 5: The Strong Digital Brand Speaks to the Reward System

       1.5.1 Motives – what we avoid and what we seek out

       1.5.2 Security

       1.5.3 Arousal

       1.5.4 Autonomy

       1.6 Unit 6: The Strong Digital Brand Has a One-of-a-Kind Reward Promise

       1.6.1 The brand reward promise in one sentence

       1.7 Unit 7: Digital Brands Are Established and Have Clear and Attractive Imagery

       1.7.1 Images = knowledge and judgment

       1.7.2 Strong Brands in Digital Media

       2 Chapter 2: Unique Aspects of Digital Media and Digital Technologies

       2.1 Unit 1: Introduction

       2.2 Unit 2: Where Brands Live in Digital Media: Digital Brand Environments

       2.3 Unit 3: Unique Aspects of Digital Branding: the "Big Four"

       2.3.1 Integration

       2.4 Unit 4: Accessbility

       2.5 Unit 5: Connectivity

       2.6 Unit 6: Interactivity

       2.6.1 Machine-to-machine-interaction

       2.6.2 Person-to-machine interaction

       2.6.3 Person-to-person interaction

       2.6.4 Person-to-content interaction

       3 Chapter 3: Digital Productions: Digital Brand Storytelling

       3.1 Unit 1: Introduction

       3.1.1 Increase in Importance of Digital Brand Storytelling

       3.1.2 Storytelling’s three components

       3.2 Unit 2: Effect: Storytelling is brain-friendly communication

       3.3 Unit 3: Core elements: people, action and the stage