UAE-BrandMoxie, a leading UAE advertisingand marketing firm, has launched Advanced Internet PR (AIP), an innovative programme aimed at methodically crafting the image and brands of corporations online while enhancing their search engine rankings.
The programme offers both a quick start scheme to deploy a company immediately to an acceptable level of online exposure, as well as long term strategy to keep that profile high.

'It is staggering how critically important an online PR presence is and how it can substantially impact a company's business opportunities. Yet the majority of companies, and that's even large high cap companies, are virtually 'internet-poor' with miserable references online,' said Sana Bagersh, CEO of BrandMoxie.

'Nowadays, the internet is king, if you're in it you're an international player, and if you're not, you're just a local business stuck in 'smallville.' Today anyone who wants anything, even locally, doesn't reach for the phone book, but goes to the internet. This is an environment that packs the power of one million yellow pages and a trillion dollars worth of conventional advertising all in one-- because you are accessible to anyone on the planet at any time of day.'

She said companies in this region set up websites, sometimes lavish CMS-driven environments, and then sit back and expect to reap the benefits of the internet.

'A corporate website alone is not enough; you need to create buzz about your company through a multi-tiered strategy that may include optimizing your site, search engine submissions and internet ad campaigns. But most importantly you should also consider integrating an approach that includes systematic submissions of your company's strategic information, contributing to target web communities, and getting exposure on the websites that are being visited by your target audiences.'

She explained that any PR agency providing traditional PR services must either additionally provide online PR services, or work with a marketing firm that does. This could be a collaborative effort to ensure the client is well represented across all communication platforms.

BrandMoxie's Advanced Internet Programme begins with an online audit of where a company currently stands, not just in search engine rankings, but also in terms of whatever information appears in relation to the name of the company, the brand and its principals.

'We analyze the kind of information that is out there, classifying its degree of negativity/ positivity/ neutrality, and its impact on the company. This is accompanied by a review of the company's online brand attributes, the keywords that drive searches to the company, the brand, the industry and its competitors.'

BrandMoxie's Advanced Internet PR programme defines the remedial tactics that are required to mitigate any negative influences, and outlines long term proactive strategies for sustained brand building. In order to be able to offer an integrated approach to marketing, PR strategy and search optimization the programme brings together internet techies and traditional PR practitioners.

'The great thing about this kind of service is that the results are measurable and tangible. The bad thing is that no matter how expert you are in SEO and online PR, you cannot control all outcomes. However with intelligent manipulation you can dramatically sway online PR in your favour.'

Bagersh predicts that Internet PR still in its infancy will become more institutionalized as a science as internet marketing continues to capture an increasing share of marketing dollars.

The challenge, she said, is for companies to understand the important dynamics that drives the
industry today in order to make rational decisions on where and how they want to be visible.

She said companies in this region need to be aware of the incredible level of internet innovation and experimentation that is going on right now, from web-based parallel universes, to the trend of incorporating product development and research cycles into stand alone periential corporate universes, to the flourishing of digital versions of popular brands.

BrandMoxie, a proponent of 'intelligent marketing,' is a full service advertising and marketing agency in Abu Dhabi offering advertising, PR, research, retail branding and marketing consulting. It has partner offices in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, India, Yemen, Oman, Singapore, Italy, Spain and the USA.