The brand that’s made me the happiest this year is Wolfgang’s Vault. I go there on a regular basis, often on Friday afternoons when I’m finishing up administrative tasks and need some ear candy. The more I listen, the more often I return. I’ve heard concerts by artists I wish I’d gone to and concerts from the same tours I saw “back in the day” by artists that hadn’t made it big yet. I started going to the site a couple of years ago to relive some great musical moments in my life—but now I’m getting much more.

I love that the Vault has branched out to newer artists and more recent concerts. Their A to Z list of performers is huge and inclusive, so I can experiment. There are artist interviews as well as concerts. There are lots of free downloads as well as ones you have to pay for. Plus concert listings in my area.

The website has improved steadily. It’s become increasingly easy to use and what Wolfgang’s Vault is adding, I’m enjoying. I must be in their target demographic—they’re hitting me in my soft spot and I love it!

What’s the brand lesson? Do one thing really well and build from there. Innovate around what you know and give your customers and fans an easy path to follow as you lead the way. If the substance is there and you demonstrate that you’re listening, you’ll keep your die-hards and win new ones.

Have a great 2010!

Beth Woolley

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According to a new report from Knowledge at Wharton, there is a shake out going on in the social media space. It will continue to happen, but what strikes me as important in all of this is that it is not just going to be about advances in technology. The players that survive and thrive are going to be the ones that differentiate and provide a user experience that people can’t get anywhere else. For instance, if MySpace wants to thrive (not merely survive like it has been), it needs to decide how it wants to be different from Facebook and then deliver that differentiated experience (like it currently does for the music scene).

-Jen Travis

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American Airlines' current home page

Your web site says more about your brand than you think–as evidenced in this article about American Airlines.

–Jen Travis

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