top of page

Collin Douma

My Approach to Brand building

Radical Trust

Back in the early days of social media, I was a blogger.

My blog, Radical Trust (2007-2011), was featured in the top 50 AdAge’s Power Bloggers ranking and even made it onto the syllabus at Emily Carr University’s Social Science program. I ranked at the top influencer on Twitter for the Social Media topic, boasting over 75,000 followers. I frequently spoke about the evolving principles of social media conferences and with the media.

Despite already having over a decade of industry experience, it was during these years that I developed my core principles for my work, my clients, and their audiences.

I firmly believe that:
 
  1. People are the best judges of their own needs and, given the freedom, can meet those needs effectively.
  2. People prefer being communicated with rather than talked at.
  3. While freedom of expression is crucial, guidelines can help shape meaningful expressions.
  4. People will disengage from anything that silences them and will connect with those who give them a voice.
  5. (This one is the hardest for most) People are inherently good.
     
Once I embraced the idea that trust is the cornerstone of any functional relationship, I started achieving incredible results. Do you know why? People have no inherent reason to trust your brand. It’s up to the brand to initiate the relationship by placing trust in them.
 
Fifteen years later, this philosophy still holds true. Yet, many businesses still think the old way.

35 years of the commercial Internet

As I approach my 30th year in digital media in 2025, I've witnessed a monumental shift in attitudes toward this medium. Perhaps most fundamentally, we've moved beyond thinking of it merely as technology. The internet’s promise of creating a global community initially drew me to this field. While it took a while for the average household to experience this fully, early adopters (the geeks among us) have always known the power of digital communities.

As with any new medium, the learning curve has been steep, marked by some epic blunders. However, in my experience, those who innovated their communication strategies with clear objectives typically stayed ahead of the curve and reaped significant profits. The most successful were those who trusted the expertise of the professionals they hired to elevate their strategies. On the other hand, those who dove into digital communications without a solid understanding of their purpose or without clear goals often saw little return on their investment.

Reflecting on my journey and looking toward the future, the following are some of my key experiences and insights from three decades in the field.

Screen-capture of the very first website info.cern.ch posted on the World Wide Web, April, 1993

WHO WE ARE

1990-1995: Brochureware

I entered the business at the end of the brochureware era. For most early adopters, the goal was to “get online.” Websites back then had a basic structure, typically featuring sections like “Who We Are,” “What We Do,” and “Contact Information.” Few had search functions, but they often included site maps and FAQs as the main interface.
The content wasn’t given much thought. Success was just about having a web presence. Most web design shops didn’t even employ writers. The clients, producers, or even art directors would handle the copy.
Websites mainly fell into three categories:

 
  1. Reference: Simple corporate or special interest sites, hence “brochureware.”
  2. Task: Early banking and billing sites. One of my first roles was as a Junior Designer on Canada Trust’s Easy Web (now TD Canada Trust’s Easy Web) with Mackerel Interactive in Toronto.
  3. Search: Search tools were basic and finding good websites meant navigating several categories. Early search engines saw themselves as “portals,” relying on paid links for revenue, which were more attractive to advertisers than useful to users. Google’s founders must have been watching and learning.

Early Online Communities
During this period, online communities were mostly limited to gated Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) and those with technical know-how. By the end of this era, self-publishing platforms like GeoCities began to emerge, though their impact wasn’t felt until after 1995.
One standout community site from this time was IMDB.com (The Internet Movie Database). Launched in 1990, it allowed users to rate and review movies—standard today but groundbreaking back then. Acquired by Amazon in 1998, IMDB remains the go-to movie resource online.
In 1995 I got a job as an animator and UX designer on the Nikolai's Adventure storybook CDROMS. This is a screenshot from the promotional website Nikolai.com circa 1996. It earned an "A+" for content, aesthetics and organization from "Education World". 

By 1995, early adopters were online, and success was now measured by clear business objectives. E-commerce emerged as the direct path to ROI, transforming brick-and-mortar stores into online shopping platforms. As America filled highways with strip malls and big box stores, businesses also embraced the digital marketplace. These were prime years for me, as most sites I designed featured a shopping basket.
One notable project was Sears Canada, launched in 1998. Thanks to its strong catalog presence in rural areas, Sears.ca quickly became the largest e-commerce site in North America, and possibly the world. By 2001, sales peaked with over 1 million transactions, totaling an estimated $40 million in revenue—more than the rest of Canada’s e-commerce revenues combined.
Meanwhile, long-tail newcomers like Amazon.com launched in 1995, and peer-to-peer e-commerce sites like eBay started laying the groundwork for social media principles long before the term became popular. The era also witnessed some spectacular failures, like Boo.com, and an irrational fear of the Y2K bug contributed to the dot-com bubble burst, leaving NASDAQ and venture capital investors reeling.
Napster, the peer-to-peer music platform launched in 1998, revolutionized music sharing. Despite its shutdown by 2001 due to legal pressures from the music industry, it marked a significant shift in how people understood peer-to-peer networks.
Let's not forget the quiet incorporation of Google.com in September 1998. I remember my first Google search—I was looking up photos from the Mars Pathfinder Mission. It was successful, and since then, Google has been my go-to search engine.
Sears.ca circa 1999. With 256 colors and 640x480 resolution making it "browser safe", the possibilities seemed endless. 
From 2000 to 2005, digital advertising was a goldmine. Even though digital departments were considered the underdogs in mass advertising agencies, three profitable advertising platforms made a big impact during this period:
  1. Banner Ads (OLAs): These echoed print and television ads, with ad agency creative departments working hard to integrate their messages.
  2. Microsites: Sold as immersive brand experiences, these sites aimed to create an emotional connection with consumers.
  3. Email Marketing: Originating from CRM direct marketing, email promised one-to-one communication with loyal customers, though it rarely delivered on this promise.
During this era, I was the Digital Group Creative Director at MacLAREN McCANN, working on brands like Pontiac, Buick, GMC, and Coke. Despite the small economic downturn known as the dot-com bubble, hundreds of millions of dollars were funneled into these quick-hit campaign programs. The goal was to reach people spending more of their time online.
However, I don't find this period particularly insightful. It felt like the commercialization of the web was diluting its potential. Despite our efforts, much of the work from this era wasn't very persuasive, informative, or credible. It was labor-intensive to build, hard to maintain, and expensive to promote. I remember a client once asking, "Why is this internet stuff taking up 20% of my budget and 80% of my time?"
A few memorable campaigns come to mind. Subservient Chicken made waves, and BMWFilms.com turned heads, but both relied heavily on media investments for promotion. Spending money on an ad to drive someone to another ad never sat well with me.
The Interesting Stuff Happened Elsewhere
For me, the most interesting developments weren’t in the commercial space but in outer space.
NASA’s ClickWorkers
One of my favorite programs from this era was NASA’s ClickWorkers. Millions of images from the Mars survey missions needed mapping. Instead of relying solely on NASA staff, raw images of Martian landscapes were posted online, and volunteers like you and me clicked around the edges of craters to map them. NASA could have developed software for this, but I'm glad they didn't. I must have mapped a thousand images before tiring.
Clicking on images seen by only a few other humans connected me with NASA in a unique way. Although this program probably wasn’t driven by NASA’s marketing team, it left an unforgettable brand impression on me and introduced me to the concept of crowdsourcing, setting a high bar for meaningful online brand experiences.
A New Generation of Websites
Beneath the surface of the advertising world, new platforms were quietly gathering momentum. Blogger.com (1999), Wikipedia (2001), WordPress.com, Typepad.com, LinkedIn, and MySpace (all in 2003), and Facebook and Flickr (both in 2004) were all paving the way for the next generation of the web, transforming how we interact online.

2000-2005: Advertising

2005-2010: Social Media and Web 2.0

It could be argued that the most significant period for accelerated innovation in digital was set in motion when Terry Tim O’Reilly and friends identified the principles of web2.0 the fall of 2005.
The Principles of Web 2.0
1. Web Development Evolution:
Web 2.0 represents a shift from static websites to dynamic, user-centered platforms prioritizing interactivity and collaboration. Some key attributes include:
 
  • Attitude over Technology: The spirit of Web 2.0 emphasizes openness, participation, and community rather than technological advancements.
  • The Long Tail: Embraces niche markets, allowing for diverse content catering to smaller, specific audiences rather than mainstream ones.
  • Content as the Brand: Content creation and user contributions define the brand's identity and value.
  • Perpetual Beta: Continuous development and improvement, with software and platforms evolving based on user feedback and interaction.
  • User-Enhanced Software: Platforms improve as more users participate, leveraging collective intelligence.
  • Remix Culture: Encourages creativity through reusing and remixing content, often under flexible copyright terms like Creative Commons.
  • Playfulness: Websites offer engaging, enjoyable experiences.
  • Granular Addressability: Content can be accessed and linked at very detailed levels.
  • Emergent Behavior: User interactions drive the evolution of the platform, without predetermined outcomes.
  • Rich User Experience: Enhanced interfaces and interactive elements create a more engaging online environment.
  • User Trust: Platforms trust users to contribute positively, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
The Social Media Revolution
2. Changing Content Creation:
Social media has democratized content creation, allowing anyone with internet access to contribute. Characteristics include:
  • Free: Content is often freely accessible.
  • Portable: Content can be easily shared and accessed across various platforms and devices.
  • Remixable: Users can adapt and remix content, contributing to a culture of innovation and creativity.
  • Ubiquitous: Content is widespread and omnipresent, accessible from anywhere.
  • Relaxed Copyright: Encourages sharing and collaboration, often using licenses that allow more flexible use of content.
  • Diverse Motivations and Sources: Content comes from a variety of creators, driven by different motivations, enhancing the richness and diversity of the information available.
Impact and Legacy
The shift to Web 2.0 and the rise of social media marked the fulfillment of the promise of a global community. Platforms like YouTube, Etsy, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Amazon, iTunes, blogs, and Flickr became mainstream, outproducing traditional media in content volume and diversity. This era was notably recognized by Time Magazine in 2006, naming "You" as the Person of the Year for the collective impact of millions of individuals contributing to the web.
This transformation also significantly impacted traditional marketing and journalism:
  • Marketing: As consumers gained more control over content, their experiences and opinions began to shape brand perceptions more than traditional advertising. This led to the rise of the social media marketing department within agencies.
  • Journalism: The "free press" became truly accessible to all, reducing the dominance of major newspapers and allowing anyone to publish and share news.
Ongoing Challenges
While Web 2.0 brought numerous benefits, it also introduced new challenges:
  • Copyright Issues: Ongoing debates about the balance between content creators' rights and the culture of sharing and remixing.
  • Ethics and Transparency: Ensuring ethical behavior and transparency in an environment where content can spread rapidly and widely.
  • Real-Time Information: The demand for up-to-the-moment information has created new pressures and opportunities for content creators and consumers.
Conclusion
The evolution of Web 2.0 and social media has irrevocably changed the landscape of the internet, empowering individuals and fostering a more connected, creative, and collaborative world. As we move forward, society will continue to grapple with the complexities and implications of these transformative technologies.

2010-2015: Remix

The Impact of Mobile Devices on Branding and Marketing (2015-2020)
The period from 2015 to 2020 witnessed a seismic shift in the branding and marketing landscape driven by the proliferation of mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets not only transformed how consumers interacted with brands but also redefined the strategies that companies employed to engage their audiences.
The Mobile Revolution
1. Ubiquity and Accessibility: By 2015, smartphones had become ubiquitous, with penetration rates soaring globally. This widespread adoption meant that consumers were constantly connected, with access to information, entertainment, and social networks at their fingertips. Mobile devices bridged the digital divide, making the internet accessible to a broader demographic.
2. Always-On Culture: The portability of mobile devices created an always-on culture where consumers expected instant access to content and services. This shift necessitated brands to adopt real-time engagement strategies, ensuring they could interact with consumers at any moment.
Key Impacts on Branding and Marketing
1. Mobile-First Strategy: Brands quickly realized the need to prioritize mobile in their digital strategies. This meant designing mobile-friendly websites, creating responsive content, and optimizing user experiences for smaller screens. Companies that successfully adopted a mobile-first approach saw increased engagement and conversions.
2. App Ecosystem: The explosion of mobile apps provided brands with new avenues to engage consumers. Apps became essential tools for customer interaction, loyalty programs, and personalized experiences. Brands like Starbucks and Nike leveraged their apps to deepen customer relationships, offering features like mobile ordering and personalized recommendations.
3. Social Media Integration: Social media usage shifted predominantly to mobile, influencing how brands communicated with their audiences. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, designed primarily for mobile use, became critical for reaching younger demographics. Brands utilized these platforms for storytelling, influencer partnerships, and user-generated content campaigns.
4. Location-Based Marketing: Mobile devices enabled brands to leverage location data for targeted marketing. Geofencing and beacon technology allowed businesses to deliver personalized offers and messages based on a user’s location. Retailers like Macy's and Target used these technologies to enhance the in-store shopping experience and drive foot traffic.
5. Mobile Commerce (mCommerce): The rise of mobile commerce transformed retail, with more consumers shopping directly from their mobile devices. Brands optimized their e-commerce platforms for mobile, ensuring seamless browsing, purchasing, and payment processes. Innovations like one-click purchasing and mobile wallets (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Wallet) further streamlined the mCommerce experience.
Case Studies
1. Starbucks: Starbucks' mobile app became a cornerstone of its customer engagement strategy. The app’s features, such as mobile ordering, payment integration, and a rewards program, drove significant user adoption. By 2020, the app accounted for a substantial portion of Starbucks' transactions, demonstrating the power of mobile in driving customer loyalty and convenience.
2. Nike: Nike harnessed the power of mobile through its Nike+ app ecosystem, which included fitness tracking, personalized coaching, and exclusive product releases. The apps fostered a community of engaged users, integrating seamlessly with wearable technology and enhancing the brand’s connection with fitness enthusiasts.
3. Amazon: Amazon’s mobile app revolutionized shopping convenience, offering features like one-click purchasing, voice search via Alexa, and personalized recommendations. The app's user-friendly design and efficient functionality contributed to Amazon's dominance in the e-commerce space, with a significant portion of sales coming from mobile devices.
Challenges and Considerations
1. User Privacy: The increased use of location data and personalized marketing raised concerns about user privacy. Brands had to navigate the fine line between offering personalized experiences and respecting user privacy, adhering to regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
2. Data Security: With the rise of mobile transactions, ensuring data security became paramount. Brands invested heavily in securing payment information and protecting against cyber threats to maintain consumer trust.
3. Attention Economy: The sheer volume of content available on mobile devices intensified competition for consumer attention. Brands had to create compelling, concise, and visually appealing content to capture and retain the interest of mobile users.
Conclusion
From 2015 to 2020, mobile devices fundamentally altered the branding and marketing landscape. Brands that embraced mobile-first strategies, leveraged app ecosystems, and utilized location-based marketing saw significant gains in consumer engagement and loyalty. While challenges around privacy and data security emerged, the opportunities for personalized, real-time interactions propelled the mobile revolution, reshaping how brands connect with their audiences in an increasingly digital world.

1995-2000: Ecommerce

bottom of page