In the past, brands needed to be much more careful with their image and reputation, but in the age of the internet, getting ads banned is not always a bad thing. It can mean even more exposure and profit. And when it comes to lucrative banned advertisements, banned Super Bowl ads are king. Ads like Bud Light's commercial featuring skinny-dippers in 2007, or the slew of steamy Go Daddy ads featuring "Go Daddy Girls" like Danica Patrick profited heavily from being leaked online. The banned status itself is a great way to grab consumer attention.

Many companies submit an over-the-top commercial for review with no real expectation of it being accepted. Then, companies can jumpstart a fast and affordable publicity campaign around "the commercial the TV networks don't want you to see!" Many see the tactic as cheap or overdone. In 2011 Advertising Age declared a moratorium on coverage of banned Super Bowl ads. "It's an annual tradition that companies, who likely don't even have the money to spend on an actual Super Bowl spot, find willing suckers in the media who give them some free PR," Ad Age wrote. "Not going to happen here."

But the fact is, when it comes to Super Bowl ads, it can make much more economic sense to create a Super Bowl ad that doesn't actually run. Running an ad for the Super Bowl can cost up to $3 million, while a banned Super Bowl ad can get enough press to be even more popular than the televised ads. In fact, creating ads that are "too hot for TV" has become an established marketing tactic. Banned ads are all over YouTube, and even Hulu has a hub called "Banned Ad Zone." So, as long as you aren't afraid of a little scrutiny, there are great opportunities when it comes to banned advertising.

Advocacy groups often attempt to take advantage of the Super Bowl to get attention. In 2009, a Catholic group called Fidelis pushed an ad showing a fetus that, because it was not aborted, grew up to be President Obama, and NBC axed it. Focus on the Family, another anti-abortion group, actually made it on-air with a commercial showing Tim Tebow's mother talking about her difficulties while pregnant with the college football star. CBS accepted the ad, which was vague but directed viewers to a website with an anti-abortion message. And then there is the infamous "Veggie Love" from PETA, featuring women engaging in steamy foreplay with vegetables and declaring that vegetarians have better sex.

More than any other brand, Go Daddy has "too hot for TV" advertising figured out. The brand's banned ad for "Super Bowl 2008" broke records with 2 million hits to the site. Go Daddy now releases tame versions of its ads to run on television, with a message telling viewers to see the uncut ad that was "too hot for TV" on Go Daddy's website. The site features a video hub with all of the Go Daddy ads, both tame and uncut. Each ad is labeled as either a TV version or internet-only, some with a flame icon signifying a super-steamy video.

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The current proliferation of media -- and devices on which to consume these media -- is great for advertisers. Reach has exploded as new and affordable consumer-facing technologies hit the market, from inexpensive smartphones to reasonably priced tablets. However, with added exposure comes the risk of saturation, which leads to a more competitive media marketplace.

Media brands need to make connections with consumers across several platforms, not just one. Marketers looking to make the biggest impact need to ask themselves if their research plans include efforts to expand the value of the brand, strengthen or retain its foothold in the hearts of media users, and deepen its pool of ad dollars.

Great media brands do not appear overnight. Ideally, they are carefully crafted through one consumer experience after another, each forming a building block. Here are the key building blocks for making an impact across the web.

Brand resonance

When consumers feel an affinity with almost anything -- a coffee type, skin care product, or TV network -- we say that the brand resonates. By measuring the resonance of media elements, such as personalities, programs, and brand names, companies can confirm the connection between engagement and advertising, as well as ad recall and reactions to advertising. To do this, marketers should evaluate numerous statements to enable analysis at a detailed level, uncovering brand opportunities and challenges.

Additionally, by analyzing responses to combined statements, marketers can gain a quick view into brand strengths and weaknesses in four key areas: loyalty, attachment, engagement, and community.

Here are example statements for each key area:

• Loyalty: "I consider myself loyal to this network."
• Attachment: "I would really miss this network if it went away." 
• Engagement: "I identify with others who watch this network."
• Community: "I would go out of my way to watch this network." 

Wantedness

Once a brand has determined resonance, it's best to implement a four-part measurement to understand the importance that consumers attach to media brands. Do they see a brand as indispensable or simply "nice to have," and what makes the difference? These are the aspects of "wantedness:"

• Value -- defined as worth, usefulness, or importance
• Necessity -- something that is essential, indispensable
• Effort -- the amount of work put into viewing a program
• Persistence -- repeated viewing, endurance

Again, wantedness is derived from numerous statements, and the following statements apply to each of the key aspects listed above:

• Value: "The time I spend watching this network is time well spent."
• Necessity: "I would pay extra to be sure I continued to have access to this network."
• Effort: "I plan in advance to watch one or more programs on this network."
• Persistence: "I watch programs on this network from start to finish."

By evaluating the findings from resonance and wantedness, both separately and together, the brand gets a clear sense of the value it holds for consumers.

Competitive benchmarking

The process of competitive benchmarking serves as a logical extension of resonance and wantedness, and can help assess a brand's relative strengths and weaknesses. This worthwhile analysis informs both tactical (marketing) and strategic (brand development) decisions to improve the performance of a brand.

Taking the first step

While today's multi-platform environment can have a powerful effect on media brands, the core elements of equity -- including resonance and wantedness -- still apply. Having a clear sense of the value that your brand holds for consumers can also reveal whether they are likely to be involved in the advertising that supports it. This knowledge translates into the opportunity for brands to redefine themselves, enhancing their value for advertisers and consumers alike. Taking charge of your brand's standing begins with knowledge of how consumers perceive you within the competitive landscape in relation to their expectations and needs.

Kimberly Ficarra is VP of the media team at Knowledge Networks.

On Twitter? Follow iMedia Connection at @iMediaTweet.

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