In this glorious age of the internet, any business knows that they'd be a fool to not have a website. But with so much competition out there, it's not just about having a website anymore; it's about having an online presence. With this in mind, here we bring you five global businesses that are going the extra mile and doing that blogging thing - with excellent results for their brand. Take a leaf and read on...
Free People: BLDG 25 blog
Fashion brand Free People sell more than just clothes; they sell a lifestyle - and their in-house blog, BLDG 25, is the perfect platform to echo this. The Free People brand offers the ultimate in luxury bohemia, marketing to those that can afford to live the indulgent and carefree lifestyles filled with hedonism that we all daydream about. The BLDG 25 blog is awash with everything from dreamy travel and food inspiration to the coolest new music trends and even décor tips for your home. This is a blog that works perfectly as a marketing platform, making you aspire to live the Free People lifestyle - without even realising you wanted to.
Whole Foods: Whole Story blog
Whole Foods is all about living a healthy lifestyle, offering the finest in natural and organic foods. So, of course, their blog offers much more of the same. With a plethora of helpful and exciting information, such as healthy recipes and an insight into the great humanitarian work and core values Whole Foods offer, the Whole Story blog acts as the friendly face that fronts the brand. It even has offerings from CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb - how many global companies can boast that?
Whole Foods - Whole Story blog
Expedia: Expedia blog
Travel providers Expedia expertly sidestep the danger of becoming just another faceless corporate company, instead offering a friendly, helpful and down to earth travel blog - with the knowledge and experience to back it up. Instead of being written by an in-house team, the articles are written by freelance travel bloggers - bloggers who have actually travelled the world - meaning that the topics covered offer genuine insider tips and accessible destination ideas. It's a great place to head for wanderlust inspiration.
Waterstones: Waterstones Oxford Street Tumblr
A fantastic example of a brand putting their social media skills to perfect use, Waterstones Oxford Street has established itself away from the main Waterstones frame and evolved into its very own mini brand - with somewhat of a cult following. Their Tumblr blog is full of funny articles, staff book reviews and anecdotes for book lovers the world over. However, the main reason I've included them is their genius use of Twitter (@WstonesOxfordSt). With over 65,000 followers (remember this is just one store and not the main Waterstones brand!), their hilarious tweets are extremely shareable and they gain new followers everyday - one small store acting as positive brand association for a whole company.
Waterstones - Waterstones Oxford Street Tumblr
Sharpie: The Sharpie blog
Although the Sharpie blog hasn't been updated in a few months, I'm still including it on the list because it's well-worthy - and there's still time for it to be saved! The Sharpie blog is basically an advertising platform in a colourful, entertaining form - taking the product (Sharpie marker pens, of course) and demonstrating them in action. Whether documenting their use to decorate bedroom walls or to put a new twist on a pair of flip-flops, the Sharpie blog works perfectly to give you a ton of inspiration and make you want to buy their product, without the hard sell. This super-colourful blog is also worth a visit just to marvel at the artwork.