Many a pundit has commented on the Web's capacity to turn corporations into content providers. Haircare product manufacturer Unilever Plc is the latest to test the theory.
Earlier this month, the company introduced HeleneCurtis.com, an online destination that positions the 70-year-old brand as a cyber-confidante for women with hair troubles.
Spearheaded by digital@jwt, the interactive arm of J. Walter Thompson Chicago, the site offers its visitors hair care tips, salon reviews and even weather forecasts for more than
1,000 cities.
The Web is a great place to give your brand a voice and build one-to-one relationships with customers, according to spokesman Joe Silverman. But ironically, the voice behind
Helene Curtis' girlie chat is no girl. Unilever tapped Richard Martin - the celebrity hairdresser responsible for coiffing the cast of "Friends" - to lend credibility to the
site's voice. (J. Walter Thompson Chicago, 312/951-4000)