The whole point of branding is to get consumers to interact with products or services. The point of having electronic presence must consequently be to get consumers to interact with the brand online/ The natural point of departure is to begin thinking about online purchases. This is flawed reasoning. The only instance where online purchasing makes sense is in certain fields of retail, and even this can be difficult.

Although online grocery purchasing has been operational and feasible for a number of years it has not taken off. You might think that the shopper would welcome the opportunity to have all the shopping done for him or her with a cash-free transaction and payment online. The reverse is true. Shopping has a strong tactile component. Shoppers want to touch, look, smell, smell and even taste if possible.
Online transactions are generally the shopper’s ‘Plan B’ if the product is not available in a nearby store.
Online transactions can work in the realms of service, but there may still be a demand for face-to-face experiences.
The brand is adopted for relevance to the lifestyle or satisfaction of the need. The strong point of the internet is the ability to provide information that enhances the lifestyle or that concerns the need.
Before setting out on a content generating exercise, the brand manager should develop a comprehensive picture of the lifestyle and where the need fits in. Using the basic example of a car, the needs will be travelling from point A to B, but may also include safe motoring, minor repairs, insurance, extending the life of the car, cutting the cost of motoring, safety for children and explanations of why the car is a good purchase (for post-purchase peer justification which is also a very significant need).
The lifestyle elements could incorporate customisation, hobby motoring, offroad driving, travel, in-car entertainment, racing and getting together with friends and things that can be done together with friends.