There are many advantages joint venturing with offline businesses. You could increase your target market by reaching audiences you couldn't advertise to before. You could get referrals from offline businesses you joint venture with.

The key to joint venturing with offline businesses is to find ones that have same target audience. If you're selling business software, you wouldn't want to joint venture with a store that sells candy. You won't be very successful. You would want to joint venture with an office supply or computer store.

Below are three possible joint venture deals you could set up:

HISTORY d/a interactive is new media division of Dascal & Associates, a cross media company providing integrated strategic marketing, graphic design and new media services. d/a interactive has worked with many multi-national companies to help them leverage their brands online. Understanding that internet provides much more than a supportive role in a marketing strategy, d/a interactive has been working with top-tier brands in development of micro-sites to help launch new products into marketplace. Most recently, d/a interactive was retained by Johnson & Johnson to create a micro-site surrounding Canadian product launch of Band-Aid Brand Liquid Bandage.

Johnson & Johnson is leader in adhesive brand category. The Band-Aid brand continuously brings innovation to marketplace. In February 2003, Band-Aid once again revolutionized adhesive bandage category with a liquid bandage. Band-Aid Brand Liquid Bandage promotes fast healing on contact by forming an invisible, flexible and one hundred percent waterproof seal that is breathable and stays on hard to cover affected areas.

CHALLENGE • Creation of a consumer-centric micro-site • Creation of Content Management System (CMS) technology that allows Johnson & Johnson to edit certain aspects of site • The longstanding Band-Aid brand has a traditional integrity. The look and feel needed to be upheld in online environment • Needed to provide Johnson & Johnson with statistical information about traffic and usage of micro-site

"We were looking to use micro-site to create excitement," says Morris Dascal, President of d/a interactive, on their mandate from Johnson & Johnson. "Micro-sites are a relatively new way for companies to launch a product without revamping their entire website and also a great way to isolate a user and maintain their attention on one product."

"In addition," says Dascal, "we were using a non-traditional buzz for a new and non-traditional product. The new Band-Aid Brand Liquid Bandage is a more expensive product, and Johnson and Johnson was looking at integrating an online marketing campaign that included email marketing, banners and this micro-site in conjunction with offline marketing and public relations initiatives. We needed to build a site that was brand specific."

IMPLEMENTATION/INTEGRATION d/a interactive set-up a distinct website and URL for Band-Aid Brand Liquid Bandage at www.band-aid.ca. The core design component was to maintain color, consistency, visuals and images typically associated with Band-Aid brand.

After storyboarding concept for this micro-site and virtual demonstration (which would enable consumers to see how product works from comfort of their own home), d/a interactive designed, produced and implemented site. All visuals, content and promotional areas were presented and approved in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson to ensure that online promotion matched their offline strategy.

"There were three main areas that we focused on to implement and integrate this micro-site," says Dascal. "First, we had to ensure that front-end was visually appealing, matched Band-Aid brand in terms of integrity and was easy to use and navigate. Second, we implemented a Content Management System (CMS) in back-end, so staff at Johnson & Johnson could have access to certain content areas for updating and editing purposes. Finally, we needed to focus on calls to action and promotions that would drive this micro-site to be a successful part of Band-Aid Brand Liquid Bandage launch in Canada."