Everyone acknowledges the importance of the internet for brands.
That is true for B-2-C as well as B-2-B communication.
Lately, IT departments through filter software and firewalls are increasingly blocking internet access to certain industry sites and limiting visibility of certain brands.
Be aware, if you are in the alcoholic beverage industry or firearms or drugs, many of your existing and prospective clients cannot “see” you. For many of your business partners access to your websites is blocked. And, thanks to SPAM filters, often they do not get your email either.
An innocent victim of this development is the Canadian history and nature magazine “The Beaver”. As reported here by the NY Times, the magazine was forced to change its 90 (!) year old brand to “Canada’s History”. Obviously, many schools and libraries had blocked website access and the receiving of email from the domain of the brand, because in slang language the brand name has “a vulgar meaning”.
Sadly, a small magazine and its non-profit publisher do not have the resources to fight this censorship. And as such, it is illegal.
Hopefully, the “Beaver Case” is a wake up call for companies to review, what their IT people are doing. Unless, you and your company are pro censorship.