The Gore-Tex web proposition has been designed with a technical edge, not surprising given the nature of the product portfolio. However, there is still some work to do from a branding perspective.

At first glance, the shortcomings are not particularly obvious as the Gore-Tex homepage has an easy-on-the-eyes layout, and all of the major links such as About Us, Products, and News are easily visible along with the presence of a search engine. The devil is in the details, however, and when it comes to delivering the goods in terms of content and engagement, the site is on thin ice.

Despite these criticisms, Gore-Tex online is not a bad representation of the offline brand; the website does possess some real strengths—just in need of some fine-tuning. Take the Select Another Country link, for instance, which when clicked results in the user gaining access to nine additional country-based sites, all of which are articulated in the host nation’s language and one or two of which (China in particular) have arguably better homepages than that which the company has chosen as a default.

Likewise, the Explore the Lab section is very informative if not entirely what the title suggests, and the synergy of each Gore-Tex site with the umbrella brand of Gore is also very prominent thanks to the instantly associable design work and color schemes.

Unfortunately however, there are enough front-end failings to suggest that the overall proposition of Gore-Tex online has been designed by a team of technically gifted individuals who have a passion for their products that is second to none, but little understanding of digital branding.

The acid test for any website is how it stacks up when determining its input to the enhancement of brand value, and in the case of Gore-Tex online, it’s just not doing as much as it should. Sure, the company will argue that it has segmented its web proposition by geography, but this should predominantly be at the second-tier level, not at the first; furthermore, the sub-sites should really serve to complement the parent—not expose its weaknesses.

While some organizations genuinely embrace the web as an opportunity to communicate and captivate with energy and imagination, others simply occupy a space because they feel they must. Gore-Tex isn’t necessarily in the latter category, but it certainly isn’t in the first one either. Given the undoubted quality and success of its offline brand, it would do well to get a grip of this concept before the climate turns less favorable.