When we started Substance, our focus was on the interactive brand experience. Three and a half years later, our focus continues to be on the interactive brand experience, but has deepened to providing strategy, tactics and implementations in creating brands that interact.
Words, photos and videos can't do it alone. Through content, along with interactivity, back-and-forth communication (a.k.a. conversations), context, and reciprocity, the goal is to create useful information... something people care about and serves a purpose.
Start with a simple question: why should this site (or solution) exist?
Most often people assume, "oh, you guys design web sites." Well... kind of. But not really. But sometimes. See? It's confusing.
"We need to turn websites into places where customers can play, learn, enjoy, build communities and exchange information."