DIGITAL MARKETING

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

ABSTRACT

This project will through a light on DIGITAL MARKETING , its trend in past and present and its future in the globalised world. As marketing has become a very important tool for every industry to reach the consumer it’s become very complex as to decide what is the right medium for marketing. As the world has modernized dramatically in the last decade digital media has reached every home and hence become a very important vehicle for marketing. This project will cover digital marketing trends and its future, general problem faced and few suggestion to overcome it along with few cases.

1

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

TABLE OF CONTENT TOPIC

PAGE NO.

Abstract

1

Project topic approval Introduction

3

What is Digital Marketing

5

Tools of Digital Marketing

8

Multi-channel Digital Marketing

13

Digital Marketing terms

15

New Trends

19

Case studies

25

Problems

33

Suggestions

35

Conclusion

38

Bibliography

39

2

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

INTRODUCTION

Marketing is undergoing a period of intense change, and there are several inflection points on the horizon which will have a transformational effect, so that by the middle of the next decade every facet of marketing will have been changed radically by the digital revolution. To date, the emergence of digital technology has caused great debate, and in some sectors has led to revolutionary change. While ‘small advertising’ such as classifiers and personals has moved online in a wholesale way, brand advertising has been affected in a more marginal way. Most innovation has been in the form of ‘media firsts’ – finding new places to stick advertising. Until very recently there has been little progress in targeting. The proliferation of media has in some ways made demographic targeting easier. But it has done this at precisely the same time that demographics have been declining in relevance as a predictor of consumer behaviour. There are, however, huge changes on the horizon. Developments in technology will be the catalyst for fundamental change in the ways consumers use media, and consequently on how they consume marketing messages. The broad themes of the new media consumption landscape will be: •

Media consumption will become less collective and more individual

•

Sophisticated, multiple pathways to individual consumers will develop

•

All media relationships will become interactive to a greater or lesser extend.

•

Consumers will increasingly determine their own use of media in a much more complete fashion, including deciding when they will accept marketing messages and when they won’t.

•

Metrics which measure ‘viewing’ rather than ‘engagement’ will disappear 3

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Marketing plays a vital business function in connecting consumers with things they want to buy. For marketing to service the new needs of business, and for it to profit from rather than suffer from the changing world of media, it will have to adapt in a radical way.

The new age of marketing we are about to enter will be about: •

Relevance will be key to ensuring that yours is among the few marketing messages with which your target consumer will truly engage.

•

Interaction will offer individual consumers unique experiences, feeding back information to the brand.

•

Relationships will be the vital pathways by which marketers reach consumers, including relationships with media, with brands and with fellow consumers.

The importance of these three factors will compel marketers to exploit more fully than at present the inherent advantages of digital media, including: •

the addressability of individual consumers rather than a broadcast model.

•

interactivity rather one way communication.

•

learning about individuals and their behavior and using this information to determine what information and entertainment to service them with in the future.

4

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

What is digital marketing?

Digital Marketing is the promoting of brands using all forms of digital advertising. This now includes Television, Radio, Internet, mobile and any other form of digital media. Digital Marketing is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. Whilst digital marketing does include many of the techniques and practices contained within the category of Internet Marketing, it extends beyond this by including other channels with which to reach people that do not require the use of The Internet. As a result of this non-reliance on the Internet, the field of digital marketing includes a whole host of elements such as mobile phones, sms /mms, display / banner ads and digital outdoor. Previously seen as a stand-alone service in its own right, it is frequently being seen as a domain that can and does cover most, if not all, of the more traditional marketing areas such as Direct Marketing by providing the same method of communicating with an audience but in a digital fashion. Digital is now being broadened to support the "servicing" and "engagement" of customers.

Digital Marketing – Pull vs. Push Digital marketing involves some of the techniques of direct marketing and internet marketing. In digital marketing traditional methods of promotions are executed digitally. It involves marketing in two forms, pull and push. Pull digital marketing requires the user to pull or extract the content directly. The customer has to approach the promotional matter and see the matter by himself. Examples are websites, forums and web logs. All these require clicking on a URL in order to view the content. The 5

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

content that is being displayed doesn't have to follow any guidelines. Effort is required to only display the content on the website or forum and there is no additional cost of sending the information to the customer, but the customer has to make the extra effort of reaching out to the content . The customer doesn't have to opt-in for such kind of promotion and one message is being viewed by all and it cannot be personalized. The customers who see the content cannot be traced, although the click through rate can be considered which give details about the number of clicks the message received. This is be done by enabling the click though tracking during the campaign, which records the information. Pros: 

No restrictions in terms of type of content or size as the user determines what they want.



No technology required to send the content, only to store/display it.



No regulations or opt-in process required.

Cons: 

Considerable marketing effort required for users to find the message/content.



Limited tracking capabilities – only total downloads, page views, etc.



No personalization – content is received and viewed the same across all audiences

Push digital marketing technologies requires the effort of both the marketer and the customer. The marketer has to push or send the content to the customer and the customer has to make the effort of receiving it. This is a very effective kind of marketing and the investments surely earn a big return as it creates brand recognition. SMS, MMS, emails, RSS podcasting are examples of push digital marketing. Since the content is sent to individuals, it can be personalized according to the intended recipient. 6

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Whether the message has been opened and viewed by the customer or deleted it can be tracked and reported. Information related to the customer such as name, geographical location could be traced. But when sending this king of message, certain criteria should be met as the SMS and emails sent are monitored. If the marketer doesn't follow the rules and regulations properly, there is a possibility of messages getting rejected and blocked, before they reach the targeted audience and the message is considered to be spam. Bigger consequences involve marketers getting blacklisted temporarily or even permanently. The number would be blocked and they won't be able to send any messages at all. Messages sent to the RSS feeders require a mechanism with an application to reach, when sent by an email marketing system. Pros: 

Can be personalized—messages received can be highly targeted and specific to selected criteria – like a special offer for females, 21 years old or over and living in California.



Detailed tracking and reporting – marketers can see not only how many people saw their message but also specific information about each user such as their name as well as demographic and psychographic data.



High Return on Investment (ROI) possible – if executed the right way, push messaging can help drive new revenue as well as brand reinforcement.

Cons: 

Compliance issue – each push messaging technology has its own set of regulations, from minor (RSS) to heavily controlled (email and text messaging)



Requires mechanism to deliver content – the marketer has to use an application to send the message, from an email marketing system to RSS feeders.



Delivery can be blocked – if the marketer does not follow the regulations set forth by each push message type, the content can be refused or rejected before getting to the intended recipient. 7

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Both forms of digital marketing should be used in consonance to achieve positive results. A smart marketer sends out emails along with SMS and uses multiple channels to market his products. The type of messages being sent should also be different from one another. They should not only be text, but animations, audios and videos. There is a possibility of using pull and push message technologies in conjunction like the email sent to a potential customer can have a URL or a banner ad, which on clicking downloads information. If there is enormous group of people to be reached via email, Email service providers can be hired who sends loads of emails to the customers on behalf of the marketer and they take measures so that the messages are not considered as spam. Although much of the marketing is opt-in, federal laws, such as CAN SPAM Act, have been passed to protect the customers from unscrupulous marketers who would go to any extent to promote their products or hackers or spammers who have a bad intent i.e. like harming the computer or installing adware, spyware on people's computers.

Tools of digital marketing Television Advertising on television allows you to show and tell a wide audience your business, product, or service. It allows you to actually demonstrate the benefits of ownership. You can show how your product or service works and how it's packaged so prospective customers will know what to look for at the point of sale. In advertising, it often takes multiple touch points to effectively influence consumers' purchasing behavior. Television advertising has been a popular medium for large retailers ever since the TV first began to appear in living rooms. With the arrival of cable television came lowered production costs and the opportunity to reach smaller, more targeted markets, making it a viable option for small to medium-size businesses as well. 8

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

To create an effective television ad, it's first necessary to have a good script that highlights a strong offer. Ads must also be effectively produced, and it's for this reason that it's often better to enlist the services of an advertising agency, which can help you create an entire campaign. Some of the advantages to advertising your small business on television include the following: •

TV reaches a much larger audience than local newspapers and radio stations, and it does so during a short period of time.

•

It reaches viewers when they're the most attentive.

•

It allows you to convey your message with sight, sound, and motion, which can give your business, product, or service instant credibility.

•

It gives you an opportunity to be creative and attach a personality to your business, which can be particularly effective for small businesses that rely on repeat customers.

Radio When it comes time to advertise your small business, radio probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But that doesn't mean it isn't an effective way to reach your target audience, particularly if you place your radio spots during peaking driving times. And radio advertising typically costs much less than television advertising, making it an attractive choice for smaller businesses that may be operating on a limited advertising budget. A good radio ad will grab a listener's attention, perhaps with a catchy jingle or a talented radio personality. Radio ads engage listeners by contructing a 30- or 60-second story, keeping the product or service being sold at the forefront throughout, covering all the key points in an efficient and entertaining way, and finishing with a call to action such as a phone number, which is typically repeated at least two or three times to help the listener remember it until they can write it down or pick up the phone. If you choose to create a radio ad for your business and will be writing the ad yourself, make sure to use informal language and write the way you talk. The proper pacing is also important; 9

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

trying to cram too much into your ad will only make you seem pushy. Include the proper pauses, just as if you were speaking to the customer directly. When you have a draft of your script completed, read it aloud to a friend or work associate to get their opinion. Remember that people listening to your ad are probably doing something else at the same time, like driving in their car or doing household chores. For this reason, repeat key information like your company name and the name of the product or service you're selling at least three times. Let them know the call to action is coming (Have a pen or pencil handy?), and then repeat your phone number or Web address at least three times as well. The music and tone of the ad should also fit the station the ad will be airing on. For example, if you'll be buying time on a rock music station, you don't want to use a country and western jingle in your ad. It also pays to choose the proper type of station or programming -- talk radio, news, specific music genre -- and make sure it is a good fit with your customer base. The most effective radio ads are those that are interesting, humorous, have strong offers, and that are repeated frequently for a set period of time during a specific time slot. For this reason, radio stations sell these time slots in packages. Some pros to advertising your business on the radio: •

Radio ad are cheap to produce, especially when you compare them to other forms of advertising like television.

•

They create a lasting impression, in part because you're paying to run them repeatedly over a specific time period.

•

Radio spots give you an opportunity to tell a story about your business in a fun, entertaining way.

However, like all forms of advertising, there can be some disadvantages to radio advertising as well: •

Whereas in print advertising a reader can cut out your ad and save it for later use, a radio ad is very ephemeral, playing over the radio for a minute or less.

10

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING •

Morning and evening commutes are key times when many businesses want their ads to run, and there are only so many spots to go around. This can drive up the cost for those choice time slots.

•

It can be difficult to reach some target audiences who do not traditionally listen to much radio.

Internet Internet marketing, also referred to as i-marketing, web-marketing, online-marketing, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) or e-Marketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing in terms of providing instant response and eliciting responses, is a unique quality of the medium. Internet marketing is sometimes considered to have a broader scope because it not only refers to the Internet, e-mail, and wireless media, but it includes management of digital customer data and electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) systems. Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including: design, development, advertising, and sales. Internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and purchase products and services at their own convenience. Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. The strategy and overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns depend on business goals and cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis. Internet marketers also have the advantage of measuring statistics easily and inexpensively. Nearly all aspects of an Internet marketing campaign can be traced, measured, and tested. The advertisers can use a variety of methods: pay per impression, pay per click, pay per play, or pay 11

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

per action. Therefore, marketers can determine which messages or offerings are more appealing to the audience. The results of campaigns can be measured and tracked immediately because online marketing initiatives usually require users to click on an advertisement, visit a website, and perform a targeted action. Such measurement cannot be achieved through billboard advertising, where an individual will at best be interested, then decide to obtain more information at a later time.. Because exposure, response, and overall efficiency of Internet media are easier to track than traditional off-line media—through the use of web analytics for instance—Internet marketing can offer a greater sense of accountability for advertisers. Marketers and their clients are becoming aware of the need to measure the collaborative effects of marketing (i.e., how the Internet affects in-store sales) rather than siloing each advertising medium. The effects of multichannel marketing can be difficult to determine, but are an important part of ascertaining the value of media campaigns.

Mobile Mobile Marketing is a set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network. Mobile marketing is commonly known as wireless marketing. However wireless is not necessarily mobile. For instance, a consumer’s communications with a Web site from a desktop computer at home, with signals carried over a wireless local area network (WLAN) or over a satellite network, would qualify as wireless but not mobile communications.

Mobile marketing is done by: •

SMS

•

MMS

•

In-Game marketing 12

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

•

Mobile web marketing

•

Bluetooth

•

Infrared

•

Location-based services

Digital Marketing and Multi-Channel Communications While digital marketing is effective using one message type, it is much more successful when a marketer combines multiple channels in the message campaigns. For example, if a company is trying to promote a new product release, they could send out an email message or text campaign individually. This, if properly executed, could yield positive results. However, this same campaign could be exponentially improved if multiple message types are implemented. An email could be sent to a list of potential customers with a special offer for those that also include their cell phone number. A couple of days later, a follow up campaign would be sent via text message (SMS) with the special offer. Push and pull message technologies can also be used in conjunction with each other. For example, an email campaign can include a banner ad or link to a content download. This enables a marketer to have the best of both worlds in terms of their marketing method. eMarketer reported that the majority of consumers are simultaneously consuming multiple media options—they are reading the newspaper while watching TV or checking e-mail while listening to the radio. Each consumer’s desired media experience is different, which means that organizations must provide a multi-channel platform to cater to the largest consumer population possible. Multi-channel communications can: ·

Increase potential response rates and return on investment

·

Provide real-time tools for tracking campaign results

·

Provide new revenue-generating opportunities via value-added services

·

Increase digital color print volume 13

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Last Christmas, in a difficult economy, Internet holiday revenues only dipped 2%, while brickand-mortar retailers experienced year-over-year sales declines in excess of 20%.Consumers are experiencing higher comfort levels with Internet purchases—which means that organizations must adjust how they reach out to this changing consumer base. Multi-channel marketing is rapidly translating into profitability for marketers. Recent studies show that consumers who use at least three channels when shopping spend up to ten times more than single-channel consumers, generating 25%-50% more profit. Info Trends recent multi-client study entitled Multi-Channel Communications: Measurement & Benchmarking found that multichannel marketers use an average of five delivery channels for their cumulative marketing efforts.

Multi-channel communications incorporate customized and personalized content in documents delivered via two or more media channels, including print, e-mail, Web (personalized URLs), text messaging, and mobile communications. Multi-channel communications may also be referred to as cross-media publishing, cross media-communications, multi-touchpoint campaigns, and integrated marketing campaigns. Through the use of the Web and e-mail as well as mobile technology, multi-channel communications offer quicker and easier ways to track marketing campaigns that print alone cannot provide—giving marketing professionals the ability to truly monitor and measure the success of their marketing dollars spent. This can be done in real-time through Web-based marketing campaign dashboards. In today’s economy, results are the primary focus for marketing executives. InfoTrends’ Multi-Channel Communications: Measurement & Benchmarking study confirmed that campaigns blending e-mail, customized landing pages, and print yield a 35% improvement over print only.

14

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Digital Marketing Terms Banner Ad An advertisement that appears on a Web page, most commonly at the top (header) or bottom (footer) of the page. Designed to have the user click on it for more information (see Microsite) Blacklisted A blacklisted notice means that the message may not have been delivered due to be flagged on one of the major lists that keep tabs of known spammers. Different ISPs use different blacklists to block mailings from being delivered to their clients. It can be a temporary ban or a permanent one, depending upon the list. Blocked A blocked notice means that the message did not get through due to being considered spam by the subscriber’s ISP. This may be due to being on a blacklist or because the message contains a domain that is already being blocked.

15

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Blog Shortened from “web log” a blog is a user-generated Web site where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Campaign A campaign is a specific message being sent to a specific group of recipients. CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 The CAN SPAM ACT is a series of federal laws that must be followed by all email marketers. Those found in violation of the laws can be subjected to major penalties. For more information, go to http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/index.shtml Click Through The number of times people clicked on the links in your message. This is often referred to as CTR (Click Through Rate). Note: you must have enabled click through tracking in the campaign in order for this to be recorded. Digital Brand Engagement Brand and consumer interaction through the Internet. This includes all aspects of dialogue through the social web and on the brand's own website. DMA Market DMA stands for Designated Market Area, which is often associated with the entertainment industry. DMAs are usually counties (or sometimes split counties) that contain a large population that can be targeted, such as New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago. Email Service Provider (ESP) Outside companies like mobileStorm that send bulk emails on behalf of their clients to prevent their messages as being labeled as spam or blocked entirely.

16

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

False Positives Legitimate messages being labeled as “spam” Can cost companies potentially millions in potential lost revenue if not dealt with correctly. GPRL The Global Permanent Removal List consists of records that are automatically removed from a particular database. Almost all email service providers (ESP) or multi-channel messaging companies maintain these lists for their clients. Instant Messaging Instant messaging (often shortened to IM) is a type of communications service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet. Keywords Used in conjunction with SMS messages. A user types a short code and matching keyword in order to be added to a mobile club or database. Microsite A mini Web site design to promote a specific portion or brand from a larger corporate site. Used often with contests or as a landing page for a specific promotion. Open Rate This is a ratio determined by the number of people who opened your email against the total number of people to whom you sent the message. Typically, this number will be low for large campaigns and higher for more targeted campaigns. Opt-In List Email marketers have databases of subscribers to their newsletters, featuring these subscribers' email addresses and names. Such a list is known as an opt-in list (and is thus CAN-SPAM

17

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

compliant; see above for info on the CAN-SPAM act) because users choose to receive the emails. This is in contrast to spam email, which is unsolicited. Personalization Personalization gives you the ability to create a customized message for each person in your database. Can be addressed by first/last name, city, state, zip, etc. RSS RSS or Real Simple Syndication is technology designed to allow users to subscribe to a specific content feed and be automatically alerted when new updates are available. RSS Reader Application used to subscribe and monitor selected RSS content feeds. Short Code A short code is a 5 digit number that is used to send and respond to text messages. They can either be a random set of numbers or a “vanity” number tied to a specific brand or number pattern. SMS SMS (Short Message Service) is a one-way text message sent via a cell phone. It is usually received via the subscribers' text message inbox on their cell phone and can be a maximum of 160 characters per message. Social Bookmarking Social Bookmarking is a popular way to store, classify, share and search links that are combined into a single site for easy access. Spam An email message that is unwanted by the recipient. Legitimate emails can sometimes be incorrectly identified as spam and is a growing problem. 18

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Streaming Technologies Communication channel such as video and audio that is accessed online. Can be a pre-stored clip to access as well as a live feed that is streamed like an online broadcast. Subscriber A person who signs up to receive messages from a particular company or entity. Targeting Targeting allows you to send a message to people based on specific criteria from your subscriber database. Voice Broadcast Sending a pre-recorded voice messages to a large set of phone numbers at the time same. Can either be a voice call (meaning the recipient must answer the call for the message to play) or voice mail (meaning the message will play only if the recipient doesn’t answer ) Widget A small graphical device that does a highly focused, often single, specific task. Web widgets can be embedded in web pages or run on the desktop of a PC (Windows or Mac) using software such as Apple's Dashboard software or Yahoo! Widgets Engine.

Trends in digital marketing

This year has seen a flurry of activity in digital marketing. Brands and digital agencies alike are fast reacting and gearing up for yet another year of rapid changes that will incorporate both the transformational and the incremental. All eyes seem to be on social marketing and, while it will certainly be at the core of many campaigns, it will not be the only thing commanding a shift in how we communicate.

19

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

This year will see the hype calming around Facebook applications, Twitter campaigns and ROL models for social media. Digital experts at Last exit have put together the following list of top digital marketing trends for 2010. FACEBOOK REPLACES EMAIL Google has it; hoover has it; TiVo had it, lost it, got it back. Xerox had it. What is it? It's when a brand name becomes the verb associated with its use: rather than searching online, you Google; or Tivo it, when recording a television show. Arguably, a more powerful phenomenon occurs when a brand becomes a noun, like polaroid. The newest is Facebook, as in 'I Face-booked you' – I added you as a friend, or sent a Facebook message. No-one has owned such communication before. No brand ever became synonymous with email. The disruption of Facebook is its displacement of personal email; it's completely permission based, with no spam and no address book – all your friends are there. Where does this leave marketers? While brands are not included in the conversation, they can be part of, or hosts of, the party. Opportunities in social media marketing seem boundless; the best do not seek to disrupt conversations but to integrate – to add something useful and compelling. OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE MAKES MONEY IN THE CLOUD Something is happening in the open source software world. Projects that were once the purview of programmers are now available to the masses, such as Beanstalk, a hosted, version-controlled code repository that uses the subversion open source project. While it's a big deal to set up and maintain a subversion repository (you need a server), Beanstalk created a low-cost, subscriptionbased service that removes the hassle. Such services can only exist with cloud computing, so Beanstalk doesn't have huge upfront capital outlays but pays only for what customers use. With the right skills, any open source project can be commercialised.

20

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

It becomes possible for big ideas, with cutting-edge online experiences, to be developed. Ideas can be 'beta' tested with limited investment without costly fat-piped environments. Even developers can test on modules that won't disrupt core application work. MOBILE COMMERCE –A PROMISE YET TO DELIVER Tantalising as 'convergence' has sounded for the past decade, mobile commerce hasn't delivered. The game changer is the iPhone/iTunes platform. In-app purchases tempt users to buy upgrades and updates, while iTunes holds their credit card information. All is handled seamlessly enough to promote impulse purchases. It would seem an easy task to extend to other platforms with PayPal or Google Checkout. Mobile commerce has the power to drive 'paid' models. Brands can test subscription models, including micro payment systems, which have potential for news/magazine media. If the experience is good enough, people will pay for what's on offer.

FEWER REGISTRATIONS –ONE SIGN-IN FITS ALL I use a Mac application that securely holds my login details for some 50 sites. However, I now resent having to register for anything. If I want to leave a pithy comment on a blog, why must I register again? That's why Facebook Connect and OpenID are being adopted at great speed. Perhaps next year, I'll be able to buy something using my Facebook login. Brands must alter policies dictating what they require from people regarding information and measurement. By embracing OpenID / Facebook Connect-type registration, brands will see a lift in traffic and conversion. DISRUPTION VERSUS CONTINUITY –ALTERNATIVES TO THE 'BIG IDEA' As social networks grow, businesses are investing in community building as a market driver. According to Deloitte's recent Tribalization of Business study, 94% of businesses will continue or increase their investment in social media and, for the majority, their marketing function will drive this investment. As shown by the release of 'free floating' social tools like Google Wave and Sidewiki, there is also a shift towards social activity integrated into networks, rather than 21

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

concentrated within discrete platforms. While advertising seeks to distinguish itself by disruptive 'big ideas', the emphasis is shifting toward persuasion – fitting organically into the consumer's social sphere. THE EVOLUTION OF WEB-DRIVEN, OPEN SOURCE DIY CULTURE Much has been said about the potential of collective intelligence (crowdsourcing) to reconfigure industries by harnessing a network of independent suppliers. On the other hand, the power of networked resources has emboldened individuals to tackle complex undertakings themselves. From drawing on the collective intelligence of blogs and university open courseware, to services such as Ponoko, Spoonflower and CafePress, that facilitate small-scale production, and offline resource pooling (such as pop-up retail and collective office spaces), people are discovering that it has never been easier to do it themselves. Maybe this is a chance for brands to view the growth of online boutiques as a distribution shift opportunity. Big brands might consider extending their retailer networks by offering online tools for ordering wholesale, or APIs for retailers to whitelabel and sell directly. INFO-ART Where once we had pop-psychologists, we now have pop-statisticians and pop-economists. The growing flood of data, and access to rich data sources, has made data analysis a defining skill. By the same token, the skill of elegantly visualising data has become a defining art, with infographics becoming increasingly pervasive as we seek to sift mountains of data. A common example is the phone bill – a frustration for those who want to pay it, rather than comprehend it. Infographics might be a way to look at usage behaviour matched to services via visual mechanisms. This strategy might one day extend to all touchpoints in daily behaviour – banking, trading, utilities, grocery shopping and even taxes.

22

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

CROWDSOURCING Crowdsourcing will become a growing part of 'elance' (online freelance) outsourcing strategies. Organisations will mobilize 'passionista' (consumer brand advocate) groups to carry messages but, more importantly, to take part in collaborative activities. From political canvassing and software development to citizen journalism, expect growth in crowdsourcing models led by social media strategies. Brands must be part of this movement. Consider the car; while major automotive companies have teams of designers and engineers, there are potentially many people with better ideas outside the network. MORE FLASH ON MOBILE DEVICES Outside brand, micro and media sites, Flash has faced an uncertain future as a tool for serious website development. But Adobe's rich media tool has enjoyed the staunch support of the development community. New tricks, authoring tools, and server-side scripting workarounds mean Flash-built websites now serve up deep, searchable sites that allow detailed analytics and SEO. The adoption of Flash on mobile devices will dramatically increase the desire for brand transporting, conversion-orientated experiences. For those in the agency world, this could mean a focusing of skills. Currently, to be relevant to every brief for integrated campaigns, an agency must maintain diverse skill-sets. As Adobe pushes Flash deeper into the market, clients will benefit from contiguous experiences and the rapid deployment of new technologies, such as Adobe's coming iPhone development platform. OPT-IN TO BIG BROTHER –LOCATION BASED SERVICES For many of us, the concept of volunteering real-time, geo-locating notes on where we are, and how often we go there, goes against the grain. The first apps off the starting grid, such as Loopt, didn't seem to catch on. Initially, it was because people didn't want to constantly publish their whereabouts. Perhaps with the passing of a few years and the rampant adoption of Facebook and other social platforms, the idea has grown on us. Now, along comes FourSquare, a lovely, simple

23

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

application that allows you to gather points based on the frequency of visits to the establishments on your social calendar – and the uptake is incredible. More and more location-based games and utilities will start to launch. From shopping, to social hook-ups, to strategy gaming and good old, straightforward boozing with your pals, the idea of being always 'on' will increase dramatically over the next 12 months and brands will be able to offer highly targeted and geo-relevant services.

24

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

CASE STUDIES

Case 1.

Maruti A-Star

• Situation Analysis / Background o Maruti Suzuki launched their latest entry into the small-car segment, the A-Star. o The A-Star is positioned as being ideal for ambitious, daring and dynamic youngsters (25-35 yrs old) who want a trendsetting, potent, futuristic car which provides the thrill of adventure and the feeling of being successful & invincible. o The launch of the car was to be preceded by an active online campaign which would create buzz and arouse interest in the product. • Measurable Objectives o The objective of the pre-launch phase was to act like a teaser campaign to create buzz within the core TG and to attract them for repeated visits up till the actual launch. o The objective of the post-launch phase was to create an online brand identity for the A-Star, attract the TG, provide information, and other value added elements. • Strategic Insights o During the pre-launch phase, the primary aim was to connect with the identified TG of the A-Star. The TG being a predominantly male group ranging from 25 – 35 years of age (ie. Active internet user with definite online identity), viral marketing was a sound option. Also, having an anchor point on the website in the form of a contest was another idea.

25

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

• Execution o Pre-Launch: • The pre-launch site holstered 2 animated virals which caught the pulse of web browsers with its humour & style. The virals took digs at classic Bollywood through the times starting from Sholay to current hits. One of the virals even had star kids in focus each resembling their respective celeb-father. The virals were both infused with witty themes, funny lines and funnier visuals. • The site had a grungy design & a fun stress buster game • To augment the stickiness factor, the ‘Stop@Nothing’ contest was declared open which urged users to submit entries that stated how they ‘Stop @ Nothing’; an attitude shared with the much awaited Star! The winners were presented with sporty Tissot watches & the pre launch phase came to an end. o Post-Launch: • The launch coincided with the website transforming to once the timer ticked down to zero. The website still retained the grungy look and feel with a catchy track playing in the background. • The site holds all the necessary info about the A-Star, the technological prowess that went into its making and a remarkable inside-out showcase of the car. • Other useful tools like the dealer locator and an option to book a test drive have been incorporated in the website. Also, a fun zone aptly named the ‘Stop @ Nothing Zone’ was created which included interesting games, a photo gallery and the post launch contest which waved the grand prize of meeting with the latest sensation in the Indian movie industry, Mr. Farhan Akthar.

26

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

• Other Media Used o Along with the viral marketing campaign, active promotions were done on Facebook. o Banners were splashed over major portals to coincide with the launch of the website.

• Campaign URL o www.marutisuzukiastar.com • Campaign Dates o Nov 08 – Jan 09 • Results o 4.7 lakh visitors o 23 lakh page views o avg time spent – 5.38 mins • Client Testimonial “It’s been great working with BC Web Wise, it was the first time that agency was given any assignment from Maruti, and you have delivered as per our expectations. The website beautifully captures brand essence & brand tonality. It has also created many benchmarks with in Maruti, it has attracted highest traffic amongst recent launches from Maruti stable, it has also created a record of maximum time spent on any Maruti website. The whole credit goes to the team & we congratulate all involved in the project. Having said that, we should sustain this momentum and should also devise our plans & strategies to raise the bar even further & break our own records. Looking forward to see some more

27

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

innovative & one of its kind concepts for A-star, in context of internet promotions. All the best!”

Case 2. HUL FOODS: COOKITUP

Background • HUL Foods wished to utilize the online medium to target women housewives and working mothers between the ages of 27 and 45. • They wanted the website to address certain fundamental culinary requirements of the TG while subtly featuring the products in the foods division. • The goal was thus to establish a website that primarily provided this TG an extensive databank of recipes along with varied cooking solutions. Strategic Insights • We are talking to a woman who is either struggling to find or has found a balance between her career and family. She doesn’t need to be told how to run her home and job – all she needs are simple ways to make them that much more fun. • As mothers women are on a mission to ensure their kids eat healthy. As wives they want their husbands to enjoy their meal times at home. And they themselves want to eat well and be healthy for their families. • It was therefore clearly important to define what this site is and is not. It is not just a recipe site – because women typically won’t visit just one site for recipes. They search various sites, read various recipes for the same dish and choose the one that suits them best in terms of ease of preparation and ingredients available in their kitchen. 28

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

• This site is a platform for women to receive comprehensive cooking solutions that help them elevate everyday cooking from being a mere chore. Execution • With a databank of over a 1000 recipes in a variety of recipe categories, this site effectively provides women all they need to prepare restaurant-like food at home. • In addition to the comprehensive recipe databank users are also presented with videos of innovative recipes that use HUL food products. • This site offers more than just recipes; it provides cooking solutions! The What’s In Your Fridge tool for instance helps users determine what dishes they can prepare with the food items in their fridge. • We go a step further from providing our users with recipes. We help plan their weekly menus with this valuable tool. • From recipes, to cooking tools to cooking tips… the site ensures that all cooking related queries that users might have are well addressed. • On Cookitup we aim to create a platform where users can connect with one another over their food related wishes, woes and more. We thus offer users their own corner on the site where they can share their own recipes and interact with other users. • The site allows users to bookmark their favourite recipes that are stored in their personal binders. • To keep things exciting for our users the site conducts contests periodically offering exciting gratification.

29

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Campaign Dates September 2008 – February 2009 Campaign URL www.cookitup.in Results • Total Hits – 11,000 • Total Page Views – 1,20,000 • Average Time Spent – 7 minutes

Client Testimonial It was an absolute pleasure working with BC Web Wise. We are a well established company that deals with various products. We wanted to try something new and since online media is a new medium to reach out to people we went along with it. Our intention was to target housewives and working moms with this website. Since BCWebWise knows the market, they have managed to keep it very user friendly and clear. Just a simple example of how user friendly the site is – here women can simply put in an ingredient in the search box and a range of recipes will come up. The designs too are fresh and youthful.

Digital Marketing Strategy Development Problems 30

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Marketing looks very different now than it did as few as five years ago. And yet most still approach developing strategies from the viewpoints they always knew. They develop for push, when in reality pull strategies are more effective and even scalable. Approaches designed to take advantage of a connected society have allowed some brands and personalities to achieve strong growth. However there exists a deeper problem: literally every marketing and communications company/consultant claims to be able to produce digital marketing results. And very few actually succeed. Why? •

Companies fail because they aren’t patient enough to put in the effort to see results – let alone increasing returns.

•

Strategists/consultants fail because they misunderstand their audience, continue to vest efforts in the wrong areas and get things wrong from a lack of experience.

•

Pull activates others organically, which of course cedes control. People on all sides continue to fear and misunderstand this.

•

Insane approval processes created by corporations unable to adapt to changing times live on. Companies are in many cases their own largest barrier to success.

•

Ideas that don’t pass the “so what” test continue to be pushed forward by both executives and consultants who think in patterns no longer applicable. OK – those are pretty general. What are some of the specific problems I see most?

•

Lack of understanding what image they are trying to project

•

No path to acquire and grow an audience

•

No cohesion of content

31

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

•

Placating executives by executing their bad ideas

•

Having to dumb things things down for the team

•

Living and dying by data

•

Trying to reach the wrong group

•

Misunderstanding the importance of content

•

No plan to actually reach anyone in the first place

•

No difference from others

•

No forming of relationships/alliances

•

Lack of influencers on your team

Suggestions to deal with the problems

1.Lack of understanding what image they are trying to project You need to understand this from the start and have a style behind the image, along with substance to back it up. It also needs to be agreed with key audiences. Most are not

32

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

consciously sculpting how they are perceived or creating any reason they should get noticed in the first place.

2. No path to acquire and grow an audience It’s not enough to figure out ways to gain attention from random people for fleeting moments. You need to find a way to market to target groups consistently over time. And the tactics used should be compelling enough not just to attract an audience, but inspire the audience to grow itself.

3. No cohesion of content Lack of consistent voice/personality behind content will never allow you to build cohesion and have your ideas/perspective reach critical mass. You need this in order to condition others to share your ideas.

4. Placating executives by executing their bad ideas If this is happening to you – stop, now. No one wins when you’re creating things merely because someone up top is forcing down a one off idea here-and-there they feel might work (especially if they have limited experience with digital marketing). If it doesn’t play into the strategy, it doesn’t matter who it comes from. If you see this happening put a stop to it. No one wins when resources are drawn away from a winning path to placate bad ideas of the king. If the emperor has no clothes, say it – if you’re that valued you’ll be respected for it.

33

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

5. Having to dumb things things down for the team If you have to consistently do this, you need a new team. There are far too many others fluent enough in modern marketing strategies, it’s unnecessary to waste time doing this. If you have to dial down ideas for internal comprehension, it means your competition is already running circles around you.

6. Living and dying by data I’ve had more than enough ideas be successful without data behind them to know that you don’t always need it. In fact, if you develop an area where your team is free to experiment, you may find the results there to be even more effective than if your decisions are driven purely by data and not creativity. Let data guide your decisions and create a framework but never let it get in the way of a great idea by someone, especially if that person is tapped into the niche/market base.

7. Trying to reach the wrong group You want to reach a certain group – great. But in some cases (mostly B2B, but some B2C) the group you want to influence is too shielded to reach in any kind of efficient way. There is another path. Find a different audience that is more accessible and a proxy to your target. Going through them may be more effective and forge greater trust than trying to reach the end target directly.

8. Misunderstanding the importance of content It kills me to see companies removing perfectly good/resourceful content from their web properties that has attracted links, buzz and attention in the past. Yet it happens daily. So many businesses don’t understand the importance of organically growing out digital archives of content over time – it benefits both search and social. Additionally, looking 34

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

at the content produced by most, the first thing I notice is a lack of fresh thinking. This shows the value of content is underestimated or misunderstood.

9. No plan to actually reach anyone in the first place If you built it, they will come is a flawed approach to marketing. And yet I still see examples of this frequently. If you don’t have a consistent plan to reach people and tactics to execute on this daily how do you expect to be found?

10. No difference from others The importance of accentuating your differentiation point can’t be overstated. Uncover something to stand out and then don’t be afraid to drive that point home consistently. Building a brand is tough, but you make it impossible if you can’t be different enough to get tagged to something that is all your own.

11. No forming of relationships/alliances Digital alliances are an underused element in marketing. So many opportunities to work and grow together remain untapped. Bring alliances/relationships into your strategy – especially if you’re small and agile – and you can encourage mutual growth.

12. Lack of influencers on your team

35

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

There is an inequality of influence on the web held by a minority. To ignore this divide in digital influence is like sticking your head in the sand. You need influencers on your team, they have their finger on the pulse of web culture/trends and will be able to position you as appealing to others.

CONCLUSION

As gathering information regarding the project I realized that the importance of digital media has become key factor in marketing field. If you are on air then you are everywhere which indeed is what every producer wants. The reach that digital media has nowadays has given digital marketing a great platform and will surely take it to sky. But a optimum and focused use of digital media is very necessary for marketing otherwise the consumer which is to be reached may get away which can be seen nowadays by again and again annoying calls of bank’s representatives .So it is very important to focus the marketing strategy accordingly.

36

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

With technology revolution and globalization the future will see that digital word getting attached to marketing forever and this tool will be most followed as every home and every individual will be linked to the digital media in one way or another.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 37

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL MARKETING

Marketing Insight from A to Z – Philip Kotler “Digital Marketing” the book – DaveChaffey

www.thefuturebuzz.com www.cookitup.com www.marutisuzukiastar.com

38