Electronic Marketing (e-marketing)- The strategic process of distributing, promoting, pricing products, and discovering the desires of customers using digital media and chital marketing.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF E-MARKETING One of the biggest mistakes a marketer can make when engaging In digital marketing Is to treat It Like a traditional marketing channel. Digital medal offer a whole new dimension to marketing that marketers must consider when consider when concocting their companies' marketing strategies.Some of the characteristics that distinguish online media from traditional marketing include addressability, Interactivity, accessibility, connectivity, and control.
A. Addressability: Digital media technology makes it possible for visitors on a website to identify themselves and revive information about their product needs and wants before making a purchase. Addressability- The ability of a marketer to identify customers before they make a purchase.Social Network- Web-based meeting place for friends, family, coworkers, and peers that allow users to create a profile and connect with other users for purposes that range from getting acquainted, to keeping in touch, to building a work related network.
Addressable Channel- the marketer knows who the customer is and can specifically address that person, rather than using a more genetic appeal, as occurs In traditional personal Interactions. B. Interactivity: Another distinguish characteristic of social networks.To major trends have caused consumer- 1 OFF publish their own thoughts, opinions, reviews, and product discussions through blobs or digital media.
Consumers' tendencies to trust other consumers over corporations. Consumers often rely on the recommendations of friends, family, and fellow consumers when making purchasing decisions. A. Social Networks- Social networks have evolved quickly in a short period of time. The precursors to today's social networks began in the sass with bulletin board system. A few samples of some social networks are: Backbone Namespace Twitter b.
Changing Digital Media Behaviors of Consumers Since the beginning of e-marketing, businesses have witnessed a range of changes in consumer behavior. Today, with a click of a button, consumers expect to be able to gain access to a vast amount of information on companies, products, and issues that can aid them in their purchasing decisions. A. Online Consumer Behavior As internet technology evolves, digital media marketers must constantly adapt to new technologies and changing consumer patterns.
Mastering digital media presents a daunting task for marketers, particularly those used to more traditional means of marketing.For this reason, it is essential that marketers focus on changing social behaviors of consumers and how they interact with digital media. B. E-Marketing Strategy Although the Internet has yet to take off in many countries due to lack of infrastructure, basic Internet literacy is increasingly common. More than one-fourth of the world's approximately three-fourths of the population have Internet access. C.
Product Consideration As with traditional marketing, marketers must anticipate consumer needs and preferences and then tailor their products to meet these needs.The same is true with marketing products using digital media. . Distribution Considerations The role of distribution is to make products available at the right time, at the right place, in the right quantities.
Digital marketing can be viewed as a new distribution channel that helps business increase efficiency. E. Promotion Considerations The majority of this discussed ways that marketers use digital media and social networking sites to promote products, from creating profiles on social networking sites to connecting with consumers. . Pricing Considerations Pricing relates to perceptions of value and is the most flexible element of the marketing mix.
Digital online media marketing facilities both price and non-price competition because the accessibility characteristic of Internet marketing gives consumers access to more information about costs and prices. C. Using Digital Media in Marketing Research Marketing research and information systems can use digital media and social networking sites to gather useful information for marketing decisions.Scrounging- Refers to the way digital media can be used to outsource tasks to a large group of people. A.
It should be clear by now that digital media marketing offers a range of benefits and opportunities for business. However, as with all marketing activities, launching a promotional campaign is never enough. The business must promotional campaign was successful, marketers should ask themselves the following questions: Did the online promotional campaign generate more business for the company? Did the campaign create more interest in the company?Is this increase is demand significant? Are there any extraneous variables that could account for an increase is sale? 4. Ethical and Legal Issues How marketers use technology to gather information both online and offline raises numerous legal and ethical issues.
Among the issues of concern are personal privacy, fraud, and misappropriation of copyrighted intellectual property. A. Privacy One of the most significant privacy issues involves the use of personal information that companies collect from website visitors in their efforts to foster long-term relationships with customers.Some people fear the collection of personal information from website users may violate users' privacy, especially when it is done without their knowledge.
Another concern is that hackers may break into websites and steal users' personal information, enabling them to commit identify theft. This ad become a legitimate concern for both consumers and organizations. B. Online Fraud: It is becoming a major source of frustration with social networking sites. Cybernetics's are discovering entirely new ways to use sites like Backbone and Twitter to carry out fraudulent activities.
Organizations and social networking sites alike are developing ways to combat fraudulent activities on new digital media. Online Fraud- Any attempt to conduct fraudulent activities online, including deceiving consumers into releasing personal information. C. Intellectual Property The Internet has also created issues associated with intellectual property, the freighted or trademarked ideas and creative materials developed to solve problems, carry out applications, and educate and entertain others.Each year, intellectual property losses in the United States total billions of dollars stemming from the illegal copying of computer programs, movies, compact discs, and books.
The software industry is particularly hard-hit when it comes to the pirating of materials and illegal file sharing. The Business Software Alliance estimates that the global computer software industry losses over $53 billion a year to illegal theft. Consumers view illegal downloading in different ways, depending on the motivation or the behavior.If the motivation is primarily utilitarian, or for personal gain, then the act is viewed as less ethically acceptable than if it is for a hedonistic reason, meaning Just for fun. As digital media continues to evolve, more legal and ethical issues will certainly arise.
As a result, marketers and all other users of digital media should make an effort to learn and abide by ethical practices to ensure that they get the most out of the resources available in this growing medium. Doing so will allow marketers to maximize the tremendous opportunities digital media has to offer.
