We as consumers all agree without a doubt the competition in the market place has been extremely competitive. Big or small businesses are now taking measures to gain a competitive advantage (Grant, 2008). Some of these measures businesses are now implementing are effective digital marketing campaigns (Amaze, 2015).
Historically, digital marketing has not been top of the plans for businesses for a variety of reasons. But now for the first time investment in digital marketing is set to outstrip TV advertising spend by 2016 and its predicted that marketing leaders will spend more than $103 billion on digital marketing by 2019 (Forrester, 2014).
With all this prediction investments, underline recently businesses have seen the importance of digital marketing. The question is how has digital marketing gain so much attention from businesses over the past year?
The answer is WE, the customers and our love of using technology!!! According to OFCOM (2014)
- 82% of UK households have access to Internet
- 44% of UK households own tablet
- 61% of UK households own smartphone
- 57% access internet via smartphone
History of Americans usage of technology
(A detailed history of Digital Marketing)- http://kapost.com/history-of-digital-marketing-technology/
We consumers are centre of businesses product or service successes. We have become central in businesses new approaches. Grant (2008) said a business ability to build, maintain and communicate with consumers is central in gaining competitive advantage.
And this is where digital marketing comes in!!!Digital marketing runs hand in hand with technology. And most certainly technology and digital marketing together have opened new channels for businesses communicate with consumers.
There are many organisations that have embraced and used this opportunity very effectively. A good example is Coca Cola. They have recently launch a new campaign “Content 2020” which aim to double the company’s sales by 2020 through the use of effective digital marketing campaigns. One of their successful campaigns is the “Coke PLAY”. They have created customer loyalty through virtual playground for young people aged 12 to 29 to connect using mobile devices that incorporate voice recognition and location and motion, detecting technologies for games and activities.
Communicating with consumers in a digital manner comes with benefits such as rise in consumers’ awareness about the business’ product or service, loyalty and large market share. How do businesses go about this? Well, they start off by building Platforms that will help or allows them manage and embrace these channels. social network been one of them.
Before I end, let’s not forgo the criticisms about digital marketing. Many believe the raise of digital marketing has exposured children to commercial messages, and therefore commercialisation their childhood (Linn and Novosat 2008). Also, some initiatives are very expensive and time consuming to implement and if not manage carefully can easily tannish a business reputation.
Reference
Amaze. (2015). Driving competitive advantage through efficient digital operations management. Available:<http://www.st-ives.co.uk/media/177689/digital-operations-management-whitepaper.pdf>. (Last accessed 12 April 2015).
Grant, R. (2008). Contemporary strategy analysis. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
Linn, S. and C. L. Novosat (2008). “Calories for Sale: Food Marketing to Children in the Twenty-First Century.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 615: 23.
Marsey, D. (2010). Digitas marketers discuss consumercentric digital.Available: <http://www.medill .northwestern.edu/newsreleases/archives.aspx?id=164453>.(Last accessed 12 April 2015).
OFCOM . (2014). The Communications Market 2014 . Available: <http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr14/>. (Last accessed 12 April 2015).
Schadler, T. (2015). The Forrester Wave™: Web Content Management Systems, Q1 2015. Available: <http://www.agencyoasis.com/~/media/forrester.pdf>. (Last accessed 12 April 2015).