Program	Diploma in Business
Unit Number and Title	Unit 2 Marketing Mix Strategy
QFC Level	Level 5

Introduction

Today's business environment has become more competitive in term of marketing and trading of products. Therefore, organizations are focusing towards innovative strategies to attract customers. Internet marketing has emerged as an effective tool for marketers in which they can communicate with target market in better and cost effective manner (Bailey, 2011). The Marketing Mix Strategy herewith deals with different elements of marketing and its tools of E marketing. To achieve the outcomes of study the WM Morrison Company is taken into consideration. The organization is providing its products and services to its customers via online tools. Moreover, it includes a secondary market survey to support customer relationship management of organization for that Next PLC: UK's leading retail chain has been considered.

Task 1

1.1

Internet marketing has enabled marketers to attract customers towards product and services in an attractive way (Christopher and Asha, 2007). Using effective tools of marketing the organization can achieve a platform to offer their products through digital channels.

Following points explain elements of internet marketing and their use in WM Morrison:  

• Digital marketing: Digital marketing is the form of electronic media which can be used by WM Morrison to promote its product and services. The company uses internet, mobile phones, social media, TV; radio etc. to promote its brand along with different services. Using such element of internet marketing WM Morrison can reach to its target market. Further, it can give Ads on web pages to promote products and services (Jones, 2008)
• Web marketing:  Web marketing is an another element of internet marketing which includes e-commerce Web sites, associate marketing Web sites, Informative Web sites, informative and organic.  To offer product related information business entity can use search engine optimization (SEO).
• E- Commerce and E- business: This element of internet marketing is used to sell and purchase products and services along with conducting money transactions. This is an effective tool from which WM Morrison can share information to the customers via electronic media. Using this element of marketing organization can use B2B, C2C, B2C, C2B model. The business entity needs to focus on these elements as customers can make online payment at the time of doing shopping (Lee, 2000) 
• Email marketing: The most effective promotional tool is refereed Email marketing which includes both advertising and promotional marketing efforts. This particular element is used to send promotional messages to existing and potential customers. These mails include the information related to products and services (Aziz and Yasin, 2004). This is the most effective element that is used to make effective communication between employees, provider, different partners of the company etc.

These all elements are the best ways for WM Morrison to attract market customers and promote the services via electronic media. The effective use of internet marketing tools will provide benefits such as convenience, delivery, cost effective, market communication, effective relationship etc. Internet marketing is less expensive in the place of having retail stores. WM Morrison deals in clothing, home products and luxury products as it has to distinguish its offering from other competitors (Coleman, 2010). While using internet marketing, business entity can provide 24/7 services to customers. It needs to develop web pages from where customers can avail information related to market. Further it has to develop attractive web page to gain attention of customers. It will also helpful in making effective relations with internal as well as external stakeholders. 

1.2

Internet marketing mix consists of elements that are presented in online operation of organization. In order to offer effective services to the customers, the use of internet marketing mix is crucial. Internet marketing mix includes E-products, E-price, E-place, E-promotion, and E-process. Online shopping has become modern trend in the market in which customers prefer to buy product from online website. E-products define the colour, unique features as well as uses of product is provided on online sites (Dou, and et al., 2010). Further, E-price is an effective element of internet marketing mix. At the time of making online shopping the customers can compare the prices of products with other competitive products. These customers look for competitive prices. WM Morrison can attract customers towards the product while using elements such as E-products and E-price. Using these elements, it can provide better quality products at reasonable prices. Moreover, E-place is another element of internet marketing mix in which customers are provided with the choice to select the place where they want to have product delivery. Mostly in online shopping customers can get product at their own places. This element helps in providing customers convenience. Online marketers are responsible for distributing the right products at the right place and at right time. E-place element of internet marketing supports organization to offer product as per requirements of customers. E-promotion refers to use of internet tools to promote brands of the organization (Sheehan, 2010). Now days, business entities are focusing towards using online tools to attract the customers in which they are promoting the products and services while providing them with information related to products. As per E-promotion, WM Morrison need to develop websites from where customers can avail information related to services and products of organization. The corporate entity can send e-mails to the customers as in that they can include information related to services and products. It can be said as an effective way to gain attention of large customers. Further, the process of providing services and products to the customers is referred as E-process. The process of delivering the product to the customers is designed in a way to provide them with satisfaction. Hence, the use of internet-marketing mix elements will help organization in enhancing customer satisfaction as well business entity can generate more revenues and profits (Warschauer and Matuchniak, 2010).

1.3

In present competitive scenario, organizations are focusing towards use of different internet marketing tools. There are number of E-tools that are available of WM Morrison. All the tools have their district characteristics and uses in the organization (Westwood, 2013). They all provide various benefits to the entity. Various tools of internet marketing are explained in below points which their district uses: 

Third Party Advertising: Third party advertising is the effective tools of internet marketing in which organization can provide information related to products and services via third party websites. The products of company can be offered via online shopping site. This is the effective tools to attract customers towards products and services. To use this tools WM Morrison needs to make contract with third party product. It is considered as a costly way to offer the product via internet as company has to share the profits with third parties (Soumava, 2001). 

Social media tools: This is an effective and most famous tool of internet market. It is generally used to gain attention of customers and provide them with information related to products offered by company. Social media tools include: Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn as so on, using this tool the company can grab attention of large number of customers (Stewart and et.al. 2002). The Ads of products and discount offers are given at different social media sites.

Company Website: This tool is used by marketers to show their online presence. Development of own website is an effective tools of internet marketing. The website of company is developed in the way to provide information to the customers regarding product offerings. This is a cost effective and most famous tool of internet marketing that enables organization to earn huge profits. This is different from other tools in terms of delivery of products and information (Kiang, Raghu, and Shang, 2000). Using this tool customers can get accurate and sufficient information regarding deals and discount of provided by business entity. On the other hand product can be purchased direct from company. 

Mobile marketing: This is an important e-tool in which the organization can offer its products and services via mobile application. Now a day, business entities are designing mobile application from which the customer can purchase the product and can make e payment. The innovative things of this tool are that consumer has to install the application in their respective smart phones.  This is the most convenient way to provide services to the customers as they can avail services at any place (Mohammed and et. al., 2003). 

The above tools have their unique features and functioning that provide benefits to WM Morrison but they all have a similar aim which is to provide customer satisfaction.

1.4

Each and every organization who deals in internet marketing is responsible for offering products through an interactive order processing system. The way of WM Morrison manages the orders taken from customer’s shows effectiveness of online operations.  Interactive order processing system is considered as the best way to attract huge customers towards products. The ordering process starts from taking order from customers. The buyers of products are responsible to choose supplier from where they want to purchase the products. WM Morrison deals in retailing business and offers variety of products such as occasional cloths, food items, as well as electronic products and so on. The customers choose the category of products by  selecting price range in which products are to be purchased (Newell, 2001). As soon as the potential customer click on the option the information related to product is displayed   from database. The customer can be availed with information such as availability, price, material etc. After this customer places his / her order in which the information such as name, contact number, desired place of delivery is to be provided. Further, the mode of payment can also be chosen by buyer of product. As per the instructions of customers and after confirmation of order the supplier delivers the product to customer place. Further, the customer can track the status related to product delivery and shipping (Stewart and et.al. 2002).  At last the confirmation is to be taken via mobile number as well as e-mail id.  The information is stored in data base for further use.

Task 2

2.1

Search Engine marketing is used to promote the brand and service of company. In order to conduct online operation markets use SEO tools which helps them in online promotion. At present, there are number of search engines in the market that are used to increase visibility of specific websites on the internet browser. The use of SEO tools enables company to design the website. In addition to that it includes coding, writing and programming of web page. The major idea for generating search engine marketing is to make online marketing easier.  In other words, it is considered as the process of purchasing traffic through paid search listing. While using SEO tools WM Morrison can increase the productivity of business simultaneously can also make good reputation in the market (Newell, 2001). This tool provides higher ranking to the organization through getting higher pay per click. Google is well known search engine, which is mostly used by internet users. This the best way from which WM Morrison can identity their online performance on search engine bars and can develop market image. In respect with present organization, combination of SEO and pay per click can be defined as  search engine marketing. In addition to that is cost effective way to create brand and ensure global presence. The organization has to invest high amount in search engine marketing management. The best mechanism of search engine marketing for WM Morrison is pay per click advertising. This is used to connect the advertising with web pages so that customers can avail information what they want. 

• In an essential manner, the internet is used for the aspects such as communicating the message of a an organisation about itself, the company’s products or services online, conducting research such as demographic research as well as selling goods with the help of internet advertising.
• The elements of internet marketing take into consideration the aspect of setting up a website, which consists of texts, images as well as possible audio as well as video components that are utilised for conveying the messages of the organisation online as well as for informing the potential customers regarding its services or products.
• One more significant element of Search Engine Marketing is internet marketing searched online with the help of a search engine via ranking. WM Morrison’s ranking can improve with the help of the Search Engine Optimization, Pay-per-click ads, as well as pay for inclusion listings that are considered as online listing of Yellow Pages. (Bailey, 2011)
• Search Engine Marketing is considered to be a technique that is being utilised in respect of online promotion to increase the customer number for a site. Search engines are very significant for the generation of potential customers in respect of the products as well as services whose promotion is being done by the referred website. For WM Morrison to be found easily on a search engine, it needs to first have registration, and this is considered to be a very significant detail as because studies have revealed that Search Engines are holding the highest consideration percentage when the source of a product or service is being searched.
• The major beneficial aspects of Search Engine Optimization are that the searchers are not clicking on the listings that are sponsored. A study has revealed that only 20% of the clicks are associated with paid listings whereas the rest 80% are considered as normal listings. Search engine optimization is considered having cost efficiency since registration fee is absent for registering in the search engine as well as it provides the required information that the targeted visitors seek about an e-business. (Bailey, 2011)
• A negative aspect of Search Engine Optimization takes into consideration the scenario that there might be lot many pages in the search engine that matches key words as well as for having the visibility of a certain page will be needing specialist knowledge. (Bailey, 2011)

WM Morrison uses various search engines, and the screenshots for the result pages of Google, Bing and Yahoo are as follows,

Screenshot for Google

Search for bing

Search for Yahoo

2.2

E-mail marketing is an effective tool that enables organization to make effective communications with customer. Using this tool WM Morrison can provide information related to product and new offers (such as discounts) direct to its existing and potential customers. This tool can be used by WM Morrison to send commercial messages to the customer to their mail boxes. These kinds of mails include the data relating sales, discounts, donation for events and programs etc. The main aim behind such e-mail newsletter is to convey the information of organization's current plans. In the way to develop a effective e-mail marketing newsletter WM Morrison requires to create advertisements on different web pages (Hubspot, 2000). The company has to create a plan for e-mail marketing and needs to develop objectives. Further, it has to select the target market for the products. The important step is to select the best promotional tag line so that customer can be attracted towards it. It is useful in promoting the message more effectively.   Development of effective newsletter requires creativity. Finally the newsletter is sent to existing and potential users.

2.3

 In today's competitive scenario organizations are focusing on promoting brand rather than influencing customers to purchase the products. WM Morrison needs to conduct best practices related to online public relation. Better and effective public relations will enable company to create positive brand image. In this regard, organization can use effective tools of online marketing.  The customer looks for the information related to products and services that can help them in making purchase decision making. On is using e-mail, social media marketing, websites to attract customers towards the products and services. There are important PR techniques used by the organization to attract the customers and make effective public relations. Furthermore the organization can use different channels to create public relations such as blogs, social media accounts, company pages, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.  These all channels are considered as the best tools to develop better and effectual public relations. Using these tools marketers are providing information related to services of company so that customers can be attracted (Sheehan, 2010). These tools help in providing convenience to the customers. In addition to that, the organization is making effective relation with customers by using internet marketing tools. There are number of sites available to the marketers on which business provides effective information. Segmentation is the best way which markets can adopt so that needs and wants of diverse customers can be identified so that they can be fulfilled. From that segment it has to select the target market as per their needs and wants. In this way by fulfilling the needs to customers the organization can make effective public relation (Kiang, Raghu, and Shang, 2000). Further, the online transaction process of company has to be smooth.

2.4

In order to create an effective brand image in the market organization uses digital media techniques. In also helps business entity to district there offering from other competitors and supports in attracting customers towards product and services. Further, it creates the online operations and transactions easier and understandable. As soon as the product is chosen by the customers, the company adds that specific product in Cart and the information provided by customer related to delivery of product is gathered by organization. After conducting all necessary processing the product is automatically delivered to the customers (Newell, 2001).   It this way the use of digital media enables WM Morrison to make effective communication with market customers. In addition to that the order details and location of product can be tracked by the customers. The organization sends mail to the customer on their mail id to confirm the order process and delivery. In this way it can be said that online media marketing is playing effective role in increasing productivity and smooth online operations of business entity. Further, it helps in earning huge revenues.

The communities of digital media are becoming so significant for WM Morrison as it is allowing the public for reading as well as getting an impression of WM Morrison with the help of experiences from other individual’s as well as viewpoint. Potential customers that are accessing digital media can be easily impacted by the feedbacks as well as posts of other available customers. Digital Media is having the beneficial aspect that will be allowing WM Morrison to develop but simultaneously the disadvantage of possible unexpected negative feedback of the customers to its services as well as products.

WM Morrison is using digital media with the help of Facebook, Twitter, the screenshot of this are,

Screenshot for Facebook:

Task 3

3.1

WM Morrison is the leading supermarket chain based in UK. The organization provides best quality and variety of products to its customers. The organization is focused towards best services and products to the buyers so that their needs and wants can be satisfied.  For this it is important to identity the needs and wants of market customers in order to serve this purpose. After that, WM Morrison has to conduct and online survey so that requirement along with needs and wants of customer can be identified. Market research is important for organization to collect data related to customers and their respective needs. As per the words of Bailey (2011) internet marketing plays an important role in influencing customers and their purchasing decisions. In today scenario, a large number of customers are involved in online operations and they are focusing towards the online operations of business entity. According to Newell (2001) it has been relieved that net surfing habits of customers can present various opportunities for business entities to make distinct online operations. The website of organization is to be created in an innovative way so that attention of customers can be garbed.  Business entities need to create ads to promote the products in market. Further, it has been said that, use of internet promotions strategies enable organization to gain attention for large number of customers while making huge profits. Further Soumava (2001) has said that using online marketing tools business entity can gain competitive advantages. Further, it offers number of ways to advertise the products and services.  It can also design adequate advertisement through combination of various effects.  For many companies, the purpose of using effective internet marketing tool is to attract customers while providing them with shopping convenience.

3.2

Questionnaire

Name: ___________________

Age: ____________________

Gender: __________________

Q.1. How much time you spent daily in net surfing?

• Less than 2hr
• 1 to 2 hours
• 3 to 4 hours
•  4 hours and more

Q.2. Choose the website which you prefer the most?

• Search engines
• Social networking sites
• You tube
• Facebook
• Other, please specify__________________

Q.3. Do you check the advertisements on the websites made by WM Morrison on daily basis?

• Yes
• No

Q.4. Is your purchase decision supported by advertisements displayed on websites?

• Yes
• No

Q.5 Is WM Morrison is able to meet your needs and wants?

• Very much
• Somewhat
• Not at all

Q.6 How often do you use product of WM Morrison?

• Once a year    
•  Weekly    
• Once a month 
• Daily basis

Q.7 How important is convenience when conducting shopping online?

• Extremely important
•  Average important
• Somewhat important
• Not at all important

Q.8. How much you are satisfied with the services or product offered by WM Morrison?

• Not at all satisfied
•  Somewhat Satisfied
•  Satisfied
• Very Satisfied
• Delighted

Q.9. What kind of problems you have faced during online shopping?

Q.10 Kindly provide the recommendation for WM Morrison that advertising offerings through internet?

3.3

Electronic customer relationship is very significant for the Next Plc in its business for the purpose of marketing their clothing products. With the help of Electronic customer relationship Next Plc. directly interact with their customers by using the electronic form of communication. It is used by the company in managing the database of their customers. Through this database, management can directly make their relationship with customers by sending e-mails, catalogues and brochures. In addition to this by using the other electronic means of communication such as phone calls and text messages are also used (Newell, 2001). Next Plc communicates with their customers about the latest offers, discounts and promotional schemes. Electronic customer relationship is also used to access the instant reviews and feedbacks form the customers of the company (Powell, 2013). Many of the organizations which are using the internet as source of marketing also have enables the option of live chat and query windows for their customers. With the help of these options they directly communicate with the customers to solve any issues, queries or problems faced by them. Using of Electronic customer relationship helps the business to make the customers aware about the recent trends, new products and demands of the customers in market (Zubareva, 2010).

Customer Relationship Marketing is the method to collect information by a business in respect of their consumers for examining the data of the activity for the customers regarding purchases, demographic as well as pychographic aspects.  

ECRM is considered to be the same method but it is applied online. The 5s of e-marketing are regarded as the beneficial aspects and can be used for setting the goals for WM Morrison.

• Sell – E-customer relationship assists in sales growth for WM Morrison, it assists the service offered to the expectation of the customer.
• Serve – It is adding value to the service offered, maintaining a closer bond with the customer as well as his requirements.
• Speak – It gets closer to the customers as well as their requirements.
• Save – ECRM is considered to be more cost effective, that does the reduction of employees as well as the cost associated with printing.
• Sizzle – It does the extension of the brand online more dynamically than the traditional process.

There are also security issues that are related with the ECRM that WM Morrison deploys since open networks at times lead to data theft from the organisational system in addition with significant financial details in regard to the customers. Moreover, WM Morrison is required to connect with the permission marketing which is gaining entry to the information of the customers by their consent as well as customer should be having the right of sharing their individual knowledge with specific company. Transaction security as well as information security rules that are created in UK in relation to the Data Protection Act of UK should be adopted by WM Morrison so that there is the existence of no negative implication in respect of the company in the future.

Task 4 

4.1

 By using key performance indicators and SWOT analysis methods, marketing managers of Next PLC can easily identifies its strengths and weakness in a proper manner. Apart from this, by using this method, enterprise would be able to examine external opportunities and threats (Jones, 2008).

• Competitor’s analysis: By using external environment analysis method, organization can be able to investigate its current position and internet marketing strategies used by other competitors present in the market (Adam and et.al, 2002). It motivates firm to implement innovative and influential strategies in the workplace.
• Penetrate target marketing: Organisation can identify its market and know the perception of customers towards services and products offered by company with help of conducting market research. After examining the needs, it will be able to fulfil needs of customers in a significant manner.
• Developing multi- faceted Internet marketing strategy: By preparing marketing strategy, firm can be able to retain its existing customers and attract new customers towards brands. Next PLC can increase awareness among customers through online campaigning and motivates customers to share their views about products they used (Adam and et.al, 2002).
• Introduce plan: After creating online campaign, UK based company can run pilot project to identify issues and strengths of current marketing plan against others and change as per needs of customers to meet their desires (Jones, 2008).
• Execute complete plan: After seeing the performance of pilot project UK based enterprise can apply at large level so that essential improvements can be done (Chaffey, 2009).
• Review and maintenance: This is the crucial phase; in implementation of complete internet marketing plan because without providing such kind of services and reviewing over all process Next PLC would be unable to execute it in successful manner

4.2

Conclusion

The above report herewith deals with the tools and elements of internet marketing. Further, the use of internet marketing tools has enabled business entities to gain competitive advantage in the market. It can be concluded that internet marketing tools enable organization to create competitive advantages.

Referensces

Books and journal

Adam,S. and et.al, 2002. E-marketing in perspective: a three country comparison of business use of the Internet. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 20(4).pp.243 – 251.
Aziz, N. A., and Yasin, N. M., 2004. The influence of market orientation on marketing competency and the effect of internet-marketing integration. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. 16(2). pp.3–19.
Bailey, M., 2011.  Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day. John Wiley & Sons.
Chaffey, D.2009. Internet Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice.Prentice Hall/Financial Times.
Christopher D. and  Asha G.,2007. Internet Marketing Secrets. Lulu.com.
Coleman, E. G., 2010. Ethnographic approaches to digital media. Annual review of anthropology. 39.pp.. 487-505.
Dou, W. and et al., 2010. Brand positioning strategy using search engine marketing. MIS Quarterly. 34(2).pp.. 261-279.
Jones, K.,2008. Business-to-business Internet Marketing: Seven Proven Strategies for Increasing Profits through Internet Direct Marketing. Maximum Press.
Jones, K.S., 2008. Business-to-business Internet Marketing. Maximum Press.
Kiang, M. Y., Raghu, T. S. and Shang, K. H. M., 2000. Marketing on the Internet—who can benefit from an online marketing approach?. Digital Business Systems. 274.pp. 383-393.
Lee, O., 2000. Internet Marketing Research: Theory and Practice. Idea Group Inc.
Mohammed, R., and et. al., 2003. Internet marketing: Building advantage in a networked economy. McGraw-Hill, Inc..
Newell, F., 2001. Loyalty. com: Customer relationship management in the new era of Internet