Social media, Search engine
optimization, Pay per click, Websites, etc.. have become words/phrases used in
common parlance. Yet there are many who are not tuned to these words. They may
have access to smart phones and maybe watching videos or listening to music
online, yet are they truly familiar with the business model of Digital
Marketing?
So what according to them is digital marketing? Majority would
answer with statements like “I can book tickets online”; “I can post pictures
on Instagram”; or “I can Snap Chat or WhatsApp with my friends”. Yet the true
meaning of Digital Marketing comes from the second word in this phrase, i.e
“marketing”. Digital implies the online platforms that are at our disposal
these days. Ranging from the ubiquitous Facebook to the selectively used Apps
like Viral Shots. The term “digital” also deems it imperative that there has to
be internet connectivity, and since it’s an era of smartphones the availability
of adequate amount of “data” is essential. Marketing on the other hand refers
to the monetization of all sources of media, online or offline to ensure that the
outreach to prospective or existing customers is successful. Does that result
in increased sales, is a matter of separate discussion, but the narrative
around Digital Marketing primarily focuses around increased eyeballs and better
positioning of the brands or products or services in the minds of target
audiences.
Definition of Marketing Management, according to Kotler &
Keller (2008) is “the art & science of choosing target markets and getting,
keeping & growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating
superior customer value.” If we look deeper into each element of this
definition it will reflect the enormity of the definition and that of each word
in its singularity.
The first question that arises when
one reads this definition is the usage of the dyad ‘art’ and ‘science’. Art has its connection with creativity and the
craft associated with marketing, whereas Science is all about the logical and
numeracy aspects of marketing. Yet the twain has to meet and it does especially
with advertisements and the design aspects of the product or service. There
can’t be a better and more effective, monetarily as well as creatively,
platform than digital.
As we explore the definition more
acutely we come across the phrase ‘superior
customer value’ and we are immediately drawn to the images and texts that
are put together like stories for consumption by target audience. For a customer
who by the click of a mouse or a scroll along the phone screen can decide what
content he or she wants to associate with, it’s become quite a tedious task to
keep them engaged effectively. Where the traditional forms of marketing like TV
commercials are becoming slightly laggard in their approach, digital is slowly
& steadily racing ahead in correlating with an increasingly young audience.
Superior customer value therefore, in the case of digital marketing does seem
achievable as digital marketing itself evolves to touch new heights of glory
and innovation.
The canvass for Digital marketing
is wide and bright, and new players in the market are writing new discourses
and are breaking more & more barriers while effectively reaching out to the
right audience at the right time. Many would also argue against Digital
marketing especially due to the presence of a humongous quantum of online
platforms and easy accessibility to unwholesome content, one of the worst
examples being the Blue Whale Challenge, the jury is definitely out there on
the utility and successful utilization of Digital marketing.
Watch this space for more such
discussions on this effervescent & intriguing topic of Digital Marketing.
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