Digital marketing is a relatively new tendency in the world of marketing. Along with advertising and sales managers, marketing research, and new product managers, the profession of a digital marketing manager is becoming more and more popular and important (Kottler & Keller 2012).
Digital media have a profound impact on consumers’ purchase behavior (Powers et al. 2012). Therefore, organizations try to employ new opportunities to gain better sales. However, along with benefits, digital marketing may also present some disadvantages. Thus, a thorough consideration of the new opportunities should be made before implementing them.
One of the crucial effects of digital marketing is that it has enhanced the process of reaching customers and building brand recognition (Thoring, 2011). One of the numerous examples of employing digital media for creating better brand recognition is the use of Tweeter. When people share something on this or any other social platform, they help brands to spread information about their advantages and encourage more potential customers. However, companies may not reach the desired outcomes if their consumers only view the data on social platforms but do not share it. Such behavior significantly decreases the positive results of employing digital marketing.
Another benefit of digital marketing is that it allows consumers to participate in the process of testing innovative features of products and express their opinions about them (Füller 2010). Owing to such an opportunity, companies can significantly increase their chances of success by concentrating on the products’ features preferred by their customers. Tiago and Veríssimo (2014) emphasize that organizations should establish strong digital connections with their clients with the help of promotional strategies.
Among the best illustrations of the successful implementation of digital marketing is its use by the Coca-Cola Company. The organization has developed a series of extraordinary campaigns full of amiability and cheer (Moth 2013). Various events are recorded, and videos are then shared on YouTube, collecting millions of views and supportive comments. Coca-Cola currently employs diverse digital marketing strategies, such as documentaries, songs, and special events (Moth, 2013). The company’s customers are happy to feel a part of the creative process, and the highest level of brand loyalty is gained through such methods.
However, not all digital marketing solutions bring success to the business. One of the most dramatic recent failures was the campaign of Coke’s biggest competitor, Pepsi. Instead of sending a message of unity and global integrity, the campaign featuring Kendall Jenner caused massive disapproval of customers all over the world (Adams 2015). It was a vivid demonstration of one of the disadvantages of digital marketing: it has a high disposition towards negative reactions from the public. Another ineffective strategy has too little time to dedicate to digital campaigns, which leads to poor quality of marketing efforts.
Digital marketing presents numerous advantages, as well as limitations. Therefore, it is crucial for marketers to analyze their customers’ needs and reactions before implementing any new options. The key benefits of digital marketing are reaching large audiences at a low cost and within a short period of time and developing customer loyalty. The major disadvantages are the possibility of creating negative reactions, taking up too much time, and the loss of control of the organization’s marketing message. All in all, if digital marketing is treated with care and wisdom, its benefits will outnumber the limitations.
Reference List
Adams, P 2015, ‘Update: Pepsi ad, championing unity through soft drink, gets savaged on social media‘, Marketing Dive. Web.
Füller, J 2010, ‘Refining virtual co-creation from a consumer perspective’, California Management Review, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 98-122.
Kotler, P & Keller, K 2012, Marketing management, 14th edn, Pearson, New York, NY.
Moth, D 2013, ‘Ten inspiring digital marketing campaigns from Coca-Cola‘, Econsultancy. Web.
Powers, T, Advincula, D, Austin, MS, Graiko, S & Bworn, FM 2012, ‘Digital and social media in the purchase decision process: a special report from the advertising research foundation’, Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 479-489.
Thoring, A 2011, ‘Corporate tweeting: analysing the use of Twitter as a marketing tool by UK trade publishers’, Publishing Research Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 141-158.
Tiago, MTPMB & Veríssimo, JMC 2014, ‘Digital marketing: why bother?’, Business Horizons, vol. 57, no. 6, pp. 703-708.