Course: Introduction do eBusiness

Module 4: Marketing and Advertising

Module Goals

After completing this module, students will be able to do the following:

  • Identify and describe the basic digital commerce marketing and advertising strategies and tools.
  • Characterize the main technologies that support online marketing
  • Examine the difference between traditional online marketing and the new social-mobile-local marketing platforms and the relationships between social, mobile, and local marketing.
  • Describe the social marketing process and the marketing capabilities of social marketing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
  • Identify the key elements of a mobile marketing campaign.
  • Critique the capabilities of location-based local marketing.

 

Overview

Marketing and advertising are one segment of business that has been impacted by mobile and Internet technology platforms. Marketers now have new ways of connecting with millions of consumers much faster and at lowers costs than ever before in history. A mobile platform now exists on smart devices such as computers, tablets, phones, and televisions. Market communications, branding, and online marketing have transformed due to the broad spectrum of information technology tools available today. To best utilize these tools, it is imperative to explore the technologies that support advances in online marketing and how consumers behave as they interact on the Web.

Clearly, one size does not fit all, so business would really like to target individuals who are more likely to be potential customers than those who will not. In fact, many would like to go further and engage the individual at the place they actually are in the purchasing decision. If they are trying to determine whether or not there is a solution to their requirements, interactions that help them understand how their requirements could be satisfied and support an unbiased assessment of alternatives would be most helpful. Once the potential client has decided to make a purchase, the kind of information and support needed changes.

These interactions became possible after 2007, when social networking sites and smartphones experienced explosive growth. Now consumer engagement and conversations can be a part of the equations for what has become “social-mobile-local marketing and advertising.” Businesses are interacting and marketing on several platforms simultaneously in order to connect with potential and current customers. Social marketing is all part of an engagement process that includes interacting, empathizing, and discussing your brand with the consumer. Businesses are now responsible for shaping social marketing by communicating through the use of technology-based tools. As with any tool, when online data gathering is used properly and ethically, it can provide real benefit to all involved.

 Goals Alignment

  • University Mission Based Outcomes – 2, 4, 5
  • Program Learning Goals – 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Course Learning Objectives – 1, 2, 3, 7

 

 Learning Materials

  • Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2021). E-commerce: Business, technology and society (16th ed.). Pearson. ISBN 9780136931720. Read Chapters 6 & 7.

Assignment

Discussion Question:

Briefly identify and describe digital commerce marketing and advertising strategies and tools. Then discuss which tool or strategy is your favorite and why.

Example: E-mail marketing – sends e-mail directly to interested users, and has proven to be one of the most effective forms of marketing communications.

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Viral marketing
  • Social marketing and advertising
  • Mobile and local marketing and advertising
  • Customer retention techniques