Page 282 - Foundations of Marketing

Digital Marketing and Social Networking | Chapter 9 249

common. Mobile applications are software programs that is allowing companies to connect with market segments that
run on mobile devices and give users access to certain con- are harder to reach with traditional media. Despite the chal-
tent. Widgets are small bits of software on a website, desk- lenges involved in such a strategy, digital marketing is open-
top, or mobile device that enables users to interface with the ing up new avenues in the relationship between businesses
application and operating system. and consumers.
As a result of these new marketing channels, digital mar- Because digital tools, strategies, tactics, and channels are
keting is moving from a niche strategy to becoming a core not static, marketers must prepare to learn new ways to reach
consideration in the marketing mix. At the same time, digital customers. There is still a need to balance traditional media
technologies are largely changing the dynamic between mar- with digital media. Developing skills to manage the appropri-
keter and consumer. Consumers use social networking sites ate mix of traditional and digital media is important for suc-
and mobile applications to do everything from playing games cess. Assuming that everything has changed to digital can be
to booking airline and hotel reservations. The menu of digital a mistake in reaching some market segments. Collaboration
media alternatives continues to grow, requiring marketers to across the organization is necessary to make digital decisions
make informed decisions about strategic approaches. that break down the walls between products and custom-
ers. Customers should be engaged to help this bond evolve.
3. Understand the changing digital media Finally, marketers must find ways to address the challenges
behaviors of consumers. that come with digital marketing, such as formulating ways

It is essential that marketers focus on the changing social to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital marketing campaign.
behaviors of consumers and how they interact with digital The implementation of an effective digital marketing strategy
media. Consumers now have a greater ability to regulate the will help businesses reap the rewards that digital technologies
information that they view as well as the rate and sequence of have to offer.
their exposure to that information. The Internet is sometimes 5. Identify legal and ethical considerations in
referred to as a pull medium because users determine which
websites they are going to view; the marketer has only lim- digital media and electronic marketing.
ited ability to control the content to which users are exposed, How marketers use technology to gather information—both
and in what sequence. Marketers must modify their market- online and offline—has raised numerous legal and ethical
ing strategies to adapt to the changing behaviors of online issues.
consumers. Privacy is one of the most significant issues, involving
Forrester Research groups online consumers into seven the use of personal information that companies collect from
categories depending upon how they use digital media. website visitors in their efforts to foster long-term relation-
Creators are those consumers who create their own media ships with customers. Some people fear that the collection of
outlets. Conversationalists regularly update their Twitter personal information from website users may violate users’
feeds or status updates on social networking sites. Critics are privacy, especially when it is done without their knowledge.
people who comment on blogs or post ratings and reviews. Another concern is that hackers may break into websites and
Collectors gather information and organize content gener- steal users’ personal information, enabling them to commit
ated by critics and creators. Joiners are those who become identity theft.
members of social networking sites. Spectators are those con- Online fraud includes any attempt to conduct dishonest
sumers who read what other consumers produce but do not activities online. Online fraud includes, among other things,
produce any content themselves. Finally, inactives are online attempts to deceive consumers into releasing personal infor-
users who do not participate in any digital online media, but mation. It is becoming a major source of frustration with
this number is decreasing as the popularity of digital media social networking sites. Cybercriminals are discovering
grows. Marketers who want to capitalize on social and digital entirely new ways to use sites like Facebook and Twitter to
media marketing will need to consider what portion of online carry out fraudulent activities. Organizations and social net-
consumers are creating, conversing, rating, collecting, join- working sites alike are developing ways to combat fraudulent
ing, or simply reading online materials. activity on new digital media sites.
The Internet has also created issues associated with intel-
4. Understand and identify how digital media can lectual property, the copyrighted or trademarked ideas and
be used in an e-marketing strategy. creative materials developed to solve problems, carry out
The reasons for a digital marketing strategy are many. The applications, and educate and entertain others. Each year,
low costs of many digital media channels can provide major intellectual property losses in the United States total billions
savings in promotional budgets. Laptops, smartphones, of dollars stemming from the illegal copying of computer
mobile broadband, webcams, and other digital technolo- programs, movies, compact discs, and books. The software
gies can provide low-cost internal communication as well industry is particularly hard-hit when it comes to pirating
as external connections with customers. Digital marketing materials and illegal file sharing.

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