Digital strategies are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the branding, highlight any current of potential issues they may encounter before they become an issue. They are able to use the branding to make customers aware of the product or company, it is also used to advertise any changes they want to be made public to draw attention such as a new direction the business maybe taking or any new products or launches that they have planned. Overall the purpose of the brand case study is to continue the success it creates and build on profits.
The importance of the organisational success brought in through the digital campaign is to maximise profits and bring in as much money as possible into the company. The use of an effective online digital strategy is that it requires less money to advertise meaning it is more cost effective for the company, the use of the online based marketing means it reaches more customers than ever before as there are more users joining the online presence meaning it reaches customers worldwide rather than on a smaller local scale.
Apple
The world’s leading technology firm selling specialised customer experiences and products.
Apple use very unique advertising which makes them leading trend setters for all marketing, they also have a vast product range with constant new editions which gives them the ability to be able to have a constant advertising presence for wither current products or new launches. Apple also benefits from having a vast amount of money to spend on marketing which allows them to dominate the competition and buy out prime ad space and buy out competitors.
Despite all these positive they also have some negatives around their digital strategy, it is sometimes perceived by customers to be over-advertised and through this some find it to be an invasion as it is constantly there, this isn’t helped by the stereotype that some feel surrounds the apple customers of this pretentious and expensive persona. Although dominating the digital space is an advantage to Apple it creates a lot of problems for the smaller and independent businesses to be able to break through into the market further.
Apple applies many different digital strategies to maximise the use and profits;
- mailing lists – due to constant launches of both electrical products and the launches on Apple Music there is a constant flow of updates surrounding them meaning there is always something to contact people about, but this can cause problems as some of the mail sent out isn’t specific to each apple customer and is just a generic list which includes everyone meaning customers may perceive to be getting a lot of irrelevant marketing emails.
- Google Ads – this allows them to dominate the Ad space as they use unique names for products and have the google ad added to each one meaning it is the first thing the customer finds when they search any of the key words. They also receive this through the mobile networks as they also come up when searched, meaning they entice you in the contract buy apple still get the purchase, this is because they set the price for the device despite who you purchase it through.
- Social media presence – Apple has little to no social media presence as the rest of their online marketing is so strong it is not really required, which is a good decision as many could see it as “overkill”.
- Video marketing – Apple make great use of video marketing creating captivating and memorable videos to use to not only market the products but also the brand its self.
Without a digital strategy Apple would see very little change in sales and numbers as they have become such a giant in the technology world, the products and brands are so recognisable and desired that they probably wouldn’t require future marketing and it wouldn’t have much of an impact on sales.
eBay
A digital market place which brings together big brands, small boutique businesses and individual sellers in one location to sell products to customers on a worldwide basis, it allows the sale of new, preowned and unsellable/rejected items to be sold on.
Their digital strategies allow for products to be sold cheaper as there is no overheads to be paid only very small fees, this is perfect to allow small businesses to increase sales and obtain a better profit margin. They integrated themselves with PayPal giving both seller and buyer a sense of security as the payment gateway allows each to feel more protected against fraud or anything else negative.
Despite all these positives the negatives are what reduce the user’s faith in the brand such as it is very easy for a buyer to become confused and overwhelmed by the selection available, it also allows an easy sale of counterfeit goods which reduces the buyers want to return after a bad sale. Because the site has such a vast selection of products which are often contained within multiple categories it lacks refinements and specialisation which customers can be put off by.
Their digital strategy consists of;
- Video marketing – eBay creates very simple yet memorable video advertisements which draws the customers in by enticing them with unique products they may not realise that the need or want.
- Google Ads – eBay not only lists as top ad when it is searched for but because of the broad spectrum of products and key words which are used it is normally listed as an ad despite what you initially searched for.
- Facebook advertising – they use Facebook as a way to display ads relating to previous searches to draw the buyer back in to make the purchase as it makes them reconsider it.
- Sponsored listing – eBay has sponsored listing on third-party services such as Google Shopping which lists their products and prices alongside the big brands.
- Sponsored products – they have their own sponsored products which are listed higher in recommendations and brand can pay into this to become an “eBay approved” item.
- The logo itself is very simple with vibrant colours which is easily recognisable to everyone despite a language barrier.
Without the digital strategy eBay as a company wouldn’t have much of a significant depreciation due to how well known the brand has already become but they would see a reduction in sales due to solely being an online only store and the decline in online public viewing may lead to less third-party businesses going to them to sell products through.
Coca-Cola
An umbrella-based company who mass produce beverages under different names and categories.
The vast empire of Coca-Cola has grown epically since its humble start and this is greatly through their digital strategy, they created the umbrella corporation of Coca-Cola manufacturing the beloved drink but this brand then made way to produce other drinks even water which has its own name but still the Coca-Cola name to it which people have grown to know and associate it with a certain level of quality and expectation, because it has become such a recognised brad they are able to rebrand for new products by simply adding to the current Coca-Cola name without a lot changing to still be recognisable i.e ‘Coke Life’ which was “normal” coke where the sugars had been replaced with naturally sourced sugars to appeal to the more health conscious drinker.
Despite venturing into the production of bottled water and more healthier options they are still a target for bad publicity linked to things such as obesity giving a negative view of the company as a whole, this impact is a continuous hindrance to the company as the UK has developed the sugar tax to try and reduce to consumption of foods which are considered to be “bad” for us.
They have an amazing digital strategy which they have built up which consists of;
- Personalisation – they company have done many events where they have allowed customers to create custom products which saw sales rise across these.
- Google Ads – they use Google Ads to promote themselves, but due to the number of events and locations which they sponsors they are also linked in and Coke-Cola will also appear then.
- Targeted Associated Advertising – they use searches on competitors’ brands to advertise themselves, some of these are actual competitors others are brands under the Coke-Cola name which people are not aware of.
- Social Media – they use social media in possibly the best way, by providing subtle advertisements which are informative and relevant to customers without feeling like they are being harassed by them.
- Media Advertising – they make the most of any chance to advertise using media from advertisements in cinemas and Youtube to seasonal TV adverts which everyone knows and relates to.
Without a digital strategy the company wouldn’t find that they see much of a decease in sales due to have large and established the company is, they cater to many different branches of the brand which individually pull in sales. Due to it not just been an online company and we see the products in everyday life constantly been sold and consumed the sale wouldn’t fluctuate by much.
Naomi Eccles 