Digital Marketing Aspects of Musclefood - Essay Example

With the beginning of the 21st century the marketing strategies implemented by organisations are being digitalised. As information and technology segment is developing, it has created enormous scope for utilisation of online tools for improving the functional aspects of corporate sector. Momtaz, Aghaie and Alizadeh (2013) considered the aspect of digital marketing as the next big thing in the business industry since the Industrial Revolution. In the contemporary scenario, firms are being urged to create their virtual profile for sustaining in the tough competition by reaching out to a larger consumer group. However, getting engaged in digital marketing techniques includes factors related with the technological compatibility of the firm and the ability of the digital platform to fulfil the organisational as well as consumer needs. This report will focus on designing the digital marketing aspects of Musclefood for improving their marketing techniques. 3.1a Design and Usability Factors The existing website of Musclefood has been designed by focusing only on the product and service base of the company meanwhile elements such as company information, sustainability policies, business partners, etc has been highlighted in blind spots. The company has a policy of visual content which can be seen by the limited words used for describing the content and navigation of the webpage. It was also evaluated that some subjects such as the customer feedback and deals sections are taking too much space. Although the website included interactivity but it was limited to only few portions such as the primary promotional belt of the webpage. Also multiple tabs have been given for highlighting various product segments which has clamped the webpage. The praiseworthy aspect of the existing web page is the navigational system. All the tabs have automated dropdown boxes which can easily help the customers in understanding the structure of the webpage. Figure 1: Wireframe Diagram for MuscleFood Webiste (Source: Created by Author) The above given diagram highlights the changes made in the website of Musclefood for improving the visualisation, interaction and navigation system of the website. The structure of the website has been altered in order to include more elements regarding the product and service structure of the company. It was noted that Musclefood tries to enhance their customer offerings by engaging in related diversification of their service and product base. For instance, the segmentation of the product range in accordance to the segregation of the consumer needs reflects the ability to identify market demand and trends. It can be seen that the section of business partners have been changed where the logos of all the major representatives have been provided. Each of these images will be a hyperlink that will direct the user to a content page which includes information of the related business partner. Earlier the social contact of the company was given on a side panel which has been included in the main frame of the webpage and each of the social platforms have been hyperlinked so that the user can be directed to the social page of the company (Hoang Phan Duc, 2014). The extra services of the company have also been included in the central section such as the free delivery aspect of the business. Most of the promotional aspects such as advertisements and customer reviews have been developed in a ticker format so that more information can be included with little space. The changes in the webpage have been made with a view to reduce the clumsiness of the webpage without hampering the information base of the website. This wireframe has reflected more variety in the type of information that can be catered to the customer base of the company. The wireframe design has been built considering the ease of use of the target customers. The target customers of Musclefood are within the age range from 18-55. The visual content base of the website will help the customers easily navigate their way towards their desired product range. The awards and quality standard approval received from various local and international authorities have been mentioned in the central frame of the web page to enhance the brand value of the business. The primary objective of the website is to help the customers understand the business objectives of the company and also develop a suitable consumer perception that signifies the customised service design in accordance to customer needs. 3.1b Getting Customer Attention In order to enhance the usability of the website of Musclefood, the website will be linked with various other online platforms such as search engines and social media profiles. The online promotional strategy will include Search Engine Optimisation, web advertisements, blogging and micro-blogging and social media marketing processes. In order to develop the SEO process, the target search engines will include both Google and Yahoo. These are the two most used search engines in the world with a combined market share of around 74% (Mahadevan, 2013). Google has developed its own set of programs and online techniques for helping with the SEO processes. Google analytics for evaluating the keywords that can be included in the meta-tagging process of website development. The meta description and meta title o0f the website will be framed with keywords that are most searched on the concerned search engines. The blogging section of the company will be developed on third party websites and also on the blogger tool of Goole. This will help in increasing the scope of operations for website promotions. The search engine optimisation strategies will be related with all the online platforms of Musclefood such as social media and blogging. The SEO marketing process will be further fortified with the help of online tools such as Google Keywords and Google Adwords which can also be related with the meta-tagging process of the website. The overall strategy to be used for online promotion of Musclefood is to utilise the selected techniques for improving the brand image of the company and also establish a steady and long-term relationship with their customers. One of the primary aspects of generating customer awareness in context of the website will be to establish a continuous support system such as online chat support or regular support in the social media platforms of the company. The blogs and micro-blogs will be linked with the website of the company which can allow the users to get a view of integration of the online promotional techniques of Musclefood. The social media marketing process will not only be based on the product and service base of the company but will also post updates regarding the co-curricular activities of Musclefood such events promotions or engaging in corporate social responsibilities which will help in developing an emotional connection with the customers and also help in generating consumer brand loyalty. Another promotional aspect included in the main webpage of the company is the customer account system where customers can make their accounts for free and earn loyalty points. The development of the business process of the firm will also help in managing the database of the firm and on the other hand help the customer support executives to enhance their speed of service providing (Sander, 2013). This is an operational aspect but smooth service structure will allow in enhancing word-of-mouth marketing. 3.1c Getting Customer Interest, Desire and Action The communications process and promotional strategies of the company will be used for enhancing the interactions between the customer and the company executives so that a transparent platform can be established. The strategic approach of Musclefood will focus on gaining customer attraction with the help of offers, search engine optimisation and web advertisemts. The ads will appear on third party websites such as Yahoo and Google search pages which will directly influence the customer view of the search engine. The ads will be related with specific key words so that they can respond to the searching style of the users. In order to align the target market and brand positioning process of the company, the firm will engage in social media and micro-blogging process where there will be options for the customers to communicate with the company executives and understand the service process and also the organisational objective of Musclefood. The positioning strategy of Musclefood will be based on their core competencies which is the diversification within their customer offerings. They can highlight their ability to design their product base in accordance to the needs of the company. The changes in the communication planning process of the firm will also help in creating a positive branding process for the firm (Ram and Khatri, 2005). The online promotional and branding process of Musclefood will include the following processes: Social media marketing by designing personalised groups and chatting processes for instant communication models. Search engine optimisation that could relate to the meta tagging process of the main website of the company. Web advertisements with banners and posts that can attract the consumers and direct them to the website of the company. Specific areas for each segment in the website that will help in navigation for the users. E-mail marketing with the help of loyalty promotions and offer communications. The e-mail marketing will mainly be used for survey process to identify the customer reactions towards the promotional activities of business. Contra deals with third party platforms for posting their ads on third party websites in return of other services. For instance creating contra deals with other retailers and athletes for promoting their products online and a offering them company stock or other offers. The linking strategy of the promotional plan of Musclefood will mainly be performed by linking the web ads with the main website of the company. Also third party blogs and ads will be linked with the main website of the company in order to enhance the scope of promotional plan. As suggested above the social media marketing process will only be focused on the target consumer base and try to establish strong relationships with them. The marketing and promotional aspects will be designed in a quarterly manner which can help in assessing the efficacy of the existing promotional strategies and redesign them for the remaining time period of the strategic promotional approach (Tan and Zhao, 2003). However, most of these strategies will include high expenses as the use of third party tools and websites will be high. However, all the promotional strategies associated with the main website of the company will be company owned. The entire promotional strategy will be designed in four stages. Each stage will have a quarterly time period for completion. Some of the activities that will be implemented simultaneously such as social media marketing and website development for creating a halo effect on the customers. The professional services that will be involved in the promotional strategies include search engines and other companies which will help in widening the range of the promotional activities of the company. The banner ads will be designed in two major manners namely, content banners and image banners. These banners will be included in the promotional process associated with the third party promotions and social media promotions. The following is a sample of the banner ads: Figure 2: Banner styles (Source: Created by Author) Figure 3: Content Banner styles (Source: Created by Author) Figure 4: Information Banner styles (Source: Created by Author) The above given banner styles will be used mainly for the image and visual ads. These ideas have been taken from the kiosks that are used by Musclefood for their offline promotional methods. The relevance in the advertisements will also help the customers in identifying the brand presence in the online market and generate customer awareness. The wireframe of the e-mail process will be designed in a manner which can easily help the customers to build their online relationship with the company. However, the company must ensure that the structure of the wireframe for login in pages includes all the necessary fields that can secure the information regarding the background of the customers for security purposes (Chiang, Barron and Storey, 1997). The web page should also be able to ensure that the users are aware of complete form which needs to be filled up for registering with Musclefood. There should be easy navigation process that will guide the users automatically from one step to the other. Figure 5: Information Banner styles (Source: Created by Author) The above given structure of the login page of Musclefood email id shows the necessary fields which will be highlighted to the customers. The information collected will be kept in highly secured database of the company. The number of third party alliances created by the Musclefood online promotional strategies will be focused on their relationship with the target market of the company and also their ability to influence the brand perception of the customers. The customers will also have the opportunity to create third party review processes for measuring the brand value and the quality of products and services provided by Musclefood. These companies will include major retailers who will be linked with the service structure of the company such as Tesco, ASDA and Sports Direct. These four companies will be used for direct promotion of Musclefood. On the other hand there will be other players such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram who can be used as marketing tools for promoting their brand value. Tesco: Tesco is the biggest retailer of the European market and have established a huge customer profile in both online and offline marketing processes. Tesco has spread their online activities widely for covering their multinational operations. Providing banner ads in Tesco managed websites will enhance brand image of Musclefood. ASDA: ASDA is a subsidiary of world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart. ASDA is also among the top retailers in the European market and 2nd largest in UK market in terms of revenue. The online relations with ASDA will help in creating public relations of Musclefood. Sports Direct: Sports Direct is the top retailer of UK in sports segments. They have included large brands in their product base and thus positioned themselves in terms of quality in consumer brand perception. The promotional process of Musclefood is closely related with sports personalities and thus creating business relations with Sport’s Direct will be helpful for Musclefood. Welcome e-mail letter: Hi Name of customer, Musclefood welcomes you to its grand family and it is essential to mention that your very presence thrills us. As one of the leading firms in the food retailing sector we have formed our vision based on your needs. We are among the few companies that have associated themselves with the highest standards of quality in their services to ensure complete satisfaction. You can reach us any time with your queries and complains in the below given details: Phone: XXXXXXXXXXXXX e-mail: XXXXX@gmail.com 24*7 Chat support centre Thanking You, Yours Musclefood 3.1d Generating Revenue The promotional strategies will be used for enhancing the brand value and image of the company and hence the aspect of revenue generation will directly not be related with the process of online marketing and website development. However, as the aim of the promotional and digital marketing plans of Musclefood is directly related with product promotion, they can evaluate the increase in sales of the company as a result of the online marketing strategy. The funding of the entire digital planning process will also be granted from the capital fund and the equity reserve of the business. Section 4 Customer Service Relationship and Loyalty Plan As far as customer service and management strategies are concerned, Muscle Food looks forward to incorporate a chatting option in their organizational websites which will allow potential customers to chat with company associates regarding any issues or questions they have regarding the products and services offered by the company. As a part of the CRM strategy Muscle Food managers will look to establish contact with customers post purchase in order to learn about experience with the product. This will allow the managers to collect valuable feedbacks from the customers which can thereafter be incorporated further for the purpose of product development. Being engaged with the customers will allow the company to make them feel valuable which in turn will influence their buying behaviour in favour of purchasing the products that are being manufactured by the company (Piedade and Santos, 2008). The organizational website of Muscle Food will also contain four toll free phone numbers which can be used by potential and existing customers who would want to know more about the latest offerings made by the company. The same phone numbers can also be used by the customers to lodge any complaint regarding the product that is being currently used by them. Upon receiving any complaint from the customers Muscle Food managers will arrange for product replacement within twenty hours from the time at which the complaint was lodged. As a part of customer service, Muscle food also looks forward to provide free consultation service for potential customers in order to for them to be able to buy the required products on the basis of several health related considerations (Skyt, Jensen and Mark, 2003). The consultation will be provided on a one to one basis which in turn will help the consultants to emphasize on the customer’s requirements and suggest them with the necessary product. As a part of the loyalty plan, Muscle Food will offer customers with loyalty points following the completion of their registration with the company. These loyalty points are equivalent to monetary value which can be redeemed on a subsequent purchase. On accumulation of 2000 loyalty points, the customers will be entitled to get 10% discount on their subsequent purchases. Apart from loyalty rewards, customers will also be offered by free consultation while they are using one of the products of Muscle Food. This consultation will be provided by Physicians who would be responsible for guiding the customers regarding any modifications in the content that is being consumed through the products manufactured by the company. Moreover, the physicians will also be responsible for monitoring the changes (positive and negative) once they start using the company’s products in order to be able to magnify any positive changes and nullify any negative changes. Section 5 Time line for promotional strategies Promotional Activities Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12 Social Media Marketing                         Group Chats and Communication Models                         SEO                         Web Advertisements with Banners                         Web Adwords                         E-mail Marketing                         Event Sponsor                         Linking Process                         It is extremely important for the company to promote its products through social media in order to influence the purchase behaviour of a large base of internet audiences. Search engine optimization is also vital considering the fact that the products offered by the company are relatively new to the market. Therefore the primary aim of the company will be make sure that their products are highlighted in the beginning of a page after a search keyword related to muscle foods is typed in search engines. Banner advertisement is another crucial promotion strategy that will allow managers of Muscle Foods to promote their products through websites that are most widely accessed. This will enable the managers to promote brand awareness through the digital platform (Wang et al. 2008). The company will also be sponsoring the NBA league held at the end of the year in order to enhance its brand image. Section 6 The Future The existing website of the company is being operated within a php format for security of the data and style of the web page design. However, considering the growth in the technological segments new alterations will be made in the website. The company plans to link the website with the everyday browsing of their customers and hence should develop a mobile version of the website. Also designing a smart phone application will enhance the utility of the website for the customers. Most of the online functions are being conducted or performed by the people on their remote applications. These changes also have urged the corporate houses to increase their customer interactions by creating a remote platform on the digital segment and hence applications are being developed for simplifying the service availability of the company. The future plans for the website will be mainly to create database of customer information and also help them communicate with their customers easily. In the next five years, Musclefood website plans to be among the top three options in both Google and Yahoo search engines. Also the company plans to acquire a minimum of 100000 followers in their social media pages. Section 7 7.1 Search Engine Optimisation: The promotional process for Musclefood in the online segment will mainly be performed with the help of SEO marketing process. In order to implement the SEO process, the company will use two primary search engines namely Google and Yahoo. The Google SEO process will be developed along with meta-tagging, meta description and meta title of the company website. Apart from this, Google Keywords and Google Adwords will be used for identifying the most searched keywords by the target customers who will help in increasing the number of views on the website. The SEO helps in enhancing the brand awareness of the consumers and also enhances the scope of the market. In order to measure the success of this tool, the researcher can monitor the number of clicks on the page and ads of Musclefood. The changes in the business development 7.2 Social Media Marketing Strategy: The social media marketing process of the business will be implemented for the target customers and also for establishing a steady communication platform between the organisation and the customers. The social media marketing structure of the business will be designed in Facebook and Twitter. Both the accounts will be used for designing a social profile of Musclefood where customers can communicate regarding their queries or also post their feedback. As social media will have direct engagement with the customers, it will enhance the brand equity. Apart from this these platforms can also be used for engaging in viral marketing with videos and images. Banner ads will also be an important part of the social media marketing process. In order to measure the success of the social media marketing, Musclefood can monitor the response of the target customers towards their social profiles and online activities. Also the conversion of potential customers to real customers will help in deciding on the efficacy of the social media marketing. Conclusion The study has been developed on the digital marketing plan of Musclefood. They have already established themselves in the offline market and now want to enhance their scope of operations into the online segment. The existing webpage of the company has been modified by assessing the gaps in the existing framework. Also the strategies for brand development have been included in their social media and SEO marketing structure. Apart from this, web advertisements will be an integral part of the online promotional ads of the company to increase the visibility of the website and brand to their target customers. Reference List: Chiang, R.H.L., Barron, T. and Storey, V., 1997. A framework for the evaluation of database reverse engineering methods for relational databases, Data & Knowledge Eng. 21, pp. 57–77. Hoang Phan Duc, H., 2014. Development plan of social media marketing to increase purchases: Case study: Viope Solutions Ltd. Mahadevan, J., 2013. 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