Internet Marketing Assignment: Online Advertising of Retail Clothing Chains

Question

Task:
Conduct a critical research on internet marketing assignment and prepare a research proposal analysing the role of internet based marketing strategies and tools in various retail clothing chains.

Answer

Introduction
Background
According to the research on internet marketing assignment, internet-based marketing tools have gained widespread importance in the recent years because of their efficiency in increasing customer engagement and satisfaction towards the brands (Yannopoulos, 2011). In this regard, retail-clothing chains are not an exception because of the increasing role of Internet in their marketing process. Companies have been utilizing Internet for gaining information about customers’ needs and preferences, creating, communicating and delivering services and products to them. With the extensive use of Internet-based marketing tools such as content communities, digital media, social media platforms, websites, mobile apps, e-mails, chats, blogs, virtual events, MMS and others, it has become easier for brands to reach their potential customers and stay constantly connected with them to update about their products or services (Roberts and Zahay, 2012). Furthermore, some of the most effective digital marketing techniques adopted worldwide are content marketing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data, social media marketing, mobile marketing and others (Guttmann, A., 2019). While content marketing comprises 20% of this, social media contributes 10% of the global share.

Problem Statement
It has been observed herein internet marketing assignment that the demand for clothing and shoes is showing a rapidly increasing trend with a projected growth of the global market value from US $1.3 trillion in 2015 to US $1.5 trillion in 2020 (O’Connell, L., 2020). The Asia Pacific region displayed the highest rate of growth in the market during the year 2019. However, the EU, China and US, represents the largest apparel markets. Besides, the use of Internet in this industry is evident from the growth and revenue generated from online retail apparel and accessories in the US. Retail e-commerce revenues anticipated to increase from $ 102.5 billion in 2017 to $153.6 billion in 2024 (Clement, 2020a).

Research Aim/ Topic
The aim of the research is to analyse how internet-based marketing strategies and tools have been widely accepted in various retail clothing chains and international apparel brands.

Research Objectives
The research objectives considered in the present context of internet marketing assignment for reviewing Internet-based marketing in retail clothing would be:

• To understand the concept of Internet-based marketing in apparel and retail clothing industry,
• To identify various Internet marketing tools that top international apparel brands are using,
• To evaluate the effectiveness of such marketing tools and strategies

Research Questions
The research questions addressed throughout the entire internet marketing assignment would be:

• How Internet-based marketing strategies have transformed the retail clothing industry?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of using such tools?
• How such tools are in ensuring customer satisfaction?

Literature Review
Internet-Based Marketing
Internet marketing was first initiated with advertising boom and search engine optimizations (SEO) during 1995 (Grubor and Jakša, 2018). This is now used for encompassing other marketing tools such as email marketing, pay per click, SEO, display ads on websites, social media marketing, gaming advertising, search engine and others. It is one of the most important subsets of digital marketing exploiting the use of Internet for promoting brand and its products and services. Internet-based marketing strategies are primarily aiming at communicating effectively with customers for satisfying their needs and want in order to gain competitive advantage in the market (Grubor and Jakša, 2018). Internet has become a fundamental tool for business growth of the fashion and retail clothing brands. Despite their physical stores, these apparel brands have been experiencing rapid online sales through their websites, mobile apps and other platforms. This is because Internet and online channels have helped in reducing physical inabilities, operational threats and information gaps in this industry (Guercini, Bernal and Prentice, 2018). It also enables in catering to changing technologies and customer preferences, analysing online customers’ behaviours and effectiveness of marketing activities. Besides, it facilitates customization process through specific information and technology tools.

What are the online marketing tools and strategies outlined in the internet marketing assignment?
Online marketing with the help of Internet-based and web-based tools have become an essential part of marketing strategies in the fashion and retail clothing market (Vartak, et al., 2019). This is because online-media is a comparatively low-cost form of medium for advertising products and services and one of the most successful ways of reaching large number of potential customers. Some of the most widely used Internet tools for marketing of these fashion brands are social media, search engine optimization (SEO), email, website content, paid advertisements, link building, and others. Furthermore, different social media platforms that are used by brands in this regard are Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Google, Whatsapp, LinkedIn and Pinterest (Vartak, et al., 2019). Besides, marketing strategies that are applied in these platforms include videos, images, push notifications, hashtags, animation posters, blogs, case studies, infographics and others. These social media platforms are online applications or media that enable the retail clothing chains to interact, communicate and share information about its brands, products and services with customers (Kim and Ko, 2012). On the other hand, website marketing provides a digital space to the apparel companies for displaying information about itself and the products to the customers through banners, profiles, contents, blogging and texts. SEO marketing involves the marketing strategy of increasing visibility of a company’s website and effectiveness of the brand’s online promotion through accelerating website traffic. Besides, content marketing emphasizes on developing valuable and reliable content about products and services of a brand for attracting potential customers and induce them to purchase through interaction (Grubor and Jakša, 2018). Moreover, email marketing involves personally communicating with target customers through wide variety of creative messages and gaining their feedback on products and services. In addition, mobile marketing has also become essential with the rising usage of mobiles and constantly being active on internet.

Evaluation
Various leading fashion brands have been using social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter for reaching to its customers (Clement, 2020b). Some of the most popular brands on Facebook as of June 2020 are Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chalany High Heels, Mango, Pit Bull Jeans, Boss and others. On the other hand, leading fashion brands on Twitter as of July 2018 were Victoria’s Secret, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, H &M, Burberry, Gucci, Dior, Dolce & Gabanna, Versace and others (Clement, 2018). This is because Internet allows these clothing retailers to connect with their potential customers and display their brands in different and new ways, which is not possible with the presence of only physical stores. Fast fashion retailers such as Zara, H&M, TopShop, Forever 21 or Uniqlo have started exploiting the power of internet-based technologies in every aspect of marketing their products and services to target customers in the market. This is because along with the shopping convenience, it enables these fashion brands to provide valuable information to the customers about latest styles, product prices, modifications and online service.

In this internet marketing assignment, Komodromos, Papaioannou and Adamu (2018) have pointed out that internet-based technologies and social media platforms have gained immense popularity for online retailers like clothing or apparel brands in making their marketing strategies more effective. These technologies enable the brands to improve their ability to compete with others in the local and global market by attracting and satisfying more customers, offering convenient ways to customers for engaging in payment transactions and providing 24/7 service to them. Social media sites are mainly used for ensuring sustainable long-term growth and persistent consumer patronage towards the brands (Komodromos, Papaioannou and Adamu, 2018). These online platforms utilized at three different stages of marketing. The first phase involves product advertisements through brochure ware, the second phase is pre-commerce or providing enough information about products, prices, point-of-sale transactions, accepting customer orders, and payments. Furthermore, social media marketing is used for influencing customers’ behaviours through advertisements of recommendations, user ratings and product reviews that others have provided on products. Besides, companies interact with their customers through these platforms to identify their needs, wants, preferences and perceptions about their brands. Thus, retail-clothing brands extensively invest for maintaining a strong social media presence to reach large number of customers.

According to Yoag and Siganul (2015), website also plays an important role in providing information about products and services of brands in various industries such as apparel or clothing. The presentation quality and message usefulness provided on these brand websites help in attracting potential customers. Information about products and services and reaching customers directly through emails have also been successful in the past years. Besides, the authors have pointed out that feedback or survey forms, frequently asked questions, frequent guest programs, free sign-up for newsletters are some of the attributes of website marketing that the clothing retailers use with the help of Internet. On the other hand, they also have represented in their research that business professionals are not fully aware of Internet application as a marketing tool or exploiting it in their present business models (Yoag and Siganul, 2015). This is mainly because of their lack of internet knowledge and skills. Besides, incorporating Internet-based technologies for marketing requires investments that often discourage the retail brands.

Furthermore, Diaz Soloaga and Garcia Guerrero (2016) have pointed out the use of video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo in the recent years that fashion brands have been using for communicating with their target audiences. Various online fashion retailers now promote their brands by collaborating with these digital platforms for marketing themselves to the customers in the market. It helps in developing a profound connection with them through audiovisual narration that not only helps in creating long lasting impact on consumers’ minds but also enable the brands to communicate themselves in a unique way (Diaz Soloaga and Garcia Guerrero, 2016). It requires brands to create special type of content that displays their exclusivity and authenticity while marketing to the target customers. Some of the attractive features of this Internet marketing are strong connection through experiential marketing, communication via storytelling and serialization, dematerialization of products, unique way to interact with customers and seeking aesthetic delight.

Moreover, it has also been represented in this section of internet marketing assignment that various luxury-clothing brands use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for interacting with their customers that help in developing friendly relations, gaining affection towards their brands and consequently stimulating their desire for their products (Schivinski and Dabrowski, 2016). For example, Gucci remains constantly active at these platforms for updating the information about its new product launches that can reach millions of customers. Besides, Burberry launched its social networking site named art of the trench for invigorating customers about its product designs and communicating its culture to them. Furthermore, the brand engages its customers online for providing broadening insights about its products and services (Kim and Ko, 2012). On the other hand, Dolce & Gabanna utilizes social media for gaining direct feedback from customers, invites various fashion bloggers in its events who then updates their feedback on their profiles on Facebook and Twitter.

However, scholars have also pointed out some of the limitations that these online clothing brands might face on the account of Internet based marketing. Various feedback or comments that customers post in the form of photos, text, images, blogs or videos hold high degree of credibility in the eyes of others (Tsimonis and Dimitriadis, 2014). These user-generated content at social media websites in relation to a marketing strategy can be risky. This is because it contains risks of legal liability towards the creators who are participating in these social media campaigns for disseminating information. On the other hand, negative reviews or feedbacks posted on these platforms are visible to hundreds of potential customers about the quality of a company’s products and services. These negative post responses about any clothing or apparel brand or its product might damage the brand’s reputation, thereby resulting in loss of potential customers.

Research Methodology
Research Approach
Herein internet marketing assignment, the two types of approach can be undertaken by the researcher. The first one is inductive research approach and the other one is deductive research approach. The primary objective of deductive approach is testing a theory with the help of hypothesis. On the contrary, inductive research approach helps in identifying a new theory. In this research, inductive approach will be taken into consideration. Inductive research approach will help the researcher to derive several models, concepts as well as theories from the underlying data (Jebreen, 2012). The researcher with help of secondary data can form a theory.

Research Method
The strategies or techniques that are used for collecting relevant data for the research are known as research method. The primary objective of a research method is to make the research clear and to explain the topic in a better way. Quantitative and Qualitative are the two main research methods that are mainly used by the researcher to describe the research topic in a better way. In this research report, qualitative research methodology has been considered for addressing the research aim, questions, and objectives. Qualitative research methods are generally used for evaluation of program and policy research (Taylor, Bogdan, DeVault, 2015). In this research, data is collected from journals, books and online websites for addressing the research objective.

Data Collection and Analysis
The method in which data are obtained for the research is known as data collection. In this research, secondary method of data collection is being used. The data that are collected by other researcher instead of the researcher who is conducting the research is termed as secondary method of data collection (Vartanian, 2010). Journals, books, and relevant online sources will be taken into consideration for collecting the data. Once, the data is collected from the work of several other researchers then this data will be used to conduct a literature review.

Ethical Consideration
While conducting a research on internet marketing assignment it is the responsibility of the researcher to consider the ethical aspects while collecting the data. To conduct this research, the relevant ethical guidelines are considered. The main objective of ethical guidelines is to inform the researcher about the use of information and data that are collected (Arifin, 2018). While collecting data from journals or books, work of other researchers must not plagiarize. Any personal information included in the journals or books will not be used for the purpose of this research. The conclusion of the research will not be skewed. The outcome from the analysis will not be re-identified.

Timeline
This is considered as an important aspect of dissertation. A Gantt chart is formulated to discuss the events that have occurred chronologically. The events are as follows:

• Identifying the research topic
• Formulating the research, aim and objectives
• Deciding on the research methodology
• Collecting secondary data
• Conducting the literature review
• Findings and Data analysis
• Conclusion and Recommendations
• Research report submission

Conclusion
Despite the presence of various articles on application of Internet-based marketing strategies undertaken by companies, very few have focussed especially on the clothing brands. This makes it essential for the researcher to undertake further research on how these marketing strategies have become beneficial for the retail clothing brands and the potential issues that they face in such tools. Therefore, the research on internet marketing assignment would undertake an inductive approach for exploring these marketing strategies by focussing mainly on apparel industry.

Reference List
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Clement, J., 2018. Most-followed apparel brands on Twitter 2018. [online] Statista. Available at: < https://www.statista.com/statistics/242143/twitter-number-of-followers-of-popular-apparel-brands/ > (Accessed 11 September 2020)

Clement, J., 2020a. U.S. fashion and accessories e-retail revenue 2017-2024. [online] Statista. Available at: < https://www.statista.com/statistics/278890/us-apparel-and-accessories-retail-e-commerce-revenue/ > (Accessed 11 September 2020)

Clement, J., 2020b. Facebook: number of fans of popular fashion brands 2020. [online] Statista. Available at: < https://www.statista.com/statistics/242136/leading-apparel-brands-with-the-most-fans-on-facebook/ > (Accessed 11 September 2020)

Diaz Soloaga, P. and Garcia Guerrero, L., 2016. Fashion films as a new communication format to build fashion brands. Communication & Society, 29(2), pp.45-61.

Ellis, M., 2014. The Evolution of the Internet and Its Impact on Retail Spaces. [online] Wired. Available at: < https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/07/evolution-internet-impact-retail-spaces/ > (Accessed 11 September 2020)

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