Digital Marketing

Individual Assignment

Submitted to: Prof: Dr. Harish B.

Submitted By,
Akshay Thampi
MBA – A
Roll No: B2251
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi

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 Table of Contents

Sl. No. Topic Page No:

1. Part A: Various ways to integrate Digital Marketing and E- 03
Commerce into their existing business
1.1 Produce Original Content 03
1.2 Optimize the website layout 03
1.3 Content Marketing 04
1.4 Social Media Marketing 04
1.5 Email Marketing 04
1.6 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 05
1.7 Pay-Per-Click Marketing 05
1.8 Optimize Marketing Efforts for Mobile Devices 06
1.9 Launch Stores on Multiple Platforms 06
1.10 Retargeting 06
1.11 Interactive Product Visualization 07
1.12 Product Videos 07
1.13 3D Experience for customers 07
1.14 Artificial Intelligence (AI) 08
1.15 Advance Product Filtering 08
1.16 Chatbots 08
2. Part B: An example of successful integration of digital marketing 10
concepts into business by Volkswagen.

2.1 Data-driven campaigns 10

2.2 Cloud based platform 11
2.3 Hashtag 11
2.4 LinkedIn 12
2.5 Mobile Strategy 13
2.6 Media Promotion 13
2.7 Web Promotion 14
2.8 Customer ID 14
2.9 Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing by Volkswagen 15

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 Integration of Digital Marketing concepts into Business

1. Part A
Various ways to integrate Digital Marketing and E-Commerce into their
existing business

1.1. Produce Original Content

The first step in setting up an eCommerce website is creating the content for it. Creating high-
quality and original content will set you up for success because it will resonate with your
customers in a way that makes them want to interact with you, purchase from you, and
maintain a following. That is to be creative and original.
Promoting original content is a great way to make a statement, strike a compelling idea, and
make a mark on the user’s mind. There is a fine line between content that engages users and
content that deters them.

1.2. Optimize the website layout

After launching the e-commerce site, it’s important to test the website’s layout, language,
and placement of conversion elements. When customers visit your website, you want to make
sure it’s easy and simple to check out — that they feel naturally inclined to purchase your
products and that it’s abundantly clear how to do so.
You should test the language displayed on your landing and product pages, the language in
your conversion elements, and even the strategic placement of icons and elements. There are
heatmap software available that reveals valuable patterns in customer behaviour on your
website. One of their most popular heatmaps, the movement heatmap, reveals the most
attractive parts of your website — based on visitor movement data to your website.
Those heatmap software will tell you where your customers spend the most time, and the
least amount of time. If a specific area of your page receives more attention (in white), you
should consider moving your conversion elements to those more attractive areas. Test it for
a week and see how your conversions change. The heatmaps can help improve your
conversions, increase sales, and keep prospects interested.

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1.3. Content Marketing

Proper content marketing can attract more positive attention, interaction, and sustainable
conversions in a way no other marketing method can. By creating and promoting original
content, you are ensuring that your audience is receiving new information that matters to
them on a continual basis.
Brainstorm with your team to create a list of the different types of content you wish to create,
such as blog posts, videos, and newsletters. Also, make sure you are utilizing your marketing
budget by consulting with experts, outsourcing work when necessary, and investing in high-
quality software, subscriptions, employees, and training for your team. You will also find that
if you work with the right people, many of the things you’ve paid for in the past can be done
internally. Create diversity within your team and listen to everyone’s ideas.
We also suggest that you create content based on Pareto’s 80/20 rule, which means that your
promotions should comprise of 80% informational content, and 20% promotional content. All
of the content you publish should be relevant, interesting, and unique.

1.4. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a very powerful tool that allows you to communicate with your
industry, customers, and market in a personal way. You can utilize social media to generate
engagement and interaction, boost traffic to your website, and develop a larger base of
customers. Utilizing different social media platforms for different purposes also creates a rich
presence for your company that diversifies your abilities, efforts, and will ultimately help you
cater to your customers’ needs in a way that grows your business over time.
Maintaining a solid tone and personality of your company through social media is very
important because consistency is what will create trust within your audience. In order to
develop and maintain brand recognition and authority, make sure your outreach efforts are
unified by ensuring your team is on the same page with your company’s communication style.

1.5. Email Marketing

One of the most effective forms of reaching out to your customer base is through email
marketing. Although you have to be very careful about the content within your emails and
who is included in your outreach, the reason email marketing has been around for so long is
because it works.
In order to reach your audience most effectively, provide useful content within your emails.
Make them as personal as you can, offer valuable promotions, and use it as an opportunity
to socialize. Open up about what your business is doing, any events you are attending, new

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features or products, and be transparent about your company. You want to relate to your
customers on a level that gauges their interest and keeps them engaging with your emails.
As always, make sure you are monitoring the analytics of your email marketing efforts. One
great tool that can help you with this is the Google Analytics Dashboard, which is a free
solution that gives you useful data about your email marketing efforts.
You can also track users who entered your website from your email campaigns with the
previously mentioned tool, heatmap. All you have to do is set a custom URL that users “visit”
when entering your site, and their entry page will contain that unique URL. A great way of
doing this is to append UTM variables to your URL.
The heatmap software filters or the search feature to find users whose sessions contained
your custom URL. From here, you can save and export the list, perform analytics, and watch
how they interacted on their site. You can also filter your heatmaps for this data to analyze
how they engage with each page of your site, which elements they find most attractive, and
more.

1.6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One of the most important and manual methods of optimizing a successful eCommerce
website is making sure it’s optimized for search engines. With today’s Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) standards, it’s now more important than ever to make sure your website
is constantly updated with rich and relevant content, promotes a good user experience (UX),
and is optimized to be as error-free as possible.
The content within your website should be rich, reliable, and provide information to the
public that is useful and relevant to what they’re looking for. For example, if you have an
eCommerce store selling camping supplies, it’s wise to provide detailed product information
and possibly even host sections of your website that offer generous amounts of content that
elaborates on the topics of camping, supplies, or related subjects. Using keywords within your
content in a genuine way will also flag your website as a matching result in search engines
when users are looking for something specific.

1.7. Pay-Per-Click Marketing

There are three basic elements to any pay-per-click marketing campaign: the ad, the offer,
and the landing page.
All three must be in good harmony and synchronization if you want to maintain the interest
of the lead. The landing page must be a continuation of your ad, delivering what was promised
as the reward of clicking on the ad, in order to take the visitor through your conversion funnel.
It must also be customized for keywords to appear somewhere near the top of search engine
results.

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Keep the landing page free of distractions and unnecessary bells and whistles. Also, keep in
mind that your landing page is the most appropriate place to boast your product benefits to
the customer.

1.8. Optimize Marketing Efforts for Mobile Devices

It is absolutely crucial to make sure your website is responsive to any user layout. Mobile
users are starting to dominate the sea of internet use, and it’s important to accommodate
their needs to provide a good user experience (UX) for everyone.
People who visit your website do not want to be redirected to an app or web version of your
website, they want the full-meal-deal. So, make sure you deliver what they are expecting and
make the investment to enhance your website so that it’s fully responsive.
You can also use mobile marketing techniques to target mobile users specifically. One of the
most popular marketing trends is called geo-targeting, which advertises to mobile users based
on their location. This technique enables you to reach out to customers who are within a
specific distance of your business, and provide them with an incentive to stop by or make a
purchase.

1.9. Launch Stores on Multiple Platforms

Consumers have become the power player in the eCommerce industry, which means your
business needs to stand out in a unique way. Because of this, it’s more important than ever
to customize your user experience (UX) to cater to the needs of your audience.
Make your outreach efforts personal by taking the time to learn about your customers. People
love it when they feel special, and if you make sure to add personal touches like addressing
your prospects by name, sharing videos and pictures of your employees, and being
transparent about your company processes and procedures, you will reap the benefits of a
loyal customer base. All of this will add to the overall ‘face of the business’ and will hopefully
make its way to the hearts of your customers.

1.10. Retargeting

Customers who have already shown an interest in your website are more likely to make a
later purchase. Retargeting is a technique that tracks customers who have visited your
website and displays ads to them while they’re browsing the internet with the intent of
getting them back on your website. When these visitors enter your website again, they are
far more likely to make a purchase.

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To effectively manage a retargeting campaign, make sure your ads are as specific as possible.
Was the customer looking at a specific product? Make sure the ads displayed to them are ads
of that specific product and link to the page of the product. Just like with Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing, it’s important to display the
information the user is looking for the instant they click on your ad. If they click on an ad for
hiking boots and are redirected to the home page of your camping website, they aren’t going
to be thrilled. But, if they are directed to the exact hiking boots they were considering, or
even had added to their cart, before leaving your website, they will be much more likely to
continue with a purchase.

1.11. Interactive Product Visualization

As opposed to physical shopping, online shopping is intangible and needs a lot of guesswork
on the part of customers. So, in 2019, product visualization is one of the best strategies for
you to present your products to your consumers.
It will help them study every detail of a product, which in turn will enable them to make an
informed decision without regretting it afterward - helping you avoid complaints and negative
reviews.
For example, the recent addition of zoom option on various e-commerce sites has been a
great help for businesses and consumers alike. It allows consumers to zoom in on certain
details and get a better understanding of the item without actually touching it.

1.12. Product Videos

Include more product demo videos that show your products in action. According to a research
report provided by Invodo, 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them
more confident in their online purchase decisions. The fact is videos show all the aspects of
your product’s potential. Consumers want to see how a product works but also to make sure
it looks the way they expect.

1.13. 3D Experience for customers

Another powerful option is to use 3D experience for your consumers. An interactive 3D

representation can be extremely handy for customers to process product features. 3D
product imaging will not only increase customer engagement, but it could significantly boost
conversion rates.

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1.14. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is no longer an alien concept, neither is it a territory that can’t be

harnessed for usual practical purposes. That said, AI is everywhere and is gradually
embedding itself into each and every aspect of our life. From smart homes to e-learning, to
healthcare and finance, AI is making its presence felt in a profound manner. E-commerce is
another highly appropriate domain where AI can make a significant impact.
Today, business decision making has become more data-driven and there is an ever-
increasing demand for measurable metrics. For example, conversion rate, bounce rate,
website traffic, engagement rate, etc. are extremely important factors for online marketers.
This is where AI tools can be of considerable help for you. They enable you to gather as well
as investigate data in real-time and track the way potential customers interact with your
brand. AI facilitates better efficiency and competence.

1.15. Advance Product Filtering

As the world is steadily moving into the future, people seem to be busier. So, at a stage when
leisure appears to be a luxury, consumers want to save every bit of their time and shop up
front.
The advanced filter functionality allows your customers to find exactly what they're looking
for quickly and easily. It can be even more useful if you are selling a lot of variations of the
same types of products with many different options.
In 2019, product filters are a must-have element for your online storefront. Sadly, 42% of
major e-commerce sites do not have category-specific filtering types for some of their product
verticals.
The advanced filtering mechanism enables customers to sort through a complex array of
product options. In fact, customers who can’t find what they are looking for within a few
seconds are more likely to bounce from your site.
If you are a clothing store, advance filters will help users spot a specific colour, size, style and
material. There can be many ways to use filters in your online store, such as theme-based,
price, best-selling, user ratings, etc. You should put as many specific product attributes as
possible as a category filter. It’s a good way to remind your customers that these attributes
are crucial to their selection process.

1.16. Chatbots

Technically a part of AI, chatbots can be an important weapon for e-commerce companies
when it comes to enhancing customer experience. You can use chatbots to instantly

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communicate with customers and resolve their issues on multiple platforms, such as
Facebook or your online store.
A chatbot is basically a computer program that simulates a conversation with a human user
with an intent to furnish some kind of service. Some chatbots are so advanced, it is really hard
to distinguish them from chatting with a real human.
A live chatbot will offer your consumers a highly personalized experience. It can effectively
guide them down the sales funnel by influencing their purchasing decisions. You can include
the whole range of product and process knowledge for your customers who have questions
and concerns on the way to the checkout page. You can also program chatbots to fetch data
from email marketing campaigns, upsell and cross-sell products, offer discounts codes, and
so on.
In addition to interacting with customers, live chatbots can help you manage and track your
inventory, thereby letting you know you are running out of certain best-selling items in your
online store. They can also let your customers know that the product they were looking for is
back in stock.

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2. Part B
An example of successful integration of digital marketing concepts into
business by Volkswagen.

VW forecasts that by 2020 the number of people visiting its global website will rise to 360
million, with an increase of 70 percent, compared with 2015.
The automaker is restructuring its advertising operations to create VW films and other type
of customer- related media. Also, Volkswagen will emphasize on creating an attractive
content that is enough for customers to spend their time exploring the virtual VW-related
world.
Following are the examples of successful integration of digital marketing concepts into
business by Volkswagen.

2.1. Data-driven campaigns

Volkswagen says that their campaigns will be developed globally and be data-driven and they
are fully capable to run global campaigns.
With the campaign, the brand will personalize its offerings to a far greater extent than before.
Also, the new sales model will be in a position to communicate direct with the customer in
the future, as in the past direct contacts were largely a matter for the dealers.
An example of this is Volkswagen along with PHD, Omnicom Media Group launched an engine
for data driven advertising.

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The new unit will ensure that Volkswagen delivers relevant content to the consumers as they
move through their digital journey in purchasing a vehicle. Engine pulls together specialized
specialists from Omnicom Media Group organizations PHD, Annalect and Adylic to help
specialized activities, crowd building, dynamic creative and performance reporting. PHD will
oversee Engine specialists crosswise over OMG. These groups will be housed in four territorial
center points supporting pertinent neighborhood Volkswagen and PHD programmatic
purchase optimization groups who will deal with their own local campaigns. The aggregate
center point and nearby center will drive viability and cost productivity in conveying core
digital consumer behaviour KPIs.

2.2. Cloud based platform

VW introduced new digital marketing services by means of its cloud-based "We" stage, and
has taken a stake in Germany's Diconium, which will build up a strategy to buy and manage
on-demand functions for connected vehicles.

2.3. Hashtag

Volkswagen Social Campaign: #PoloTag

Volkswagen created a real-world social game challenging people to spot the new Polo around
a specified route, tag it on twitter, and then test drive it.

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For 6 days, in three major cities, South Africans played the “PoloTag” social game. The
participant who drove it for the longest without being tagged took the new Polo.

2.4. LinkedIn

To accomplish its objectives, Volkswagen propelled its page on LinkedIn. This page had an
option that facilitated the VW brand lovers to air their voice about the VW models, as
proposals. The company likewise utilized recommendation advertisements on LinkedIn to
expand the audience reach.

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The decision of just LinkedIn as a platform had a vital purpose for it. LinkedIn is a decent stage
that caters to the necessities of the working class effectively. Henceforth, there are higher
chances of finding the really interested clients here who can bear the cost of the brand.
Volkswagen focused on the clients by status levels and geographical areas so as to be effective
as they continued looking for the clients who were scanning for the dealer areas in their
locations.
Volkswagen got an incredible number of 9,60,000 reports on the VW models. This
demonstrates the refreshed content got viral effectively. The number of supporters got
expanded by 2,300 on the LinkedIn company page. This isn't all and the company likewise
became successful in accomplishing 2,700 model proposals in only a month's time.
The outcome received demonstrates that the clearness of goal and intelligent execution
arrangements for its accomplishment paid greatly for Volkswagen.

2.5. Mobile Strategy

Volkswagen has launched iPhone applications and a new mobile site, as well as dabbling and
mobile advertising.
In regard to the declaration of its new Scirocco R vehicle, Volkswagen propelled the Scirocco
R 24H Challenge for the iPhone and iPod toucht. The racing game was released on September
15, 2018, that day Volkswagen declared the new vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Another iPhone dashing game, Volkswagen Polo Challenge, chalked up more than 820,000
downloads in March 2018. Volkswagen's Polo was released at the Geneva Motor Show on
March 3 2018, bolstered with mobile racing game for the iPhone and iPod that went live in
the Apple App Store around the same time.
Volkswagen's recent addition to its mobile strategy was its WAP site at http://m.vw.com.
Significance of mobile to Volkswagen:
The mobile site was developed as an integrated component in Volkswagen's overall marketing
strategy, rather than to address a specific challenge or audience.
Procedure on versatile dispatch:
This Volkswagen mobile site is focused on utility, simplicity and point of need. The company
see the site as the hub and primary destination for all future mobile marketing activities, and
as an extension of traditional marketing campaigns.

2.6. Media Promotion

Volkswagen launched a media program called “Blues” to communicate and compliment the
brand essence of Volkswagen. This promotion was a huge success and around two million

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people attended different concerts under the promotion program. Volkswagen also join
hands with Universal Studio, to promote the Volkswagen brand through movies.

Volkswagen cars at Universal Studio for the Movie Fast & Furious.

2.7. Web Promotion

Volkswagen uses web technology like Podcasting to promote its brand online. Also, it uses
“anytime anywhere” marketing campaign with MSN network.

2.8. Customer ID

Volkswagen is all set to introduce a personal customer for direct communications between
Volkswagen and its customers, which is to be introduced with the new brand sales system
from 2019 onwards. Additionally, it will facilitate to the creation of a holistic, individualized
customer experience through all points of contact with Volkswagen, in the digital marketing
scenario. The analysis and utilization of customer data as well as the implementation of highly
advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence will play a key role.
The strategy will be accompanied with a new brand logo and will be rolled out with the eighth-
generation Golf going to be released soon.

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2.9. Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing by Volkswagen

Volkswagen has applied the AI algorithm to all its media strategies in Germany.
Every car model there from the advertiser has a different strategy, predicting which media
investments will give the best returns for its marketers. Those forecasts are based on
Volkswagen’s transactional data, incoming orders and market data such as fuel price,
competitor prices and overall car registrations, which are obtained from sources such as
Nielsen.
Volkswagen’s marketing team bought the recommendations from the platform for display,
search and social in 2017. By using the AI platform’s suggestions, the Volkswagen marketers
can pick its media, avoid any hidden rebate costs it would have incurred from buying via an
agency. Currently all Volkswagen’s media buys are recommended by the AI platform and then
bought by its partner PHD.
Volkswagen’s marketers pull data from more than 1,400 touch points and also relied on the
personal interpretations coming from the PHD which wasn’t based entirely on the data. The
biggest advantage the algorithm gives Volkswagen is the ability to better predict what the
brand’s media investments will do and the more accurate the recommendations become, the
better it can steer its media activity into the best areas.

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