Digital Marketing: Opportunities and Challenges for Marks & Spencer

This report explores the digital marketing landscape, consumer trends, and tools used by Marks & Spencer. It discusses the opportunities and threats in digital marketing and the establishment of e-commerce and digital platforms. It also covers the utilities of digital tools and hardware and provides a digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities. Additionally, it evaluates the evolution of Omni-channel marketing and provides tools and techniques to plan an end-to-end Omni-channel marketing campaign.

Digital marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
P1: Determine digital marketing landscape & distinguish between online and offline
marketing concepts......................................................................................................................3
P2: Evaluate the consumer trends and insights that stimulates the growth of digital marketing.
.....................................................................................................................................................4
M1: Discuss the opportunities and threats facing the digital marketing landscape....................5
P3: Determine digital tools and hardware for marketers in contrast to ‘bricks and mortar’ and
other physical channels................................................................................................................6
P4: Determine the establishment of e-commerce and digital marketing platforms and channels
in comparison to physical channels.............................................................................................6
M2: Determine the utilities of digital tools, both hardware and software in context of chosen
organisation context to meet their marketing requirements........................................................7
P5: Draw a digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities...................8
P6: Evaluate how Omni-channel marketing has evolved............................................................9
M3: Determine the tools and techniques to plan an end-to-end Omni-channel marketing
campaign......................................................................................................................................9
P7: Determine the measurement techniques and performance metrics in digital marketing....10
P8: Determine a set of actions to improve performance in digital marketing...........................11
M4: Determine the application of key digital measurement techniques and performance
metrics used in digital marketing...............................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing is using technologies in the business in order to stimulate business
sales. Digital marketing is nothing but delivering the marketing message to the targeted
customers via internet. It helps to influence the customers to make purchases and promote the
sales of the business. Digital marketing gives a higher variety of selling tools and techniques than
the traditional marketing in the context of Marks & Spencer which is a British multinational
company famously known for delivering variety of services to its international customers. It is
founded by Michael marks and Thomas Spencer in the year 1884, the organisation is
headquartered in London, UK. The organisation is highly specialized and known for selling
clothes, food products, banking services, home products, beauty products, and so on. taking
Marks & Spencer as the chosen organisation this report covers overview of digital marketing
landscape, key of consumer trends, opportunities and challenges in the digital marketing, digital
tools in the hardware is available for the marketers, development of e-commerce and digital
platforms, use of digital tools both hardware and software digital marketing plan, how many
marketing has evolved, tools and techniques to plan into an Omni channel, evaluate
measurement techniques and performance metrics in digital marketing, set of actions to improve
the performance of digital marketing, application of digital marketing techniques and
performance metric in digital marketing (Bala and Verma, 2018).
MAIN BODY
P1: Determine digital marketing landscape & distinguish between online and offline marketing
concepts.
The business can get the outcome from the digital marketing techniques Than the
traditional marketing tools. The digital marketing techniques are getting very used well
entrepreneurs and other businesses uses this technique to get recognized in the marketplace. It
not only brings efficiency in the business by adopting to latest techniques but also helps the
business to get desired result at a very fast pace. In coming years, there will be a hype in the
demand of digital marketing. people living in UK have access to Internet from every 10 out of 9
people and it is expected that the numbers would increase (Behera and et.al.,2020).
Online marketing Offline Marketing

online marketing or digital marketing is
delivering the marketing message to the
targeted consumers using internet. Such as
social media, email et cetera.
Off-line marketing or traditional marketing is
delivering the marketing message to the
targeted consumers using printing and other
sources without any use of internet. Such as
billboards, radio et cetera.
It is the easier and convenient method of
reaching the target audience to different
internet platforms.
In off-line marketing it is difficult to reach out
to the target audience.
It is the most cost-effective Tool and
increased demand of internet and technology
makes it more desirable.
The off-line marketing Are slowing down and
people are shifting to online marketing.
P2: Evaluate the consumer trends and insights that stimulates the growth of digital marketing.
Digital marketing trends a rapidly changing, Marks & Spencer formulate different
marketing techniques as per the trending changes. These changes help the company to grow and
develop better relationship with the consumers. Different marketing trends are as:
Conversational marketing
Conversational marketing is an emerging marketing trend which involves communicating with
the customers. Where in the marketer communicate with asking certain questions and guiding the
consumers in real time that helps to evaluate and gather feedback from the customers and fosters
higher engagement (Diez-Martin, Blanco-Gonzalez and Prado-Roman, 2019).
Personalization
Personalization is an effective tool that helps to personalize content products, emails and more.
The marketer of Marks & Spencer uses personalized marketing tool wherein the company
focuses in delivering personalized experiences as per each consumer demand. The organisation
keeps data about each consumer preferences and with the help of that the organisation delivers

personalized experience pertaining to the products, services, emails and others (Girchenko and
Ovsiannikova, 2016).
Video marketing
Video marketing is also one of an important tool. It is said that video marketing improves the
customer communication. Marks & Spencer uses video marketing So that the consumer feels
confident about the online purchase they are going to make video marketing also attracts
consumers and influences the purchase decision.
M1: Discuss the opportunities and threats facing the digital marketing landscape
There are different set of opportunities and as well as challenges faced while using digital
marketing, these are discussed below as:
Opportunities
Social media
Social media is in greatest asset or opportunity for Marks and Spencer where half of the
population living in UK uses social media platforms. Marks & Spencer have millions of
followers in Instagram that makes a great success for The business in order to deliver and
promote its products and services to the targeted consumers (Goldfarb and Tucker, 2019).
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is also one of an opportunity that helps the business for promoting
and advertising its offering. Marks & Spencer users searching in optimization by influencing the
customer purchases and Delivering information about the organisation to the new customers by
using search engines.
Threats
Keeping up with web trends
It is important that the brands website is using advanced tools and software is to deliver the
marketing objectives as per the current web trends. These involves updating to the latest trends,
using right search engine optimization and all other approaches that are convenient for the
consumers. Marks and spencer faces difficulty while making the website a savvy web for the

consumers and keep it updated by adding features in fresh content as it requires flexibility in the
marketing approaches where in the marketer must rightly analyze the use of current technology
That brings utility to the business (Herhausen, and et.al., 2020).
P3: Determine digital tools and hardware for marketers in contrast to ‘bricks and mortar’ and
other physical channels.
Digital tools used by Marks & Spencer for bricks and mortar and other physical channels,
these are as:
Building strong website
Building a strong website is an important tool where in the association add latest updates and
trends such as hi definition images, videos related to products and services, enhancing the speed
of the websites by deploying the favourable software, making it simple to navigate in the website
for checkout and payment options and other tools that helps to build a strong organizational
website (Järvinen, 2016).
Email marketing
Email marketing is an effective tool that helps to communicate with the targeted consumers in a
more personalized manner. Marks & Spencer delivers marketing messages, information related
to the purchase made by the consumers and other important information in order to develop a
strong and profitable relationship with the consumers.
Social media
Social media Is there effective tool in order to engage with the target consumers. Marks &
Spencer is the social media in order to promote its new features and products offered,
organisation also adds frequent post stories and videos and even customer reviews of the
products and services in the social media platforms (Malar, 2016).
P4: Determine the establishment of e-commerce and digital marketing platforms and channels in
comparison to physical channels
The digital channels include communicating and delivering the marketing messages using
internet platforms. The association uses digital channels and means of communication such as:

Digital marketing platforms and channels
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization and effective tool that helps to deliver information and marketing
message to the final prospects, it works as when customers search in search engine the related
ads of the company get popped into the screens, Marks & Spencer works with search engine
companies like Google in order to promote effective marketing.
Customer relationship management
Customer relationship management system is a software that gathers information about the
customers, it is also an effective technique that helps to analyze specific customer needs and
demands and deliver the best possible marketing message and communicates with different
prospects (Nikunen and et.al., 2017).
Physical channels
The physical marketing tools and channels includes delivering direct or indirect Marketing
message to the ideal consumers without the use of internet platforms. The association uses
certain physical channels, these are discussed below as column
Billboards advertising
Billboard is one of the most common but effective way of marketing That reach to thousands of
people who pass by.
Retail advertising
These includes placing ads banner on the window, storefronts and other places, where in the
association puts big banners of its marketing messages in order to attract consumers to the store
outlet (Piñeiro-Otero and Martínez-Rolán, 2016).
M2: Determine the utilities of digital tools, both hardware and software in context of chosen
organisation context to meet their marketing requirements.
In order to meet the marketing requirements of the business, Marks & Spencer uses
different digital tools such as electronic devices and software is in order to meet the marketing
expectations, these are discussed below:

Marks & Spencer deploys desktops and laptops to each employee in the marketing department
who monitors the Development and effectiveness of the marketing campaign. With the help of
embedded software is an analytical tools the working staff of the association track the web traffic
and measures the effectiveness in order to optimize the marketing campaign. These laptops and
desktops are embedded with software and measuring stats to track the user data, such sites and
conversion matrix of the organisation.
Design tools used by the association for creating ads and content in internet such as social media
post and blog post helps Marks & Spencer in order to design effective marketing campaign with
extensive graphic skills, the business executives maintains and manages all the digital marketing
tools with the help of the electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, where in the business
executive can track the developments from the mobile phones irrespective of location and
internet connectivity (Saura, Palos-Sánchez and Cerdá Suárez, 2017).
P5: Draw a digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities
Marketing plan: -
Customer File
Marks & Spencer selects customers with ranging from mid-income earning to high income
earning consumers. It delivers different varieties of products and services by segregating the
products as per quality and price. The association selects the consumer from kids to men and
women of different ages and selects communication channels for engaging with each customer.
This includes using digital media platforms such as email, social media and company’s website.
Objectives
The society and focuses by enhancing the profitability by 25% within the time frame of 2 to 3
months with the sole objective of influencing and delivering the marketing objectives to the
targeted consumers (Sawicki, 2016).
Marketing tactics and marketing communication channel
In order to deliver marketing objectives association uses social media platforms such as
Instagram, email and company’s website. With the help of an Instagram, the company informs
the customers attract new customers by delivering the benefits of new products and services and

adding features to the existing products. With the help of email marketing and company’s
website, the association get this feedback in order to analyze the effectiveness of the delivered
products and services.
Monitor and control
The organisation monitors and controls the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and
measures the developments but different analytical tools that works in order to measure
consumer responses and the number of consumers the marketing has reached to (Sayyad and
et.al., 2018).
P6: Evaluate how Omni-channel marketing has evolved.
Organisation adopts multi-channel approach in order to deliver marketing objectives to
the customers. As a market research recently few years ago, which address that customers
sometimes don’t prefer and like to answer or respond to phone calls or even feel interested
towards delivering or filing any consumer feedbacks, in such scenario it was discovered that
emails, chats, text messages or other conversational tools using social media are an effective
measure, so that consumers can click to the desirable brand whenever they feel is the best time to
do so. In Omni channel approach, the communication channels are integrated to a centralized
routing system in order to view the consumer reactions. The centralized routing system has
benefited both the businesses and the customers by having a seamless and quality customer
experience. The Omni channel shifted to seamless experience irrespective of if the customers
shop online or off-line. The company switched to Omni channels of integrating both online and
in-store experiences to the customers.
M3: Determine the tools and techniques to plan an end-to-end Omni-channel marketing
campaign.
In order to enhance the only retail channel and develop an effective marketing campaign
here are some tools and techniques used by Marks & Spencer, these are as:
Secure payment gateway
To secure payment gateway is in critical technique used by the association in order to prevent
cyber-attacks and other vulnerabilities in the digital infrastructure, it becomes important to

protect the customers from the exploitation. Thus, Marks & Spencer takes appropriate measures
in order to ensure secure payment.
Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management in order to manage both online and in-store business operations,
Marks & Spencer manages the supply chain by evaluating the availability of the stock, managing
relationship with the suppliers and using cost advantages measures, the association also deploys
edge technologies in order to track different functions involved in the supply chain to ensure
greater visibility, faster shipping and meeting the Expectations of supply.
Social media integration
The organisation uses social accounts such as Instagram and Facebook in order to Enhance
customer experiences by adding touch points, Communicating the products and services changes
and development of new products to the social media accounts.
P7: Determine the measurement techniques and performance metrics in digital marketing.
Measurement techniques and performance metrics used by the organisation are as:
Total site visits
Marks & Spencer evaluates and tracks defectiveness of the marketing campaign by estimating
the traffic through the marketing campaigns. When the number of traffic drops timely dog
navigation identifies the changes and improvement that needs to be adopted and if the number
starts growing steadily then the organisation identifies the success of the marketing campaign.
Time on site
Time and site is a Traffic metric tool that helps to analyze the performance of the site. It
calculates the total time spent by each target prospect through which the organisation can
estimate the number of committed customers and what actually attracts the consumers so that the
association can adopt the changes as per the analysis (Thomas and Housden, 2017).
Value per visit
Value per site is the revenue metric tool that helps to analyze the value generated by each
customers including the total number of time they spent and the total purchases they make.

Click through rates
Click through rates is a performance metric tool which is used for email marketing and other
paid campaigns. It helps to analyze the cost per click and determine the actual cost and revenue
generated from the marketing campaigns.
P8: Determine a set of actions to improve performance in digital marketing.
Assess the tech
These includes the kind of message delivered in order to ensure that right message is been
delivered across all channels, this also includes determining channels of communication such as
social channels and the list of the most important consumer segment, determining the budget
allotted and to the end what technology is deployed to accomplish the set of objectives such
as customer relationship management system, marketing automation, CMS, the most important
social media platforms for engaging with the customers content management.
Optimize SEO
Marks & Spencer works with search engine providing businesses in order to track SCO success
such as using Google analytics to track the volume, collecting data and evaluating the
approaches That attracts most clicks.
Measure content reach
The association measures the content reach by evaluating the number of engagement in the way
of page view, downloads and others, measuring both internal and external reach of evaluating the
effectiveness of the marketing campaign (Yadav, Joshi and Rahman, 2015).
Track of social channels
Marks & Spencer keeps a track of evaluating customer engagement through social channels but
using tools such as SEMrush and Google analytics for tracking the performance of the social
media channels.

M4: Determine the application of key digital measurement techniques and performance metrics
used in digital marketing.
It is important to determine measurement techniques and performance metrics which
helps to deliver real-time view of the marketing campaign and it determines the performance of
the marketing campaign That how far it is helping to achieve the set of marketing objectives,
these digital marketing analytical tools helps to formulate decisions pertaining to marketing and
sales, applications of these tools is important as it helps to measure the results of the marketing
campaign, analyze the strengths and weaknesses in the marketing strategies, these digital
performance metric tools save business expenses by keeping a track of cost and price escalation
involved in the marketing objectives.
CONCLUSION
The above report clearly defines the importance of digital marketing that how it is a
crucial tool in today’s marketplace. Wherein the businesses aim and focuses at large consumer
prospects, so it becomes very important to use digital marketing in order to influence and engage
with the large consumer prospects and deliver the right marketing message. It is the most cost
effective technique which turns profitable and efficient tool for marketing and sales of the
products and services offered by the company. Right from B2B and B2C digital marketing is an
effective approach of building profitable relationship with the customers and clients to develop
effective distribution channel, channel of communication and a strong brand positioning in the
market place.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals