Digital Communication Plan for Big W

The objective of the report is to put forward a digital communication plan that could be implemented for improving the business demands and popularity of Big W, a retailer in Australia which is facing the risk of closure due to massive financial losses. The report discusses the strategies and objectives of the digital communication plan, various digital communication platforms, and performance metrics of the communication plan.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Business Communication Skills
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Executive Summary:
The objective of the report is to put forward a digital communication plan that could be
implemented for improving the business demands and popularity of Big W, a retailer in Australia
which is facing the risk of closure due to massive financial losses. Advances in the technology
have not only made the communication simpler but also reduced the distance barriers that
spanned across the time and the border zones. It therefore holds a huge potential in the
improvement of the communication in businesses. Times are gradually changing and it is time
for the strategies of the business communication to pull up. In present day, digital
communication has been the key for maximization of the interactions. The report commences
with a brief introduction of the company. It also discusses the strategies and objectives of the
digital communication plan. The report also gives an overview of the various digital
communication platforms and also mentions about the performance metrics of the
communication plan.

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction:..............................................................................................................................3
2.0 About the Company Big W.......................................................................................................3
3.0 Objectives and Strategies of Digital Communication Plan.......................................................4
4.0 Platforms for Digital Communication:......................................................................................7
5.0 Performance Metrics of Digital Communication Plan..............................................................9
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................10
References:....................................................................................................................................10

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1.0 Introduction:
The report aims at providing an insight into the digital communication plan that could be
applied to organizations or business for improving the business demands and become
increasingly popular. The emergence of newer technologies in the day to day lives has led to the
change in paradigm of our communication in both the commercial and the human relations. The
introduction of the smart phones has lead to the acceleration in the behavioral modification of
communication at an increasing level. Businesses have not only been found to adopt newer
communication means with clients, providers and colleagues but have also adopted newer
possibilities of commercialization to sell their services via internet. The newer situation has also
made it necessary for each organization to spread their presence over internet. Hence, the new
rules lie in not only showing their presence but at the same time remaining interactive and
active with the community thereby sharing values and create a brand along with establishing a
human, bilateral communication where the organization is able to identify itself in the same
platform as the clients. Therefore, to become successful with the new set of rules it is necessary
to set digital communication plan which is also sometimes known as the Social Media Marketing
Plan.
2.0 About the Company Big W
Big W represented chain of discounted departmental stores in Australia. It was found in
the year 1964 in New South Wales (bigw.com.au 2019). The company has been a division of the
Woolworths Limited. It operated close to 182 stores comprising of 22,000 employees across
Asia and Australia. The store was one of its kinds in providing optometry services and self
service checkouts. However, the company had to close down its optometry stores in the year

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2019 along with close to 175 job loss. There have been speculations regarding the closure of the
retailer following its huge loss and resignation of its chief executive.
The management team observed that to prevent the retailer from major loss it was
necessary to add newer technology and thereby create a digital means for popularizing and
promoting the brand Big W. This forced the management to look out for a well thought of plan
for achieving its goal.
Hence, the report tries to present an appropriate digital communication plan that would
not only enable Big W to prevent its losses but at the same time become one of the eye catching
stores in Australia. Besides, the new change in the form of digital communication would put
across technical assistance to both the staffs and the consumer.
3.0 Objectives and Strategies of Digital Communication Plan
The very first thing that needed to be done while developing the digital communication
plan lies in carrying situation analysis of the firm that helps in looking into the strength,
weakness, opportunities and weakness of the company (Killian and McManus 2015).
Strengths
1. It is a division of Woolworths, one of the
well known a and oldest retail brands of
Australia
2. Provided broader range of products and
service
Weakness
1. Low presence on the global scale
2. Huge loss to the extent of close down

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3. Provided optometry service across Australia
4. Second company to use the self service
checkouts (Lee and Yang 2013).
Opportunities
1. Compete with other retail markets in the
emerging economy.
2. Leveraging bigger data analytics for an
efficient and enhanced experience
Threats
1. Faces discounting wars with the other
retailers like Coles
2. Slower growth of online retail within
Australia
Objectives:
The objectives determine how Big W will utilize the digital medium to prevent its
business from running into losses. This might also prevent the company from closing down.
Hence, a pristine strategic vision of delivering service through digital platforms will help in
creating a better presence in the unexplored markets and also provide a wider customer base.
This helps in providing a clear insight into the business
Strategy:
This indicates the strategies adopted in acquiring the objectives. The retailer needed to
adopt strategies that would allow it to blend technology and people thus delivering seamless,
personalized and an integrated experience. Some of the strategies that might give a boost to the
business of Big W are as follows (Ryan 2016):

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a. Recognition of Target Audience: It is the one of the crucial strategies since it involves
delivering the accurate messages for inviting customers ( Patrutiu Baltes 2015). Otherwise the
content would lose its track in reaching the appropriate audience.
b. Keep a Track of the Competitors: This will help the company to identify the top
competitors and the ways through which they use digital marketing in reaching customers
thereby enhancing their sales (Glukhov and Balashova 2015). Some of competitors include Coles
and Aldi.
c. Indentifying Value Proposition: Here it is vital to identify the value proposition that
would help in targeting the accurate audience. Big W looks forward to a multiyear turnaround
plan that would save its brand name (Frow et al. 2014). It is therefore vital to prioritize the
channels of digital communication for the generation of substantial amount of the traffic. Priority
can be selected by maintaining the following order.
 Email marketing
 Social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter
 Checking of Referral Traffic
 Online Directory Listings
 Press
d. Keep a Tab on Content Strategy: This is vital for the distribution, creation and
management of the original content to attract the user. It also helps in positioning the brand at the

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top of the user’s mind (Halbheer et al. 2014). Some of the tools that needed to be considered
included:
 Search for keywords: Accurate keyword helps in improving the search engine
optimization (SEO).
 Consider Content Calendar: This helps in adding value to the content thereby implying
that it makes sense.
 Consider Social Posting: This should to be done through use of ideal number of links,
hashtags and characters.
4.0 Platforms for Digital Communication:
There are various digital communication platforms which Big W can adopt to reach
increasing number of customer, prevent huge losses and pave its path towards a long term
survival. Some of them are mentioned as follows:
1. Facebook: With emergence of Web 2.0 or social media marketers have a chance of
utilizing opportunities of undertaking digital communication through platforms like Facebook. It
has proved to be a successful digital communication tool for consumer goods business (Rainie,
Smith and Duggan 2013). This is because this social media platform has combined user base
over a billion people. Besides, this social media platform has active users that make it a platform
for the brands in the chaotic world of social media. Facebook also offers reach and penetration to
the marketers especially the ones operating on the shoe string budgets. Unlike the traditional
media, marketing through Facebook can be measured for its efficacy as it allows easier click
through and purchase of the products. Therefore, Facebook can aid Big W to not only target the

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global audience but at the same time consider the local factors. This will help Big W to create
global campaign that would reach both the local and global consumers. Further, removal of
geographical constraints would imply the removal of the locational and the spatial barriers for
BigW. In other words, Facebook helps in the integration of the marketing strategies for
effectively outreaching the consumers.
2. You Tube: This social media platform puts across range of benefits and uses for
the businesses like BigW. This medium not only helps a business to demonstrate the
products in action but also act as a means of sharing and engaging with the consumers
through the creation of a community(Dehghani et al., 2016). As a digital communication tool
this platform helps in reducing bandwidth by embedding the video content in the website
of the company without enhancing the bandwidth of the site. In other words, this platform
will allow Big W to include video without eating away the download speed of the
customers. Big W will also be able to add movement and color to the business image. The
medium will also allow the business to solve customer problems.
3. Instagram: This is another digital communication tool used immensely by the users to
make a purchase that helps in enhancing sales (Lee et al. 2015). The advertising platform of this
social media has access to most advanced type of advertising thereby aiding in sales
enhancement. This digital media platform can therefore allow Big W to track the sales and the
leads for deriving a clear picture regarding return on investment. Through Instagram Big W will
also be able to tap into the unreached base of customers. Besides, it will help the business in
building audience who will remain loyal to the brand. In addition to this, it also helps the
business in strengthening relationship with followers and the potential customers.

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4. Twitter: This is a platform where Tweets mostly include links to web content, videos
and images (Murthy 2018). They also allow businesses like Big W to launch ads particularly
when business community remains active. It is a digital communication platform where the users
follow one another thereby allowing followers in reading sharing and responding to the tweets
thus creating greater level of interaction. The popularity of the platform give it immense
potential as marketing tool for business like Big W. Twitter can however become an ally in the
digital communication strategy of a brand as it put across the advantage of Hashtags that makes
the tweets easily searchable. It also enables a business like Big W to interact with the opinion
leaders and locate the experts within the same business domain that paves the way to the creation
of virtual relation and finally into the translation of newer business opportunities.
5.0 Performance Metrics of Digital Communication Plan
1. Measurement of Traffic: This is a crucial tool for determining effectiveness of digital
communication plan as it helps in driving traffic (Järvinen and Karjaluoto 2015). It is to be noted
that the number of visits would be built steadily in case the plan is appropriate. When the number
of visit does not build up steadily then there is a need for Big W will have to undertake a review
of marketing channels and adjusts the things accordingly.
2. Keeping Track of Return and New Visitors: This helps in portraying effectiveness
of the communication plan in reaching and engaging customers (Stone and Woodcock 2014).
Big W will have to make minor adjustments in strategies when the communication plan fails to
attract the new visitors. A higher bounce rate is taken care of by adjusting the outreach efforts.
3. Keeping a Tab on Repeat Customers: This metric is influenced primarily by the
design elements, freshness of content, ease of navigation and consistent branding. It is vital to

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keep a note regarding the design and relevance of the site if there are no repeat customers. In
other words, the rate of return also determines whether there is any need for the improvement in
content.
4. Taking a Note on Conversion Rate: This metric help on enhancing interactivity or
aids in lead generation. The conversions are mostly measured by determining a goal in analytics
toolbox. When conversion rate is lower, it becomes necessary for Big W will have to access the
various aspects of website that includes design, relevance, navigation, checkout process and the
engagement potential (Leeflang et al. 2014)
5. Keeping Track of Social Metrics: This represents the exposure and it is measured
based on interactivity. The social metrics comprises of the subscribers, bouncers, new followers,
likes, comments, channel views with respect to the social media platforms. This determines the
growth rate of the business.
6. Measuring the Return on Investment (ROI): Measurement of the ROI of digital
campaign can be complicated and confusing (Spiller and Tuten 2015). It is there important for
Big W to concentrate on the individual channels for the calculation of ROI since it will provide a
better insight into digital marketing plans that leads to the generation of conversion and sales.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be said that a digital communication plan can aid Big W
from closure. The various platforms for the digital communication not only provide measurable
results but will also enable the business to reach larger audience. It has also been easier to
optimize resulting in the improved rates of conversion. The report also portrays how in the
business world , digital communication acts a key for maximizing interactions with consumers

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thereby resulting in increased rate of sales and ultimately resulting in earning a substantial return
on investment.
References:
bigw.com.au , 2019. [online]. Available at https://www.bigw.com.au/[ accessed 8 Sep, 2019]
Dehghani, M., Niaki, M.K., Ramezani, I. and Sali, R., 2016. Evaluating the influence of
YouTube advertising for attraction of young customers. Computers in human behavior, 59,
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Frow, P., McColl-Kennedy, J.R., Hilton, T., Davidson, A., Payne, A. and Brozovic, D., 2014.
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Glukhov, V.V. and Balashova, E., 2015. Operations strategies in info-communication
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