Analysis of Social Media Marketing Strategies for Priceline Australia

This report analyzes the social media marketing strategies used by Priceline Australia to improve efficiency and gain a competitive advantage. It examines the different social media platforms used, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and provides recommendations for enhancing effectiveness.

Running head: MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Marketing Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Executive Summary
The report has helped in the analysis of the social media marketing strategies which can play
a vital role in improving the overall efficiency of the company in an appropriate manner. In
case of Priceline Australia, there are different kinds of marketing channels which are being
used such as Facebook, Instagram along with YouTube channels that has helped in managing
their effectiveness in comparison to the other competitors present in the market. Lastly, the
recommendations have been provided that has helped in the analysis of effectiveness of the
company.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Summary of the chosen organisation.....................................................................................3
3. Use of the four steps model....................................................................................................4
4. Analysis of social media platforms used................................................................................5
5. Recommendations..................................................................................................................6
6. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
The report helps in the analysis of the social media strategy which is the essential
piece in the business-related marketing strategy which will be helpful in connecting with the
different customers, increasing the awareness regarding the brand as well as boosting the
leads along with sales. The main aim and purpose of the report is to identify the social media
marketing strategies which are being used by Priceline Australia in communicating with the
stakeholders to gain competitive advantage through the analysis of the social media platforms
which are being used by them to target the audiences present in the market.
2. Summary of the chosen organisation
Priceline is one of the health and beauty retailers in Australia and the respective brand
has two kinds of stores such as traditional Priceline and Priceline pharmacy. The company
was founded in the year 1982 and it is headquartered in Australia which is operating under
the retail industry. The different products which are being sold by them includes health and
beauty and the number of employees working in the company is 300+ till the year 2017
(Priceline.com.au, 2019).
The current offerings related to the products include hair care products, skincare,
fragrance along with wellbeing related products for the women as well as men customers.
Moreover, in the current scenario, the company has involved themselves in pharmaceutical
retailing with the help of the Priceline Pharmacy brand and there are more than 330 stores of
Priceline through Australia. In addition, Priceline Australia have been the sponsor for the
thirty days Fashion and Beauty and it is the biggest yearly fashion as well as beauty which is
the biggest event held in Australia.
Furthermore, the company has been famous in selling the different kinds of health and
beauty products at half price than the other retailers present in the market. Moreover, the
loyalty program of Priceline Australia has more than four million members which has made
them largest health and beauty retail loyalty related programs in Australian economy.
3. Use of the four steps model
The social media strategy is the main aspect which should be followed by Priceline
Company as it will be engaging the different customers and determine the target audience in

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the market as well. The main steps which are involved in the social media marketing strategy
includes the four steps which are as follows:
Listen- It is the first and foremost approach which is followed by Priceline Australia
as the main aspect of social media channels is to listen to the different viewpoints of
customers (Wang & Kim, 2017). The focused listening will be helpful for analyzing trends
and working in that manner to gain stronger customer base. Priceline targets mainly the
wellbeing of women customers who are the target customers and the different health care
products along with other pharmacy related products are being made available to them at half
price which attracts them and make the customers happy.
Communicate- It is the second approach which is followed by Priceline Australia as it
is helpful in building brand and increase the visibility of the brand as well. In case of
Priceline Australia, building relationship is the most effective aspect which should be
followed by the company as it helps in communicating with potential customers and gain
more profitability in the market as well (Sajid, 2016). The company communicate with the
customers relating to the new products or the other offers through Facebook or Instagram
Official page along with the official website of the company to help them gain strong base of
customers.
Figure 1: Steps in Developing Social Media Marketing Strategy
(Source: Ramanathan, Subramanian & Parrott, 2017)
Engage- Through inclusion of the different social media tools such as Facebook along
with Instagram, it helps Priceline in engaging the different customers in making them

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understand the different kinds of offerings provided by them. Through engagement of social
media, it helps in expanding marketing research along with boosting the brand awareness that
has helped them in showcasing their brand in the market. Through offering various discounts
and offers along with offering the products at half price in comparison to the market is the
most appropriate technique which is being used to engage customers and improve their
customer base.
Collaborate- Priceline Australia has been introducing the different collaborations with
the various digital marketing companies as it will be helpful in providing the customers with
full range of products and services for providing the respective service to them. There has
been different co-creation of contents that is effective in managing the overall effectiveness
and induce the customers to be more involved towards their brand.
4. Analysis of social media platforms used
From the analysis of the website of the company and the other aspects which are
followed by the company, it can be understood that there are different kinds of social media
channels which are being used as it will be enhancing the growth of the company and it has
assisted them in improving the overall brand image of the company in a positive manner as
well. The most common social media channels which are used by Priceline Australia includes
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube along with official website of Priceline to attract different
customers in the market (Ngai, Tao & Moon, 2015).
Firstly, Priceline Australia uses Instagram account in which they try to put in the
different stories of the clients as to uplift their brand image through relevant hashtags. There
are different postings of teasers which will be urging people to buy such products and
moreover, the brand offers more than 70% off discount while showing the different products
which are available for purchase (Hudson et al., 2016). There are more than millions of
followers of Priceline Pharmacy that has encouraged the buyers to try out the different
products and gain competitiveness.
Secondly, the official Facebook website of Priceline Australia is highly viewed by the
different customers and the company introduces the different kinds of products which are
new in their Facebook page. Moreover, with the help of Facebook page, the company has
been able to engage their audiences and the discounts offered by them are included in the
official Facebook page as well (Godey et al., 2016). There is inclusion of sponsored ads that

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pops up in the personal webpage of the customers and it helps in engaging the different
customers positively.
Moreover, in YouTube channels, the company has been able to showcase the different
advertisements before commencing a show, it is helping the company in gaining competitive
advantage and it has helped them in building strong base of customers as well in the market
(Felix, Rauschnabel & Hinsch, 2017). The company Priceline Australia has been introducing
the buying advertising done by them and it offers the different customers to search the
different products along with services offered by them through typing the keywords which is
helpful in improving their effectiveness.
Therefore, from the overall analysis of the social media channels which are being
used by Priceline Australia, it can be seen that these are the main social media channels
which are being used to attract customers and it has helped them in generating huge
profitability.
5. Recommendations
With the implementation of SMART objectives, the company can be gaining
competitive advantage in the market and it will be helpful for them in succeeding in the
competitive business environment. Firstly, proper auditing is essential in nature as it will be
helpful in analyzing the current social presence wherein the different networks in which they
are currently present as it will be able to compare the same with profiles of the other
competitors and it will be enhancing the goals. Through preparation of the personas of
audiences in the market, it will be allowing to analyze the potential fans, followers along with
customers as real people with real needs along with wants (Alves, Fernandes & Raposo,
2016).
Furthermore, the research is required to be done by Priceline Australia to understand
the nature of competition present in the market as it will be enhancing the overall efficiency
of the company. The competitive analysis can be conducted as it will be showcasing the
different kinds of companies which are performing well and through the same, the company
can engage into other social media strategies that can be used to improve their effectiveness
of the brand appropriately (Ashley & Tuten, 2015). As the respective company has their
presence in different social media channels, therefore, the quality over quantity is the most

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effective approach that can be introduced by them as it will be enhancing their growth and
provide added value to the customers in the market as well (Duffett, 2017).
Lastly, working with the right tools is the other necessary recommendation which can
be included by Priceline Company through planning the content ahead and creating more
time for engagement of the customers (Chang, Yu & Lu, 2015). The main focus of the
company should be including the different customers by understanding their tastes and
preferences and it can be helpful for them in serving customers more efficiently.
6. Conclusion
Therefore, from the analysis of the social media marketing of the company, it can be
identified that Priceline Australia is one of the well-known pharmacies wherein the company
has been able to include the strong base of customers and improve their brand image in the
market as well. With the help of the four stage social media strategy model, it can be
identified and analyzed that social media aspect is the most essential approach wherein they
are offering different products at half price and it can be helpful for them in improving the
overall effectiveness of the company in a positive manner. Lastly, there are different kinds of
strategies which can be incorporated by them in order to improve the overall effectiveness of
the products and services offered by them.

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References
Alves, H., Fernandes, C., & Raposo, M. (2016). Social media marketing: a literature review
and implications. Psychology & Marketing, 33(12), 1029-1038.
Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory
study of branded social content and consumer engagement. Psychology &
Marketing, 32(1), 15-27.
Chang, Y. T., Yu, H., & Lu, H. P. (2015). Persuasive messages, popularity cohesion, and
message diffusion in social media marketing. Journal of Business Research, 68(4),
777-782.
Duffett, R. G. (2017). Influence of social media marketing communications on young
consumers’ attitudes. Young Consumers, 18(1), 19-39.
Felix, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., & Hinsch, C. (2017). Elements of strategic social media
marketing: A holistic framework. Journal of Business Research, 70, 118-126.
Godey, B., Manthiou, A., Pederzoli, D., Rokka, J., Aiello, G., Donvito, R., & Singh, R.
(2016). Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity
and consumer behavior. Journal of business research, 69(12), 5833-5841.
Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media
interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand
perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in
Marketing, 33(1), 27-41.

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Ngai, E. W., Tao, S. S., & Moon, K. K. (2015). Social media research: Theories, constructs,
and conceptual frameworks. International Journal of Information
Management, 35(1), 33-44.
Priceline.com.au (2019) Priceline Pharmacy - Australia's Leading Health & Beauty Retailer
(online) Retrieved from https://www.priceline.com.au [Accessed on 7th June 2019]
Ramanathan, U., Subramanian, N., & Parrott, G. (2017). Role of social media in retail
network operations and marketing to enhance customer satisfaction. International
Journal of Operations & Production Management, 37(1), 105-123.
Sajid, S. I. (2016). Social media and its role in marketing.
Wang, Z., & Kim, H. G. (2017). Can social media marketing improve customer relationship
capabilities and firm performance? Dynamic capability perspective. Journal of
Interactive Marketing, 39, 15-26.