Principles and Practices of Marketing

This study material provides an in-depth understanding of the principles and practices of marketing, with a focus on the strategies and tactics used by Virgin Media. It explores the AIDA model and pull marketing strategies, and discusses the target operating model and customer experience strategies implemented by Virgin Media. The material also includes information on the brand's promotional campaigns and its use of digital platforms, external spaces, and third parties for marketing purposes.

Principles and Practices of
Marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1:..............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Marketing activities are the functions that are related to promotional activities of the
organisation. For the purpose of achievement of high performance in a organisation there is
evaluation of the present scenario of marketing campaigns and different promotional activities
that are used for the purpose of developing a detail overview of the strategies & tactical plans
that are by a information base (Scott‐Taylor and et.al 2018). Virgin media is a British
telecommunication company that is leading in providing of television, telephone and Internet
services across UK. Its headquarters are present in Green park England and since year 2013
virgin media has been a subsidiary of libery global Plc. Further there is application of
promotional mix portfolio that is supported by evaluation of the tactics that are used by such
business.
Task 1:
Marketing strategies and tactics are extremely crucial for every organisation in order to
enhance their present level of sales so that there can be approach developed towards the target
segment of market by use of strategies & tactical plans that are to be supported by sound
information base.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF Virgin media:
Virgin media is a British telecommunication brand. The main focus of this brand in the
present scenario is enhancing the business growth in different parts of the world so that there can
be connection that is established between different customer (Sukadarti, Murni, and Nur, 2016)
. They are recognized as the fastest available broadband services and the project lightning
network investment is according to 17 million homes & the business can access benefits
according to the ultrafast fibre optic network. They have launched world's first mobile network
and is the interactive services allows the customers through the bets quality services offered by
virgin group.
Via digital platforms: Presently Virgin media in the scenario of COVID 19 there is launching of
a new media campaign that is based on celebration of hues of romance under the situation of
pandemic (Virgin Media campaign celebrates various hues of romance under pandemic, 2020).

This campaign is created by Adam and the main focus of the whole campaign is on
staying in love, staying connected as campaign that is started by virgin media to depict the life in
situation of lock down (Lowrey Armenta, and Brooks, 2016).
The campaign is based on use of act of selfie to the virtual musical diets that is falling
asleep together on the video call the dating technique is depicted in the present digital era with a
series of real life that is inspired by snapshots to upbeat the sound track of carly Rae Jepsen's “I
really like you”.
Previously the brand has release the two marketing campaigns in the lock-don that was based on
tag line: Stay home, stay safe, stay connected, stay singing, stay dancing.
The executive director of marketing and brand is by focussing on use of Virgin media
rightly pointed that by tapping in the new normal there is acceleration of the process of staying
connected the new film is showing a series of relations that blossom online & further there is
evolving of roles that technology is playing in staying connected (Pashootanizadeh and
Khalilian, 2018).
The series was launched in instalments and the third instalment of staring connected
series was abed on looking away from the transition of UGC approach. There was focus on
shooting of scenes with present restrictions according to creative director of Virgin media
(Adesoga, 2016).
Initially the focus of social Virgin media was on applications such as Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, LinkedIn. When the scenario was of social media and content marketing the enthusiasm
of virgin group was the highest, the company reported a revenue of 22.1 billion euros by the
value of their social media and content marketing presence.
External spaces:
Virgin brand is also focusing on use of external spaces as a promotional and marketing
technique in order to promote their brand. They are using the present advertisement of British
romance as hoarding on various public places with the same tag line (Kulkarni, Attal, and
Vasundekar, 2020). They have also used another technique of promotion of their products. They
are also using different hoarding on moving transports where the speed related apse ct of virgin
group is highlighted used as a promotional tag line.

Through third parties: Virgin media is focussing on another strategy that is to nail the brand
experience there was another campaign that was Launched in the year 2019 in may (ASNAFI
and HAJI, 2019).
According to views of Matt holt, 2019 the focus of the strategy was to spot on. It was a success
as people watched the ad and then visited virgin media website that was well deigned, cleaned
and frictionless. It was based on a standard best practises user experience.
On the platforms of INDEED there was re-imagining of the campaign as “total brand
experience”

(Source: How Virgin Media plans to become ‘the most irresistible brand’, 2019)
(Source: How Virgin Media plans to become ‘the most irresistible brand’, 2019)

The above mentioned image is based on the ad-watch research that has been conducted in the
year 2019 where there is a online survey that took place among 1000 adult sin great Britain who
are between the age group of 16-64 years.
Accordance the views of Matt holt, the virgin media website is focussing on staying connected.
According to Sarah vizard, 2019 the virgin media one the famous telecom giant brand is shifting
money towards brand marketing so that they are able to attract more customers for services.
There is moving of the advertising budget to long term strategy of marketing as virgin media is
becoming one of the most recommend brands (Zol-ala and Mohamadpour, 2019).
According to the marketing week, marketing director Cilesta van Doorn the virgin media
investment is weighted in favour of sales and not for brand building. “New north star” was a
strategy of Virgin media that is based on the haw to become on of the most recommended brand
among the customers and the staff members, Net promoter score is a key metric for Van doorn
(How Virgin Media plans to become ‘the most irresistible brand’, 2019).
Customer touch pints: Virgin media is well known for use of blogging and social media
applications. Liberty group Plc is the biggest virgin advocate and is the ambassador. He is
allowing to steel series through any such media applications. The website of virgin media is itself
the timelines telling the story of Liberty group Plc interest. The timelines is repletion the
nostalgia.

Paid media: The AESOP report details the virgin media spending of 107 million pounds.
Virgin media shorts: It is a type of content marketing that is combined with the philanthropy
and the story telling. Virgin has managed to enthuse the young film-makers to achieve a wide
coverage with cinemas across social media platforms. There biggest short film ran for a period of
six years and promoted the brand (Tong, Luo, and Xu, 2020).
Re engineering of aspect: In this the aim was to engineer the each aspect of the service ground
with a goal to enhance the number of customers that can recommend the British media. Ranging
from the process to roles and reporting to rewards no stone has been left unturned by Virgin to
create a like customer experience.
TASK 2
There is application of AIDA model that is tracing of the customer journey by evaluating of four
basic attributes that are awareness, interest desire and action. It is one of the best known models
of marketing as compared to other different classic marketing models. This model is applied in
the present scenario of virgin media for the purpose of making a detailed evaluation of the way

this brand has been able to create awareness and desire for their target segment of customers to
avail their services.
AIDA model
AIDA model is used for identification of the various cognitive stages that a individual
goes through during the buying process of a product or a services (Rao-Nicholson and Khan,
2017). The purchasing funnel is where buyers are going through at each stage and is supporting
them in making of the final purchase.
Awareness: Creation of brand awareness or affiliation of a product or a services. One of
the strength of Virgin media group sis the consistency of the brand the way of story telling that is
prevailing across the entire portfolio of this brand whether it is the media, flight, rail travel
banking.
Interest: It is the process of generation of interest according to the benefits of a product
or a services. The interest for the target segment of customers is created by Virgin Media by
focusing on starting of a campaign named as “biggest ever network expansion” that is a UK
largest investment structure of broadband for a faced (Chaffey, and Smith, 2017). There has
been a intestine of 3 billion pounds for the purpose of extending of the network so that there are
4 million additional premises.
Desire: In this the desire for the product is created by use of a approach of “emotional
connection” that is showing the brand personality and is moving from customer looking it to
wanting it. In the year 2020 there has been a situation of COVID 19 pandemic that has affected
the world. So in this the campaign video call the dating technique lead to creation of a emotional
connection with their target market (Increasing customer satisfaction and retention, 2020).
There were development of some of the sustainability goals that lead to enhancing of the trust of
customers:
 More inclusion: There has been nurturing of a engaged workforce that is representing the
diversity of the communities and customers.
 Better products: There is improvement of the sustainability performance for every new
product that is being launched.
 Lower impact: In this the focus of virgin media is to enhance the growth of business
without focussing on the carbon footprint.

(Source: Increasing customer satisfaction and retention, 2020)

(Source: Increasing customer satisfaction and retention, 2020)
Action: in this there is moving of the buyers for the purpose of interaction with the
organisation.
After being attracted with the speed and availability options that are offered by virgin
group customers have changed the perception for the brand as they are serving towards the
growth of community (Pani, Sahu and Majumdar, 2019). There has been a collaboration of
virgin with the in house customer experience design team that is designed for improvement of
early stages if relationship and “Joining of journey” where there is setting a long term
relationship basis with the customers and assisting the company to enhance the customer
experience.
This model is based in delivering of a ideal journey that is setting a basis of long term
relationship with their customers and helping them in consideration of better customer
experience. Engine was able to explore the existing process of shadowing and interviewing of
customers, stakeholder and employees to look for company insights and focus on improvements.

It lead to creation of better virgin media customer experience team so that there can be new ways
of supporting the new ways of working and thinking to engage people across the country.
Pull marketing strategy:
Pull marketing strategy is also regarded as the pull promotional strategy that is a strategy
in which a organisations is aimed at enhancing the demand of its products by drawing of
customer attention. Pull marketing strategies are revolving around customers for a particular
product so that it can be used with the conjunction of push marketing strategy.
Pull marketing strategy is used when the firm is marketing the products directly to
customers and then further customer is sneaking out the products for purchasing them. There are
some of the pull marketing strategies in which the most popular is the present social media
networks that are created by organisations.
Push marketing strategy:
It is a business term that is where the organisation is willing to attempt to take the
products to customers. In this strategy the goal is to adopt different marketing techniques and
channels to push the products is that it can be seen by the customers that is starting from the
point of purchase.
Virgin media is focusing on use of pull marketing strategy project so that there can be
creation of an amazing customer experience when it really counts. It is the first provider of the
four brand of service that is TV mobile, phones and home phones services.
They identified that there cab be three reason why the customers are not preferring this brand
that is:
 customers leaving cabled areas
 Prices
 customer experience
A stronger emotional relationship with their customers so that it can reduce the final cost of
attrition. For this they are willing to create a great customer experience. This has been achieved
by a best catch up TV services that is providing the UK fastest broadband and the key part was
transformation of the approach to installations & up-gradations.

Virgin group has moved from a outsourced installation to a in house approach that can lead
towards fulfilment of their objective by creation of a satisfied customer base.
For enhancement of the present customer base Virgin group is focussing on seven critical
aspects that are part of their overall core business strategies in order to attract large number of
customers (Creating an amazing customer experience when it really counts, 2020):
1) Understand of the business today: in this top management of virgin group identified the
aspects that are leading towards driving of performance.
2) Creation of a strong compelling vision: in virgin group it was about creation of a vest
field engineer model in the country and building up of a cohesive team that is focussing
on customers, employee engagement and customer advocacy.
3) A target operating model is not just about people, process & technology: Virgin group is
focusing on nit hits the process of mapping organisation structure and system. But they
are willing to create a step to change that is looking for KPI, overtime, culture behaviour
and customer feedback. They have also launched a “day in the life of” customer
experience.
4) People, people, people: The huge focus of Virgin group has been on transformation of
creation of a high performing cohesive team. For this they are undertaking a ride outs
with the technicians and understand the end to end installation journey that is ideal “way
of working”.
5) Think customer: in the highly competitive market there has to be focus on creation of a
emotional relationships. There is constitution of a customer experience that can delight
the customers by never letting the customers down by their working services.
6) Pilot and tune: The change of scale has to be made from perfect to star. There has to be
focus on the way to implement the change through small pilot group. The virgin group
laid emphasis on creation of advocates that could help in rolling out it across the bigger
operation.
7) Manage the culture with great precision: Change has to be big so that there is a surety
of creation of capacity in the system. That lead to virgin group focussing on the technique
of ongoing improvement.
With the assistance of above mentioned seven principles there were delivering of expected
results for Virgin group.

Key performance indicator: The KPI for Virgin group has been the managing of transferring of
150 administration & technicians for recruitment of 50 employees for the purpose of training of
200 existing technicians. There was working with the overall process of installation team for the
purpose of blending the work.
The pilot operation of virgin Media in the greater Manchester area went live for a time period of
four months. There was a full ownership with the new model of operating that was implemented
in the period of peak demand. The overall performance of virgin media developed with a time
period of three months.
Cost savings were delivered & the each operational transformation of KPI. The service
restoration enhanced to 90 percent and the improvement of customer advocacy by 48 percent.
Staff engagement was best that is 97 percent (Pappas, 2016).
The virgin media leadership bought a idea and was astound by the key change in the execution
with offering of sustainable results. They have extended to north west so that there can be testing
of scalability to change the overall experience.
There has been a legacy that is created for lasting improvement of Virgin media team
performance to lead the change towards coming future time period.

CONCLUSION
From the above discussed scenario it can be summarized that there are different types of
marketing situations that are used by organisations for the purpose of promotion of their brand.
Such as it includes the customer touch pints stores, office, in external spaces that is adverting
billboards, by application of digital platforms that is social media and through social media
parties that is by articles, news. According to the situation these platforms are used for the
purpose of promotion of brand by organisations. There are different marketing theories such as
push and pull strategies that determines the use of communication approach by various
organisations according to the prevailing situation.

REFERENCE
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Online:
Virgin Media campaign celebrates various hues of romance under pandemic, 2020 [Online],
Available through<http://www.socialsamosa.com/2020/09/virgin-media-stay-connected-
campaign/>
How Virgin Media plans to become ‘the most irresistible brand’, 2019 [Online], Available
through<https://www.marketingweek.com/virgin-media-marketing-strategy/>
Increasing customer satisfaction and retention, 2020 [Online], Available
through<https://www.enginegroup.co.uk/work/virgin-media-increasing-customer-
satisfaction>
Creating an amazing customer experience when it really counts, 2020 [Online], Available
through< https://projectone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Case-Study-Virgin-
Media.pdf>
Adwatch: Virgin Media ad nails the strategy; now it's time to nail the brand experience, 2019
[Online], Available through<https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/adwatch-virgin-
media-ad-nails-strategy-its-time-nail-brand-experience/1584802>