Digital Marketing and SMEs: A Comprehensive Analysis

This assignment delves into the world of digital marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It presents a collection of research papers and articles that highlight the importance of digital marketing in SMEs. The texts discuss various aspects such as loyalty card adoption, open innovation collaboration, and social media's impact on recruitment actions. The assignment aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing's role in SMEs, including strategies, challenges, and best practices.

RESEARCH
PROJECT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Title:.............................................................................................................................................1
Background:.................................................................................................................................1
Aim:.............................................................................................................................................1
Objective:.....................................................................................................................................1
Rational:.......................................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................4
Research design:..........................................................................................................................4
Research philosophy:...................................................................................................................4
Research approach:......................................................................................................................4
Data collection:............................................................................................................................5
Data sampling:.............................................................................................................................5
Data analysis:...............................................................................................................................5
TIME SCALE FOR RESEARCH...................................................................................................6
REFERENCE..................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Title:
The impact of digital technology on business activity: A case study on Qbic Hotel.
Background:
This is very challenging yet emerging trend that all the business within society or
economy are using digital technology within their operation. In today’s world it is important that
business are using and implementing all sort of technologies which they are been able to and thus
helping them in improving their business activities as well. Digital technology is that feature of
business operation that is enabling them to carry on their operations in easy and simple way out
and thus revolutionising their business. There are very dramatic or fast changes that are taking
place into this digitalisation as before they were doing business in traditional way and now they
are using business models for performing the same task (Charlesworth, 2018). With the help of
this they are getting what they are projecting in sense of sales and profits target in more
innovative way out. They are now been able to launch new service and products in market which
is making them gain higher share in market. In this current research proposal how digital
technology is impacting business and its activities and what are the possible challenges would be
analysed and studied taking example of Qbic Hotel in UK.
Aim:
The impact of digital technology on business activity: A case study on Qbic Hotel.
Objective:
 To understand meaning of digital technology in context of activates of business.
 To ascertain the impact of digital technology on business activities on Qbic hotel.
 To explore the challenges and opportunities in rapid technologies for business.
 To recommend ways in which business could be transformed by using technology.
Rational:
Under this unit researcher is analysing the impact of digital technology and how
companies are conducting business taking the example of Qbic hotel which is small business
enterprise working in UK. Thus it would be providing opportunity to contextualise all sort of
impact of technology on business and its operation especially in workplace. It would also be
helping in shaping the workforce for future context with exploring in this research the challenges
and opportunities in rapidly adopting technologies into their business. This topic is important to
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research upon due to its increasing trend in market, its use and thus gaining out higher profits for
company. This is been impacting almost all types of activities into firm like that of management,
communicating, production, distribution and sales etc. Technology is helping company in
shaping and analysing all such effects which business could have into major operations and in
bringing out new transformed products and services into market.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Tobiassen and Pettersen, (2018) it is noted digital technology is that which
is using all digital form of working and not the analogue one. All the information which is
important for organisation is been stored and distributed in digital form only and thus ensuring
its safety and security as well. This is impacting the way in which people are working and
achieving their targets in all sort like that of marketing or selling their products and services in
market. There are number of transformation that are taking place in day to day bases and thus
affecting way in which management is handling people and their raw materials as well. This is
helping organisation in critically analysing what is the target, what are methods in which they
would achieve them and at the end whether they have achieved that or not.
Simonsohn, Nelson and Simmons, (2017) promoted that companies should be using
digital form of technology in order to get the most benefits out of what they are putting or
implementing into company. Thus the impact of use of digital technology would be analysed by
the part of achieved targets and satisfied workers in company. Organisations should be helping
employees in understanding meaning and importance of digital technology into their day to day
working in sense which is impacting them and their target or goals achievement. All features of
technology like that of easy to understand, to adopt, fast use, growth of company and increasing
the profits and market share of company would be analysed. Quinton, Canhoto and Budhathoki,
(2017) also included that corporation which are using technology and innovation into their
working and functions are getting higher amount of profits as compared to those who are not
using. So it becomes important for them to understand and grab the impact of use of digital
technology.
This would be used in almost all departments of company and impacting in its own
particular and specified way out. Like if company is using it in production section then they are
been able to use artificial intelligence which is Big data analysis this would thus be helping into
growth of product and driving innovation. Whereas if they are using it in management part of
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organisation this is helping them in using cloud technology thus allowing them to share, gather,
store and communicate of information related to employees and other. Panopoulos, Theodoridis
and Poulis, (2018) also stated that use of technology in communication or marketing department
is most significant which is enabling company to connect with social media and also with mobile
technology. In this way company on regular bases would be connected and communicated with
parties who are interested into business like that of employees, suppliers, government, and
investors and other parties as well. In this way company would be saving, sharing and storing
their important and relevant information which is of utmost importance for company.
Though, Palos-Sanchez, Saura and Debasa, (2018) noted that in way which company is
using and analysing the impact of digital technology within their working is not without
challenges as they are also associated with. They face difficulties in adopting and dealing out
with the changes which are taking place on regular and frequent bases as well. It is depended on
company that whether they are using technology with or without its challenges and difficulties
and if they are using it how could problems be resolved. The major issue in this technology
would be defined to as investment into it as innovation would be requiring huge amount of
money which they need to arrange and invest into. The competition into market is very tough in
today’s world that is engaging or involving companies to take up challenges in true sense of
adopting technological changes and advancements as well.
Neirotti, Raguseo and Paolucci, (2018) suggested that the best way to solve problem of
agreeing on technology by company would be educating its impact and importance to
employees. as they are one who would be practically using and working with this technology
into company so it is necessary that they are having knowledge of mobile, cloud innovation,
artificial intelligence, Big Data analyses, Internet of Things and social media marketing. All the
above stated factors that company must be using and implementing into their working are one
which is most helpful for company. It would be helping and enabling business to grow and
develop into market in more frequent manner and raising above their competitors in market.
Thus it could also be supported by Müller, Pommeranz and Voigt, (2018) that if company is
engaging with their stakeholders through use and injection of digital technology then it would be
helping them to get in close touch with all their stakeholders.
Business would be able to communicate with all their sponsors like that of government,
suppliers, customers, vendors, partners, shareholders, investors and bankers. All of them are
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special for company and its support in raising up in market which is not allowing others in
market to overcome their share of profits. It was furthermore explained by author that if
company is not applying digital technology and still implementing the traditional one then they
are getting themselves into trouble. This would not be allowing them to gain higher shares in
market, their customers would be losing interest in firm’s products and service due to its lack of
modern touch and investors would not like to invest in company any more Liu and Levin, (2018)
concluded.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design:
Research Design will increase the quality of the case study and researcher will analyze
the whole data that are already stored in the system that would to be consider as a source material
and then identifying the actual need of that project (Ledford and Gast, 2018). In this above
research that is following the impact of digital technology researcher would be using descriptive
design so that it is easy for them to describe the features, importance and impact of digital
technology.
Research philosophy:
Research Philosophy is a method that could be analysing the data and could be
manipulating. Philosophy will be main body of any research that could be cover all the details
and information. Researcher will follow the methodology that would be implementing in the
research study. Some important key elements will be used in these whole scenario like realism,
pragmatism etc. the main objective of researcher adequately and efficiently was able to increase
the efficiency
Research approach:
Research approach are the process for which it will validate the case study and there
Are many types of approach used in the case study as deductive approach, deductive approach
and inductive approach? Deductive approach used for to test the validity of theories on other
hand, inductive approach used for generalize the concept of new approaches that would be
implementing in the case study (Hutchinson, Donnell and Reid, 2015). Deductive approach used
for provided the explanation of new theories and provide the full process. The main aim of
research to explore the collection of data that would be implementing and analysing the case
study.
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Research Strategy
Research Strategy will be very helpful for planning any project that is the step by step
process to collection of data analysis the whole process (Fletcher, 2017). Researcher would be
collecting a data into two different ways to analysing the information that are qualitative method
and quantitative method. Qualitative methods will use for collecting a data and reviewing the
data and other hand quantitative method will use for analysis the tool and typical calculations. At
that time, many researchers will use the different type of research methods and research
methodology. To analyse the relationship between customer and management of Qbic hotel.
These research will help to increasing the efficiency of the case study and increasing the level of
the whole research.
Data collection:
This is considered to as most important aspect of digital technology which is enabling
researcher to gain more deep information about impact. Data collection is that which helping
scholar in taking or extracting meaningful data from is given tools and techniques (Di Fatta,
Patton and Viglia, 2018). In this research proposal there would be use of both primary and
secondary sources and thus helping in forming more clear vision according to objectives and
aims. Primary will be collected in correct form of questionnaire and secondary will be collected
in form of journals, articles, online data and books.
Data sampling:
This the small form of whole population which are used and analysed into get results in
simple and easy terms. As this seems to be impossible for researcher to use whole population
into their research and then interpreting results so they would be using only sample. So in this
current research data would be collected in form of questionnaire would be taken from 20
employees of Qbic hotel.
Data analysis:
This is also additional vital part of any research or dissertation which is called to as data
analysis thus helping in interpreting data or information that was gathered (De Pelsmacker, van
Tilburg and Holthof, 2018). It is having 2 types’ namely quantitative and qualitative data
analyses and through both results and conclusion could be found. So in this present type
qualitative is used which is interpreting data by forming themes and then drawing out results
based on that.
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TIME SCALE FOR RESEARCH
Activity/Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Research proposal writing
Understanding and reading of literature
Ascertain objectives and goals
Literature review drafting
Secondary data collection
Secondary data analysis
Research approach development
Research methodology drafting
Questionnaire formulating
Arranging interviews
Conducting interview programs
Information gathering
Draft findings
Data evaluating
Other chapters finalizing
Draft findings chapter
Submission to tutor and awaiting feedback
Revising the final draft
Printing and binding
Submit
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REFERENCE
Books and Journals:
Charlesworth, A., 2018. Digital marketing: A practical approach. Routledge.
De Pelsmacker, P., van Tilburg, S. and Holthof, C., 2018. Digital marketing strategies, online
reviews and hotel performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 72.
pp.47-55.
Di Fatta, D., Patton, D. and Viglia, G., 2018. The determinants of conversion rates in SME e-
commerce websites. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 41. pp.161-168.
Fletcher, A. J., 2017. Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology
Hutchinson, K., Donnell, L. V., and Reid, A., 2015. Loyalty card adoption in SME retailers: the
impact upon marketing management. European Journal of Marketing. 49(3/4). pp.467-490.
Ledford, J. R. and Gast, D. L., 2018. Single case research methodology: Applications in special
education and behavioral sciences. Routledge.
Liu, Y. and Levin, M. A., 2018. A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING
ANALYTICS IN THE MARKETING CURRICULUM. Marketing Education Review, pp.1-
14.
Müller, J. M., Pommeranz, B., and Voigt, K. I., 2018. Digital, Social Media, and Mobile
Marketing in industrial buying: Still in need of customer segmentation? Empirical evidence
from Poland and Germany. Industrial Marketing Management.
Neirotti, P., Raguseo, E. and Paolucci, E., 2018. How SMEs develop ICT-based capabilities in
response to their environment: past evidence and implications for the uptake of the new ICT
paradigm. Journal of Enterprise Information Management. 31(1). pp.10-37.
Palos-Sanchez, P. R., Saura, J. R. and Debasa, F., 2018. The Influence of Social Networks on the
Development of Recruitment Actions that Favor User Interface Design and Conversions in
Mobile Applications Powered by Linked Data. Mobile Information Systems. 2018.
Panopoulos, A., Theodoridis, P. and Poulis, A., 2018. Revisiting innovation adoption theory
through electronic public relations. Information Technology & People. 31(1). pp.21-40.
Quinton, S., Canhoto, A., and Budhathoki, T., 2017. Conceptualising a digital orientation:
antecedents of supporting SME performance in the digital economy. Journal of Strategic
Marketing, pp.1-13.
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Simonsohn, U., Nelson, L. and Simmons, J., 2017. Research Methodology, Design, and
Analysis. Annual Review of Psychology. 69(1).
Tobiassen, A. E. and Pettersen, I. B., 2018. Exploring open innovation collaboration between
SMEs and larger customers: The case of high-technology firms. Baltic Journal of
Management. 13(1). pp.65-83.
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