Digital Marketing Plan Report: Argos Company Strategy and Analysis

This report presents a digital marketing plan for Argos, a catalogue retailing company. It begins with an introduction to digital marketing, its landscape, and a comparison with offline marketing, highlighting key benefits like global access and measurable results. The report then analyzes consumer trends driving digital marketing growth, such as social media usage and smartphone adoption. It assesses digital tools like Google Analytics and SEO, comparing them to physical store channels. The plan includes e-commerce strategies, multi-channel capabilities, and the evolution of omni-channel marketing. The report also evaluates measurement techniques and performance metrics in digital marketing, concluding with actions for performance improvement. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Argos' current marketing strategies and provides a clear roadmap for future marketing campaigns.

DIGITAL MARKETING
PLAN

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO1 .................................................................................................................................................1
P1 Overview of the digital marketing landscape and comparison between online & offline
marketing concepts......................................................................................................................1
P2 Key consumer trends and insights which are fuelling the growth of digital marketing.........3
LO2..................................................................................................................................................4
P3 Assessment of key digital tools and hardware which are available to marketers and its
comparison with physical stores & channels...............................................................................4
P4 E-commerce and digital marketing platforms and channels and its comparison with
physical channels.........................................................................................................................6
LO3..................................................................................................................................................7
P5 Development of digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities......7
P6 Evolution of Omni-channel marketing.................................................................................13
LO4................................................................................................................................................13
P7 Evaluation of the measurement techniques and performance metrics in digital marketing. 13
P8 Actions for the improvement in performance in digital marketing .....................................14
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing refers to the process that help in selling products and services with use
of internet that help in increasing sales for the future (Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick, 2019).
Report will highlight the digital marketing, its landscape and its comparison with offline
marketing. It will tell about the growth of digital marketing, key digital tools and hardware,
digital marketing platforms and channels and prepare the digital marketing plan and strategy.
Report will do compare between digital channels & physical channels and between digital &
physical marketing tools. It will demonstrate about the omni-channel, measurement techniques
and performance metrics and Actions for the improvement in performance in digital marketing.
Overview of the Organization
Argos Limited Company is a catalogue retailing company which was founded by Richard
Tompkins in year 1972. Company's headquarters is in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire,
England, United Kingdom. Company is currently operating its business in United Kingdom and
Ireland. It is one of the largest catalogue retailing company. Its parent company is Sainsbury's
Company. It has around 800+ shops. Company's business model is offline as well as online too.
Company is trading in consumer goods.
LO1
P1 Overview of the digital marketing landscape and comparison between online & offline
marketing concepts
DIGITAL MARKETING
There are various types of marketing in which one of the marketing is known as Digital
Marketing. It is also referred as Internet Marketing too. Digital marketing can be defined as the
marketing of the products and services with the help of digital technologies using by
organizations. It not only include internet marketing but also involves mobile marketing, social
media marketing, email marketing and display advertising marketing etc. (De Pelsmacker, Van
Tilburg and Holthof, 2018).
DIGITAL MARKETING LANDSCAPE
Digital marketing landscape can be refers to the scope or spread of the digital marketing
through which marketers can do the market, promote and sell its products and services. It
involves various strategies, methods, tactics, techniques and tools through which company can
do promote the products and services digitally. It involves social media marketing, pay-per-click
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advertising, email marketing, content marketing, search engine optimization, mobile marketing
and search engine marketing etc. (Chaffey and Smith, 2017).
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING CONCEPTS
Basis Online Marketing Offline Marketing
Meaning Online marketing refers to the
marketing of products and
services with the help of
internet and digital devices.
Offline marketing refers to the
marketing of products and
services without internet or
any kinds of digital devices.
Another Name It is known as digital
marketing too.
It is known as Traditional
marketing too.
Marketing Tools Examples of online marketing
tools are email marketing,
display advertising, content
marketing, video marketing,
social media marketing and
search engine marketing etc.
Example of offline marketing
tools are live demonstrations,
print ads, direct mail
marketing, billboard ads,
guerrilla marketing, trade
shows and telemarketing etc.
Costs Online marketing is much
more affordable for the
company.
Offline marketing needs a lot
of expenditures to do (Kotler
and et.al., 2015).
Scope It has high exposure to the
globally which means its scope
is wide.
It never gives guarantee about
to reach at large audience
which lead to low exposure.
This means scope of offline
marketing is low as compared
to online.
Convenience Marketers can do online
marketing whenever they want
and wherever they are.
Marketers have some
limitations in offline marketing
which make it less
convenience for them.
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Measurable Marketers can measure their
online marketing efforts easily
with the help of analytics and
online metrics tools (Ryan,
2016).
Marketers can't measure their
offline marketing efforts.
KEY BENEFITS OF DIGITAL MARKETING
There are various benefits of Digital Marketing to the Argos Company. These benefits
are such as -
Global Access – In digital marketing, Argos Company is using digital technologies which has
not access to the particular city or state or country. It has the access in all over the world. This
features of digital technologies make online marketing more globalized. The biggest advantages
of digital marketing is that Argos company can reach to the global audience for the promotion
and selling the products and services.
Lower Cost – In offline marketing, company has to bear a lot of cost on its marketing and
advertising of the products and services. But in online marketing, Company can use social media
and other digital technologies for the promotion of goods and services to the large audience at no
or low cost (Saura, Palos-Sánchez, and Cerdá Suárez, 2017).
Easy to Measure – Due to internet & digital tools and technologies, company are able to
measure and analysis the results of online marketing with the help of web analytics, google
analytics and various online metric tools. This lead Agros organization to know about the
effectiveness of the online marketing efforts and how customers are responding to online
marketing ways.
High Rate of Customers Involvement – There are various tools, devices and techniques through
which company can directly connected with its customers, involve them in marketing plan or
strategies which will make customers happy and attentive. This will lead another customers to
get attracted towards the brand of the company and enhance the brand image. Thus, in digital
marketing customer involvement rate is high which is the biggest benefits to the company
(Kingsnorth, 2019).
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P2 Key consumer trends and insights which are fuelling the growth of digital marketing
There are various consumer trends and insights which lead to increase in the growth of
digital marketing. These trends and insights are predicted by the company in order to know about
the customers' perceptions and customers' buying patterns. Various consumer trends and insights
are such as -
Usage of Social Media – Customers are not stopping of using so much social media which lead
company to do the marketing of the products through social media. This lead them to gain
customers and help in attracting customers by posting about the products, their features and
offers & discounts etc. on the social media. This lead to direct interaction and communication
between customers and company which lead to easily fulfillment of customers' needs and wants.
Online Videos – There are various sites and applications through which customers can watch
varieties of videos. This lead company to go for display advertising, video advertising and
content advertising of the products and services. These marketing strategies helps company to
promote various products and services which lead customers satisfaction to be high. This results
in increase in the usage of digital marketing by various companies (Taiminen and Karjaluoto,
2015).
Craze for Smartphones – Due to science and technologies, customers are using smartphones
which are for the fulfillment of multipurpose. Due to innovation happening in the smartphones,
customers are constantly using smartphones which lead to increase in usage of smartphones.
Company can use smartphones for its own purpose and can easily attract its customers by doing
mobile marketing. Company are doing marketing of products, services and discounts offers etc.
through the help of websites, email, SMS and MMS, social media, and apps etc.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING BY ARGOS COMPANY IN THE
CONTEXT OF DIGITAL MARKETING
Opportunity Due to digitization of marketing, Company don't need so many resources for
the advertising of products and services online and through social media. This
lead company to become sustainable and less impact of the marketing
activities on the environment.
Challenge For the digital marketing, company requires technical experts who can operate
digital technologies easily and make awesome websites for the marketing of
its products and services. This lead company to pay huge amount to them. It is
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the biggest challenge company is facing (Zeiser, 2015).
LO2
P3 Assessment of key digital tools and hardware which are available to marketers and its
comparison with physical stores & channels
KEY DIGITAL TOOLS AND HARDWARE
There are various digital tools and hardware which are available to the Argos' Marketers.
These digital tools and hardware are as follows -
Organic Social Media – Organic social media refers to without paid social media. Here
company can use such marketing tool for the free promotion of its goods and services to the
customers. They do post for the purpose of promotion and for that they don't need to pay.
Google Analytics – It is a web analytics which is provided by the google to every company who
is doing digital marketing of its products and services. It is a kind of digital marketing tool where
data are collected and analysis the data which lead them to understand the customers behaviors
and their responses to the company's websites and online marketing efforts (Mandal and Joshi,
2017).
Google AdWords – It is becoming popular digital tool which is being used by the marketers of
the company for the purpose of doing digital marketing of products and services. It is an online
advertising platforms provided by google. It is a paid digital tools where company are required to
pay amount and after that they can use it for the displaying advertising everyone online.
Paid Social Media – Paid social media refers to the tool of digital marketing where marketers of
the Argos Company has to pay some amount for the purpose of using some social media sites in
order to promote products and services to the social media users.
Search Engine Optimization(SEO) – It is a process pf improving the quality and quantity of the
data which are being sent and received by the visitors in order to increase the findings of
information of a company's website available on internet. It helps marketers to get to know about
the types of information, people are searching from websites (Rohm, Stefl and Saint Clair, 2019).
Affiliate Marketing – It is a digital tool which is being used by the marketers. It is a type of
performance based marketing in which organization give rewards to the affiliates for the purpose
of bringing visitors or customers to the company or its websites by affiliates' own marketing
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efforts. An Affiliate is known as a commercial person or entity who makes relationship with
companies for its own purpose.
Search Engine Marketing – It is a marketing tool in which company do the promotion of its
websites by paying some amount for the purpose of doing advertising of goods and services in
order to increase the visibility of websites. It is a type of online advertising tool which is being
use by company (Killian and McManus, 2015).
Website Testing – It is also known as Web Testing. It is a kind of digital marketing tool through
which company is able to test own websites and web applications for the bugs. The most popular
website testing for the marketers is A/B Website Testing. It helps marketers to comparison
between two versions of a marketing assets being used for the digital marketing and tell the
company that which version is best for them.
COMPARISON BETWEEN ONLINE AND OFFLINE (BRICKS AND MORTAR)
MARKETING TOOLS
Online Marketing Tools Offline (bricks and mortar) Marketing
Tools
Online marketing tools refers to the strategies
or methods which can be used by the marketers
for their digital marketing (Post, 2019).
Offline marketing tools refers to the strategies
and methods which can be used by the
marketers for their traditional marketing.
Digital tools help marketers to do the
marketing of products and services in various
kinds of ways.
Offline tools has the limitations in various
ways through which company can attract
customers.
The usage of digital tools can be 24*7. Here the usage of offline tools have limitations.
The biggest advantage of the digital tools is the
customization.
Here the customization takes a lot of time and
costs (Sen, 2017).
P4 E-commerce and digital marketing platforms and channels and its comparison with physical
channels
E-COMMERCE AND DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS AND CHANNELS
There are various e-commerce and digital marketing platforms and channels which can
be used by the Argos Company for the enhancement of the marketing of products and services
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along with increase in its sales volume and brand image. These e-commerce and digital
marketing platforms and channels are such as -
Email Marketing – In this marketing, Argos marketers send their products and services' details
to the customers from the mail addresses. Here company send the advertisements, new features
of the products or discounts, coupon etc. offers in the form of emails to group of people. It helps
marketers to easily connected with their customers.
Display Advertising – It is a kind of advertising channel through which company show products
and services related advertisements in the form of text or image or video etc. (Saura, Palos-
Sanchez, and Correia, 2019). These advertisements then display on various online programs or
applications such as online games, YouTube videos or any sites which are open in the browser
for the purpose of making customers aware or reminding about the company and its related
products and services.
Social Media Marketing – When marketers do the marketing of their company and its related
goods & services by using various social media platforms or sites, then it is considered to be
social media marketing. It is one of the most popular and easy-to-use marketing. There are
various social media platforms which are being use by the company such as – Facebook, Twitter,
Snap-Chat, Instagram and Pinterest etc. Various social media sites and platforms have the built-
in data analytics tools, which provide company to look upon the progress, success, and
engagement of its digital marketing efforts (Hanlon, 2019).
COMPARISON BETWEEN DIGITAL MARKETING CHANNELS AND PHYSICAL
CHANNEL
Digital Marketing Channels Physical Channels
Online channels refers to those channels which
is being used by the marketers in their digital
marketing for the purpose of making aware
about the products and services to the
customers.
Physical channels refers to those channels
which is being used by the marketers in their
traditional marketing for the purpose of
making aware about the products and services
to the customers.
Installation of digital marketing channels is
less expensive for the company.
Installation of physical channels is highly
expensive for the company.
Online channels take fast time to reach at the It is time consuming channel as they take a lot
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large audience. time to access the large customers (Baker and
Hart, 2016).
LO3
P5 Development of digital marketing plan and strategy to build multi-channel capabilities
DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN
Digital marketing plan refers to the document which is prepared by the company &
marketing department for the purpose of sharing the planning of marketing campaign, actions,
strategies and tactics. It is one of the most important document prepared by the company as it
helps them to achieve its marketing objectives (Teixeira and et.al., 2018).
DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN
Argo's Digital Marketing Plan
Company Background Argos Ltd. is a catalogue retailer company which is currently
operating its business in United Kingdom and Ireland. This
company is trading with its customers online as well as offline
(i.e.- physical stores). Company is currently trading its business
in consumer products.
Strategic Objectives Mission To give the world best experiences by becoming
customer - centric company.
Vision To become the best online retailer company for
the households and a place where they can buy
anything.
Goal Company's goal is to become the best company
in the current market.
Objectives Company's objectives are as follows -
 Increase the sales unites by 5% by the
end of the year 2019.
 Increase the number of visitors on
websites by 15% till the end of year
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2020.
 Generate revenue by 20% till the end of
the year 2020.
Marketing Objectives Followings are the marketing objectives of the company -
 Increase in sales, revenue and profits of the company.
 Increase in the awareness of the products and brands of
the company.
 Increase in the numbers of visitors of the websites of the
company.
 Improvement in the perceptions of the customers
towards company and encourage them to do online
shopping.
SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses
 Company is counted as
one of the larger
retailing company with
800+ stores in United
Kingdom.
 Company has strong
customer base online
as well as offline too. It
has around 29 million
customers and 1
million online
customers.
 There are so many
controversies around
the company which
impact its brand image.
 The company has very
limited market shares
due to only make
presence in United
Kingdom and Ireland
market.
Opportunities Threats
 Company can expand
its business at the
global market because
 Company's pricing
strategies for different
place are different
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of its good brand
image.
 Company can also
make its global
presence with the help
of online business
model which increase
its sales volume year
by year.
which can lead
company to face high
tough competition
from other retailing
companies.
 Fluctuations in
regulatory policy
regarding retail
industry can lead
company to face
threats.
STP Strategies Segmentation For the segmentation of the market, Company
will use behavioral market segmentation. In
this segmentation, Company will focus on the
behavior of its online buyers.
Targeting In the online buyer market segmentation,
Company will focus on the households who
are doing online shopping.
Positioning Company will do position itself as a niche
market in order to pick the strategies and
tactics accordingly and use the marketing
resources accordingly.
Marketing Mix Elements (7P's) Details of the Elements
Products Argos Organization sells it's all consumer
products online to customers. Price
component of the marketing mix also
includes the websites of Argos Company
too which enable the customers to do order
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