E-Marketing Plan for ASOS: Strategies, Budget, and Monitoring Methods

This report presents a detailed e-marketing plan for ASOS, a British online fashion and cosmetic retailer. It begins with an introduction to e-marketing and its importance, followed by an overview of ASOS, including its vision, mission, and objectives. The report then delves into a situation analysis, using SWOT and PESTLE analyses to evaluate the internal and external environments affecting ASOS. Key aspects covered include brand image, supply chain, customer service (strengths), R&D and innovation (weaknesses), market expansion and changing customer preferences (opportunities), and competition (threats). The report also outlines ASOS's e-marketing strategies, budget considerations, technical issues, and methods for monitoring and evaluating the plan's effectiveness. Finally, the report concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations for ASOS's e-marketing efforts.

Marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
E-Marketing Plan – ASOS ..............................................................................................................1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................1
Situation Analysis......................................................................................................................3
e-Marketing Schedule ................................................................................................................7
e-Marketing Strategies and Action Plan ....................................................................................7
Costing and Budget ....................................................................................................................8
Technical issues .........................................................................................................................9
Monitoring Strategy and e-Marketing Evaluation methods .....................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
E- Marketing is the action or process of a business which uses internet for creating,
communicating, delivering , exchanging and promoting a product or service in order to obtain
profit maximisation with an optimum utilisation of resources in an effective and efficient
manner. The foremost aim of marketing is to satisfy the need or demand of customer which lead
an organisation to acquire sustainable profitability within competitive marketplace in an
innovative style. Emarketing not only involves marketing over internet but it also includes the
marketing which take place through email and wireless media (Ali and et. al., 2014). However,
this innovative trend enable current marketing process of establishments to reach large number
of population in an amended way that lead them to enlarge its market share or size. For this
report, ASOS company has been considered which is branded and reputed British Online fashion
and cosmetic retailer and it is founded in the year of 2000. It is headquartered at UK and offer
varies segments of products i.e. clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty across the globe. In this study,
it involves implication of SWOT and PESTLE analysis to examine business environment, e-
marketing schedule, application of e-Marketing strategies, evaluating costing and budgeting,
identifying technical issues. Finally, determining e-Marketing evaluation methods and
monitoring strategy to accomplish company's objective in an effective manner.
MAIN BODY
E-Marketing Plan – ASOS
Introduction
E-Marketing plan is considered as the process or procedure of marketing a brand with the
usage of internet or technology. It involves both direct and indirect response marketing element
as well as utilises a range of technologies which help ASOS to connect its business to their
customers in a innovative manner. In case of ASOS which is one of the branded online retailer
who operates its service in various segments like beauty, accessories, clothing, shoes. In order to
expand its exiting market, the company has decided to launch their new grocery outlet where
they will try to render their customers with the basic essential (Ali and et.al., 2015).
Vision: The vision of ASOS is to become the world's largest online retailer and become
the best choice for customers for placing the brand in an impressive position.
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Mission: ASOS primal mission is to deliver the best and fashionable products or services
in order to acquire the best position among the mindset of customer within prescribed time
period.
Objective: In border to gain competitive advantage over the rivals the business has set an
smart objective so that the launch of new outlet can be done in a appropriate manner.
Specific: The company has takes an initiative to introduce its new grocery outlet so that
expansion of business can be done in a better manner.
Measurable: The business has to cover the market share by 90% by the launch of its new
grocery outlets.
Attainable: In order to attain best position within market, the company will focus on
different promotional activity i.e. advertising so that ASOS can acquire the position of growth
within a tenure of 3 months (Bačík, Štefko and Gburová, 2014).
Relevant: The company needs to attain increased productivity ratio within competing
market in comparison to its rival i.e. All Saints, Alibaba, Amazon and etc.
Timely: The ASOS will be able to place it's brand at higher position within a time period
of 3 months.
Return on Investment: It is a ratio between net profit and cost of investment which
enable an organisation to ascertain its investment efficiency for obtaining profit maximisation
with an optimum utilisation of available resources (Income statement in GBP, 2019). In relation
to ASOS, it impose moderate pricing strategies which lead them to acquire impressive growth
rate as well as to enhance its sales performance.
Ansoff Matrix
It is a marketing planning model which help an establishment to examine its product and market
growth strategy. It comprises of four components which is mentioned below:
Market penetration: This component signifies that business mainly focus on selling
existing products in current marketplace by adopting competitive pricing strategies,
advertisement (Baker and Magnini, 2016).
Product development: Under this, company aims to expand its market share by
introducing new products into current market by utilising innovative or advanced technologies.
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Market development: In this, business takes an initiative to sell its present products in
new geographical region by approaching various strategies like distribution channel, pricing
policies, product dimensions and etc.
Diversification: Under this, business enlarge its market division by introducing new
products into new marketplace with an implementation of best strategic decision in order to
accomplish its desired goal or objective.
However, ASOS implies market development strategy which help them to enhance its e-
Marketing productivity and profit margin ratio in an effective way in a stipulated period of time.
Marketing Budget
Controlling and Monitoring: For attaining best outcome within prescribed time frame,
ASOS govern its entire business process and sure whether its desired goal is being accomplished
in a innovative and productive style.
Situation Analysis
A situation analysis is regarded as foundation or basic phase of the e-marketing plan as it
enable an organisation to identify its internal and external environment in order to attain
increased of productivity and profitability in competitive industry. Moreover, it is considered as
integral component of marketing or business plan as it help an establishment to identify its
capabilities or potentiality which assist firm to render high level of customer satisfaction in a
better way (Baker and Saren, eds., 2016). Some of the factors which situation analysis covers
that product situation, competitive, distribution, environmental factors, opportunity and issue
analysis and etc. in order to attain increased proficiency ratio. In relation to ASOS,it is one of the
leading online firm within Australian market which undergoes with intense level of competition
from its competitors that directly influence over company's decision making and brand image.
Therefore, in order to examine the business environment, SWOT and PESTLE analysis are
viewed as important tool that lead an organisation to determine its factors effecting on
productivity ratio. However, SWOT analysis is a tool which is used to evaluate business internal
capabilities for implementing best strategic decision in accomplishing the impressive sales
performance ratio in existing industry. On the other hand, PESTLE analysis is a activity which is
utilised to examine the external potentiality for attaining improved proficiency ratio in an
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innovative and creative way. Hence, the implication of SWOT and PESTLE in ASOS to
analyse its business environment are as follows:
SWOT
Strength
Brand image: ASOS brand is partnered with one of the biggest organisation who mainly
works for the welfare of LGBT community that serve as one of the biggest advantage for
enhancing the brand value of ASOS within industry. Due to the adoption of corporate social
responsibility into business function, it lead them to enrich its advocacy of brand (Blythe and
Martin, 2019).
Supply Chain:
ASOS has unique feature or function for its supply chain operation as they fully
emphasise on local extension. Moreover, it serve its business operation in 28 countries in which
it contain 500 factories with innovative and advances equipments of machinery (Swot Analysis of
ASOS, 2019).
Customer Service:
The another advantage which ASOS contains is that its customer are highly satisfied with
company's process or service. This is because, they takes an initiative to adopt innovative and
modern technologies which help them to deliver the product to customer in a prescribed time
frame . Along with this, ASOS's consumers are also facilitated by tracking the product from the
time of purchasing till receiving the order by using company's mobile app.
Weakness
R&D: As the ASOS brand has acquired impressive positioning within Australian market
but yet it is not able to compete with its competitors in a effective way. This is because the
investment which ASOS puts in R&D departments is below the industry average which reduces
its innovation criteria comparison to other competitors. Hence, ASOS has to make an attempt to
obtain sustainable growth in fashion industry by partnering with brand Clarks which improves its
overall performance in an expeditious way (Boschetti and Massaron, 2015).
Innovation: The industry where ASOS operates its function is highly competitive that
directly impact over company's sales performance and profitability rate. Therefore, compare to
other competitor ASOS investment in innovation relatively low which generate a possibility of
decreasing firm's sales growth. Thus, ASOS has to put their best contribution in acquiring more
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innovative technologies into its functional areas by integrating all process across the boundaries
and impose strategic decision for gaining improves sales performance.
Opportunity
Changing customer taste and preference: The need or demand of customer are
dynamic in nature which create a huge opportunity for ASOS to acquire best position within
fashion industry in a stipulated time frame. As the population of Australia are highly prefers
celebrity culture, that gives the way for ASOS to strengthen its brand value by introducing
different varies of fashionable products which help firm to capture the attention of wide range po
individuals towards their brand. With the help of this, ASOS can easily enrich its profit margin
ratio as well as can gain competitive advantage in a productive mode (Brychkov and Domegan,
2017).
Expanding the market: For attaining sustainable growth, enlarging the brand into
several other division plays a vital role within ASOS functional unit. Therefore, company has to
make attempt to examine the current or emerging marketing trend by enlarging the market into
new geographical regions like US that leads ASOS to expand its market share or size in a better
manner.
Threat
Competition: The fashion industry is rapidly becoming highly competitive which effect
ASOS sustainability and growth. Some of its competitors are Amazon, Bohol and more.
Therefore, implementing and adopting best strategies or marketing technique help ASOS to gain
competitive advantage within prescribed time frame.
PESTLE
Political : Under this factor, it involves government policies, rules, regulation, political
stability which directly influence over company's decision making potentiality. Hence, recently
UK undergoes with an introduction of Brexit which impact ASOS productivity and proficiency
ratio as it totally hampers the business regulation and rules in aspect of employment (Dibb,
Simoes and Wensley, 2014). However, ASOS takes an initiative to adopt the policies or
procedure of Brexit within its functional areas which help them to obtain positive perception
from customer that reflects in improvement of ASOS's brand image within Australian industry.
Additionally, ASOS is also benefited by political stability of Australia which allows firms to
enhance its market share or size in a effective mode.
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Economical: In this component, it includes economic growth, inflation, deflation, interest
rate and many more which effect establishment potentiality in obtaining profit margin. In
addition to this, few years back UK and US faced a major recession period which drastically
influence ASOS capability in acquiring sustainable growth or development and negatively effect
company's sales performance. However, ASOS takes an effort to overcome its negative effect by
reducing the price of its product compare to other competitors which assist them to attract the
large number of population towards their brand. Due to this, ASOS is able to improve consumer
purchasing power that lead company to enlarge its volume of sales in a effective mode (.Dioko,
2016).
Social: Under this determinant, it is concern with those aspect which comprises age,
gender, population income, demographic, customer taste and preference which impact over
organisation decision making process. In regard of ASOS, there was a huge demand regarding
health and leisure product among the population of Australia which highly challenged ASOS to
gain its competitive advantage. Therefore, ASOS tackle this challenge effectively as they
introduce ethnic wear along with every size which benefit firm to increase customer buying
behaviour. With the help of this, they were able to enlarge its market share or size and also
enable ASOS to render increased customer satisfaction level (PESTEL ANALYSIS, 2017).
Technological: This aspect is deals with innovation, advancement, modern technologies
which impact company's productivity and profitability ratio. In context of ASOS, it undergoes
with a huge demand of innovative technologies among the targeted population which influence
ASOS productivity negatively. However, company makes an attempt to tackle over this negative
effect by developing impressive and innovative websites or technologies i.e. virtual changing
rooms and mirror ans well as virtual fashion footprint. With the help of this, ASOS were able to
enhance its profit margin ratio and also enlarge its sales performance (Jenyo Gabriel and Soyoye
Kolapo, 2015).
Environmental: It is relate with those aspects in which it covers eco friendly products or
services, measures for controlling the pollution and etc. that threat establishment brand value
within marketplace. In relation to ASOS, majority of the customers were demanding activities
related to social responsibilities which impose huge challenges on company decision making
potentiality. Therefore, to cope up with this challenge, ASOS takes an initiative to recycle the
fashion products and also take measure to reduce the usage of cotton and took an effort to
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manufacture new sustainable fabrics i.e. bamboo, hemp, banana and woven. Due to this, ASOS
were able to enhance its volume of sales and also to expand its market share in an efficacious
mode.
Legal: Under this, it encompasses legislation, regulations, laws, rules, policies,
procedures and so on which impact organisation's potentiality in acquiring increased level of
profitability. In regard of ASOS, it always makes an effort to comply with all laws and
employment policies which help them to decrease the intervention of government within ASOS
functional areas. Due to this, it enable company to enrich its sales performance and also to
acquire best position in existing competing industry.
Henceforth, the above explained SWOT and PESTLE analysis assist ASOS to identify its
potentiality in order to cope up with all emerging challenges or threat in an innovative and
productive style. This is because, it improves its overall performance and enrich its brand image
among competitors in a better way.
e-Marketing Schedule
Under this determinant of e-Marketing plan, it relate with those aspect in which project
has been segmented into smaller activities which makes work more easier and convenient and
also personnel or company can achieve its pre determined goal. Hence, ASOS's adopts this
technique into its e-Marketing plan and divides its task into 10 weeks which is shown below:
e-Marketing Strategies and Action Plan
Under this phase, marketing mix has been considered which is viewed as one of the
essential tool that enable an organisation to place its product in right position at correct time
(Kennedy and Parsons, 2014). This is because, it help ASOS to attain increased level of
productivity as well as can gain improved customer satisfaction without any hindrances. Hence,
ASOS marketing mix is explained below:
Product: This element is concern with launching right kind of product into existing or
new market in terms of quality. In regard of ASOS, it is leading e-commerce retailer who
delivers wide range of products like clothes, shoes, beauty, accessories to consumer directly.
Moreover, they contains big brands within their store such as Nike, Adidas, Calvin Klein and etc.
and serve their product in best and high quality.
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Price: It is related to those aspect for which consumer is willing to pay for product in
order to satisfy their demand in a effective way. However, ASOS adopts affordable pricing
strategy as its products or service are cheaper price as well as they ignores the factor of charging
delivery charge for their commodity.
Place: In this, it states that the market where particular product is sold for capturing the
attention of larger number of population. However, ASOS is wholly internet based platform for
shopping but they also started smartphone based application for both Android and Iphone.
Promotion: It is a method of communication through which firm can render accurate or
relevant information to public or customer. Therefore, ASOS foremost promotion source is its
website and mobile app. Moreover, it give information through leaflets, booklets, social
networking sites for gaining competitive advantage (Mittal, 2014).
Costing and Budget
This component is important phase in marketing plan which signifies the estimated cost
which incur during promoting the product or service in a desired industry. The ASOS marketing
budget for its new grocery outlet are as follows:
MARKETING BUDGET
PARTICULARS I Year II Year III Year IV Year V Year
Initial money 10000 12000 16500 18060 20900
Investment 15000 16000 23840 39500 22400
TOTAL 25000 28000 40340 57560 43300
MARKETING OUTLAY
Promotion 10400 4000 8000 2800 6000
Online publicity 3000 3000 10000 5060 5050
Print media 7000 2700 10000 5900 10600
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TOTAL 21500 9700 26000 13770 21700
Technical issues
There are some technical issues which ASOS come across while operating its business
function into targeted market. Some of them are:
Website content and search ability: Due to the increased level of competition, ASOS
undergoes with an issue to in implementing the accurate and impressive web page content as
well as to enrich its overall site's searchability. In aspect of searchability, it refer to website
success over search engines like crawlers or spiders which get usage in searching the content on
site and also to rank firm's website appropriately. Therefore, ASOS should make an attempt to
improve its web page such as adding title over webpage which should be attractive and
productive. Moreover, provide accurate links so that customers can acquire information
regrading product at any time in a better manner. Additionally, add site map and transcribe audio
or video file which attract the audience to acquire accurate information about ASOS brand
effectively ( Mueller and et. al., 2015).
Customer registration and logging security: This component concern with those concept
in which it refer as a process through which an individual can gain access to particular brand by
identifying and authenticating themselves. However, ASOS should choose simplest and
convenient login methods which make sense to customer journey as well as customize them to
boost up their conversion in an amended manner. Moreover, ASOS can make use of
LoginRadius platform for its new grocery outlet that offers a complete range of consumer
registration and authentication option which help ASOS to maintain a balance between customer
experience and security.
Coupon codes, rewards for old clients, discounts: Offering online discounts is
considered as powerful weapon that lead company to drive customer loyalty towards brand. In
context of ASOS, they can make use of delivering discounts or offers on seasonal basis as well
as delivering coupons for grocery outlet which not only drives sales but also enhance brand
image within competing industry.
Multimedia: Under this, ASOS can combine various forms of media in order to reach
wide range of audience and also to develop brand recognition. Some of the tools which ASOS
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can utilise is newspaper, direct mail, mobile, social media, search engine optimization, extensive
keyword research, strategic linking. With the help of this, ASOS can enlarge its grocery outlet in
an improved manner.
Auto responders: It is a series of mails focussing on particular topic and delivered in a
predetermined sequence at decided intervals. Moreover, ASOS can begin its process when
individual subscribe to the email list and alternatively they can develop news list by rendering
relevant information to targeted population in an amended way.
Order forms and feedback forms: Under this, ASOS can develop online feedback form
which help them to acquire reliable insights from consumers that help company to improve its
overall performance in an trenchant mode.
Access level to online resources: Foe enhancing the e-Marketing skill or potentiality,
ASOS manager can adopts several resources like google online marketing challenge,
Wordstreams, social media quickstarter, inbound digital marketing and so on that lead ASOS to
acquire best position within competitive industry (Muralidharan and Raval, 2017).
Credit card transaction: It is a way of e-payment system through which customer utilise
to make transaction without the usage of cash or cheque. However, ASOS must implies different
online payment method so that consumer can feel more satisfied and can enhance market share
or size in an expeditious way.
Website hosting and publishing: Under this, ASOS host or provides relevant
technologies and services which is required for website or webpage for attaining increased level
of profitability and productivity ratio in a stipulated period of time.
Technical staff: In this, ASOS acquire various recruitment tools so that they can reach
highly and best quality of staff who can impose novel ideas or thought towards an
accomplishment of new product i.e. grocery outlet (Radikonyana and et.al., 2015).
Monitoring Strategy and e-Marketing Evaluation methods
Companies monitoring strategies is basically long term plan for addressing performance
for specifies period of time. It is essential to get most benefit from the data like major
stakeholders, quality standards, selecting benchmarks goals. There are different types of
evaluating tools which ASOS implies within its functional areas such as:
VMOST Analysis: This works on elements that work to build effective strategy for
planning and execution. The measurable aspect of strategic plans are referred to key performance
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indicators because they provide guidelines for collecting real information that is necessary to put
efforts towards ASOS organisational goals. Strong key performance indicators are expressed
quantitatively as far as number of sales volume to be achieved and also in terms of specific
timelines and deadlines.
Analysing Variance: Evaluating strategic performance is not simply process of achieving
goals or not, but also of assessing how much the deviations was. Variance is degree that
performance deviates from set standards. When setting initial goals, also consider what level of
variance will be acceptable or unacceptable (Okumus and Cetin, 2018).
Leadership: It’s absolutely crucial that marketing team is equally engaged with strategy
evaluation guidelines. Leadership should ensure that they take out time in month or quarter to
review strategy. They should communicate importance effectively that different document and
process have in ASOS and constantly interact with employees about key elements of strategy
and draw connection back to strategy in aligned with organisational objectives.
The importance of strategy evaluation is different for various organisation but is crucial
for success of business and its operations. It need right supportive data and guidelines in place to
allow to carry out evaluation of strategies effectively. Leadership style for team should be
understanding, valuable, and appreciating so that impact of this technique can have on ASOS
and its strategies.
CONCLUSION
It has been recapitulated form the above explained report that as the time passes, the
level of competition between companies has also increased which impose huge challenges and
threat over industry for attaining improved profit margin ratio. However, in today's market e-
Marketing plays a significant role as it help organisation to acquire best position within
competing marketplace by attracting the large number of population through internet tools or
techniques. Moreover, SWOT and PESTLE analysis help company to examine its internal and
external business environment respectively which assist firm to gain competitive advantage in a
productive way. Furthermore, determining e-Marketing strategies as well as several technical
challenges aid firm to achieve its business objective in an effective mode within prescribed time
limit.
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Online
Swot Analysis of ASOS, 2019.[Online]. Available through; <https://www.marketing91.com/swot-
analysis-of-asos/>
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PESTEL ANALYSIS, 2017.[Online]. Available through;
<http://thefashionmarketingdiaries.blogspot.com/2017/11/pestel-analysis.html>
ASOS PLC, 2019.[Online]. Available through;
<https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/financials?s=ASC:LSE>
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