Customer Engagement Marketing: Walmart Case Study and Analysis Report

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of customer engagement marketing, commencing with an exploration of five prevalent sales approaches in the modern era, including collaborative selling and on-site demonstrations. It then provides an in-depth explanation of the Marketing Decision Support System (MDSS), highlighting its significance in sales management planning, and details how to test a customer contact information system to ensure it supports decision-makers. The report outlines the steps of the call center selling process, identifies key stakeholders, and defines essential terms such as MIS and Database. Additionally, it presents a RACI chart for organizational tasks, explores the three elements of CRM, and explains the supply chain cycle at a call center level. Furthermore, it offers examples of adjusting information management systems and decision support systems, describes selling strategies at the point of sale, and outlines approaches for after-sales follow-up. The report concludes with a comprehensive project analyzing Walmart's customer engagement marketing plan, including its mission, marketing mix, strategies, action plan, and contingency planning.

Running head: CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT MARKETING
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT MARKETING
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1. Written questions and answers
1. Explain in details the five Sales Approaches common in the Modern era.
The sales approaches in the modern era include:
Collaborative selling: it implies that the online technology takes control of the sales process. Is
based on the idea which generates unique value, it provides the sales prospects to take an insight
into the needs and allow themselves to take a view into the products and services.
On site demonstration: providing on site demonstration adds value to the product for the client, it
includes the post sale support.
Adding value: In the modern era it is very important to focus on adding value, they can add value
by understanding the prospect’s perspective and generating insightful content.
2. The meaning and importance of ‘Marketing Decision Support System’ (MDSS) in sales
management planning process.
The marketing decision support system is a system that is used to manipulate a collection
of data in order to interpret and explore the potential business scenario so as to make the
management decisions. The Marketing decision support system are usually considered to be a
business key tool to gain competitive advantage. It is highly used to assist the employee decision
makers in the complicated business scenarios that are highly common in the market. MDSS
benefits immensely to the marketing planning process and the makers (Gao, 2013). It helps the

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organization to cope up with the overflow of information by combining the information sources
and increasing the speed of data retrieval. It further, helps the marketers to tackle the complex
issues faced such as forecasting, new product launching and evaluating the market place trends
of the business environment. MDSS is highly flexible and adaptive over time therefore, it helps
the decision makers to add, delete, retrieve, and provide quick response to the unexpected
situations. The application of the MDSS permits the process of constant reevaluation and
refreshing in a dynamic world of marketing variables and strategies.
3. Explain how you would test your customer contact information system to ensure that it
Support the information requirements of decision makers.
To test the customer contact information system, to ensure that it supports the decision
makers are taking constant feedback. The customers can be asked to take feedback on specific
aspects of the business. The positive and negative feedback of the customers can be shared to the
decision makers so that they effectively utilize them.
4. Explain the steps of selling process in call centre level.
The steps involved in the selling process of call centre level are:
Preparation prior to sales call: research is done prior to the call, providing details about the
business, having the value added points prepared
Greeting and introduction: collecting information about the prospects, bridging the business
topic, collecting information about the business goals, the challenges faced (Shannahan, et al.,
2013).

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Qualifying: Identifying the decision makers involved in the decision making process, finding out
the decision for the current product or service.
Surveying: Enquiring open ended equations, the corporate structure, prospects role, importance
and the risks perceived.
Handling objection: Meeting objections with questions
Presentation: prioritizing the prospects needs and benefits to the customers.
Closing: solving the problems of the customers
5. List five stakeholder in a call centre level
Internal stakeholders:
Call center agents,
Managers and human resource department
External stakeholders:
Clients (for outsourcers)
End customers
Prospective clients
6. Define the following terms: a) MIS b) Database
MIS: Management information system broadly refers to the computer based information system
which provides the managers with the essential tools and techniques to organize the activities
evaluate and efficiently manage the departments persisting within the business organization. It is
a computer system that serves as a backbone in the organization (IDRIS, M. I. T. B. 2017). In
order to provide the past, present and prediction database.

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Database: Database can be defined as the collection of information which is organization in a
way that is easily accessible, managed and updated (Mintz, & Currim, 2013). The data is
organized into columns and rows in order to locate the relevant information. In other words,
database is used in an organization as a method of storing, managing and retrieving information.
The database architecture includes the external, internal. It specifies the ways in which the end
user comprehends the organization of its relevant data in the database(Cho, & Tang, 2013). The
internal level database deals with the performance, cost structure and operational matters of the
organization.
7. Create an RACI chart for at least three tasks at your organisation. You should state who
is responsible, accountable, who to consult and who to inform
Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed
Sales personnel Sales manager Web Administrator
Web Developer Web manager Sales manager
Content administrator Website manager Web developer Sales manager
Web administrator Web developer Website manager
8. What are the three elements of CRM?
The three elements of customer relationship management are:
Managing relationships: one of the most essential elements of CRM understands the ways to
manage the customers and the prospective relationship (Cho, & Tang, 2013).

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Creating opportunities: The managers need to draft the correct message and generate demand
and convert the qualified leads to prospects with meaningful conversation.
Managing opportunities: The managers can determine the opportunities and best manage the
opportunities by proper investment of their time and resources.
9. Explain the supply chain cycle at a regular call centre level
The supply chain revolves around changing the market dynamics, new customer
expectations. The supply chain channel includes the supplier, the manufacturer, the distributor,
retailer and the customers (Cho, & Tang, 2013).
10. Give two different examples of how you could adjust information management systems
and decision support systems to meet your processing objectives
Information management system and decision support system are basically automated
possess where the decisions can be make several times. It is used to take a new decision based on
the decisions of the managers. It can used to support overcome the semi structured and
unstructured problems. For example: selecting recorder level of inventories in the organizations,
investing new technology in the organization. It helps to support day to day operating activities
such as performance monitoring and it helps to meet the goals and objectives of the
organizations (Brace, 2018).
11. Explain four different selling strategies at Point of Sales
One of the main selling strategies is providing good customer service while thanking the
customers. It is strategy to ensure the customers that they are valued. Other strategies include
clarifying the sales and delivery arrangements. Providing the customers free product samples and
providing relevant product information will induce the customer to make a purchase. Apart from

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that they must be provided with guarantees, warranties and refund which will strengthen the
confidence of the customers (Rica, et al., 2013).
12. Explain three approaches to conduct after sales follow up
It is considered to be a good strategy to enquire from the customers about their
experience with the product or service. Taking feedback from the customers is also an approach
to effective sales. The customer needs and opinions must be collected and implemented. Further,
it is important to resolve any issue faced by the customer.
13. What are the four different ways of collecting customers’ information?
Demographic information: having demographic information helps the business to acquire
information about the things in which the customers are interested in.
Website information: information can be gained by observing customer activity on the website.
Social media: it is the best place to reach to the customers. It is a tool that aggregates use data
across streams (Ryan, 2016).
Contact information: keeping good relation with the customers after the sales helps to acquire
customer data.
2. Project customer engagement marketing plan of Walmart
Company and products offered
Walmart is a multinational retailer that runs its department stores. The main customers of
Walmart are the middle class and lower middle class people. It offers wide range of products and
services, one such product is high quality beverages. It offers branded beverages along with
cookies, snacks items, meals. It follows competitive pricing policies for its averages.

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Objective, mission, vision
The mission of Walmart defines the fundamental guiding principles of the company. The
mission and vision statement of the company is followed by the cost leadership and generic
strategy (Mintz, & Currim, 2013). The mission of the company is to save the customers money
so that they can live better. The strategic decisions of the company are in direct manifested by
the mission statement. The business strategy of the company uses prices as a selling point in
order to attract the target customers.
Marketing mix (4P’s of marketing)
Product: The variety of beverages offered by the company including bottled coffee, creamers,
ground coffee, instant coffee, whole bean coffee. It also offered waters, bottled water, coconut
water, sparkling and seltzer water. It offers wide variety of sports drinks, juices, energy drinks,
and tea including black tea, green tea, Matcha tea and white tea (Mintz, & Currim, 2013).
Prices: The pricing policy of the company is pocket friendly and they focus on bulk sales to
maximize prices. The company does not overprice its products. It diversifies their product which
ensures complimentary products which drives the sales of other products (Huang & Sarigöllü,
2014).
Promotion: Walmart runs frequent promotions along with seasonal discounts. It uses advertising
media, like TV ads, billboards and social media for its promotion purpose.
Place: Walmart has a strong e-commerce platform which allows its customers to purchase its
products online(Huang, & Sarigöllü, 2014). It has a well planned network and distribution
channel. It has various supermarket outlets.

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Marketing strategy
According to Brace, (2018), the main marketing strategy of Walmart is it low price
products. It offers every day low price and same prices are offered throughout the chains. The
beverages and other products offered by Walmart are competitively priced. It provides broad
product assortments; it deals with large assortment of goods to retain its customers by offering
products at lowest price. The company gives special focus on its day to day operations so that the
customers are served better. Further, undifferentiated targeting strategy of the company is used to
capture the market globally (Huang, & Sarigöllü, 2014). The segmentation strategy of the
company helps to understand the different sub segments of the customers and their varying
needs.
Marketing action plan
According to Cho, & Tang, (2013), the marketing action plan of the company helps to
support the overall mission and vision of the company. The company is growing its action
programs and growing their environmental and social responsibility through implantation of
various programs. It provides better quality food and beverages. The company’s achieved
efficiency and its direct manufacturer approach helps the company to deliver products at lower
prices to its customers. It invests greatly on its marketing campaigns (Cho, & Tang, 2013). It
measures its performance by comparing its sales and income growth.
Contingency plan
According to (Gao, 2013), actions are to be taken advanced to identify the risks. The
company has a unique risk management planning. It includes five main steps that are risk
identification, risk mitigation, action planning, and four performance metrics. There are various

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tools in the organizations that help it to identify the potential risks that can be faced by the
company. Then it determines the possible courses which enables the organization to mitigate the
risks. Then the company creates an action plan which puts into action the strategies to mitigate
the risks. The performance matrix of the company helps to determine the effectiveness of the
action plan. Finally, Walmart conducts the use of financial tools to determine the ways in which
the shareholders of the company will be affected (Choudhury, & Harrigan, 2014).
Monitoring plan
Walmart monitors and evaluates its actions by monitoring the production level of the
company, the number of satisfied customers, by monitoring the revenue and flow of sales within
the organization (Ryan, 2016). By monitoring its areas inside tee organization, it evaluates and
takes corrective action in the areas required.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above analysis it can be concluded that the selected company
Walmart, has maintained its position in the global market by maintained its competitiveness. It
effectively aligns the mission and vision with its business activities, which has helped the
company to maintain its competitiveness and has led to the success of the company. It has an
effective marketing action plan, contingency plan and monitoring plan which are effectively
implemented by the company for the smooth running of the business. Effectively utilization of
its strategies and planning has led to the success of the company.

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Assignment-3 (Case study)
The case study is based on the communication problem faced by a furniture company in
delivering a product to its customer. The company faced a problem regarding the flow of
communication and sharing in order to process different activities and smooth functioning of the
organization. The main problem raised in the case study is the communication problem between
the different departments of the company which fails in serving the product delivery to its
customer. The managers found that there is a breakdown in the communication chain. As the
consumer ordered a product and was assured for getting the delivery within three days but it was
not delivered until a week passed. The customer filed a complaint against not getting the delivery
on time and received it in a very next day. As before on the day of delivery the truck was broken
down due to which the delivering process was not completed and additionally this information
was not conveyed to the customer itself due which the customer filed complaint for receiving the
delivery on time. This problem shows the lack of communication skills within the organization
which lays down the reputation of the company.
According to the authors (Ullah & Lai, 2013) this communication problem in the
company can be resolved to avoid such problems in future by implementing various changes in
the organization. With the management support in change as the management support in each
actions performed in the organization reflects in a positive contribution in the organization. It is
difficult for the managers to support and interact with employees by adapting a total change in
the communication process. But changes in communication process for better functioning of
organization and avoid chaos and confusion among the human resources and influence various
activities in the organization maximum support by the managers is must. The changes can be
made from a case that comes from different sources. As mentioned in the above case study the

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communication gap between the customer and supplier creates a problem for the organization
and effects the goodwill of the organization. The changes can be made accordingly taking in
consideration to the information gap and can identify the best way to improve the problem by
taking certain initiatives. This problem can also be overcome by involvement of employees at
some level. The changes made in the organization should be communicated among the
employees of the organization whether it is large or small it needs to be well-known to each
individual in the company. As the employees performs various activities of the organization their
experiences can help in making changes in the process and this can lead the employee to adapt
the changes easily. By the proper systematic and structured changes in communication process
helps the employees as well as managers to cooperate in the organization and helps in avoiding
rumors and resistance and keeps the employees satisfied. After planning for a particular changes
the changes must be implemented to process in an effective approach for the organization. The
employees should be aware of the particular changes and process accordingly. After the
implementation of certain changes there should be regular follow up for observing the proper
working of the changes in the plan and ensures to achieve desired results after implementation of
changes for any case. In addition to these if the desired goal can’t be achieved with the changes
then it should be adjusted accordingly required. The managers must take care to remove the
barriers or obstacles faced by the employees in adapting the changes and should ensure to make
suitable for them to adjust easily.
According to the authors (Heide & Simonsson, 2014) the communication flow in the
organization can be done in various ways communication with the employees helps in providing
feedback for the performance of the employees, job instructions, to communicate about the
mission and vision of the organization and detailed instructions about their job profile. In