MAR021-2: Digital Marketing Communications Plan for Birchbox Expansion

This report analyzes the digital marketing communications plan for Birchbox, a global beauty brand offering personalized beauty products. It begins with an introduction to digital marketing and then defines the scope of the report. The report covers communication theory, including elements such as source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, and noise, and discusses the influencer model of communication. A detailed marketing plan is presented, including an analysis of Birchbox's current market position, SMART objectives, and target market. The report then explores STP (Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning) strategies, including segmentation based on behavioral and psychographic characteristics, and the targeting of specific demographics. It also discusses the application of the SOSTAC model for developing a communication plan and outlines the marketing mix elements (product, price, place, promotion). The report further analyzes advertising and public relations techniques used by Birchbox, including paid advertising, social media, and word-of-mouth publicity, to enhance brand visibility and customer engagement. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of digital technology in marketing and its role in achieving business objectives, enhancing customer relationships, and gaining a competitive edge in the market.

Marketing
Communications in the
Digital Age

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................4
Communication theory............................................................................................................................4
Marketing plan........................................................................................................................................5
STP..........................................................................................................................................................6
Communication and marketing mix.........................................................................................................6
Advertising and Public relation...............................................................................................................6
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing is a type of significant form of marketing tool and technique under
which company communication their offerings to customer through virtual platform. It basically
helps in wide spreading the awareness about product and services by using digital technologies
that help to attract potential customers as well as retain existing ones (Bassano and et. al., 2019).
To better define the report Birchbox company has been selected which is the well known beauty
brand that offers personalised makeup, hair care as well as skincare products according to the
requirements of customer. All the dealings of company take place by browsing the website and
according deliver the required items at footsteps of consumer. This report cover topics like
explanation and relevance of communication theory, draft marketing plan, prepare STP and
marketing mix. Further, analyze the advertisement and PR techniques to carry out desirable
promotion.
Communication theory
Communication can be oral or written mode of transmission of information in terms to
covey desirable messages to the receiver without affecting the quality of content. It simply
signifies the exchange of opinion, idea, views as well as thoughts by using desirable channel of
transmission. The medium selected by the internal representative of Birchbix company in terms
to diversify their message amongst mass customer includes use of social media, word of mouth
publicity and official website. Certain elements that are the part of communication include:
Source: The source to initiate communication proess is sender like Birchbox comaany
that design or originates the message for the receiver which includes both male and female that
are interested in beauty or personal care items. Sender encodes or structures the message into
symbolic style to maintain communication process.
Message: It is basically the substance of information this is being delivered by the sender
in order to keep the receiver updated about the offerings. Messages can be in the form of text,
appealing image and video (Goldkind, 2015).
Channel: Channel or medium is used to support the transmission of message from one
end to other. Birchbox company extensively uses social media or email marketing to maintain
eth effectiveness.
Receiver: Receiver is basically the person or party for whom eth message is produced.
Communication can only be considered effective if the message is significantly decoded by
receiver.
Feedback: It is given by the receiver on the basis of whole communication or systematic
decoding of message. If the Birchbox company remain successful in terms to take the action then
it represent effective source of communication.

Noise: External disturbance or distortion which needs to be controlled in order to retain
the purpose of communication.
Influencer model of communication: Under this communication theory opinion leader
plays an essential role in terms to transmit idea about their personal experience of using the
product amongst wider population in order to influence sudden change in mindset and behaviors
of customer. It covers diverse aspects which are explained in context of Birchbox company.
Opinion leader: These are the people that have detailed information about the product
and have the power to influence behavior of others. They have the wide followers that have huge
thrust over the opinion leader due to which they experience eth product and pass on true opinion.
The manager of Birchbox company can approach opinion leader due to their persuasive nature
which can maintain huge customer base of company through word of mouth publicity.
Opinion former: Even it comprises of the knowledgeable people that have detail
information but at times can give impartial opinion in order to maximize their profit.
Opinion follower: It simply includes influencers that are customer or buyer who seek the
information about product through opinion leader and former and carry out final purchases.
Marketing plan
It is the written document which contains detail information related to the planning and
implementation of actions to attain the purpose of Birchbox company which is to attract new
customer and retain loyal ones. Application of digital marketing plan helps to successfully build
the future strategy and gain competitive advantage (Hanna and Rowley 2015).
 Initially, the manager of Birchbox company analyse the existing position of company by
evaluating the loyal customer base. Along with that competition within the beauty
industry is analyses to plan out the internal process of entity.
 Once company’s position and market trend are analyzed then SMART objectives are
prepared which needs to be attained through marketing plan program. This helps
Birchbox company to examine where the goal which is feasible and build on realistic
plan on the basis of which time bound is established. Presentation of strong objective
helps to enhance eth footfall of company by converting first time user of beauty products
into loyal ones.
 All the essential details about target market is collective within the help of market plan
like their age, occupation, income level, gender and so on. Based on this Birchbox
company develops the content which focuses to appeal the interest of customer and
attract them to explore detail information about company.
 Efforts are taken to maintain the social networks with customer by reducing the chances
of variation. Along with that to avoid the hurdles and attain standard performance
consistence performance is required which can finally engage traffic and conversion
rates.

STP
Segmentation: It is process under which company divides the mass market into subsets
on the basis of diverse characteristics of potential customer like their income, occupation and
preferences. Once segments are created market strategies are operated to cater the required
interest (Killian and McManus, 2015). Herein, Birchbox company behavioral and psychographic
segmentation is done on the basis of which focus is given on the people that more likely prefer to
spend in terms to groom their personality. Along with that their lifestyle as well as interest level
support term to become part of beauty company.
Targeting and Positioning: Birchbox company mainly targets to the women mainly
youths and adults that have high interest to explore and put on mark up on regular basis. Also
they remain conscious in terms to purchase desirable skill and hair care products. Along with that
the other target market is male which is constantly emerging in terms to avail desirable skin care
production. So male can be the potential customer of company that can help to generate
additional revenue (Idrysheva and et. al., 2019). Thus, the product needs to set authentic
positioning of company in eth minds of customer. For this constant promotion techniques is
designed through digital media which include tools like affiliate marketing, SEO, email
marketing etc.
Communication and marketing mix
To draft out communication plan SOSTAC model can be used as it assist the beauty
company to set desirable objective, make potential strategy and tactics in order to systematically
carry out and control the actions. This framework helps to attract the audience by reduce the
chances of performance gap by carry out desirable and smooth flow of information
Marketing mix include product, price, place and promotion which are the desirable tactics
based on which beauty company needs to carry forward their actions in order to pursue market
objective. The main offerings of company are beauty, hair care and skin care items that are
showcase or delivered to customer through online channel. Competitive prices are set under
which company evaluate the pricing structure of competitors and accordingly set their prices in
order to retain the interest of existing and potential customer (Kareklas, Muehling and Weber,
2015). As the company has online presence due to which it cater the requirements of diverse
market by investing in different online sources of promotion that widespread the message at
large stage and helps to gain competitive advantage.
Advertising and Public relation
To develop favorable public relation Birchbox company undergo the use of different paid
advertisement such as pop up advertisement, using social media sites, SEM and so on. This will
further enhance the visibility of company amongst potential customer whose interest lies to avail
the beauty products. Application of certain analytical tool can help company to analyse the
behavior of customer and help to accordingly modify techniques in terms to maintain and attract
the customers. Along with that Birchbox company also remain inclined through word of mouth

publicity which is unpaid form of promotion. In addition to that efforts are made to secure the
interest of existing customer, resolve their issues and timely deliver the products at their
footsteps of customer which maximizes the satisfy and creates positive publicity (Murray and
Squires, 2013).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that it is essential for an organization to
explore the external marketing opportunities by using digital technology as it offers detail
insights based on which desirable actions can be practiced. This helps to carry out extensive
promotional techniques and maintain regular communication by resolving the queries of people
and main long term relationship with existing and potential customer. Along with that the
marketing plan and marketing mix helps the internal manager to focus on diverse aspects of
company like their price or promotional technique in order to overpower the presence of
competitors. Therefore, dependency on digital technology helps to gain result at real time due to
which entity can enhance their services in order to match up the requirements of existing and
potential customers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
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Hanna, S. A. and Rowley, J., 2015. Rethinking strategic place branding in the digital age. In
Rethinking Place Branding (pp. 85-100). Springer, Cham.
Idrysheva, Z. and et. al., 2019. Marketing communications in the digital age. In E3S Web of
Conferences (Vol. 135, p. 04044). EDP Sciences.
Kareklas, I., Muehling, D. D. and Weber, T. J., 2015. Reexamining health messages in the digital
age: A fresh look at source credibility effects. Journal of Advertising. 44(2). pp.88-104.
Killian, G. and McManus, K., 2015. A marketing communications approach for the digital era:
Managerial guidelines for social media integration. Business Horizons. 58(5). pp.539-
549.
Murray, P. R. and Squires, C., 2013. The digital publishing communications circuit. Book
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