Direct and Digital Marketing

Introduction

The heart of every business lies in the marketing strategies. The marketing umbrella includes public relations, advertising, sales and promotion. This assessment focuses on direct marketing, which is a type of advertising that allows organizations to connect with its customers directly through various media sources such as emails, websites, cell phones, online advertisements etc. Technological advances have changed the ways in which people receive and react to information. The aim of this study is to find out how technology affects direct marketers.

Section A

Various technological developments and advances have affected the way people communicate with each other. Their response to situations and various activities have also changed widely through such advancements. With the noticeable proliferation of internet and the evolution of various devices which helps in easy and quick access, both consumers and marketers are finding new methods of interacting and communicating with various products and services (Risselada, Verhoef & Bijmolt, 2014). The Wi-Fi, which is a recognized technological advancement in the new information age, has served to redefine the basic role of marketing. It has increasingly affected direct marketers, who practice direct interaction with customers. This essay focuses on the ways in which Wi-Fi has affected and will affect direct marketers in the future. In spite of the evident benefits of Wi-Fi that allows its users to connect to the internet anywhere, there are certain companies who experience hardships in gaining such connectivity.

Direct marketing: Direct marketers indulge in selling and advertising products and services to customers directly without the help of retailers. This marketing type focuses on testing, customers and data and uses post and pre-campaign analytics to analyze effectiveness and results (Möller, 2013). Marketers in this segment seek and focus on a definite call to action. For example, it encourages customers to respond and order via mail, through free phone calls, by clicking on a link in a website etc. Direct marketers give primary importance to maximization of response rates while minimizing the expense for advertising (Kozlenkova, Samaha & Palmatier, 2014).

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is an advanced technology for a wireless local area networking that allows its users easy access to the internet. With the help of advanced devices such as routers, Wi-Fi technology is used to connect to the internet through various access points or hotspots that may extend from a very small area to a large area including many square kilometers. Wi-Fi uses the radio waves to create connections between printers, computers, phones and other systems. It is used as the greatest connective technology today in individual homes, organizations, schools, institutions, etc. Its three basic benefits are global accessibility, cost effectiveness and easy communication.

Communication: Communication is vital in every sphere of life and its importance is even greater in the business sector. Effective communication is necessary for understanding and connecting with people, which helps in building trust and respect, resolving problems and creating innovative ideas. Such factors are vital for the efficient functioning of all organizations. There are various communication theories described and formulated by various intellectuals. Two theories gaining importance in the business sector are the cognitive dissonance theory and the attribution theory. According to Verhoef, Kannan & Inman, (2015), the cognitive dissonance theory focuses on our minds and tries to avoid clashes and tensions that may arise while understanding or acquiring knowledge about another person. Similarly, attribution theory explains why and how people explain the various things as they do.

Such theories were readily used by business officials and marketers while communicating and interacting with their customers. However, in most cases, such practices proved inefficient and unproductive. Such traditional communication theories can thus be contrasted with the new type of communication developed with the help of Wi-Fi connections.

Wi-Fi and its effect on business communications: With new technological advances and upgraded devices, wireless communication has attained an essential part of our lives. It has gained similar importance in the business sector, which has made both interacting with customers and keeping in touch with them easier. Communicating with sufficient confidence is primary for the global market today. However, many organizations face communication challenges due to their lack of knowledge, traditional communication methods and inappropriate communication skills. Such problems are readily solved by the introduction of the internet or increased connectivity with the help of Wi-Fi. This increased connectivity leads to higher brand loyalty and dependability of customers on products and services of organizations. The provision of Wi-Fi or wireless technology has increased the efficiency of specific roles and functions played by officials in the organisation. It has also introduced new methods of performing business functions and tasks. For example, the introduction of Wi-Fi and its ability to create a web of communication has helped marketers in retail shops to reach out to their customers, interact with them and take orders for groceries online. This increases customer dependency and leads to customer satisfaction. Business professionals are also seen to be dependent on the internet to provide after sale services to their customers and keep efficient contact for the sake of customer retention.

Effects of Wi-Fi on direct marketers: The new age marketing strategy has proved useful and beneficial to all segments of business. However, its impact is most in the advertising and marketing department, where employees maintain direct interactions with their customers. Keeping customers committed to a particular brand and increasing their dependency on goods and services are the primary focus of advertising and marketing staff. Direct marketers gain significant importance here, who indulges in product and service sales directly with their customers. The use of wireless communication provided by Wi-Fi hotspots makes the job a lot easier for such marketers.

Building and developing contact lists of targeted customers is primary for direct marketers, which further helps in delivering relevant messages or emails. Wireless communication or internet connectivity helps in such an endeavor and enables direct marketers to identify their target customers easily. Easy access to internet encourages customers to stay connected through the Wi-Fi, which automatically delivers customer data to marketers (Meydanoglu, 2013). This helps in establishing