Impact of Interactive Communication Technologies on Digital Marketing

In this step, we explore how interactive communication technologies have disrupted different aspects of marketing.

The disruption incorporates many aspects, including the disruption of the macro digital environment in relation to the overall marketing function of business and the decision-making process. More specifically, it includes the disruption of interactive communication technology and the micro aspects of marketing approaches such as branding, advertising and product offering.

Stone and Woodcock claim that:

Interactive marketing is no longer – if it ever was – a change in how marketing communication takes place. Every aspect of marketing is affected, whether in terms of how customers are affected directly, or in terms of how marketing people work with each other, the rest of their company, or with distributors, suppliers and other partners… in fact almost no area of marketing has been unaffected.

(Stone & Woodcock, 2014, p. 5)

• Branding: a company’s brand image is strongly affected by online media and other key voices of the virtual world, such as influencers or even online users, meaning that the company is less in control of its brand voice.
• Product: input into product design by customers can be done more quickly through online interaction and real-time technology.
• Personal selling: greater information support allows more effective targeting and management of customers and prospects.
• Advertising: online advertising, such as influencer marketing, blurs the definition of traditional advertising with other marketing communication approaches.
• Promotion: more emphasis on customer engagement, brand awareness and relationship building.

Your Task

How have interactive communication technologies impacted (or will impact) your marketing approaches in different areas? Which areas of marketing activities need to be re-shaped in your organisation?

Can you give examples of how recently emerging digital technologies can re-shape marketing approaches, such as product offering, branding, advertising? For example, how live streaming on different digital platforms can change pricing and advertising.

References

_{Stone, M. D., & Woodcock, N. D. (2014). Interactive, direct and digital marketing: A future that depends on better use of business intelligence. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 8(1), 4-17. Locate link (available to fee-paying students)}