is to set clear objectives and strategies showing how the digital presence should con-
tribute to the sales and marketing process. Specific initiatives that are required such as
search marketing, e-mail marketing or features of web site redesign can be specified.A strategy process modelprovides a framework that gives a logical sequence or ‘roadmap’
to follow to ensure inclusion of all key activities of strategy development and implemen-
tation. In a marketing context, these strategy development and implementation activities
are coordinated through a marketing plan, and the process of creating this is known as
‘marketing planning’. McDonald (2003) defines marketing planning simply as:
The planned application of marketing resources to achieve marketing objectives ...
Marketing planning is simply a logical sequence and a series of activities leading to the
setting of marketing objectives and the formulation of plans for achieving them.
McDonald (2003) distinguishes between strategic marketing plans which cover a
period beyond the next financial year (typically three to five years) and tactical market-
ing plans which cover detailed actions over a shorter time period of one year or less.
For Internet marketing, a similar distinction is useful. We suggest that a longer-term
strategic Internet marketing plan should be developed in large organisations, which
places emphasis on three key areas. First, early identification of changes to competitive
forces in the micro-environment and significant changes in the macro-environment.
Second, developing value propositions for customers using online services as part of their
buying process. Third, definition of the technology infrastructure and information archi-
tecture to deliver these value propositions as a customer experience. It could be argued
that the third issue is part of tactical planning, but the reality is that new technologies
and new information architectures such as a customer relationship management system
are major investments which can take several years to specify, select and implement. This
long-term plan provides a two-to-four-year roadmap of the infrastructure for e-commerce
as noted by some interviewees in E-consultancy (2005) research.
Figure 4.4 shows an overall strategy process model for strategic Internet marketing.
An alternative perspective was presented in Figure 1.9 in order to introduce the role of
strategy development into the first three chapters.
Shorter-term, tactical or operational Internet marketing plans then address actions
specific to the current time such as specification of Internet marketing activities to sup-
port current marketing objectives. Alternative shorter-term plans include:
Web site design and build plan. A plan to relaunch an existing web site or to create a
new company web site or campaign microsite. Includes specification of online and
offline marketing communications to support a web site launch or relaunch.
Specialist online marketing communications plans. These are plans for specific digital
marketing tools, featured in more details in Chapters 6 to 9. They include:- search marketing plan
- affiliate marketing plan
- e-mail communications or e-newsletter plan
- e-CRM plan
- interactive advertising and sponsorship
- mobile marketing campaign
- web analytics plan.
A generic strategic approach
A generic strategic approach
Strategy process
model
A framework for
approaching strategy
development.
Marketing planning
A logical sequence and
a series of activities
leading to the setting
of marketing objectives
and the formulation of
plans for achieving
them.