Introduction
Digital marketing is one of the game changers for companies’ business models and structures. The rise of technology has brought an evolution to the marketing sector. Digital marketing links customers to various networks using electronic devices such as mobile phones to make accessibility of marketing information easier (Piñeiro-Otero & Martínez-Rolán, 2016). Digital marketing needs proper integration with the company policy. It assists an organization in appealing to a larger audience that it could not reach when using traditional marketing methods since the internet serves a worldwide reach. Through this marketing method, the company can reach prospective customers who are most likely to purchase the new product for their dogs. For example, the company can advertise the new dog supplements by emailing past customers or sharing news regarding the new deal on social media platforms. Forms have different social media platforms which they can use to market new products and existing products. Some new methods to reach new customers for the new products include emails, social media, banner adverts, and texts.
Social media offers organizations a standard method for reaching individuals and allowing them to interact and converse with the firms. Also, marketers can collect insights from the target audience using these social media platforms. Unlike traditional methods, the organization can quickly shift its digital marketing strategy. Being the brand manager at MHS Brands, after a request from the marketing Vice President, I will be developing a digital marketing strategy for the company’s new pet food product. The paper gives a detailed discussion of the digital marketing strategy development using the SOSTAC model, including the objectives, situational analysis, tactics, controls, and strategies for the digital marketing plan.
Situational Analysis
Companies have to conduct a situational analysis of their market before introducing a new product into the market. The situational analysis involves collecting, evaluating, and organizing information about an organization’s internal and external environments. It goes to the extent of evaluating businesses’ strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Considering the pet food market size in the world, the company has an opportunity to major. The pet food market is valued at $ 99.1 billion as per the 2022 statistics, and it is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3% in the year 2023, extending to the year 2030 (Pet et al. Report By Pet Type 2023).
The market share for a specific industry helps a company assess and measure profitability and sales potential. In 2020, statistics show that people spent $10.36 billion on pets in the U.S. 2020. Compared to 2018, the market share in 2020 showed a 14.5% increase (Zhang et al., 2022). The pet market is rising yearly, with pet treats and pet foods accounting for the most considerable proportion. Other products rising in the pet food market include lifestyle products, over-the-counter drugs, product sales, and live animals. The increases in the pet food market indicate that there is sufficient money supply and enough demand in the market segment. The increase in the market size can lead to an expansion of the customer base, thus providing a more comprehensive range of services and products (Zhang et al., 2022). The increasing size of the pet market shows potential in commerce potential. Statistics predict that the demand might rise due to the increasing consumer inclination towards adopting pets and growing concerns about pet health. The market might increase if there is an improvement in pet animal performance and overall digestion due to the consumption of nutritious foods. There is a considerable variation in the pet food products sold by different companies in the global market. Therefore, manufacturers have sought to add multi-functional and innovative ingredients in their products to reduce similarity bias. Another factor that drives the industry is convenience considering the growing popularity of prepared pet foods in the global market. Another growing trend in the global pet food market is organic pet foods. The massive increase in the availability of organic food product varieties with different flavors and ingredients like antioxidants and probiotics will likely affect the global market positively.
The pet food market in the USA also experiences shortages for various reasons. The existing companies have staffing issues, high prices, and slow deliveries across the nation’s market, leading to supply shortages. Supply chain issues in the pet food markets have led to an increase in prices for pet foods by 40% in the last two years. Social environments and culture make the go-to man’s best friend, and it is no surprise that it is the most loved pet in many households. There is a rise in pet ownership in the United States, with a 2020 survey indicating that more than 48% of households have at least one dog. It is the country’s most popular pet, with cats ranking second and fish ranking third (Zhang et al., 2022).
Digital marketing for pet companies has been on the rise in recent years. However, the pet market needs to gain competency in its dealings due to the continued expansion in the production and information available in the mainstream that is often accused of confounding and differing. It is not very easy for consumers who own pets, thus affecting their decisions making when purchasing pet products. Companies must conduct proper marketing and engage veterinary officers to offer intellectual information about pet foods to make customers decide which food is the best.
Various goals must be considered when creating a digital marketing plan for a new pet product like “Reggie Daily Dog Supplements.” This includes increasing brand recognition, web traffic, leads, and sales. Fostering client involvement, loyalty, and growing social media reach should also be considered. A thorough and effective digital marketing plan can be created to engage the target audience and build a successful brand by implementing a focused strategy for each objective.
Increase Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is vital to Reggie Daily Dog Supplements’ success. It is crucial to use a variety of methods to achieve this goal. This includes SEO and content marketing. The brand can be promoted in many ways to pet supply buyers. Strategic keyword placement, increasing product website content, and other SEO approaches can enhance brand visibility (Pradhan et al., 2018). Content marketing also helps brands stand out in the eyes of clients. This can be achieved by creating exciting articles, visual representations, and audiovisual resources customized to the product and target audience.
Drive Website Traffic
Furthermore, to enhance brand visibility, driving website traffic is crucial in attaining the intended consumer audience. Implementing social media marketing strategies helps enhance website traffic (Pradhan et al., 2018). Such strategies comprise the development of captivating posts and content, execution of social media advertisements, and engagement in influencer partnerships. This is an efficacious method to augment website traffic and attract prospective clientele. Also, digital marketing allows for the expansion of website traffic substantially. This is achieved through email campaigns, remarketing strategies, and other techniques.
Generating leads and increasing sales
A primary goal in formulating a digital marketing plan is to increase lead generation and improve sales performance. In order to attain this goal, it is fundamental for the business to optimize its customer experience. The objective can be achieved by implementing a user-friendly product website and optimizing the checkout process. Moreover, it is critical to implement content marketing tactics. In addition, implementing centered advertising and promotional initiatives is crucial for augmenting sales. Implementing targeting techniques such as retargeting will likely facilitate an increase in sales.
Amplifying client engagement and fostering loyalty
Enhancing customer engagement and cultivating loyalty is essential to a successful digital marketing strategy for Reggie Daily Dog Supplements. The company can employ multiple approaches to foster customer loyalty and encourage sales (Pradhan et al., 2018). This objective can be accomplished by engaging in various undertakings such as overseeing loyalty schemes, formulating social media campaigns, and communicating with customers through electronic mail. In addition, implementing organizational challenges and providing complimentary items can effectively augment customer engagement and cultivate brand loyalty.
Enhance the brand’s social media presence.
Finally, an additional crucial aim of the digital marketing plan for ‘Reggie Daily Dog Supplements’ is to enhance the brand’s social media presence. Generating regular and compelling content is one effective strategy for promoting good on social networks. The content needs to be relevant to the product, which can be achieved through targeted advertising aimed at the intended audience and leveraging the popularity of social media personalities (Pradhan et al., 2018). The firm needs to assist consumers through social media channels for more followers. Through this strategy, the organization can enhance its online visibility and establish meaningful relationships with prospective and existing clientele. This will expand its network of followers on social media platforms.
Strategy
The digital marketing plan can be segmented into short-term tactics that span under a year, with the primary objective being to gain clients and influence. The proposed approach involves implementing medium-term strategies, spanning up to three years, to convert audiences into buyers. Subsequently, long-term strategies exceeding three years will be employed to foster customer retention and loyalty.
Short term strategy
This particular approach is centered on the initial client identification and exploration phase. Currently, the firm’s primary objective is to attract the interest of the vast number of online customers who may need pet food items. The commonly utilized tools in this context encompass internet searches, networking sites, diverse blog posts, and media outlets. It is recommended that the company engage in the publication and promotion of the Reggie Daily Dog Supplements. Additionally, the company should permit the dissemination of advertisements for pet food products across various outposts and networks. Utilizing influencers, particularly those on social media platforms, can effectively increase traffic directed toward existing advertisements (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019). The firm must also open social networking platforms where the intended demographic is concentrated, such as Twitter and Facebook. By employing these techniques, the organization is expected to attract more customers to the advertisements associated with the food item. The crucial metrics that necessitate contemplation comprise the value per visit, the number of distinct visitors to the online promotional sites, and the count of devotees and supporters on the various online platforms.
Medium-term strategy
The proposed approach, expected to occur within up to three years following the deployment of the digital advertising plan, centers primarily on the customer’s decision-making and purchasing behavior concerning pet foodstuffs. The firm’s foremost objective is to impact customers’ purchasing decisions, particularly during the initial stage, to sway their preference towards the advertised animal-food product instead of those offered by rival companies. Given the circumstances, the organization’s online platform, including its website, blog posts, and interactive resources, is crucial in enhancing its efficacy at this stage. Therefore, the firm can increase its social platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, and create targeted promotional campaigns on these platforms. This can attract potential clients who search for pet-related topics. It can also develop a referral scheme to ensure that clients refer other people to Reggie to boost market share.
The primary metrics to be evaluated encompass lead generation efficacy as measured by the number of conversions generated and client engagement duration on the firm’s website. Ultimately, it is essential to consider the number of likes garnered by advertisements and the number of remarks and shares they receive (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019). Subsequently, buyers enter the stage of purchasing. The salient aspects to consider include the e-commerce procedure, the pet food commodity being supplied and its designated cost, and promotional activities. Currently, the organization needs to optimize its marketing expenditures by implementing conversion rate optimization (CRO) techniques. Marketing robotics should be emphasized to optimize the purchasing process’s efficiency. Therefore, it is essential to concentrate on pivotal metrics such as sales volume, earnings yield, profitability, and the mean value of orders.
Long-term strategy
The proposed approach, spanning three years after the deployment of the digital advertising plan, primarily centers on fostering customer advocacy. Thus, this phase entails active client involvement and monitoring and adjusting to alterations in online marketing patterns. Given the significance of enthusiastic buyers in online advertisements, the firm should conduct follow-up procedures to ascertain the contentment and satisfaction of consumers who have already procured the pet food product (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019). This approach will likely generate repeat sales and potential referrals from contented clients to other people. In context with this, the primary objectives to be prioritized in the enduring plan encompass accomplishing the goal of purchaser fulfillment that fosters allegiance and advocacy, whereby patrons readily adopt and endorse the products to others. The firm needs to explore chances of expansion globally and leverage fresh technologies for an enhanced competitive edge. Also, the firm must persistently evaluate and maximize on digital promotion plan grounded on data-driven discernments for long-lasting accomplishment.
By implementing these defined conditions, the animal feed product is poised to increase its visibility and attract a more extensive customer base through domestic and international digital channels. This will be achieved through the development and execution of advertising tactics that are designed to target a diverse range of buyers effectively. Employing recurrent purchases and client endorsement, a more significant number of consumers will access the digital platforms of the enterprise. This will augment the conversion rate of those who view or read into possible clients. Based on the presence of these various factors, it is anticipated that the market penetration of the fresh food item will experience a doubled boost.
Tactics
I would use various tactics to make the strategies work well.
Social Media Marketing.
Social media marketing stands out as one of the best strategies a company would use to market new and existing products in the current era. Social media marketing uses platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to communicate with people and market products. It has introduced social activities into the virtual world through networking sites. Companies use them to send information in real-time, enabling people to interact and share information ideally (Jamil et al., 2022). Therefore, MHS brands must consider social media platforms as integral tools for success in the digital marketplace. Studies by Jamil et al. (2022). Indicate that social media marketing activities have a significant impact on user intentions. It leads to integrating satisfaction and intentions for users in the target market. Using social media to promote the new food brand would be a win for the company since it will have a massive market reach.
Email Marketing
Email marketing helps companies ideally reach their prospects. It involves sending promotional messages through email, primarily to a group of targets. Every email sent to an existing customer or a prospective client may be termed email marketing. Email marketing allows the firm to categorize consumers into different lists and deliver a well-customized message to them in relation to their preferences. It is the best method of accelerating interactions by passing marketing information that resonates with the client and benefits the whole audience (Samantaray & Pradhan, 2020). Email marketing campaigns are the best basis for helping companies attract more product customers. As an effective tool as it is, it can send messages which are easily accessible everywhere around the globe. Through email marketing, MHS brands can use this tool to gain more popularity for its new brand among its existing and new customers. Emails are the modern contact networks that have changed how many firms do business. Email marketing for a new product helps the organization reduce geographical barriers, speed up information sharing, reduce costs, and help businesses have a flexible global communication system (Samantaray & Pradhan, 2020). MHS Brands needs to consider this tactic because it is cheap, easy to use, efficient, quick, and measurable.
Search Engine Marketing
It makes good use of Google Ads to increase the company website’s visibility. It is one of the current most vital tools digital marketers use since it has the best habitual internet user behaviors. Digital marketers put extra effort into pulling target audiences from search engine result pages (Kushwaha, 2020). The tactic will likely help MHS Brands’ marketing department place the company’s web link on the top for users to click the organization’s web link and visit the website. Through effective website optimization, search engine marketing helps firms place a new brand between well-established brands. It is one of the tools that MHS brands can embrace to market the new pet food brand.
Sales Funnel
The first step in the company’s five-step sales funnel is analyzing the client’s behavior. Knowing enough about customers ensures sales funnel effectiveness. Considerations would include consumers’ internet time. Pet owners are the audience. Therefore, the second step is to grab their attention. The company promotes pet food items to the target market. Third, create a landing page. This directs the targeted market to a product offer page. A bold call to action may contain a video to instruct the audience. An email drip campaign with great content is the fourth phase. The corporation should manufacture and sell to the intended market to encourage them to buy. Reaching out to current consumers is the final stage. At this point, consumers are acknowledged and handed vouchers for future purchases.
Actions
Plan for Social Media Marketing
It will guide the company’s digital marketing strategy in four seven key steps. The first one is identifying the goals that tie to the main objectives of the marketing plan. Our main goals for this plan would be increasing sales, building brand awareness, and growing community engagement. The second stage would be developing a timeline for the plan execution. Thirdly, marketers would choose the proper social media channels. It will major much on the three major ones Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Each channel will be approached differently due to its nature. We will focus more on these channels because MHS Brands has a vast target audience, and the organization will likely engage and share the launch information with many customers through these three platforms. The company will late conduct an evaluation and assessment to understand the effectiveness of the project.
Plan for Actualizing Search Engine Marketing
Search engine majors more on software tracing, and a perfect plan for MHS Brands would involve using internet bots to enable regular web tracking and a systemic way of searching new content. MHS Brands will select the Google search engine to enhance marketing efficiency since it has better penetration. It will be used for web tracking and categorizing websites while providing results.
Email Marketing Execution Plan
Email marketing depends more on subscribers for it to be effective. Locating the subscribers is the core of this tactic. Therefore, the plan focuses on alluring and retaining subscribers. The company will be responsible for generating and maintaining user databases. Also, the customers can register accounts on the online retail shops for the new pet food brand. They must agree to the stipulated terms and conditions and will be automatically added to the email marketing database.
Controls
Metrics for Email Marketing
Email marketing metrics are data for enabling the company to track various aspects of its operations. The specific aspects of email marketing are the common browsers people use, the open rates, and so on. They help the marketing department to make informed decisions based on complex data. The open rate is the first metric to be checked by MHS Brands’ marketing plan for the new product. Since only some recipients open the requests sent by the company, the open rate percentage is made by those who open it. The basic average for most email marketing campaigns is little or over 30%. Therefore, this will be the benchmark for MHS brands. The main factor to check here is the title of the brand advert. Emails should have compelling subject lines and do proper tracking using MailChimp. The plan also incorporates clicks per link as a metric. It is an integral metric, showing how many people accessed and clicked to view your link. The other metric is the bounce rate. It is the percentage of users who open email campaigns and then leave them without any reaction. Unsubscribers and spam complaints will help track your response to the campaign.
Social Media Marketing Monitoring Metrics
The metrics here depend on various factors such as audience, scope, engagement, and influence. They can be measured using the Klout index. Scope metrics assess direct amplification and are evaluated using the total retweets on Twitter and the likes on Instagram. The audience involves the number of fans and followers of the company’s social media sites. Engagement measures how the company’s target market is engaged or committed to the website or social media sites. Influence is used as an evaluation metric for the outcomes produced by the audience.
Search Engine Marketing Metrics
They include click-through rate, cost per acquisition, cost per click, return on ad per spend, cost per acquisition, and conversion rate. These metrics assist digital marketers in properly assessing the cost efficiency, reach, and profitability of their search engine marketing campaigns. These metrics would be measured at each month’s end throughout the year.
Conclusion
Effective digital marketing plans based on the SOSTAC model help conduct a proper situation analysis for the current situation of competition, customers, and objectives of the company. In this case, the MHS brand’s primary objectives were increasing brand recognition, web traffic, leads, and sales. Fostering client involvement, loyalty, and growing social media reach should also be considered. The plan gave short-term, long term plans and tactics as well as actions for the marketing plan’s effectiveness. It also highlighted controls and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of each tactic.
References
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing. Pearson uk.
Jamil, K., Dunnan, L., Gul, R. F., Shehzad, M. U., Gillani, S. H. M., & Awan, F. H. (2022). Role of social media marketing activities in influencing customer intentions: a perspective of a new emerging era. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 6464.
Kushwaha, B. P. (2020). Search engine marketing is a new way of marketing in the digital age. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 17(6), 2053-2065.
Pet Food Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Pet Type (Dog [Wet Food, Dry Food, Snacks/Treats], Cat [Wet Food, Dry Food, Snacks/Treats], Others), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 – 2030. (n.d.). https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pet-food-industry#:~:text=Report%20Overview,4.3%25%20from%202023%20to%202030.
Piñeiro-Otero, T., & Martínez-Rolán, X. (2016). Understanding digital marketing—basics and actions. MBA: Theory and application of business and management principles, 37-74.
Pradhan, P., Nigam, D., & Ck, T. (2018). Digital marketing and SMES: An identification of research gap via archives of past research. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 23(1), 1-14.
Samantaray, A., & Pradhan, B. B. (2020). Importance of e-mail marketing. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 17(6), 5219-5227.
Zhang, W., Cao, H., & Lin, L. (2022, March). Analysis of the Future Development Trend of the Pet Industry. In 2022 7th International Conference on Financial Innovation and Economic Development (ICFIED 2022) (pp. 1682-1689). Atlantis Press.
write