Marketing Strategy of David Jones

In this modern era, marketers’ primary objective is to subdivide and target the desired specific consumers in the marketplace. The division of the market is usually done on the basis of taste and prefferences, demography and geography. Consequently, advancement of digital technology has significantly added to the scope of market segmentation of many brands across the globe. In fact, in these modern times, reaching out to the targeted consumers and marketing rules are built on digital technologies, that is the use of internet and mobile devices as the primary tool of advertisement (Tiago, Maria & José 704). Surveys and studies have generally indicated that the people living in the present worlds prefer e-commerce activities, noting that there is an increased engagement in online shopping and advertisements.

David Jones is a global firm which has been operating in the clothing and apparel industry and retailing business form more than 100 years. The company operates in more than 75 countries all over the world. The firm is among the leading companies considered to have the most sought-after brands in the clothing, lifestyle and apparel products. The company is thriving in the marketplace and boasts of a substantial market share comprised of the elite customers served through online platforms and its chains of premium outlet stores. The company specialises in more than 450 brands which are doing good in the competitive market. For example, David Jones reported having made $1800 million in 2011 alone (David Jones, 2012).

Since the inception of the company, David Jones has targeted the elites in the market, the high-income earners. However, of late, the firm has additionally started to start to target the youth segment in the market (Miller, Dale & Bill 397). With advancement in information and technology, the company is now focusing on online platforms, restructuring its organisation to be an Omni Channel retailer by incorporating online stores in its shopping options. These options include platforms like the mobile web, online and social commerce stores. Presently, the firm’s online store is trending on social media sites and is exploiting the opportunity to segment its new market of the fashionable young millennials. The social networks enable the company to not only gain feedback from consumers but additionally interacts with them. 

Marketing targets of David Jones

Thanks to the ease of accessibility and technological know-how, the company can engage its target market through digital applications, used in its marketing strategies. Digital marketing platforms have n geographical boundaries, and the firm can segment the entire market into clusters of people with common interests. On the online platforms, preferences and opinions may differ; however, the present-day consumers seek trendy fashions, products, and services. These aspects significantly influence consumers’ behaviour around the world, particularly in this modern era. For example, first-time users tend to rely heavily on experience and advice posted on social media (Tiago, Maria & José 706). Surveys found out that, in every 10 internet users, nine counts on social network recommendations of their family, friends, and associates. In the same poll, it was furthermore established that 70% of customers tend to post the opinions and experience on these social network platforms (Leeflang, et al. 4).

The implementation of digital promotion and its application has wholly changed the advertisement and marketing industry. The applications have effectively replaced commercials which were initially preferred in conveying a company’s information to its target markets. Today, companies communicate and gain feedback from customers over the online websites, mobile application, and the social media as a whole. Nonetheless, digital marketing platforms moreover present specific marketing challenges and benefits. For instance, while such strategies are effective in giving feedbacks and recommendations about a brand, which are essential in enhancing the goods, the approach additionally exposes the firm to negative publicity (Leeflang, et al. 6). Most leading brands and companies around the world are venturing into the digital marketing, heavily investing in procedures aimed at understanding and utilising the online marketing tools. Consequently, for David Jones, it’s well-connected, and informed target market is independent of the customers’ view of the brand.

Marketing tools and platforms

Social media marketing

In the present generation, social networking is arguably the most popular online undertaking around the world. Most surveys in their outcomes highlighted that out of about 1.2 billion users, 82% visits the social networks. Social media is not restricted to any boundary, be it language, age, cultural or national barriers. Social networks can connect the global community, within a short time frame. The aspect has made social media a very lucrative venture for marketers in advertising and promoting their brands, where they can easily interact with their customers in the marketplace. The most significant challenge brought about by social media marketing is the risk of exposure to competition and negative publicity. Nonetheless, today, it is the most appropriate strategy with regards to returns on investments (ROI), market share and relevance in the market (Holliman, Geraint & Jennifer 275).

David Jones has consequently customised and designed its social marketing strategy, which it has optimally exploited in increasing its market share, profits and brand loyalty. The company utilises leading platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest among others. Here, it can regularly inform and interact with its customers. The multi-dimensional aspect has additionally allowed David Jones to communicate with its clients at a personal level, through comments, responses to queries and feedbacks. The firms target consumers are well informed and researched; therefore, social networks only reinforced their ability by persuading then to actual purchases. Moreover, the organisation has managed to meet consumers demand through the feedback and interaction with consumers on these social networks. The brand can maintain its popularity, as the preferred retailers thanks to its customised products and offers advertised on social media, and it has dynamically maintained the interest levels of its target market.

Mobile Marketing

Smartphones have undoubtedly revolutionised the information and technology sector, where it has transformed marketing and communication. It is believed that the mobile technology is widely spread in all strata of the society. Smartphones users (with technological know-how) have contributed to the penetration through use of the mobile app in almost everything. Furthermore, the ability of a smartphone to quickly access the internet has further increased users and marketers’ opportunities concerning marketing and e-commerce (Holliman, Geraint & Jennifer 280).

Mobile marketing encompasses all advertisement and promotional undertakings done over smartphone and tablets. The mobile devices allow firms to enjoy a multi-channel marketing campaign where internet marketing, ads, and other promotions are utilised (Karjaluoto, Nora & Pauliina 705). However, some challenges are additionally experienced, for example, a promotional SMS can easily be overlooked or get lost in the numerous messages. Nonetheless, despite the obstacles, mobile marketing is an extremely lucrative venture which connects consumers to companies, as well as increases firms’ visibility (Karjaluoto, Nora & Pauliina 705). David Jones employs numerous mobile marketing strategies which are synchronised with its digital marketing campaign. With the acknowledgment that there is an increased use of smartphones to undertake online shopping, the company’s website offers a friendlier mobile site. Furthermore, the corporation has developed a mobile application for smartphones, which is easily downloadable and enhances the users online shopping experiences. The company exploits the opportunities brought about by smartphones, the ability to operate 24/7, increasing its exploits of online banking and continuous promotion and advertisement.

Online marketing campaigns

In the dynamic and fast-moving world, other digital marketing procedures may appear outdated; however, they are still useful. For instance, direct personal emails are the most appropriate in conveyed personalised responses to consumers. The digital online platforms provide additional avenues where marketers can accomplish their objectives (Karjaluoto, Nora & Pauliina 705). For example, online commercials and emails are useful in providing more information about a product, as compared to social media and mobile platforms which provide brief descriptions. Therefore, instead of comparing these platforms, the best alternative is to develop a cross-channel marketing approach where all the digital marketing platform are synchronised for better outcomes.

Online marketing campaigns have allowed David Jones to conducts massive advertisement and promotions, where it has identified most of its targeted market segments. For example, the company is currently focusing on its new division, the fashionable and technology savvy youth millennials. These platforms have allowed the firm to encourage responses through direct emails which have been established to lead to the actual purchase, in most cases. For example, enclosing a personal time bound token, vouchers and discounts have resulted in end purchases.

Digital market analysis

The marketing philosophy implemented in David Jones is the Omni-retailer strategy, where the firm utilises both physical retail stores and online shopping websites to avail products to its consumers. Through the Omni-retail approach, the company additionally employs channel marketing and price marketing theories in its business activities. For example, the company selects its preferred market price for its products depending on more than cost or anticipated profit margins. It considers factors like fashion, trends, and popularity of an item. David Jones target market are the elite in the society, consequently, works with the perception-philosophy which states if it raises its prices, higher than those of its competitors, the consumers will perceive its products to be superior. The strategy has positively worked for the firm, whose clients believe that it provides quality merchandise as they shop exclusively on class.

In the clothing and apparel industry, David Jones faces stiff competition from other leading firms like Myer, L’elegante, Wesfarmers, Coles Group among others. All of these competitors have implemented digital marketing strategies, just like David Jones, to survive in the dynamic marketplace. Accordingly, most of them similarly utilise the price theory in their digital marketing strategies. The only difference is based on the perception-theory through which price strategy is enacted. For most of these competitors, their products cost less than that of David Jones. They are focused on maximising sales (positional theory) which makes the products appear to have basic quality and customers shop based on price. In comparison to David Jones is perceived to offer highly-price products and clients shop based on superiority and class.

Recommendations

Concerning mobile marketing, David Jones should consider investing in providing strategic location-based services. Through this, the firm will be able to enhance consumers shopping experience, by providing highly customised services. For example, the firm will be able to deliver lucrative messages and notifications designed for a specific mobile user. For social media strategy, social networks should exploit the opportunities which create strong brand relations. These include the formulation of online contests and fan clubs, which will even attract the new market, the technological savvy youths, who a trendy and fashionable. Redeemable vouchers are additionally helpful in creating brand loyalty together with personalised product offers. Furthermore, David Jones should insist on feedbacks while interacting with consumers. It is essential in satisfying market needs as well as the development of a sense of belonging among clients – this will increase sales. Lastly, the paper will recommend that David Jones should combine all its digital marketing strategy, where they should be synchronised to function as one. For instance, mobile app ads, online commercial and direct emails contents should be in uniformity to enable consumers to relate and identify the brand quickly.

Conclusion

David Jones has successfully incorporated digital marketing strategies which align with the present digital age. The company understands and uses the online platforms, like mobile, social media and online marketing to provide its highly-priced products to its targeted market. The same strategies will be helpful in venturing into the newly identified youth market; who a technologically savvy and prefers trendy and fashionable apparel. 

Work Cited

Holliman, Geraint, and Jennifer Rowley. “Business to business digital content marketing: marketers’ perceptions of best practice.” Journal of research in interactive marketing 8.4 (2014): 269-293.

Karjaluoto, Heikki, Nora Mustonen, and Pauliina Ulkuniemi. ”The role of digital channels in industrial marketing communications.” Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing 30.6 (2015): 703-710.

Leeflang, Peter SH, et al. ”Challenges and solutions for marketing in a digital era.” European management journal 32.1 (2014): 1-12.

Miller, Dale, and Bill Merrilees. ”Department store innovation: David Jones Ltd., Australia, 1876-1915.” Journal of Historical Research in Marketing

8.3 (2016): 396-415.

Tiago, Maria Teresa Pinheiro Melo Borges, and José Manuel Cristóvão Veríssimo. ”Digital marketing and social media: Why bother?.” Business Horizons 57.6 (2014): 703-708.