Key concepts of digital marketing

Technology in Business

The Digital Phone

Concept

The Digital Phone began with a single video on a concept of a phone, worth keeping, instead of the regular purchase of phones once they spoil. The strategy used by the Dave, a designer behind the concept, is the use of social media to spread the concept. As for now, through the social media, the concept has reached over 400,000 people. The idea was not central to the creation of a phone, but spread the message of change in the mobile industry. Because of the many people who have come out to support the idea, the mobile industry may give in to the calls of a modular direction (Phonebloks).

The idea aims at creating a personalized phone, which will have "blocks" that a user can attach to a main board. Each of the blocks is responsible for a particular function on the phone, and it is similar to a desktop computer, which comprises a sound card, graphics card, monitor, processor, and the power supply. Therefore, instead of replacing the entire phone, in case it breaks or becomes obsolete, this idea allows a user to replace the defective functionality (Phonebloks).

For example, if a user desires a camera, which will suit their requirements, then, one could swap the small zoom for a large zoom camera, from their desired or preferred manufacturer. Actually, this concept would work to ensure that few people would throw away their phones, which will play a role in ensuring a clean environment. The resulting smart phones based on a Digital system will be sold in parts, and starter sets. After assembling the phone, the screen will cover the entire front. It will have volume buttons and headphone jacks along the outer edge, blocks clicked to the back, which will form a rectangular shape (Phonebloks).

Business Goals

The goal of the business is to grow to be the leading producer of personalized, elegant mobile phones for consumers who appreciate the advance of technology. The company wishes to inspire consumers from all over the world to enjoy the functionality of the digital phone, and be in a position to change the functionalities with their pleasure and preference. In addition, the firm wishes to continue designing smart phones, which will ensure there is less pollution of the globe through phone wrecks, including disposal (Phonebloks). The company also aims to seek substantial funding to produce another line of technology, in this case, a laptop, which will encompass similar abilities to the consumers.

The company also aims at increasing the revenues with at least 25% each year, but this is not limited. Similarly, after achieving the financial objectives, the company will take part in charitable activities, and will donate $25,000 annually for conservation and research objectives. As stated, the company is also seeking expertise to develop new product lines, specifically, a laptop with customizable features. Alternatively, it is important to recognize that the business is fresh in the market, except it has managed to reach a large audience globally, mainly through social media.

Therefore, in the list of objectives, the company is also seeking ways to partner with foreign companies, and venture into new markets. The company has a site that is working, but it will require upgrading the website to make sure that it coincides with the current online business needs. On the other hand, the company is also working on ways to create its own conservation program, which will purpose at helping the society in raising money, and cater for other social needs.

The company anticipates success, mainly because it has experts and professionals who have core competencies, both in marketing and design (Phonebloks). Currently, the firm has shown the world that the Digital Phone is a working product. Although some of the mobile firms have greatly discouraged the emergence of the product, some other firms have seen the crucial part of the product. The product's image is recognizable, and it is in the course of creating working associations with consumers, retailers, suppliers, and distributors from all over the globe to get a sustainable viable benefit over the existing and potential competitors.

The Target Market

Prior to the development of the Digital Phone, the founders realized that many people out there were not sure on which phone model to purchase. This was because of the different matching of a phone's functionality. For instance, a consumer may wish to procure a phone with the processing capability of 2.2 GHz, camera 10 megapixels, touch screen, high definition speakers, but in the market, such a phone does not exist. Therefore, the company saw the need to allow the customers to have the liberty to select their preferred personalized smart phone.

In this regard, the company also acknowledges that some consumers desire certain functionalities from particular firms. In addition, the idea later become a working business product, and many phone users will benefit from this product. For this product, the Digital Phone is suitable for both genders, but may vary in relation to age. Therefore, the people aged 20-45 may become the potential targets for the product. Nonetheless, anyone can benefit from the product, because it will allow the user to personalize the phone (Phonebloks). Actually, it is as if the consumers will create their own phone model, and that is why the phone has the term "Digital Phone."

The Marketing Mix

Product Strategy

Currently, the phone will offer the entire product, and because we have managed to join into partnerships with some global mobile manufacturing companies, the consumers will be in a position to alter the functionalities at their preference and convenience. As stated, the firm does not have a single name for the product, but it has a collective term "Digital Phone" and this is in agreement with the partners. Consumers will have the privilege to choose the colors they want for the product, but currently, there are colors such as sunset red, cactus green, sky blue, grayish, and brown. However, the product will have the slogan or logo of the company, regardless of the mobile partners or businesses that have agreed to collaborate with the company (Goldstein and Lee 212-225).

Distribution Strategy

The company seeks to venture into foreign markets because there are many people across the world that have provided positive reviews concerning the product, and have shown their interest in purchasing the Digital Phone. Therefore, the company will also market the product globally and locally. In foreign markets, the company will partner with other technological leaders who will ensure that the product reaches the market. Locally, the company will have the products in its offices, and other location stores. Alternatively, the company wants to upgrade its website, which will also allow for online purchasing, and subsequent shipping of the product to the location of the consumer. In so doing, in the future, the company will develop online stores, and customers can even order their preferred customized Digital Phone.

Promotional Strategy

Currently, the company has provided all its information, events, and others on the firm's website. Besides, the company actively takes part in the usage of some social media platforms, particularly Twitter, You Tube and Face book, where the company has over 400,000 followers (Phonebloks). Through the social media, the company has managed to promote the product throughout the world. On the other hand, the information about the product is on the company's website, and consumers can sign up for newsletters to get the recent information about the company.

Such promotional efforts aim at differentiating the company's products from potential substitutes or complements in the market. This is not enough; therefore, the company will ensure that it contacts the retailers in an effort to build relationships. In addition, the company has representatives who will continue conducting research about the perceptions of consumers in relation to our line of products (Goldstein and Lee 212-225). On the other hand, sales promotion and public relations contribute, or play a crucial role in the entire promotional strategy of the company. The company will engage consumers in events and contest to ensure it promotes the product locally to all people.

Pricing Strategy

What the company considers is that human needs are insatiable. In this regard, people will always want to own the latest model of smart phone in the market. However, some of the companies provide models, at very high prices. This also means that a person will have to forfeit their earlier phone model to acquire a new model. This is wastage of money and that is why the company has developed such a product to accommodate the human wants. The pricing strategy is central to this concept.

Consumers will only have to purchase the phone once, but customize it as long as they have the phone. Actually, the company will utilize the value pricing strategy to make consumers feel comfortable when purchasing the product (Goldstein and Lee 212-225). Although some consumers felt that the companies would over-price them when purchasing some functionality, it is now clear that our company will set the prices. This is a new product, and consumers will pay almost half the price they would pay for a new phone model in the market.

Social Media Tactic Plan

The concept that became a commercial business product began with a single video. The video circulated throughout the world, and within a short time, there were both negative and positive reviews on the same (Phonebloks). However, the positive reviews outweighed the negative reviews, and this gave us the moral to develop the product further. In so doing, the company realized that social media is an important marketing tool for business. During the time, the company used Face book, Twitter and YouTube, and we received large results. Therefore, the company will continue using social media to interact with the consumers and share ideas, including recommendations to ensure the product is successful in the market.

The social media will help the company in increasing engagement with the consumers, increase recognition of the product, and promote the use of the product throughout the world. Currently, the business has partnered with several bloggers across the continents on a monthly basis. The bloggers will provide tools to promote the company's agenda, but most importantly, the bloggers will provide information about the current product, and consumers can provide their views on the same. The business will also engage in photo sharing with the consumers, and this will help in providing the images of the products. For example, the consumers can look at the images and learn how to assemble and re-assemble the phone to fit their preferences (Kyle and Deis 87).

The Digital Phone Supply Chain

The Digital Phone is a new product and focusing on the supply chain is a strategy to make sure that the company can overcome challenges that might emerge. The challenges are those of competition and short product life cycles, which can greatly influence the success of the product in the market. Alternatively, our experts have made it clear that supply chain design will provide an efficient and effective supply chain for the firm's operations environment. The firm's product uses a collective term "Digital Phone" for valid reasons. The product's design uses an approach that allows consumers to customize the phone into what they prefer (Graves and Willems).

This is in relation to the functionalities of the phone, where a consumer can change one functionality or several of them and put their own. The product comprises major assemblies, in that; consumers can re-assemble the phone to suit their needs, and desires. In fact, this aspect makes it unique out there in the market. Once the consumer has removed or added a given preferred functionality on the phone, the phone takes less than 30 seconds to integrate with the other components of the phone, such as the operating system. This is because, the business has partnered with several giant smart phone companies, whose parts can integrate with the Digital Phone without requiring drivers or other applications to function (Graves and Willems).

The assembling process of the phone is very simple because it only requires the fixing of preferred blocks of functionalities from the smart phone provider of choice into the final phone. Later on, the consumer can restart the Digital Phone, and this serves as a test to make sure that the phone is now working, similar to earlier when it did not have the new block of functionality. After doing this, the consumer can now access all the features of the phone, and in case of an ordered phone from foreign countries, the product becomes ready for export or shipping to the consumer's location (Graves and Willems).

E-Marketing Strategy

Notably, the technological field is dynamic, and companies remain in operation as long as they can provide consumers with quality products, which utilize the latest technologies. This also implies that such companies should always use the latest strategies of marketing their products. Failure of obeying such rules can result to the possible decline of the firm, and subsequent losses. Therefore, the company stands advised, and uses electronic business strategies, mainly because it is the latest approach in the market today (Fruhling and Digman 13-14).

The use of e-business strategies has helped many organizations to be in line with the customer's expectations because of the interactive platform provided by the internet for customers to air their views including their recommendations. Currently, the company is working on upgrading the existing website to ensure that it will allow the consumers to interact with the staff, and even allow them to conduct business online. This implies that the company must make sure that the website is completely secure to avoid the many cases of fraud on the internet. Overall, the firm has opted to use the e-business approach because empirical evidence shows that the approach has resulted to profits for many organizations (Fruhling and Digman 13-14).

Intra-business