Online Marketing Strategies: Brand, Competition & Scent
This discussion paper addresses several interconnected marketing topics. It examines three actionable tips for building an effective online brand presence, drawing an analogy from online dating dynamics. It explores how governments, development organizations, and farmer cooperatives can collaborate to improve agricultural marketing in Africa. The paper also analyzes how businesses differentiate themselves in competitive markets, using franchises as a central example. A close reading of Starbucks Coffee's "It Starts with You" advertisement illustrates what makes advertising effective. Finally, the paper considers scent marketing as a promotional tool for small businesses in the food and beverage sector, situating it within the broader promotion facet of the marketing mix.
- Online Brand Marketing: Making an Instant First Impression: Three tips for effective online brand marketing
- Collaborative Marketing to Support African Farmers: Partnerships to improve African agricultural marketing outcomes
- Competition and Consumer Choice in a Franchise Market: How differentiation shapes consumer purchasing decisions
- Analyzing the Starbucks 'It Starts with You' Advertisement: Breakdown of Starbucks ad tactics and appeal
- Scent Marketing as a Promotional Strategy: Scent as a promotional tool for food businesses
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What makes this paper effective
- Each discussion response connects a theoretical marketing concept to a concrete, real-world example — from Starbucks advertising to fast-food scent experiences — giving the analysis practical grounding.
- The paper consistently applies course concepts (marketing mix, differentiation, promotion) rather than relying solely on personal opinion, demonstrating conceptual literacy throughout.
- The author integrates first-person consumer experience with analytical commentary, making abstract ideas like brand loyalty and emotional response tangible and relatable.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied concept transfer — taking frameworks introduced through course videos and articles (e.g., the promotion element of the marketing mix) and applying them to specific business scenarios. This technique shows the writer can move beyond recitation to genuine application, a core expectation at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized as a set of five distinct discussion responses, each addressing a separate marketing topic. Rather than a single argumentative arc, the structure mirrors a seminar discussion format: each section introduces a concept from course material, applies it analytically, and often connects it to a personal or professional example. References are consolidated at the end in APA format.
Online Brand Marketing: Making an Instant First Impression
This discussion provides tips on how companies can effectively market their brands online in a competitive marketplace by making an instant positive first impression. Using the context of online dating and the strategies individuals use to create an instant connection with their targets, the speaker identifies three tips that companies could borrow. First, when marketing a brand online, the message should be clear, using only a few deliberate sentences and images to make a case and connect instantly with the customer. Second, the brand profile should accurately capture what customers want to know, such as the brand's benefits and how it meets their needs. Third, marketers should craft their online profiles — including images and messages — to elicit an instant emotional response from customers. In the speaker's words, the message ought to be "naked" so as to catch the customer's immediate attention.
To benefit from this advice, companies need to begin by understanding what their customers want or look for in a brand. Only then can they develop effective brand profiles that connect instantly with online customers.
Collaborative Marketing to Support African Farmers
This discussion explains how different partners could, in their various capacities, work together to positively impact society by improving the livelihoods of African farmers through marketing. Development committees could use their networks to fund world-class marketing campaigns that would provide avenues for farmers to sell their products locally, regionally, and internationally to customers in more developed economies. Additionally, governments could develop programs in their budgets that provide constant pools of demand through schools, hospitals, and other government facilities. Farmers, for their part, could support themselves and their communities by joining cooperative societies and industry bodies to promote what they grow.
In the same spirit, one company is currently implementing a program geared at supporting farmers in adopting organic farming practices. The company supports farmers through educational programs (seminars and workshops), training, market linkages, and financial support to help them purchase farm inputs. The program aims to improve the overall health of the surrounding community through organic agriculture, which is associated with improved health outcomes and lower risks of human disease.
Competition and Consumer Choice in a Franchise Market
This discussion explains how competition emerges in a market and the different strategies — including price cuts, marketing, and product differentiation — that businesses can use to stand out. Franchises demonstrate that a business needs more than just a name to succeed in a competitive market. Although stores within a franchise share the same brand name, customers will often prefer one outlet over another. Several factors influence that preference: the quality of products or services offered, convenience, familiarity, and self-image.
A preference for one store might be driven by its availability of online purchases, round-the-clock operations, and delivery options that allow customers to make purchases from home at the click of a button. Stores that cultivate a positive self-image through a strong social media presence and attractive advertising campaigns also tend to earn customer loyalty. Familiarity plays a role as well — customers frequently return to stores whose products have consistently met their expectations, seeing little reason to try a competitor. Notably, pricing does not always drive day-to-day purchasing decisions; many customers are willing to pay a premium in exchange for getting what they want, when they want it, and in the way they want it.
References
Mentis, G. (2024). 11 simple tips to creating an effective ad. Target Public. https://targetpublic.com/11-simple-tips-creating-effective-ad/
Newman, M. (2024). Effective management of non-profit organizations: Leading relationships with stakeholders. Taylor & Francis.
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