Running head: MARKETING DIMENSIONS 1

Author’s Name: _____________________

Institutional Affiliation: ____________________________

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Table of Contents

Statement of the Problem........................................................................................................3

Purpose of the Study................................................................................................................3

Research Questions..................................................................................................................4

Literature Review.....................................................................................................................4

Consumer Behaviour over Internet........................................................................................4

Marketing over Internet..........................................................................................................5

E-Marketing............................................................................................................................5

Tools & Techniques of E-Marketing..................................................................................6

Big Data Analytics..............................................................................................................6

E-CRM....................................................................................................................................7

Methodology.............................................................................................................................7

Research Design.....................................................................................................................7

Sampling.................................................................................................................................8

Instrumentation.......................................................................................................................8

Published Journals and Articles..........................................................................................8

Credible Internet Sources....................................................................................................9

Data Collection and Analysis Procedures.............................................................................9

Discussion................................................................................................................................10
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Statement of the Problem

In the existing epoch of consumerism and technological advancements, the role of

marketing exchange for brands transformed remarkably. Today, progressive brands make

essential considerations while promoting a proposed product or service through digital

channels. The digital channels provide utmost transparency and freedom of speech to target

audiences before making a particular buying decision (Alrousan & Jones, 2016). However,

brands make use of big data analytics and other tools to understand the market dimensions of

digital channels, and consumer tendencies towards propositions in order to accomplish

sustainability of e-commerce. Unfortunately, the small-scale or growing brands lack expertise

in comprehending and adopting the marketing dimensions while operating an e-commerce

business in an emerging market environment (Fan, Lau & Zhao, 2015). Hence, the core

objective of this research is to understand different tools and dimensions of marketing in an

e-commerce setting for brands that operate in an emerging market.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is understand the significance of understanding the

marketing dimensions involved in e-commerce business, which is adopted as a business

model by the newly established small-scale or growing brands in an emerging markets. The

emerging markets involve countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and

related Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that are pursuing the commercial

exchange to accomplish economic sustainability. Through this study, the audiences, both

primary and secondary, would be in a strong position to understand the dimensions of digital

marketing before making strategic decisions for regulating a business effectively. This

research would examine the findings of past research works, which are conducted in different

market settings in order to fulfil the central purpose of the investigation and reach a concrete

conclusion subsequently.
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Research Questions

Since the study is aimed to follow secondary approach to gather data and interpreting

the findings, following research questions are proposed for defining the direction of the

research:

o RQ1: Does the consumer behaviour is influenced through internet and

digitalised promotions?

o RQ:2 Is marketing a brand over internet is a viable decision for the brands in

an emerging market setting?

o RQ3: Does E-Advertising is more influential as compared to traditional

advertising practices?

o RQ4: What is the role of E-CRM in controlling or aligning the marketing

dimensions for an e-commerce business?

Literature Review

Consumer Behaviour over Internet

Consumer buying decision is the most complex journey for a brand. Brands tend

introducing new ideas and approaches to secure a buyer for repeated purchases (Mohd &

Amit, 2019). However, the buying behaviour of a consumer over internet is influenced

heavily by various factors that are beyond the control of brands or businesses that operate

through e-commerce channels. In a consumer retail sector, focus on internet promotions is

heavily given to align the strategies with the buying behaviours of a consumer (Marriott,

Williams & Dwivedi, 2017). Alalwan et.al (2015) identified that internet promotions would

benefit brands and generate ideal behavioural outcomes among consumers if trust is

established at an early stage. As a result, progressive brands of the 21st century ensure
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delivering utmost commitment to secure behavioural responses through distinct strategic

measures.

Marketing over Internet

Today, consumers are more inclined to pay value prices to brands that offer

convenience. The era of digitalisation has allowed consumers to gain access of market

directly and make effective purchasing of products and services. As a result, the digital

retailers are growing more rapidly worldwide (Bianchi & Mathews, 2016). Hence, brands are

more inclined to promote products and services through internet and ensure presence among

the customers. The internet marketing involves the use of platforms like Facebook, Twitter

and Instagram to share different contents with the target audience and ensure constant

engagement through a two-way communication (Jones & Vijayasarathy, 2015). Brands with

active presence on such platforms are subject to dominate the market and utilise evolving

opportunities through first-movement subsequently.

E-Marketing

Unlike internet marketing, e-marketing is broader and more widespread among the

consumers globally. E-marketing is not limited to promoting a brand through internet. It

includes messages and promotions shared through e-mail, websites, and potential wireless

channels that could engage a customer with the promotions (Mai, Hao & Huang, 2016).

Through e-marketing, brands connect the business exchanges and product portfolio better

with the customers. Moreover, customers could utilise the messages of e-marketing to decide

purchasing patterns latter in the buying lifecycle. It is a more credible source for brands to

enhance the return on investment (ROI) and improve market share collectively since the

process of targeting the right customer in real-time becomes easier (Malgas, Khatle & Mason,

2017). Arguably, the use of e-marketing is an inevitable factor for the progressing brands of

21st century.
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Tools & Techniques of E-Marketing

Over the decades, e-marketing evolved unprecedentedly worldwide with different

tools and techniques. Arguably, the content marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO)

remained prominent aesthetics of e-marketing. Content marketing refers to the exchange of

creative materials through online channels for persuading the perspectives and interests of

target audiences, which is reflected later in the purchase decision journey. Brands use videos,

blogs, and different visuals to conduct content marketing for influencing a potential customer

(Habibi, Hamilton, Valos & Callaghan, 2015). On the contrary, the SEO is the process to

generate traffic on search engines, namely Google, Bing and Yahoo, in order to spread the

buzz among the target audiences. Arguably, SEO ensures that the brands are trendsetters in

the market and enjoy primary interactive opportunity with the customers simultaneously

(Shafiee, Rahimzadeh & Haghighizade, 2016).

Big Data Analytics

In a recent epoch, customers ensure connectivity with the internet while using social

media or online surfing constantly. Devices such as smartphones, gaming consoles, laptops

and tablets are more prominently use by the customers to ensure connectivity with the digital

world. This activity provided global retailers an opportunity to gather ample data of

customers and strategize the branding activities appropriately (Xu, Frankwick & Ramirez,

2016). Big data analytics assist brands in allocating the resources effectively and generate

sustainable market share throughout a fiscal period. Moreover, insights of customers would

also allow brands to offer product or service that holds maximum value proposition, which

serve as a competitive advantage during intensified competition in a particular sector

(Erevelles, Fukawa & Swayne, 2016).

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E-CRM

Electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) is a detailed CRM function

that is performed to sustain the relationship with the customers. E-CRM includes the use of

intranet, extranet and internet collectively to perform the task. The e-CRM allows a brand to

understand and acknowledge different behaviours, desires, and response measures of a

customer adequately while ensuring individual management in the process (Maxwell &

Khan, 2018). Through the deployment of e-CRM, it is easier for a brand to manage a

business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) customer with respective

requirements. E-CRM involves customer contacts, system interface, customisation and

personalisation of information collectively, which are important to offer appropriate services

or responses through a servicescape lifecycle (Tian & Wang, 2014). In the dynamic

environment of digital marketing today, a brand is paralysed without deploying e-CRM

adequately in the market.

Methodology

Research Design

Figure 1: Research Design or Framework

The research design is a pictorial representation of a study. The proposed research

design in Figure 1 indicates the relationship or causal impact of three independent variables
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(IDVs) on a dependent variable (DV). As per the framework, digital promotions, e-marketing

and SEO serve as the IDVs, having an uncontrolled impact on consumer behaviour, the only

DV in the study. In the process, E-CRM serves as the mediating variable of the study, having

an intervening influence over the moderating variable, the big data analytics. The moderating

variable of the study would be analysed for the positive and negative impacts on the

consumer behaviour. This is the holistic relationship of all the probable marketing

dimensions on an e-commerce business, which is measured through the presence or lack of

operational efficacy in the desired consumer behaviour during a customer purchase journey

significantly.

Sampling

For this study, sampling is not performed since the approach is secondary and

information gathered is based on past research works. Sampling is performed in research

based on primary approaches. The primary study identifies the participants and response

providers of the research in order to identify and address the gaps. However, the focused

research is secondary. A secondary research does not involve the use of data that is collected

first-hand through survey, focus groups and questionnaires. Sampling and involving

participants in the study is an irrelevant process throughout the provided case. Hence, the

researcher would utilise published materials on internet to investigate the relationship

between mentioned variables and reaching a particular conclusion. However, sampling

performed in past research work would be analysed in order to find results for the proposed

research questions evidently.

Instrumentation

Published Journals and Articles

The published journals and articles are the first source of information gathering for

this research. Published journals are credible source for a researcher to investigate a
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relationship between series of variables. Through studying past research works, a researcher

investigates different studies from various dimensions and perspectives capably. Moreover, it

is performed in minimal timeframe and least possible cost, which are the drawbacks of

primary research works. Nonetheless, the published journals screening is a time-consuming

process. Unlike primary research, the investigator needs to read and understand the models,

frameworks, findings and conclusions proposed by different researchers in the past before

determining the relevance with the subject. It is to notify that the use of published journals in

secondary research approach is performed to reinvestigate the relationship between the

variables, which is already done in the past.

Credible Internet Sources

Other sources available on the internet are also utilised by researchers to expand the

scope of data collection and information gathering process. Other sources include relevant or

prominent business websites, communities and other publishers that post latest trends and

findings constantly. The information available on internet sources are not involving variables

in a controlled environment. Instead, the articulation of relationship or causal effect is based

on individual effects and broader scope while focusing on a particular industrial setting. For a

secondary research, considering such information is important to strengthen the concluded

findings of the study. A researcher would hold a strong position to justify the claim and

identify gaps in the reinvestigated areas collectively. Hence, this research would incorporate

information from sources like Harvard Business Review (HBR), Forbes, Business Insider

(BI), and related publishers additionally.

Data Collection and Analysis Procedures

As stated above, the data will be gathered through published journals and related

internet sources. The data collection would involve the proposition and examination of

different frameworks followed by the discussion on latest trends related to the subject
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respectively. The analysis procedure would involve the comparative approach. The findings

would argue on the results of different journals, articles, and discussions conducted on

various internet sources. Based on the analysis, the investigator of this research would

propose responses, which would systematically address each research question that is

established in beginning of the study. The overall data collection and analysis procedure are

devised according to the approach of the study. The investigator ensured that the processes

are not overlapping the primary approach in order to maintain validity and reliability of the

findings significantly.

Discussion

The results of the study are expected to influence the future research, theoretical

implications, and practices of e-commerce businesses in the emerging markets. Through this

research, the investigator would ensure that the future researchers have a better understanding

of the proposed relationship between the selected variables. Additionally, the inclusion of

moderating and mediating variables in the framework would further expand the articulation

of the causal effect present in the relationship. Lastly, the businesses that implement an e-

commerce model would understand the impact and influence of the intervening variables in

the process. This study would communicate the optimal use of E-CRM while regulating a

business and promoting a brand through internet. The proposed subject and framework have

catered the essentials of marketing dimensions in the existing epoch, which could influence

the consumer behaviour in the latter stages of an operational lifecycle.

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