TOPIC: Understanding Breakthrough Marketing in 21st Century
The term Breakthrough Marketing has been used excessively by scholars as it has changed the face of marketing approaches. The demands of customers are now more sophisticated and ever-changing as the breakthrough of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has elevated the access of information of customers. Now customers are more informed, sophisticated and challenging. It has pushed the companies to deviate from their traditional approaches of dealing customers and finding new ways to delight their customers with more focused, efficient and effective way.
The practices of marketing have transformed into modern approaches since the inception of Information & communication technology (ICT) and social media networks in business cadre. Every business graduate is aware of the evolution of marketing concept began in 1970. Lets’ flash back our memory to know the marketing concept started in 1970. The marketing orientations started with Production and Product orientation and shaped in and Selling, Marketing and Societal orientation. Production concept is defined as: consumers support those products that are easily available and highly affordable. The products were made without considering the choices of the consumers. While product concept holds that consumers favor those products which they consider are of high quality, performance and features. Moreover marketing concept of 1970 emphasized to produce those products which can fulfill customer’s needs, wants and desires.
The aforementioned orientations and approaches have been transformed into modern approaches with the emergence of technology. Now we are living in ICT age; where a single product becomes known globally in few seconds due to the revolution of interactive media. The large number of companies are now focusing on CRM and CEM (customer experience management) as an effective strategy to win customer’s loyalty and long-term customer relationship. Now the companies are adopting the new approaches of marketing due to advancements in information communication technology that involves in every step starring from product development to launching and advertising.
For instance, Practical Example of HP’s (Hewlett-Packard) campaign “The Computer is Personal Again”:
For further reading on this example, please visit: http://www.imchaus.com/imc-case-studies/hpintegrated-marketing-comm…
POINT TO PONDER:
You have experienced in your daily life that dozens of products are being introduced on daily basis by different national and multinational companies around the globe. The products are enriched with the attributes/features and supported with CEM through interactive media.
You are required to discuss the significance of ICT in facilitating the marketing efforts in modern business environment from company’s perspective. What potential benefits companies may enjoy while incorporating the ICT for customer facilitation.
Solution:
Read and write your own GDB.
Policy Thrust in Capacity Building
1. Provide equitable access to ICTs enabled education and training in all parts of
the country, including the disadvantaged communities.
2. Facilitate acquisition of basic, applicable and affordable ICTs equipment.
3. Build ICTs capacity skills.
4. Promote stakeholder participation and partnerships.
5. Promote training in software development, provision of ICTs service and ICTs
resources development. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
6. Promote e-learning and use of e-learning materials.
7. Standardise ICTs in the education sector.
8. Embed ICTs literacy in the pedagogy of our schools, colleges and universities.
There is need to have a policy that governs ICTs and regulatory mechanism to monitor and manage operations in the ICTs sector. Some of the components to form a firm foundation for ICTs include: assessment of ICT status in all sectors of the society (e-readiness), the challenges encountered in the establishment of an e-society, and above all the will and commitment by leaders to adopt ICTs as enablers for national economic development. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
6. ICTs CHALLENGES IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
African countries are now aware of the benefits derived through adoption and use of ICTs but there are many serious challenges which must be addressed and chief among them are:
ƒ Inadequate communications and power infrastructure
ƒ Shortage of ICTs facilities and ICTs skills
ƒ Inadequate institutional arrangements
ƒ Limited financial resources
ƒ Inadequate public private partnership
ƒ Limited data management capacity
ƒ Inadequate horizontal and vertical communication 7
ƒ Inadequate bandwidth nationally and on the Gateway
Some of the above challenges can be addressed through public-private smart partnerships.
MINDSET CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT
In Africa, governments are now faced with the challenge of transformation, a paradigm shift, necessitated by the age of network intelligence. Governments must undergo internal and external transformation in order to move in unison with the private sector and respond swiftly to ICT developments and its dictates. Internally, Governments are called to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of internal functions and processes within government departments and institutions through internetworking while externally, governments are called to be more transparent and give citizens access to government information. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
Government should appreciate their overall responsibility of creating a conducive environment that allows for the development of ICTs for national benefits. e-Government must be customer driven and services oriented, meeting the needs of citizens and improving the quality of life. Ensuring the availability of minimum supply of ICT infrastructure, roads and electricity (including solar and renewable energy) for remote and rural areas should be considered an important part of those strategies. Lowering the cost of PCs for targeted population groups, relaxation of import duties, tax breaks and assurance that investors can regularly repatriate their investment should be incorporated. Government should understand ICT and their implication to government and society at large. The Policy should unequivocally spell out the role of government.
e-Government: An Overview
e-Government uses ICTs to provide, on-line:
ƒ Convenient access to government information and services.
ƒ Delivery of public services.
ƒ Efficient and effective method of conducting business transactions.
As a Policy, Government should:-
1. Develop an e-Government policy and legal framework.
2. Ensure that every ministry/department develops and manages computerised information systems.
3. Ensure that every Government Ministry and Parastatal has an updated informative and interactive website.
4. Create an e-Government Agency to coordinate and rationalise efforts by government entities working on ICTs.
5. Make e-Government services accessible to all citizens.
6. Provide a systems security framework for e-Government.
7. Build capacity for e-Government.
e-GOVERNANCE
e-Governance includes the use of ICTs in the following areas: ƒ Participation in the decision making processes by the citizens, e.g. formulation and implementation of economic and social policies,ƒ Making Government more accountable, transparent and effective,ƒ Facilitating the electoral processes, and ƒ Maintenance of law and order.
The following should be reflected at policy level:
1. Promote the principle of Universal Access.
2. Develop on-line projects that provide information on governance at and across all levels of society.
3. Strengthen governance and legal framework that promotes participatory democracy and accountability.
ICT SUPPORT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION
ICTs provide an opportunity for nations to address the digital divide and reduce poverty while registering economic growth. Developed and some developing nations have seen the emergence of a vibrant ICT sector that significantly contributes towards national gross domestic product (GDP). It is this ICT sector that should be built, in most cases, through public-private partnerships.
8.1 ICT Sector
The ICT sector must be strengthened since it affects operations of all other sectors of the economy.
9 Policy Thrust to strengthen the ICT sector
1. Develop and improve ICTs infrastructure for all sectors of the economy (communications, electricity and transport).
2. Encourage full utilization of existing communications infrastructure to reduce resource wastage.
3. Implement an integrated and equitable framework for accelerated ICTs development and uptake.
4. Increase bandwidth on the national backbone and international gateway(s) systems to enhance speed and efficiency of operations.
5. Develop supportive and enabling infrastructure to ensure equitable access to ICTs by all citizens including disadvantaged groups and rural communities.
6. Promote local production of ICTs products to ensure relevance of content and use of appropriate technologies that meet international standards.
7. Establish institutional mechanisms to co-ordinate inter-organisational planning, policy-making and implementation of strategies to develop ICTs taking into account the convergence of broadcasting, telecommunications and on-line computer services.
8. Implement measures to develop and retain skilled human resources in the ICTs sector.
9. Rationalise the ICTs tariff structure to make ICTs more affordable and accessible.
10. Introduce and enforce stringent quality of service standards in the provision of ICTs.
11. Create a conducive environment for investment through PPPs in the ICTs sector.
12. Promote local research and development in software and hardware relevant to all sectors of the economy.
13. Promote awareness and use of ICTs.
The term Breakthrough Marketing has been used excessively by scholars as it has changed the face of marketing approaches. The demands of customers are now more sophisticated and ever-changing as the breakthrough of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has elevated the access of information of customers. Now customers are more informed, sophisticated and challenging. It has pushed the companies to deviate from their traditional approaches of dealing customers and finding new ways to delight their customers with more focused, efficient and effective way.
The practices of marketing have transformed into modern approaches since the inception of Information & communication technology (ICT) and social media networks in business cadre. Every business graduate is aware of the evolution of marketing concept began in 1970. Lets’ flash back our memory to know the marketing concept started in 1970. The marketing orientations started with Production and Product orientation and shaped in and Selling, Marketing and Societal orientation. Production concept is defined as: consumers support those products that are easily available and highly affordable. The products were made without considering the choices of the consumers. While product concept holds that consumers favor those products which they consider are of high quality, performance and features. Moreover marketing concept of 1970 emphasized to produce those products which can fulfill customer’s needs, wants and desires.
The aforementioned orientations and approaches have been transformed into modern approaches with the emergence of technology. Now we are living in ICT age; where a single product becomes known globally in few seconds due to the revolution of interactive media. The large number of companies are now focusing on CRM and CEM (customer experience management) as an effective strategy to win customer’s loyalty and long-term customer relationship. Now the companies are adopting the new approaches of marketing due to advancements in information communication technology that involves in every step starring from product development to launching and advertising.
For instance, Practical Example of HP’s (Hewlett-Packard) campaign “The Computer is Personal Again”:
For further reading on this example, please visit: http://www.imchaus.com/imc-case-studies/hpintegrated-marketing-comm…
POINT TO PONDER:
You have experienced in your daily life that dozens of products are being introduced on daily basis by different national and multinational companies around the globe. The products are enriched with the attributes/features and supported with CEM through interactive media.
You are required to discuss the significance of ICT in facilitating the marketing efforts in modern business environment from company’s perspective. What potential benefits companies may enjoy while incorporating the ICT for customer facilitation.
Solution:
Read and write your own GDB.
Policy Thrust in Capacity Building
1. Provide equitable access to ICTs enabled education and training in all parts of
the country, including the disadvantaged communities.
2. Facilitate acquisition of basic, applicable and affordable ICTs equipment.
3. Build ICTs capacity skills.
4. Promote stakeholder participation and partnerships.
5. Promote training in software development, provision of ICTs service and ICTs
resources development. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
6. Promote e-learning and use of e-learning materials.
7. Standardise ICTs in the education sector.
8. Embed ICTs literacy in the pedagogy of our schools, colleges and universities.
There is need to have a policy that governs ICTs and regulatory mechanism to monitor and manage operations in the ICTs sector. Some of the components to form a firm foundation for ICTs include: assessment of ICT status in all sectors of the society (e-readiness), the challenges encountered in the establishment of an e-society, and above all the will and commitment by leaders to adopt ICTs as enablers for national economic development. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
6. ICTs CHALLENGES IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
African countries are now aware of the benefits derived through adoption and use of ICTs but there are many serious challenges which must be addressed and chief among them are:
ƒ Inadequate communications and power infrastructure
ƒ Shortage of ICTs facilities and ICTs skills
ƒ Inadequate institutional arrangements
ƒ Limited financial resources
ƒ Inadequate public private partnership
ƒ Limited data management capacity
ƒ Inadequate horizontal and vertical communication 7
ƒ Inadequate bandwidth nationally and on the Gateway
Some of the above challenges can be addressed through public-private smart partnerships.
MINDSET CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT
In Africa, governments are now faced with the challenge of transformation, a paradigm shift, necessitated by the age of network intelligence. Governments must undergo internal and external transformation in order to move in unison with the private sector and respond swiftly to ICT developments and its dictates. Internally, Governments are called to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of internal functions and processes within government departments and institutions through internetworking while externally, governments are called to be more transparent and give citizens access to government information. copied from vu.paktutorial.com
Government should appreciate their overall responsibility of creating a conducive environment that allows for the development of ICTs for national benefits. e-Government must be customer driven and services oriented, meeting the needs of citizens and improving the quality of life. Ensuring the availability of minimum supply of ICT infrastructure, roads and electricity (including solar and renewable energy) for remote and rural areas should be considered an important part of those strategies. Lowering the cost of PCs for targeted population groups, relaxation of import duties, tax breaks and assurance that investors can regularly repatriate their investment should be incorporated. Government should understand ICT and their implication to government and society at large. The Policy should unequivocally spell out the role of government.
e-Government: An Overview
e-Government uses ICTs to provide, on-line:
ƒ Convenient access to government information and services.
ƒ Delivery of public services.
ƒ Efficient and effective method of conducting business transactions.
As a Policy, Government should:-
1. Develop an e-Government policy and legal framework.
2. Ensure that every ministry/department develops and manages computerised information systems.
3. Ensure that every Government Ministry and Parastatal has an updated informative and interactive website.
4. Create an e-Government Agency to coordinate and rationalise efforts by government entities working on ICTs.
5. Make e-Government services accessible to all citizens.
6. Provide a systems security framework for e-Government.
7. Build capacity for e-Government.
e-GOVERNANCE
e-Governance includes the use of ICTs in the following areas: ƒ Participation in the decision making processes by the citizens, e.g. formulation and implementation of economic and social policies,ƒ Making Government more accountable, transparent and effective,ƒ Facilitating the electoral processes, and ƒ Maintenance of law and order.
The following should be reflected at policy level:
1. Promote the principle of Universal Access.
2. Develop on-line projects that provide information on governance at and across all levels of society.
3. Strengthen governance and legal framework that promotes participatory democracy and accountability.
ICT SUPPORT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION
ICTs provide an opportunity for nations to address the digital divide and reduce poverty while registering economic growth. Developed and some developing nations have seen the emergence of a vibrant ICT sector that significantly contributes towards national gross domestic product (GDP). It is this ICT sector that should be built, in most cases, through public-private partnerships.
8.1 ICT Sector
The ICT sector must be strengthened since it affects operations of all other sectors of the economy.
9 Policy Thrust to strengthen the ICT sector
1. Develop and improve ICTs infrastructure for all sectors of the economy (communications, electricity and transport).
2. Encourage full utilization of existing communications infrastructure to reduce resource wastage.
3. Implement an integrated and equitable framework for accelerated ICTs development and uptake.
4. Increase bandwidth on the national backbone and international gateway(s) systems to enhance speed and efficiency of operations.
5. Develop supportive and enabling infrastructure to ensure equitable access to ICTs by all citizens including disadvantaged groups and rural communities.
6. Promote local production of ICTs products to ensure relevance of content and use of appropriate technologies that meet international standards.
7. Establish institutional mechanisms to co-ordinate inter-organisational planning, policy-making and implementation of strategies to develop ICTs taking into account the convergence of broadcasting, telecommunications and on-line computer services.
8. Implement measures to develop and retain skilled human resources in the ICTs sector.
9. Rationalise the ICTs tariff structure to make ICTs more affordable and accessible.
10. Introduce and enforce stringent quality of service standards in the provision of ICTs.
11. Create a conducive environment for investment through PPPs in the ICTs sector.
12. Promote local research and development in software and hardware relevant to all sectors of the economy.
13. Promote awareness and use of ICTs.
