Interactive Marketing Communication Research Articles

Analysis of Interactive Marketing Communication Development Based on Social Media in an Indonesian Telecommunications Company

TELKOM Tamalanrea Automated Telephone Center (ATC) is one of the automated telephone centers that supports telecommunication activities in Makassar city. ATC TELKOM has a strategy in marketing Indihome products, namely by a door-to-door and open table. For digital marketing, TELKOM’s ATC only utilizes the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) system owned by TELKOM Indonesia to market products, however, interactive marketing using social media has not been able to drive sales of Indihome products and other services. This study aimed to determine the promotional design that was carried out and to develop interactive content on social media to support the marketing and sales of Indihome products at TELKOM Tamalanrea. This study uses a qualitative descriptive analysis technique, namely, to describe the data that has been collected descriptively through interviews, observation, and field research. In carrying out the research, development, and implementation stages of interactive content on WhatsApp social media, the author manages WhatsApp accounts and develops interactive promotional content using several WhatsApp features. The results of the development and implementation of interactive content on WhatsApp social media carried out by the author during the research were effective.
 Keywords: interactive content, WhatsApp, social media marketing

Interactive Communication and Marketing Performance of Micro and Small Enterprises within Nyanza Region, Kenya

To address the ever-changing needs of the clients, MSEs have to potentiate their one-to-one interaction with their customers as a cornerstone for their marketing performance. This is because interactive marketing courtesy of interactive communication makes a real effort to reach customers and understand their needs and preferences leading to high levels of marketing performance. However, the use of collaborative technologies for interactive communication amongst MSEs in Kenya remains a challenge. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the influence of interactive communication on the marketing performance of micro and small enterprises within Nyanza region, Kenya. Theory of relational market behaviour and a cross-sectional survey research design was adopted with a target population of 3,211 registered MSE owners in the Nyanza out of which sample size of 356 was selected using Yamanes (1967) formula. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using SPSS version 25.0. From findings intercreative communication explained 30.7 percent variation on marketing performance. A coefficient of .319 indicated that a unit change in interactive communication leads to .319 units of positive change in marketing performance. In conclusion interactive communication significantly predicts marketing performance at thus the rejection of the null hypothesis. There is need for MSEs to strengthen their interactive communication platforms for consumers to voice their requirements, perspectives, or opinions and support information exchange. They should also develop methods for collecting input from customers. The report also suggests that when dealing with consumers, MSEs should use positive language, be concise and clear, and personalize their interactions. Thus, it mandates the MSEs to scan the marketing environment for opportunities and align their capabilities of interactive marketing communications with the changes in the customer preferences for maximal output. The finding of this study can help major stakeholders in the MSE sector to strengthen interactive marketing communications for marketing performance.

Changing approaches to interactive marketing communications due to the development of 5G technology

The process of changing approaches to interactive marketing communications, due to the development of 5G technology – high-speed data transmission over 5G wireless networks has been reviewed. The main facts about 5G technology have been given, the impact of its introduction on consumer behavior, the penetration of augmented and virtual reality technologies into everyday life and the change in the format of marketing communications in the following areas have been considered: retail and delivery of goods, virtual spaces for work and business, mobile cloud gaming and streaming, art, street traffic and parking, public transport, pedestrian and bicycle traffic, weather conditions and energy supply.The key directions of development of interactive marketing communications with the arrival of 5G have been considered: delivery of messages to any place and at any time, an increase in the number of connected devices, instant feedback, new formats and media.Conclusions have been drawn regarding the changes in interactive marketing communications: due to the ultra-high speeds of 5G, the loading time of the commercial will be significantly reduced, which will significantly improve the consumer experience at the level of using devices and applications. The same factor will affect the growth of mobile traffic, and, consequently, advertisers will have to think through advertising integrations more efficiently, adapting them for mobile devices and trying to make them more personalised. And the most obvious technology that will gain a large market share with the spread of 5G is augmented technology, which will become not just part of an unusual user experience, but a full-fledged and effective advertising campaign tool. Video content will gain an undisputed leadership among other types of content in the advertising market. Targeting and personalisation of content will become even more accurate and simpler, advertising offers to potential buyers will be more personalised, it is also supposed to transform advertising formats for audio messages and integrate voice assistants into various devices.

Differential effects of online review characteristics on innovators and imitators in new product adoption

The effects of online user reviews on new product adoption are important in managing interactive marketing communications. However, such effects may vary, depending on the nature of the review characteristics and consumers. In this paper, we empirically investigate the differential effects of online review characteristics on new product adoption for two types of consumers (innovators and imitators) and how such effects may be altered by different dimensions of review characteristics. Using a data set collected from Amazon, we find that the differential effects exist, but are moderated by the dimensions of review characteristics: the numerical review characteristics (i.e. review volume, review rating, and rating variation) have larger effects on imitators than on innovators, but the review textual characteristics (i.e. review emotional content) show the opposite effects. We further discuss the managerial implications of our research findings.

Effect of interactive marketing channels on service customer acquisition

PurposeThe cost of customer acquisition is one of the largest expenses that service firms incur due to loss-generating quotes/proposals. This paper aims to connect interactive marketing communications channels with increased customer acquisition and non-interactive marketing communications channels with decreased customer acquisition by service firms.Design/methodology/approachTwo field studies using hazard models were used to assess the probability of acquiring a new customer after the prospect first contacts the firm. Multiple discrete hazard models were used to compare channels against each other.FindingsThree interactive marketing communications channels (word-of-mouth, online review forum, search engine optimization) increased the rate of acquiring a customer over time. I also compared non-interactive channels (billboard/signage, direct mail), but the analysis did not reveal any significant impact on acquisition rate by the non-interactive marketing communications channels.Originality/valueThe present study illustrates why the cost of acquisition is so high in the service sector and takes the unique step of linking interactive marketing communications channels with higher customer acquisition rates over time in a services context. Specifically, interactive marketing channels enable customers to find firms that offer the attributes that they seek, thereby increasing acquisition probabilities and decreasing acquisition costs.

USER EXPERIENCE AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE USE OF VOICE ASSISTANTS IN INTERACTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS: AMAZON ALEXA, GOOGLE HOME, APPLE SIRI, YANDEX ALICE

The emergence, development, problems, prospects and statistics of the use of voice assistants in interactive marketing communications have been considered. The use of voice assistants as an interface of interaction with electronic equipment is a new, dynamically developing trend, covering all spheres of human activity. The relevance of the studied problem lies in the fact that the integration of advertising in voice assistants in the near future will affect all types of business in one way to another and become an integral part of a successful advertising campaign: these are the most effective interactive marketing communications of the future. The author’s recommendations on the use of voice assistants in interactive marketing communications have been given.

Terpaan Iklan Digital, Word Of Mouth dan Komunikasi Pemasaran Interaktif pada Keputusan Pembelian Produk Perawatan Tubuh

Media Social Instagram turn marketing communication into interactive. On theother hand conventional approaches such as word of mouth are still used to drivepurchasing decisions. The study discusses four main concepts namely exposure toadvertising on social media, word of mouth, and interactive marketing communication asindependent variables. While the purchase decision as the dependent variable. The articleaims to describe the influence between advertising exposure, word of mouth andinteractive marketing communication on purchasing decisions in the context of body careproducts and services. This study collects data through online surveys. Respondents (n =100) come from Instagram account followers @thecliniccipete and are chosen based onmembership or have made a previous purchase. Data analysis used univariate analysisfor demographic data and bivariate analysis for variables. Bivariate analysis uses simple linear regression to test three hypotheses. The result of regression test shows thatstatistically all hypotheses have an influence on purchasing decisions with different levelsof influence strength. Ad exposure and word of mouth variables show a strong influenceon purchasing decisions. However, interactive marketing communication shows amoderate influence on purchasing decisions. Based on the three hypotheses known wordof mouth is the most powerful variable that explains purchasing decisions in the contextof body care products and services.

Post popularity and reactions in retail brand pages on Facebook

PurposeSocial networking sites and Facebook have grown to become an important channel of interactive marketing communication with consumers for retail. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways posts characteristics and reactions affect post popularity and engagement in retail brands Facebook pages.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 18 retail brand pages out of the 120 most popular brand pages on Facebook in Greece are examined for a three months’ period (April–June 2016). In all, 2,627 posts are analyzed with the use of OLS regressions in order to identify the characteristics of posts that increase consumers’ engagement, including the newly introduced reaction feature.FindingsThe results suggest that richness of content (images and videos) and message length increase the engagement levels and the popularity of posts. Reactions have a positive effect on engagement, and negative reactions stronger than positive reactions, except in sharing. On the other hand, posting time does not seem to have a statistically significant impact on the engagement and popularity of a post.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted during a period that reactions were only recently introduced by Facebook, therefore users and brands may not have been familiarized with their use.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to the understanding of consumer engagement with retail brands’ pages on Facebook and social media, and the ways they use reactions and other ways of interactions with brand posts. The results can provide some insight to retailers on how to achieve higher levels of engagement for their brands through their Facebook pages, improving the effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns.Originality/valueThe findings contribute in understanding the ways users interact with brand posts in Facebook using reactions, using a number of popularity measures, providing useful insights about reactions, engagement and e-WoM, extending prior research.

To integrate or not to integrate? Understanding B2B social media communications

PurposeSocial media communications on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn can allow managers to interact cost effectively with trading partners. However, although most firms have an online presence on multiple social media platforms, the question remains as to whether marketers’ widespread social media investments are beneficial for firms. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents competing hypotheses to explore how firms’ investment in one form of social media impacts activity on another form of social media. To do so, the authors draw on a data set of 208 large Australian organizations using objective social media activity metrics that measure business-to-business (B2B) audience engagement.FindingsThe findings suggest that widespread social media activity on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube negatively affects a firm’s marketing activity on Facebook. The results indicate that having a social media preference whereby firms focus on a specific social media platform is more effective in forming successful inter-organizational relationships than a multiplatform approach.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the sparse research that seeks to leverage social media for audience engagement beyond a business-to-consumer context. The study’s findings provide insights into the key mechanisms that underlie firms’ B2B social media strategies, and in so doing, offer a fresh perspective on the importance of interactive marketing communication.

Effects of inbound marketing communications on HEIs’ brand equity: the mediating role of the student’s decision-making process. An exploratory research

ABSTRACTA context of increased competition between higher education institutions (HEIs) for attracting potential national and international students has led universities to implement marketing communication strategies. Those strategies which are used to some extent include, among others, interactive inbound marketing. The purpose of the present exploratory study is to identify how HEIs can develop to improve their image and awareness by using new interactive marketing communication tools mediated by the student’s decision-making process. To conduct our investigation, we used both a qualitative (seven semi-structured interviews) and a quantitative survey (n = 121) methodology. Based on data analysis, we found that among the areas investigated, interactive marketing communication tools have a great impact on postgraduate students’ decision-making process with a corresponding change of perception of the university and attitudes towards the brand. Therefore, even unknown universities with a limited budget can increase their brand awareness and brand image for prospective and current students by using such tools.

Manufacturing Company and Its Communication

Modern marketing communication requires more than just making the product target customers. In the modern era, organizations must communicate with their customers by means that are available to them and that search. One of the key tools for integrated marketing communication is the Internet. Creative use of the Internet to disseminate messages of communication contributes to the enhancement of integrated communication for its interactivity, and continuity with globality. In the future it can be expected that interactive marketing communications becomes a crucial form of communication in some areas. Internet marketing is becoming a “superhighway” and therefore is an important medium of integrated marketing communications

Exploring interactive communication using social media

Engaging consumers in interactive marketing communication is instrumental in business–customer relationships building and development. Social media enables consumers to initiate marketing messages and gain growing control in the communication process due to its enhanced interactivity features. This study investigates whether communication between businesses and their social media users is interactive and how interactive it is. It also attempts to determine what types of messages are more likely to result in interactive communication. The findings reveal that businesses are attempting functional interactivity while individual users are increasingly securing a control to achieve contingent interactivity. Businesses are adopting a consumer-centric approach in designing and executing marketing communication messages to achieve interactivity though significant variance is established between businesses as measured by Interactivity Performance Matrix. Challenges remain for businesses as to how to engage their customers by utilizing the interactivity features of social media to facilitate relationships formulation and development.

Development of an optimal solution for digital marketing variables in an online tool

IT enabled interactivity has lead to the creation of an online dialogue which can be leveraged by organisations for the dual purposes of building brand equity and building customer relationships. While touching the subject of new interactive marketing communication tools offered by the contemporary collaborative web, this paper focuses on the use of corporate blogs by organisations as tools which foster community interaction and organisational participation to build a congenial ecosystem where organisational elements co–exist with customers and incorporation of consumer feedback is a vital tool for organisational growth (Sifry, 2004). This paper focuses on understanding the role and function of interactivity in an online tool while outlining how an organisation can have the right mix of structural features catering to this role of interactivity. This has been attempted by studying the level of interactivity of a corporate blog by calculating an interactivity score and analysing the relationship between the level of interactivity of the blog and the reach (percent of global internet users who visit the site) as well as the Technorati rating of the blog. Further, by maximising the interactivity score, using linear programming, an attempt has been made to determine an optimal solution to understand the desired level of presence of structural parameters in a blog, catering to specific functions served by the dimension of interactivity.

Conventionalists, Connectors, Technoisseurs and Mobilarti: Differential profiles of mobile marketing segments based on phone features and postmodern characteristics of consumers

The high penetration of mobile phones amongst the South African population presents mobile phones as an attractive interactive marketing communication medium. This paper argues that the access and actual use of different phone device features can be productively used as a segmentation approach, which may enable marketers to be more effective in planning interactive marketing communication plans. This study, based on 330 students, developed segments derived from mobile phone usage patterns using cluster analysis. The outcome revealed four clusters that were named: Connectors, Conventionalists, Technoisseurs and Mobilarti. Connectors made daily use of a full range of communication functions. Conventionalists were inclined to limit their use of mobile phone features to talking and texting. Technoisseurs were found to use a whole range of sophisticated mobile phone facilities. Mobilarti were identified as a group of expert users; using the full range of functions available to them on their phones, despite recording the lowest percentage of smartphone ownership when compared to the other groups. These groups were further profiled by analysing attitudinal and behavioural variables pertaining to two newly developed postmodern dimensions, which were introduced in the study as mobile importance as an attitudinal aspect, and social transformation as a behavioural outcome. For marketers, an understanding of the proposed segments, as well as the differences in attitudes towards mobile importance and social transformation behaviours, coupled with typical financial and social realities of these segments, allow targeting strategies that are more clearly actionable.

인터랙티브 마케팅커뮤니케이션 매체로써 QR코드 이용에 관한 연구 : 기술수용모델을 중심으로

This study examined users` acceptance process with the QR code as an interactive marketing communications tool. We collected total 200 survey data and 181 questionnaires among them were used for the analysis during for five days, from 9 to 13 in May 2011. The first research question of this study examined the relationship among subjective norms, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes, and intention to use through the structural equation modeling analysis. The result of the first research showed that subjective norms about the use of QR code affect intention to use via perceived usefulness, and also directly influence on it. The perceived usefulness has the biggest impact on the intention to use. The research question 2 was to look at the condition effect with the presence of experience. As the analysis result of the second research question, the relationships between subjective norms and perceived usefulness are not different whether or not groups experience QR code, and both groups appeared to have had significant impact. Whereas the relationship between subjective norms and intention to use showed a significant influence on the population that has the experience with the QR code. In order to encourage use of the QR code, therefore, we will need to highly impress on users subjective norms which are ambient pressure on the use of QR code and positively offer marketing strategy which gives users the opportunities to get experience with the QR code.

'Click here to share with a friend': a uses and gratifications approach to word-of-mouth marketing effectiveness

The burgeoning interest in viral marketing and social media optimisation can be seen as a response to the growing and prohibitive clutter inherent in today’s fragmented media landscape that leads to messages being attended to less reliably and exclusively. Research on predictors of viral marketing effectiveness is in its infancy, especially as it relates to the use of advertising as the primary vehicle for a viral campaign. We explore factors that prompt advertising sharing, and introduce a shareability scale, a tool to gauge the sharing potential of interactive marketing communications. Across a B2B and a B2C sample, we found remarkable similarity. Participants who were willing to share advertising information tended to be more mindful of others when processing the advertisement, to have a greater general tendency to share internet information, to be more highly involved in the product category, and, in the B2C sample, to be less concerned about source trustworthiness when passing along information found online. Implications for new media researchers and advertisers are discussed.

For Love or Money: Developing and Validating a Motivational Scale for Fantasy Football Participation

The contemporary sport fan has the ability to consume spectator sport through several means including event attendance, television and radio broadcasts, print publications, and Internet applications. Recently, an ancillary sport service, termed fantasy sports, has become one of the most popular activities among sport fans. As a result, the business of fantasy sports is booming. This study examined motivational dimensions underlying fantasy football participation from a Uses and Gratifications perspective. Utilizing Churchill’s (1979) five-step method for developing quality marketing measures, this study identified and validated three motivational dimensions: entertainment/escape, competition, and social interaction. The results suggest a pattern of fantasy football participation that is more purposeful and active than traditional media use. Discussed are the gambling associations, future research opportunities, and suggestions for developing fantasy football participation into a more creative and interactive marketing communication tool.

Building strong brands in a modern marketing communications environment

To help marketers to build and manage their brands in a dramatically changing marketing communications environment, the customer-based brand equity model that emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer brand knowledge structures is put forth. Specifically, the brand resonance pyramid is reviewed as a means to track how marketing communications can create intense, active loyalty relationships and affect brand equity. According to this model, integrating marketing communications involves mixing and matching different communication options to establish the desired awareness and image in the minds of consumers. The versatility of on-line, interactive marketing communications to marketers in brand building is also addressed.

Web‐enabled product ID system as a tool in pharmaceutical marketing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how a web‐enabled product ID system can be applied to pharmaceutical marketing and consumer relationship management.Design/methodology/approachAs a technical paper, it first introduces and describes the product ID system and then explores various marketing applications of this interactive communication tool in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, it concludes with managerial implications and caveats.FindingsThe web‐based product ID system is able to provide a means for product validation and database marketing, facilitate interactive marketing communication and viral marketing, and collect customer information and feedback for research activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe perceived lack of security of public networks and customer confidence about drug sourcing are always concerns when applied to online technology in pharmaceutical marketing. Caveats about building such a system of coded ID product are discussed.Practical implicationsThe use of uniquely coded packaging would impact marketing research activities, enhance consumer promotions, allow end‐users to authenticate a drug's validity, provide a means for early reporting of unforeseen risks or benefits, and build/maintain customer relationship.Originality/valueThe proposed web‐based product ID system is an innovative concept that can have important marketing implications in the pharmaceutical industry.

Analysis of Consumers' Attitudes toward Interactivity and Relationship Personalization as Contemporary Developments in Interactive Marketing Communication

Purpose: Interactive marketing communication and relationship personalization present some of the most recent developments in the field of marketing communications. This paper analyzes consumers' attitudes towards the two concepts. Methodology: This study used an online survey on a convenience sample of Internet users in Croatia and a telephone survey (CATI method) on a representative sample of Croatian citizens. Findings: Two main hypotheses researched in this paper are: consumers have a more positive attitude toward interactive marketing communication than toward one‐way communication (H1); consumers have a more positive attitude toward relationship personalization than toward classical transactional relationship (H2). It was found that consumers do want interactive communication, but they are more rigorous about personalization. H1 was accepted, while H2 was accepted only for certain industries. Implications: These findings have implications for the direction of relationship development with consumers. They provide an insight into how consumers want to communicate with companies and organizations and what level of personalization they expect or require. In addition, the findings indicate what companies or organizations should do in order to draw consumers into interactive personalized relationships.