Marketing plan for a web shop : Case Arcada shop
Norppa, Maria (2016)
Norppa, Maria
Yrkeshögskolan Arcada
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060211519
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060211519
Tiivistelmä
The non-profit operator Arcada University of Applied Sciences opened a web shop in October 2015 selling Arcada branded merchandise. The shop was launched after its completion without a marketing plan. The shop was seen as a cost-effective marketing tool and a mean to create university culture and school spirit. The aim of the thesis was to find out more about creating a marketing plan and increasing visibility of the shop. Research questions of the thesis were: “How to create a marketing plan?” and “How to market the shop to the exchange students at Arcada?” The research was done using qualitative methods with an exploratory approach aimed at discovery about creating a marketing plan and idea generation for the marketing of the web shop. The main secondary sources were textbooks, articles and online publications. Primary data was gathered via semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. The literature review revealed that a lot of theory on creating a marketing plan exists. Many of the models featured similar main elements and a model for creating a marketing plan was created based on existing models and then applied to the case. The current situation was analyzed including segmentation and target marketing. It was found out, that more marketing efforts are needed in in order to get the exchange students aware and interested in the shop. A differentiation targeting approach was chosen with exchange students as the target segment. A strategy utilizing engagement and social media was chosen. The objectives were set in relation to engagement and social media. The chosen objectives were reaching the exchange students via targeted efforts, increasing visibility, brand building, loyalty, creating traffic and transactional. The objectives were to be reached through using marketing communications mix to reach the exchange students, and quality content in online channels to engage the audience. It was concluded that the marketing plan featured in the thesis is meant to give recommendations and it is up to Arcada Communications Department whether they implement it or not. It was also concluded that the theory can be generalized, but the actual marketing plan cannot, due to complex nature of the shop.