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The digital revolution has impacted both consumers as well as businesses. Over the past decade technology and the
form, it is used has changed drastically. Earlier, the Internet was purely a source of information but now has become
a place where people meet to share their experiences and stories, a platform for discussion and debate, a source of
entertainment and much more. Social networking has influenced the way of using internet further, it has become a
medium to reach general masses. Businesses are in rush to take advantages of increasing internet usage, hence given
rise to digital marketing. Strategists are no longer confined to traditional modes of marketing, internet has been
proven a superior medium, courtesy to, speed and mass coverage to reach targeted population. India being an
emerging economy and a largest market has huge potential to take advantages of fastest growing digital marketing
industry. This study will overview the scope and potential of digital marketing in Indian market. The study will be
using theoretical approach by reviewing all the relevant literature on digital marketing in Indian context. A
theoretical structural will be provided to be further tested empirically by other studies.
Keywords: digital marketing, social media marketing, traditional marketing
Digital marketing is the promotion of products and services through
According to The Chartered Institute of Marketing (www.cim.co.uk)
different forms of electronic medium. Keeping the benefits in view
Marketing is the management process accountable for identifying,
government of India has initiated many policies and programs for
anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. In
digitalization process, so that with the use of the latest technology
today's competitive and challenging environment leaders cannot rely
living standards can be improved. Digital India has been started with
on traditional ways of doing business, they face challenges in society,
the aim to make India totally digital, so the focus of companies
markets, retaining customers, and adopting technology (Garg, Dar,
should be on digital modes for the marketing of their product and
& Mishra, 2016; Garg, Dar, & Mishra, 2017).
services.
As per the study of (Chaffey, Ellis Chadwick, & Chaffey, 2012)
In practice there is a considerable range of different terminology
Digital Marketing can be defined as “The application of the Internet
that explains the practice of utilizing digital marketing, internet
and similar digital technologies in conjunction with traditional
marketing, online marketing and social media marketing. Thus,
communications to achieve marketing objectives”. Kumar and Singh
Digital Marketing is the utilisation of the Internet in order to reach
(2017) stated that digital marketing means using digital technology
the desired target market, via some of the following channels:
related media as a new advanced pattern of marketing channel.
Chaffey (2012) has defined it in precise words as “Achieving nSocial Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
marketing objectives through applying digital technologies”. nWebsites/Blogs (Word Press.com).
Further, stated that Communications are facilitated by content and nMultimedia Advertising (YouTube.com).
interactive services delivered by several digital technology
nOnline/Search Engine Adverting (Google Ad Words, SEO).
platforms including the internet, web, phone, mobile, interactive TV,
nEmail Marketing.
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and digital signage.
nInteractive Marketing/Apps (Online Competitions, Polls, &
Chaffey (2013) has stated that digital marketing makes use of Gaming
technologies to help marketing activities in order to improve
customer knowledge by matching their needs. Customers can read Evolution of digital marketing
reviews and write comments about subjective experiences through The term Digital Marketing was first used in the 1990s. As per the
blogs, which can be used as a tool for digital marketing, which helps study of Smyth (2007) When the Internet bubble burst in 2001, the
to increase sales revenue. As per the study of Yasim, Tasneem, and market was dominated by Google and Yahoo for search engine
Fatema (2015) through digital media, consumers can access optimization. Internet search traffic increased in 2006; the rise of
information anytime and at any place where they want. With the search engine optimization spread for major companies like Google.
presence of digital media, consumers do not just rely on what the In 2007, the usage of mobile devices enlarged the Internet usage on
company says about their brand, but also, they can follow what the the move drastically, and people all over the world began connecting
media, friends, associations, peers, etc., are saying as well. with each other more conveniently through social media. In the
The main objective of digital marketing is attracting consumers 2010s, digital marketing became more sophisticated as an effective
and allowing them to interact with the brand through digital media. way to create a relationship with the consumer that has depth and
relevance.
In the developed world, firms have realized the value of digital
marketing. As per the study of Parsons, Zeisser, and Waitman (1998)
stated that in order for businesses to be successful, companies will S
Correspondence should be sent to Ishaq Ahmad Dar
Research Scholar, Mittal School of Business
Lovely Professional University, Punjab
E-mail: ishaq _99@rediffmail.com
© 2018 Indian Association of Health, Research and Welfare
ISSN-2347-3797
UGC Journal No 41948 and NAAS Rating 3.17
Digital marketing in India: An overview
Reena Lakha
University School of Management Studies
Rayat Bahra University, Mohali, Punjab
Ishaq Ahmad Dar
Mittal School of Business
Lovely Professional University, Punjab
IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences
Review, 2018, 6(1), 176-179
have to merge online with traditional practices for meeting the needs However, the internet provides comprehensive product information
of customers more precisely. Based on the study of Kiani (1998) which consumers can rely on and make a purchase decision.
which states Introduction of advanced technologies has creating Easy comparison with others: Since many companies are trying to
innovative business opportunities for marketers to maintain their promote their products or services using digital marketing, it is
websites and accomplish their business objectives. becoming the greatest advantage for the consumers in terms that
As per Mishra (2008) Digital marketing is no longer about merely consumers can make comparison among products or services by
adding online channels to the media mix; it is about integrating different suppliers in cost and time friendly way. Consumers don't
digital into all facets of marketing. The study of Munshi (2012) stated need to visit number of different retail outlets in order to gain
that monotonous advertising and marketing techniques had given knowledge about the products or services.
way to digital marketing. Besides, it is so powerful that it can help Share the content of the products or services: Digital marketing
revive the economy and can create tremendous opportunities for gives viewers an opportunity to share the content of the product and
governments to function in a more efficient manner. According to services to others. With the use of digital media, one can easily
Zhang (2013), Blogs as a tool for digital marketing have successfully transfer and get information regarding the features of the product or
created an impact for increasing sales revenue, especially for services to others.
products where customers can read reviews and write comments Apparent pricing: Through digital marketing channels Company
about personal experiences. For businesses, online reviews have can show the prices of products or services, and this makes costs
worked really well as part of their overall strategic marketing very clear and transparent for the consumers. The company may
strategy. regularly change the prices or gives special offers on their products
or services, and consumers are always in advantages by getting
Advantages digital marketing brings to consumers informed instantly by just looking at any one mean of digital
With the rapid advancement in technology, digital marketing has marketing.
changed consumers buying behaviour. It has brought various Enables instant purchase: With traditional marketing, consumers
advantages to the consumers as given below first watch the advertisement and then find a relevant physical store
Stay updated with products or services: Digital marketing to purchase the products or services. However, with digital
technologies allow the consumers to stay with the company marketing, consumers can purchase the products or services
information updated. Nowadays a lot of consumers can access instantly.
internet any place anytime, and companies are continuously
Objectives of the study
updating information about their products or services.
24/7 Shopping: Since the internet is available all day long, there is no n To know the concept of digital marketing.
time restriction for when the consumer wants to buy a product online. n To identify the importance and need for digital marketing.
Greater engagement: Consumers can engage with the company's n To study the challenges and prospects of digital marketing.
various activities using digital marketing channels. Consumers can
visit company's website, read required information regarding the Method
products and services and can also make purchases online and give The research is exploratory in nature; it focuses on Literature
feedback. Review, Newspaper, Journals, the personal experiences of the
Precise information concerning the products and services: With the authors. Additionally, websites of some digital marketing agencies
use of digital marketing, consumers get clear information regarding have been visited to know the process, elements and functions of
the products or services. There is a little chance of misunderstanding digital marketing.S
of the information taken from a salesperson in a retail store.
Traditional marketing Digital marketing
Traditional marketing comprises print, broadcast, Digital marketing includes online advertising, email marketing, social media,
direct mail, and telephone affiliate marketing, text messaging, search engine optimisation, pay per click
No interaction with the audience Interaction with the audience
Expensive and time-consuming process Reasonably cheap and rapid way to promote the products or services
Results are easy to measure Results are to a high extent, i.e. easy to measure
Success of traditional marketing strategies can be Success of the digital marketing strategies can be celebrated if the company can
celebrated if the firm can reach large local audience reach some certain number of local audience
Limited reach to the consumer due to limited Wider reach to the consumer because of the use of various consumers technology
number of consumer technology Campaigns can be easily changed with expertise and innovations can be
One campaign prevails for a long time introduced within any campaign
24/7 year-round exposure is not possible 24/7 year-round exposure is possible
One-way conversation Two ways conversation
No ability to go viral Ability to go viral
Marketing advertising campaigns are planned Advertising campaigns are planned over short period of time
over a long period
Traditional Vs digital marketing
IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review, 2018, 6(1), 176-179 177
is not an easy job as there are a number of problems which need to be
Review of literature
addressed while implementing Digital marketing. The major
Zenit et al. (2014) in their research study Internet marketing over challenges which digital marketing may face are:
traditional marketing have tried to highlight the rapidly changing
nReaching Target Audience
requirements of the people all over the world. The study shows a
nDigital Marketing Budget Allocation
huge scope in online shopping. An individual hardly gets time to
nEffective Social Media Management
relax on weekends therefore online shopping saves the wastage of
time and serves as a best option of shopping as compared to going to nExpertise and Knowledge with Digital Marketing
the store. The Online shopping trend flourishes the business of many nEducating Stakeholder about Digital Marketing
small and medium enterprises through the display of products and nCreating relevant and rich content
advertise services on different online portals.
nOptimising response and conversion
Yasim, Tasneem, and Fatema (2015) conducted a study on 150
nTarget Market Engagement
firms and 50 executives to examine the effect of digital marketing on
nDetermining appropriate digital channel
the firm's sales. The Study suggests that companies can use various
nCompetition
forms of digital marketing as a tool to promote company products
nShowing Return on Investment
and services. Additionally, Digital marketing may succeed more if
firms consider customer needs as a top priority. The researchers nShift from traditional to Digital marketing
suggest that companies should create specific strategies for digital nLack of Resources
media to analyse the best path for driving up digital marketing nMeasuring and tracking performance
performance. Dara (2015) studied the effectiveness of the digital
nAchieving brand awareness
marketing strategies for both marketers and consumers. The research
nKeeping updated on latest technology
study finally suggested determining customer needs should be the
nWorking with the right digital agency
top priority before selling the products and services on the various
digital marketing channels. Dar, Joshi, and Bali (2016) studied the Suggestions
effect of information technology through websites and applications
in hospitality industry, and found that use of applications and nWith an increasing number of consumers spending a major
websites in this industry positively affects the customer satisfaction. portion of their time on computers or smart phones, more of these
Stephen (2015) identified five themes to study the digital marketing. tech savvy users prefer taking control of their digital user experience
(i) Consumer digital culture, (ii) responses to digital advertising, (iii) and outcomes.
effects of digital environments on consumer behaviour, (iv) mobile nDigital marketing brings the greatest advantage for the consumers
environments, and (v) online word of mouth (WOM). In this article, by allowing them to make comparison among products or services
it is explained from several different perspectives on how consumers by different suppliers in cost and time friendly way. Consumers don't
experience, influence, and are influenced by the digital channels and need to visit a number of different retail outlets in order to gain
environment in which they are situated. knowledge about the products or services. It is very time saving
Atshaya and Sristy (2016) in their study of Digital Marketing VS process in this competitive age.
Internet Marketing, the article concludes that internet marketing is
nBy taking the advantage of digital marketing, business owners
only a subset of digital marketing and the scope of digital marketing can attract their prospects, clients and followers to take action, visit
is far beyond internet marketing. The Researcher also elaborates website, read about products and services, rate them, buy them and
different channels used under the digital marketing and internet provide feedback which is visible to everyone.
marketing which helps to understand the differences among both.
nAny business can target audience anywhere in the world from one
Vachhani (2016) analysed the idea of digital marketing in India digital marketing campaign. So, it doesn't take long for good
and its challenges and opportunities in the expanding area of e- publicity to enhance the prospects of a business.
marketing. The study indicates the growth of e-marketing depends
nDigital marketing can also create many job opportunities and
on the growth of business ethics and on the consumer protection
contribute in the national economy.
laws. Moreover, the problem of lack of personal contact, security and
privacy are the major challenges of digital marketing. Rathore, Pant, Conclusion
and Sharma (2017) discussed the emerging trends in digital
marketing in India. The study indicates that digital tools and websites Different research studies and data from various websites shows that
play an important role in individual lives. To find out the best India is moving towards digitization very rapidly year by year, and
promotional offers from the sellers around India customers spend the Indian government is also focusing on the complete digitization
more time online. The study of Kumar and Singh (2017) elaborates of the nation by initiatives like Digital India. The objective of the
the recent advancement in the field of digital marketing. The Study Digital India is to revolutionize by implementing digitalization in
explains that the main objective of digital marketing is attracting every sphere of life, to improve the standard of living with ease in
customers and allowing them to interact with the seller through governance and delivery of services in this huge country. Using
digital media. The researcher discussed various tools and techniques digital media makes people to finish tasks very conveniently by
of digital marketing which are used to promote company itself and its bridging the distances with time savings.
products and services. So, there is a need to change the marketing strategy of various
companies from traditional marketing to digital marketing. If the
Challenges in digital marketing
companies do not use the digital marketing platform to market their
Although a large number of firms are practicing digital marketing, it
DAR AND LAKHA/ DIGITAL MARKETING IN INDIA: AN OVERVIEW178
of Education and Management Studies, 6(4), 435-439.
Now-days the customers purchase the products online. They easily
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