Research Topics: World Wide Web

The World Wide Web             The World Wide Web (WWW) is relatively new Internet service based on hypermedia. Hypermedia enables users to navigate the Internet using a point and click interface similar to those used on Macintosh and Windows-based computer systems. The most popular browser at the time of writing is Netscape Navigator. WWW browsers eliminate the need to learn complex computer commands. All the reader needs to do is start the browser and point and click on the topics of interest displayed. The browser translates the clicks to computer commands, freeing the user from the need to learn the arcane operating system. Promoting one’s products on the Internet can be cost-effective way to reach potential consumers worldwide. But once a WWW site is online, companies must wait for consumers to come to them as unsolicited advertising such as mass e-mailing is frowned on in the Internet community. The waiting time for customers can be shortened considerably by giving the site address in traditional promotional materials, by joining electronic malls and by arranging with the operators of related sites. Willing consumers can call toll-free numbers, send e-mail messages and fill out online forms to order merchandise or request information. The Internet is fast moving and rapidly changing environment. With the advent of the WWW and user-friendly browsers, marketing business are making the leap online and visualizing cost-effective media vehicle to reach customers. About ‘’Buzz’’ Marketing             Word of Mouth Marketing,  term used in marketing and advertising industry to describe activities that companies undertake to generate personal recommendations as well as referrals for brand names, products and services. The promotion as valued by advertisers. It is believed that this form of communication has valuable source credibility. Research points to individuals being more inclined to believe buzz marketing than other forms of promotion methods; the receiver of referrals tends to believe that the communicator is speaking honestly and is unlikely to have motive. In order to promote and manage word-of-mouth communications, marketers use publicity techniques as well as viral marketing methods to achieve desired behavioral response. The successful word of mouth promotion creates Buzz, as it generate intense and interactive form of referral and that certain successful initiatives do not follow linear process with information flowing from one individual and to ensure that buzz is created, marketer will be successfully create buzz when interactions are intense that the information moves in matrix pattern rather than linear one. Buzz marketing, the marketing technique in attempt to make encounter with consumer appear to be exclusive, impulsive personal swap of information instead of intended marketing terrain as compose by professional advertiser. The advertiser reveals information about the service to only few people in the target audience. By purposely seeking out conversations with those who heavily influence their peers, buzz marketers create sophisticated word-of-mouth campaign where consumers are flattered to be included in the elite group of those spread the word to friends and co-workers. Accordingly, buzz campaigns are now being initiated in chat rooms, where marketing representatives assume an identity appropriate to their target audience and pitch their product. The personal Web logs are popular media for electronic buzz marketing campaigns as the advertisers seek out authors of the “right kind of blog” and trade product or currency for promotion. As technology continues to facilitate the delivery of a electronic buzz marketing message easier, and software applications make message deliveries easier to quantify, some advertising experts predict that electronic buzz marketing techniques will become a standard component in all cross-media advertising campaigns. The new world of buzz marketing, where brand come-ons sometimes are veiled to the point of opacity and where it is the consumers themselves who are lured into doing the heavy lifting of spreading the message. Marketers are learning to turn their brands into carefully guarded secrets that are revealed to a knowing few in each community, who in turn tell few more. Then there’s the rise of the Internet, which means marketers can reach just about anyone in almost any guise they care to assume. Finally, buzz marketing attempts to make encounter with consumer look like unique, serendipitous event appealing to the desired twenty something, who remain skeptical of traditional mass advertising.           Marketing applications of the World Wide Web   The interactive brochure             Interactive brochures range from simple information provided in a text-only form as called flat ads, to highly sophisticated multimedia productions, with full scale audio, video and interactive capabilities. Flat ads, single page electronic flyers, are often the first step into an eventual multimedia format. They allow companies to get an initial feel for the marketplace. Even these relatively simple sites on the Internet send a message to current customers, potential customers and competitors that a company is on the cutting edge (, 1995 ). Some Internet sites provide users with multimedia materials, including sound bites, video clips, allowing access to detailed product information. The virtual storefront             Perhaps the shopping experience on the Internet can best be achieved by visiting one of the many cyber-malls. Online shoppers rang up some 0 million worth of sales and sales are expected to top billion (Cited from, , 1995 ). Locations such as the Branch Mall, the Internet Shopping Network provide from 30 to 100 links to participating Internet retailers. Many of these malls are made up of small florists, travel agencies, and card shops, but even big name retailers are getting in on the act (Cited from, , 1995 ). Although the majority of large companies have well-established physical distribution systems, virtual storefronts have a great leveling effect, instantly transforming small companies into worldwide distributors by providing a source of direct sales. It is difficult to determine the size of a company by its World Wide Web page. The information clearinghouse             Another category of use of the World Wide Web is as an information clearinghouse. Some companies wish to provide a place to exchange information with customers and other researchers, such as those in academia. The establishment of an information clearinghouse on the WWW can assist businesses in this endeavor, information clearinghouse is place where product questions can be asked and answered online, meetings and conferences can be announced, and research findings can be shown and explained. Current technology allows participants to have real time video and audio interaction via the Internet. These virtual meeting places and discussion groups can bring people with similar interests together for meetings and discussions instantly and at very little cost to the sponsor. The customer service tool             The use of the WWW as a customer service tool can take a variety of forms. Netscape, one of the World Wide Web browsers, has no built-in help feature; all of its help is provided online via the WWW. When the user asks the program for help, the software gets the current help file from the company’s WWW site. There allows the help files to be expanded and updated without requiring an upgrade to the program itself. Just because a company engages in a variety of WWW activities, does not mean that its site will be better or more successful than one which makes use of only one. The key difference may lie in the quality of the implementation.   Marketing applications Diagram     Source of the above diagram:                                                                     Advertisement Effectiveness             Conventionally, advertising has been one of the major forms of communication between a firm and its clients. . (1995 ) reported eight basic types of advertising designed to reach a diverse audience with varied objectives. In order to serve the desired role and function most effectively, advertisements may use many different types of media and vehicle for different target groups. With the advent of technology, the Internet posits itself as one of the very few media alternatives that can be used for almost all advertising purposes across all possible market segments. Businesses can create and transmit advertisements on the Internet that can be accessed by anybody with a computer equipped with appropriate software. Such a convenience and marketing efficiency, both for the advertiser and the target audience, is making the Net popular for marketing practices all over the world. In addition, the Net has the capability to compile statistics regarding how many people viewed each advertisement and for how long each viewer actually looked at an advertisement. This helps companies track down the effectiveness of their advertisements in terms of the number of direct purchases – a much more effective mechanism than the existing ones for magazine advertisements or television commercials. Furthermore, advertising on the Net on an average, costs merely a third of what it costs in the magazines and business journals, and a fraction of the price associated with television ads. This opens up avenues, particularly for smaller firms, to reach their potential clients more cost-effectively. Market research and analysis             Although marketing on the Net can benefit companies of all sizes, smaller organizations may have the maximum gain. The enterprises across countries have rushed to connect to the Net and should be able to communicate within the global village as effectively as major transnational corporations. The Internet furnishes direct customer contact, combined with the appropriate market and technical reference material, which gives organizations greater ability to identify earlier shifts in product and customer trends and to test new value propositions in response. This enables managers to recognize product and market opportunities sooner and to adopt more effective product, price, distribution and further promotion strategies relative to the customers’ needs. Issues in using the Internet There are several pros and cons associated with using the Internet for marketing purposes. Global opportunities             The Net access delivers a company with an opportunity to implement highly cost-effective vehicles not only for their own marketing and customer support needs, but also for positioning themselves globally. It is especially beneficial to smaller companies who want to expand their businesses globally, but do not have the capital and resources to do so. In addition, the Internet helps ease the red tape surrounding the prospect of doing business overseas, thus avoiding regulations and restrictions that companies’ must follow who are physically present in other countries and who advertise in international journals. Accessibility             Companies who use the Internet, not only for advertising, but for e-mail and customer ordering, increase their hours of business on a global spectrum. Instead of a typical eight-hour day, businesses have increased their opportunities by providing 24-hour access for branch offices, business contacts and shoppers access that is important in conducting business across different time zones or internationally. Utility             Providing appropriate form, place and time utility may result in a competitive advantage for the marketers. Especially, the Net furnishes product and service information to current and potential customers when they want it and hence increasing the chances of trial/purchase/repurchase. Security             The Net has very little security and any company using the Net risks disclosure of proprietary information. The Internet was originally designed for a free flow of communications as such regulation and security were not considered when it was conceived and developed. However, with its increasing use for marketing and advertising, there is ample concern for security in terms of copyrights and other proprietary information. Anyone can go into the Net and change, manipulate or discard information, including advertisements. Although there are some basic safeguards to prevent this sort of practice, at best it can be described as inadequate (Cited from, , 1995).             Advertisement over the Net reduces managers’ control considerably. Users of the Internet are difficult to target. Although 50 percent of the users are 25 years or younger, there is still another 50 percent of users from ages 25 and up. It is possible to reach all age groups, yet targeting certain age groups may be difficult. First of all, it cannot be measured applying the conventional methods used for television or magazine advertisements. For example, television has the Nielsen ratings and magazines focus on specific interests of different segments. To date, the Net is broad and unknown, a company cannot possibly determine easily who or where to advertise on the Net. Furthermore, there are so many resources on the Internet; it is probable that users will not see a company’s advertisement at all unless they are prompted to search for certain products/services offered by that company.       Advertising Integration             Advertisers can buy advertisement space on the Net through a service provider, a private company set up to be a gateway to the system for a set of clients. Organizations can find individual consultants as easily as looking in the Yellow Pages. Many of these small firms actually advertise their services on the Internet. These specialized agencies will do everything from setting up, maintaining and promoting their clients’ advertisements (Cited from, , 1994). Users need software such as Netscape, which gives them the capability of seeing the advertisement in full color, graphics, sound and video images. Netscape also helps users locate shopping networks through a user-friendly, Windows-compatible environment (Cited from, , 1994). Sales and marketing research             Advertising is not the only benefit to using the Internet. It also serves as a huge database for research and demographic data. Each transaction that takes place on the Net can be tracked to the user. Therefore, pertinent information about the purchaser can be collected to develop target-marketing strategies. Of equal importance, the Internet’s discussion boards and electronic mail provide marketing with a means to communicate directly with its customers. The capability provides organizations with the ability to identify product opportunities, changes in the competition, unaddressed customer needs, shifts in value propositions and host of other indispensable information points that are difficult to obtain through more traditional and more costly means. So far, World Wide Web has proved to be the most popular medium for market intelligence as networks provide customer support, research, and product development ideas through e-mail, discussion boards, and demonstration facilities. Equally important to business needs is that the Internet provides an effective two-way communication vehicle through which marketing may test ideas and concepts while minimizing the investments needed to launch either pilot programs or full-scale product introductions (Cited from, , 1994).             Developments in information technology have ceaselessly had profound marketing implication which poses both tremendous opportunities and challenges for international marketing. The Internet has become established as a global channel through which both existing and potential customers can be targeted and through which organizations can both publicize and present commercial offerings (Cited from,  and , 2000) and predicted growth of e-commerce revenues, the Internet’s presence is commanding. The Internet has become established as fully-fledged global marketing and communications channel, and can deliver many aspects of any organization’s global marketing strategies ranging from database building and customer acquisition to providing customer service, forming relationships, building loyalty and installing advocacy in existing customers (Cited from,  and , 1990). The global nature of the Internet, combined with the nature of the communication that it can convey, makes it a perfect vehicle for international marketing (Cited from,  and , 1998; cited in , 2001, ). The marketing potential of the Internet has been realized by organizations over the past few years, with its popularity as a medium to target consumers increasing and many academics predict it will increase in the future (Cited from, , 1997; , 2000; ., 2000). It has been argued that the Internet’s ability to connect end users with producers directly will eventually eliminate wholesalers and distributors, and reconfigure the supply chain of many consumer goods and services.             A further implication that the Internet has upon global marketing strategies is that it enables organizations to pay greater attention to customer service and is radically changing the way in which organizations do business. . (2000 ) () argues that the Internet opens up a new communications channel with customers, allowing companies to develop or cement relationships with them. Web sites can incorporate customer service facilities into their activities, providing customers’ world-wide with a focal point for their queries, thus increasing customer interaction (, 2001). However, Internet creates open communication links through emails, bulletin boards and corporate Web sites, facilitating collaboration with range of customers from various backgrounds. Cultural and language barriers             The Internet may reduce the size of the world in one sense but it does not eradicate the presence of fundamental cultural and language differences. Marketers still have to remain alert to the attitudes, norms, customs and values of the inhabitants of different countries when formulating their online global marketing strategies (Cited from, ., 1997). Thus, due to the inherently global nature of the Internet, organizations should evaluate the global impact of any online advertising and promotional material. Predominantly, the language of the Internet is English, the longstanding belief in international marketing, supported by the former German chancellor Willy Brandt, is that marketing should always take place in the language of the target market () (Cited from, , 2001). Markets             The Internet has made difference to global business operations. Air travel, for example, accounted for billion of the total billion spent on travel on the Internet in 1999, according to a marketing-strategy company called PhoCusWright (Cited from, , 2001; , 2000). The Internet has proved to be the perfect messenger for niche interests, serving individual tastes and diverse geographical demands. The key to the success of niche net businesses is first and foremost brand awareness, but the promotional spend necessary to achieve brand recognition among the online clutter is challenging the resources of enterprise through such promotion mechanisms (, 2000 ). Global reputation management             From a marketing perspective the use of the Internet as a communication medium can have detrimental consequences for organizations.  (1999) is an advocate of this view and draws attention to the reality that everybody who has access to the Internet has the power to become a publisher and the ability to communicate with a vast audience through numerous channels including emails, Web sites, chat systems and newsgroups. As  (1997, ) states that its ability to “compress time and space, flatten traditional hierarchies and facilitate participatory action”, when combined with its wide user base presents the Internet as a new avenue for political action and makes the Internet a breeding ground for controversy. The emergence of the Internet has brought with it an increasing degree of corporate accountability, with myriad of official and unofficial watchdogs eager to reveal to the world any inconsistencies within corporations’ actions (Cited from, , 2000). The ability of the internet to deliver and obtain information in a flexible, effective manner at relatively low costs is very attractive. However, not many research projects have focused on how young people use the internet and the effects on the time spent with other media activities. The strong driver of global marketing consists of market factors: common customer needs, global business customers, global channels, convenient marketing and leading markets. For instance, there were internet surveys were compared with those in the overseas markets, the early adopter categories proved quite similar: predominantly male, white, mobile, upper middle class, highly educated, and so on. In the long run, the Web was bound to intensify common customer needs. Moreover, as global business customers preferred to do business with suppliers or vendors providing global service, these companies tended to have needs across several countries. Unsurprisingly, perhaps global channels have had a reinforcing effect on the emergence of global marketing strategies intended to accelerate business activities on the Web to the extent that the Web is likely to have a positive effect on global marketing strategies. When the internet was enhanced with graphic user interfaces, the creators did not call their accomplishment World Wide Web without a reason.             Logically, companies to experience the full impact of web potential in the globalization of operations have been those firms that have crucial role in infrastructure and logistics. In convenient marketing, such marketing ideas have been used in different countries, irrespective of the component of the marketing mix. The internet is powerful enabling force that enables the use of similar and identical ideas in different corners of the world. It also moves transferable marketing into real time and forces marketers into an interactive mode. Indeed, emergence of the Internet, and the rapid globalization of macroeconomic environments have served to “tighten” the dynamics of competitive advantage in global competition.       ‘Advertisers buy blog buzz’, Source by: Nielsen             The level of ‘buzz’ around product on blogosphere is directly related to amount of advertising that accompanies its launch as according to study by  and .  There looked at 80 products in various categories that were launched in the US between 2005 and 2006. It found that the 10 percent with the most buzz had average marketing budgets of around m, by comparison, the products that generated the next 40 percent spent an average of m, while the bottom 50 percent spent an average of m. The study also found that small group of products generated a disproportionately high volume of buzz, such as the iPhone. It found that 10 percent of new consumer products generated 85 percent of blog buzz. The conclusion that marketers should spend sizeable amount of cash when promoting their product. Source of Diagram: CHAPTER THREE     RESEARCH METHODOLOGY                     The research study used descriptive form of research that is first hand and based on the actual observations by researcher (, 1994 ), qualitative and quantitative data will be taken to ensure that the analysis will be well covered. The primary research instrument will use questionnaires given to the selected respondents. The secondary data are from articles and journals tackling advertising theories, web marketing and buzz marketing techniques. The descriptive method are then reflected through case study examples that is gathered by review of related studies from various academic journals and that through such case study findings within its critical evaluation analysis will provide valid information regarding such marketing ways and principles within the world wide web respectively. The study determined factors that resulted to certain profound and positive outcomes effects signaling good channels for advertisements and marketing approaches geared online as something that internet, the world wide web takes power and control as there indicates the dependent variable which involves web preferences within the process of using such buzz marketing methods while the independent variables are the attributes of respondents like age, sex and position and other important details. These are rather personal and given without relation to the product in question and that, there should be intervening variables such as marketing mix and position principles to the advertising style being used in using the internet as the main medium for such operations, the diagram below shows the flow:   Research Design This study will identify factors that made the internet shift its advertising and marketing ways and employing the use of case study analysis to fully view the factors that have part in making the World Wide Web function into buzz marketing approaches. For example, the conduction of case analysis of particular company to be able to evaluate its standing and be able to see if there can arrive at useful conclusion as the strategists then. Research concerning the needs and internet views of potential customers can possibly be valuable source of information for qualitative forecasting. Information as to product and service advantages and disadvantages as well as possible modifications should be constantly monitored. In addition, this approach can be used to compare the web site’s offerings with that of the many competitors (Cited from, , 2002). Time series methods are statistical techniques that make use of historical data accumulated over a period of time. Time series methods assume that what has occurred in the past will continue to occur in the future. Time series methods include moving averages, exponential smoothing, and linear trend lines. They are among the most popular methods used for short-range forecasting. Causal models are another type of quantitative forecasting methods. These are also known as associative models. The forecaster attempts to use another independent variable with which demand, the dependent variable, has shown a strong past relationship (Cited from, , 2002). This model offer leading indicators of future trends. Primary and secondary data has been utilized in n this research study. Primary data may consist of the data gathered which would be about the world wide web figures within its advertising and marketing advent as to while secondary date may be about its updated set of figures as it employed various marketing approaches using the internet as a medium of operation to explain the relevance as well as its effectiveness to the continuous success internet web applications and processes within the society. All data gathered came from accepted studies and reviews being gathered upon on case analysis and by the use of questionnaire. Primary data will be consisted the answers to the questionnaires of the samples while secondary data will be consisted the research done by the researcher including interviews held to compile pertinent information about the problem of the study. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analyzed.  Quantitative will be sourced to the primary data gathered and will be undergone into compilation, frequencies, percentages and determination of relationships.  Qualitative data will come from the open-ended questions in the questionnaire that will reflect the personal opinions of respondents not included in the selection.  This data will be significant when quantitative data is discovered to have deviations from the hypothesized variables. The data gathered should be categorized accordingly to when they occurred and to which reorganization efforts they belong to. Also, the data gathered about the problems and factors causing the change should also be grouped together accordingly. When this has been accomplished, this can pivot the movement for further research about the said topic. The data gathered will be tallied by the researcher and will be encoded in the computer.  Hard copy will be printed to ensure that files are kept including the questionnaire responses of the sample.  Frequencies will be computed into percentages and will be presented through graphs, tables and textual arrangements. The latter will clarify the graphs and tables.  Data will undergo such statistical interpretation that has to be backed up with appropriate knowledge organization in determining causal relationships of the variables.  Such data will form the heart of the findings of the study and will indicate the applicability of the research. The questionnaire procedure must be explained to the participants as reassurances must be made to them like their answers will be taken in anonymously and that their answers will remain between the participant and the interviewer. Also, questions that they think might not be appropriate for them to answer can be left out if they chose to. All of the activities during the interview will be of free will and their identity and their answers will be shrouded in secrecy. The research process of the study can be best illustrated with the use of the ‘Research Process Onion’. The Onion refers that in order to come to the central issue of how to collect the data needed to answer ones research questions, there are important layers of the onion that need to be peeled away: the first layer raises the question of the research philosophy to adopt, the second considers the subject of research approach that flows from the research philosophy, the third examines the research strategy most applicable, the fourth layer refers to the time horizon a researcher applies to his research, and the fifth layer is the data collection methods to be used. (, 2003). Figure one shows how the researcher conceptualized the research approach to be applied for the study in order to come up with the pertinent data needed to answer the research questions and arrived at the fulfillment of research objectives.     Figure One: Research Process Onion               Case study is defined as strategy for doing research that involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context with the utilization of various sources of evidence and that one has the considerable ability to generate answers where data collection methods applicable with such approach include questionnaires, interviews, observation and documentary analysis (Cited from, , 2002; , 2003). Furthermore, case studies are usually based on interviews conducted over short time (Cited from, ., 2003). Finally, the last layer of the research process onion is the data collection of the study. The questionnaire is designed  and created in order to empirically find out certain relevant information and evidences regarding buzz marketing strategies within the world wide web usage, the questionnaire are administered to group of respondents to complete and realize the purpose of questionnaire as there will have to investigate how advertising and marketing on the internet basis will have impact to web operation practices being set forth as to whatsoever results the case study and questionnaire will be giving respectively. The diversity between market and cost efficiency results indicate the importance of studying world wide web efficiency from different perspectives as it yield information regarding strengths and weaknesses of advertising as well as marketing online that concerns innovative sales of web products while the cost efficiency situation considers added output to having marketing transactions occurring in the internet. Statistical analysis has shown that there are statistically significant differences between the returns to scale of each cluster on both market and cost efficiency assessments which reinforces the proposed methodology for clustering the network of blogs and sites. Thus, the characteristics indicate that the cost efficiency of online markets and advertising manner can be attributed to the cost of web quality that is expected in order to meet better internet service expectations of the end-users.         QUESTIONNAIRE   Aims and Purpose To gather and determine first hand information directly from the respondents To achieve valid and acceptable research investigations with decency and morale  To put into consideration and application of such questionnaire responses The questionnaire is designed and created in the format of conventional semi-structured in order to elicit relevant information from respondents regarding buzz marketing in its effectiveness through world wide web advertising and business marketing. The questionnaire are administered to group of respondents to complete and realize the integral purpose of the questionnaire as there will have to investigate how buzz marketing affect such operations of online advertisers such as using web blogs and internet power in doing business, the advanced way in giving impact to internet business milieu used by several companies of the present time. The outcomes of the questionnaire will have useful and imperative assumptions as to how internet business will do successfully in advertising process within the global market knowing the fact that it works under good market mix and value respectively. Ethics of the Questionnaire The questionnaire distribution will be anonymous, in which the participant’s responses, answers to questions will not be attributed to individuals unless backed up with the respondent’s consent. All references to them or their companies will be anonymous   1. Profile     1.1 Respondents’ Age     18 – 25 26 – 35 36 – 45 46 – 55     1.2 Gender   ______Male ______Female                                             2. Internet marketing is crucial for better advertising packaging through web sites and online category   1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   3. Online web advertisers can have the best opportunity to learn about new web products and services through blog utilization only 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   4. The web blog in its specific proposition offer an distinct value 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   5. Internet advertising and buzz marketing go together for successful company business 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   6.  The online ad medium when marketed, is different and interesting in such blog sites and other forms 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   7. The need to impose precise advertising communication through web branding scheme 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   8. The web ads of such products and services of companies will convey useful market innovation to the internet table 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   9. The buzz marketers will have to consider the numbers of end users of such web blogs to continue the updates of internet advertising   1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree   10. The passing of WWW products and services are affected by the assumptions of web marketing through word of mouth   1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Strongly Disagree 5. Disagree     Any opinion about World Wide Web market and how does buzz internet marketing works for companies? Explain             CHAPTER FOUR     DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA                   One marketing area affected by the use of internet is promotion (, ,  and , 1997). The phenomenal growth of consumers and businesses connecting the internet indicate viable audience for advertising and promotion messages for several companies (, , , and , 1998). The internet is one attractive advertising medium as the advertisers have built internet within media mix (, 1998).     The Case Presentation and Discussion: INTERNET AS MEDIUM FOR ADVERTISING               While Web has surface the importance of advertising and promotion medium, there was dearth of empirical studies determining the relative effectiveness of Web as an advertising medium and found out what were the perceptions of Web relative to further media on such attributes within company experience of using the Web, the presence of empirical research in discovering advertisers perception as findings describe how advertisers perceive effectiveness of Web site relative and implied reasons how and why they are using the medium as stated: the Web is excellent for conveying information and detail as web managers consider Web to be similar to Direct Mail of ability to convey information and detail. The Web site is cost-effective, web managers perceive the Web as best in terms of cost to reach target market, surpassing even Direct Mail. Web is rational medium perceived to be excellent in its ability to stimulate emotions, web is communicating detailed information to the audience and effective in precipitating action. The Web site is effective for both short- and long-term promotional objectives. While the Web site is perceived to be effective for precipitating action, Web managers also perceive the medium to be effective for creating brand/product/corporate awareness, communicating brand image, and communicating corporate image. Thus, web should be integrated into the media mix to achieve the company’s marketing and communication objectives. The advertising on Web are to be design for right medium, advertising for Web should take advantage of medium’s unique interactive characteristics and capabilities. .          Marketing Value             The rate at which businesses are connecting to the Internet is accelerating – 2,000 per month and of more than 260 percent (, 1995 ) as Net is unregulated by the government and businesses do not need license, helps proliferation of its usage reducing costs and cuts red tape as involved in advertising as the companies are embracing the Internet as communication tool used to conduct business. Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Motorola, Intel and Hewlett Packard are among those using the Internet as imperative tool through which they communicate with business partners and customers. Aside, with advent of technology, Internet posits itself as one of the very few media alternatives that can be used for almost all advertising purposes across all possible market segments. Business can create and transmit advertisements on the Internet that can be accessed by anybody with a computer equipped with appropriate software. Such convenience and marketing efficiency, both for the advertiser and the target audience, is making the Net popular for marketing practices all over the world.     Discussion from the basis of literature             The Internet furnishes direct customer contact, combined with the appropriate market and technical reference material, which gives organizations greater ability to identify earlier shifts in product and customer trends and to test new value propositions in response. This enables managers to recognize product and market opportunities sooner and to adopt more effective product, price, distribution and further promotion strategies relative to the customers’ needs (, 1995). Companies are warned to protect themselves and their products/services against infringement by others and should view e-mail, messages and documents as postcard rather than sealed envelope. Usage of Web requires hefty investment for people. To date, Net is broad and unknown, company cannot determine easily where to advertise on Net due to resources on Internet; require company to promote product using conventional tools that are proactive while using Internet. Advertising is not the only benefit to using the Internet. It also serves as a huge database for research and demographic data, the Internet’s discussion boards and electronic mail provide marketing with a means to communicate directly with its customers. This capability provides organizations with the ability to identify product opportunities, changes in the competition, unaddressed customer needs, shifts in price/performance/value propositions, and a host of other indispensable information points that are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain through more traditional and more costly means. Many researchers found that quality and accuracy of responses from customers tend to be accurate and honest as Microsoft Network is one medium for marketing purposes. Accessible through its Windows 95, it is more secure than existing services and more oriented toward business users. Its focus is on communications, sales and research. Since this software is part of the Windows 95, businesses do not have to pay for monthly dues. It is also in an easy user-friendly Windows format (, 1995). Questionnaire Results and Analysis                 The questionnaires were given to a total of 100 respondents comprising of 46 female participants and 54 male participants who are end users of the World Wide Web and are online buzz marketers ranging ages from 18 to 55 years old. The interpretation of the responses are tabulated and interpreted through percentage measures in reflection to the five point Likert scale standards of analyzing respondents’ responses to the 10 questions asked from them. The choice of data collection method is critical point in the research process and the presentation of data acquired by this research discusses and explains certain underlying issues and principles that support the structure and contents of the research methodology used. The research combined data from survey questionnaires that were undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of buzz marketing online with ample support of researches and evidences. The questionnaire shares ordinary thread of modification as relevant to process of achieving the desired information intended for realization of this study presentation. The advantages of method presented will enable to provide degree of validity and reliability of research findings and results and the approaches will have apparent assumptions of information being gathered and accept factual basis in analysis to the responses deemed at hand. The questionnaire method is important research tool that could support data presentations and results in achieving objectives of the study and provides reliability that will amicably emphasize thorough understanding and comprehensive analysis of principles as supported by the collected facts and evidences. In the questionnaire utilization, each of the question was used to produce quantitative answers for data analysis. The questions used will be able to provide respondents fixed selection of answers to choose from which is easy to administer and analyze in terms of producing quantifiable data.   100 – Total number of participants 54 – Comprised of males 46 – Comprised of females   Male – 54 Ages        16 – 25: 38 %                     26 – 35: 38 %                     36 – 45:  20%                     46 – 55:    2%                                          The above figures show that from the 54 male participants’ ages 16-25 and 26-35 respectively, got the same percentage value at the highest of 38 percent from the sample population of 100 and the rest explains the results.   Female: 46 Ages        16 – 25:  41.1 %                   26 – 35:  15.35 %                    36 – 45:  27.21 %                    46 – 55:   15.35 %                     Just like the male, female group also comprise more of 16-25 age brackets of 41.1 percent, next is the ages 36-45 having a percentage of 27.21 percent and tied in the third spot are age range of 26-35 and 46-55 of a percentage of 15.35 percent.                       There were 25 percent of respondents who disagree that internet marketing is crucial for better advertising packaging through web sites and online category and 75 percent of respondents who agrees that internet marketing is crucial for better advertising packaging through web sites and online category                 Thus, 83 percent of the respondents agree that online web advertisers can have the best opportunity to learn about new web products and services through blog utilization only and 17 percent disagreed.                     In questions four, five and six there comprised of 51 percent who agrees to the questions that web blog in its specific proposition offering certain distinct value as well as internet advertising and buzz marketing go together for successful company business. Then, online ad medium when marketed, is different and interesting in such blog sites and other forms. While, only 20 percent do not agree and 22 percent is neutral to the choices.                     For the rest of the questions, 50 percent believes the need to impose precise advertising communication through web branding scheme and the web ads of such products and services of companies will convey useful market innovation to the internet table. Agreeing that buzz marketers will have to consider the numbers of end users of such web blogs to continue the updates of internet advertising. Aside, perceiving that, the passing of WWW products and services are affected by the assumptions of web marketing through word of mouth. Moreover, 30 percent of the respondents have answered neutral and the 10 percent of equal share entail disagreed responses and strongly agreed responses.                       For the figure above within the female participants, world wide web marketing can achieve better marketing chances from the advertisers and the users itself for the strengthening of internet business and its buzz advantage to the business firms creating innovative advances in marketing technology processes respectively.   Discussion of Issues             Service firms can make their presence known on the Internet in two ways. First, they can advertise their services on the Internet. Examples of services advertisements include a mutual fund company that announced that it would advertise on the Internet, and a catalog retailer that announced plans to advertise on the Internet. The Internet is a new advertising medium. Early evidence on Internet users suggests that about 67 percent of them have a college or professional degree with average household income of ,000 (, 1996). Thus, announcements of Internet advertising may lead to positive assessment of advertising due to demographic profile of Internet users, less is known about measuring the actual number of advertisement readers and the effectiveness of Internet advertising. These concerns suggest that reactions to announcements of Internet advertising may be neutral until more is revealed about its effectiveness. The case study aims to identify success factors in advertising campaigns for client advertisers. Promotion of those to potential advertisers has the potential to increase the probability of success of a campaign. The measurement of success in advertising campaigns is a popular topic among academics and practitioners. However, most previous research falls short in terms of evidence and discussions on merits and demerits of various measures.             Furthermore, in ‘s (1997 ) model for monitoring web effectiveness, the discussion is focused on strategy and design. There is rise in importance of marketing accountability and marketing metrics for internet advertising (, 2000) and there are research opportunities in identifying how client marketers are evaluating its effectiveness. The results suggest that the presence of online game is important to success of the advertising campaign. In other words, interactivity of banner advertisement is a factor ( and , 2002), which has led marketers to launch new marketing format merges games with advertisements (, 2004).   There identified and evaluated success factors. The major findings are as that: Small interactive games and free gifts can provide the highest brand impression after normalization of the banner click through rate Revenue can be influenced by seasonal factors such as examination and summer vacation periods Media design is important to attract teenagers to click on a banner               There might also be chat rooms and private e-mail boxes with online advisers to respond to questions of health and school related problems. The internet has a distinctive advantage of allowing anonymity, making it easier for this target audience to voice potentially embarrassing questions. It could also be effective to shift design strategy between the usual emotional branding images that emphasize fun and entertainment and rational branding that enforces a utilitarian view of the site. Such planned adaptations have strong potential to increase the attractiveness of the site and hence user loyalty. In online world, cost of switching from one site to another is almost zero, and any web site that appeals to the same target audience is a competitor. Planned internet marketing strategies are means to compete effectively. The general principles of customer orientation underpinning these strategies could be selective applied by the planners of advertising campaigns for other products and services to other target audiences. It is important that advertisers such as  stay abreast of research on internet advertising, in order to survive in the highly competitive internet environment. The role of the advertising agency in servicing client needs is well debated, yet frankly little is known of the type of agency clients retain as their lead agency for their new media activity. Clients believing themselves to be less experienced than others more likely retain a Web-design agency, whereas more experienced clients more likely retained new media agency.             Thus, internet advertising is likely conducted by companies in the automotive-and-durables and financial-services sectors compared with clients in tourism sectors as 50 percent use Internet advertising. Only 4 percent of Internet advertising is bought through advertising agencies. The Internet has received great deal of attention in media and many companies have set up an Internet presence. Companies are moving to use the Internet as a way of segmenting markets and doing something that ordinary promotional media cannot: reaching consumers across the country and around the world interactively and on demand. The potential applications of the Internet are being expanded every day, and companies which are the first to exploit these opportunities will have a tremendous advantage over oriented competitors. Willing consumers can call toll-free numbers, send e-mail messages and fill out online forms to order merchandise or request information. The Internet is fast moving and rapidly changing environment. With the advent of the WWW and user-friendly browsers, marketing business are making the leap online and visualizing cost-effective media vehicle to reach customers.   Analysis of Marketing Applications                 Interactive brochures range from simple information provided in a text-only form as called flat ads, to highly sophisticated multimedia productions, with full scale audio, video and interactive capabilities. Flat ads, single page electronic flyers, are often the first step into an eventual multimedia format. They allow companies to get an initial feel for the marketplace. Even these relatively simple sites on the Internet send a message to current customers, potential customers and competitors that a company is on the cutting edge (, 1995). Some Internet sites provide users with multimedia materials, including sound bites, video clips, allowing access to detailed product information. Perhaps the shopping experience on the Internet can best be achieved by visiting one of the many cyber-malls. Online shoppers rang up some 0 million worth of sales and sales are expected to top billion (Cited from, , 1995). Locations such as the Branch Mall, the Internet Shopping Network provide from 30 to 100 links to participating Internet retailers. Many of these malls are made up of small florists, travel agencies and card shops, but even big name retailers are getting in on the act (Cited from, , 1995).  Another category of use of the World Wide Web is as an information clearinghouse. Some companies wish to provide a place to exchange information with customers and other researchers, such as those in academia. The use of the WWW as customer service tool can take variety of forms. There allows the help files to be expanded and updated without requiring an upgrade to the program itself.   Potential Benefits of Advertising Online             For businesses, advertising on the Internet offers potential benefits that are not available through traditional advertising media. This new medium has caught the attention of advertising and marketing experts in several fields and range of research has just begun to highlight the differences between online and traditional advertising. The broadcast nature of television, radio, billboard and print constrain a traditional advertisement to one short, memorable message (Cited, , 1994). With the Internet, the advertising message is no longer so constrained. The Internet allows for communicating to consumers substantially more content-rich product information (Cited,  , 1994; , 1994; ,  and , 1995;  and , 1995). Maintaining an online ad is less costly than maintaining traditional ads and lacks the delays of other media (Cited, ,  and , 1995;  and , 1995). Furthermore, online information can be quickly and easily changed and updated (Cited, , 1994; , 1996; , 1995). Whereas certain brand-relevant information is often considered too frivolous, given the space limitations of traditional advertisement, the online ad can contain more brand-relevant information important for building brand image (Cited, , 1995). For instance, the site can contain trivia about the company; provide detailed information about the organizations it links to interesting image-related sites (Cited, , 1995).               The company can easily and inexpensively collects detailed data about their Internet market (Cited, , 1994; ,  and , 1995; , 1995), as well as obtain precise measures of which pages in their sites were visited, for how long, how the individuals came to the site, and where the visitors originated (Cited, , 1995). The Internet also has the capabilities to gather consumer reactions to current products and ads as well as product and ad concepts through such means as online focus groups (Cited, , 1994). Several organizations may have different advertising and marketing objectives for establishing and maintaining web presence. One organization might wish to use the web as means of introducing itself and its new products to potentially international audience. Its objectives could be to create corporate and product awareness and inform the market. Another firm may be advertising and marketing known existing products and its web site objectives could be to solicit feedback from current customers as well as informing new customers.  Thus, web sites can be used to move customers and prospects through successive phases of the buying process. They do this by first attracting net surfers, making contact with interested surfers, qualifying portion of the interested contacts into interactive customers, and keeping these interactive customers interactive. Different tactical variables, both directly related to web site as well as other elements of marketing communication mix will have a particular impact at different phases of this conversion process. Thus, advertisers and marketers sustain their efforts in searching for ways in which returns to marketing investments generally and communication capital can be enhanced. This highlights the importance of establishing specific communication objectives for Web sites and for identifying measurable means of determining the success of Web ventures. There is perhaps some solace to be gained from realizing that the Web is a lot more measurable than many other marketing communication efforts with feedback being quick.           CHAPTER FIVE     Summary and Conclusions       Summary                   The World Wide Web may well be the most influential technological innovation in the past century. The increased connectivity and communication has made the world progressively smaller, especially for in the context of commerce and trade. With the emergence of these medium, commercial activities like marketing and advertising has been infused in the web. In recent studies on the topic, there has been a series of reports indicating positive implications of using internet marketing techniques on the general market. (Cited from,  and  2001, ;  and  1997, ) Thus, companies should not limit themselves to just marketing on the Internet. They must also look at other traditional media of advertising and marketing research in order to meet their business goals and marketing objectives. Furthermore, when using the Internet, companies should use caution but at the same time be assured that the Internet will reward the early adopters rather than those who wait as the Internet has many risks associated with its use, but it also has many benefits that may outweigh the threats. Companies who do not use it will be left out in the cold (Cited from, , 1994 ). The successful word of mouth promotion creates Buzz, as it generate intense and interactive form of referral and that certain successful initiatives do not follow linear process with information flowing from one individual and to ensure that buzz is created, marketer will be successfully create buzz when interactions are intense that the information moves in matrix pattern rather than linear one. Buzz marketing, the marketing technique in attempt to make encounter with consumer appear to be exclusive, impulsive personal swap of information instead of intended marketing terrain as compose by professional advertiser. Interactive brochures range from simple information provided in a text-only form as called flat ads, to highly sophisticated multimedia productions, with full scale audio, video and interactive capabilities. Although the majority of large companies have well-established physical distribution systems, virtual storefronts have a great leveling effect, instantly transforming small companies into worldwide distributors by providing a source of direct sales. It is difficult to determine the size of a company by its World Wide Web page.                     Another category of use of the World Wide Web is as an information clearinghouse. Some companies wish to provide a place to exchange information with customers and other researchers, such as those in academia. The establishment of an information clearinghouse on the WWW can assist businesses in this endeavor, information clearinghouse is place where product questions can be asked and answered online, meetings and conferences can be announced, and research findings can be shown and explained. The use of the WWW as a customer service tool can take a variety of forms. Netscape, one of the World Wide Web browsers, has no built-in help feature; all of its help is provided online via the WWW. When the user asks the program for help, the software gets the current help file from the company’s WWW site.   Conclusion             In conclusion, such strong driver of global marketing consists of market factors: common customer needs, global business customers, global channels, convenient marketing and leading markets. As taken into consideration that there were internet surveys were compared with those in the overseas markets, the early adopter categories proved quite similar: predominantly male, white, mobile, upper middle class, highly educated, and so on. In the long run, the Web was bound to intensify common customer needs. Moreover, as global business customers preferred to do business with suppliers or vendors providing global service, these companies tended to have needs across several countries. Unsurprisingly, perhaps global channels have had a reinforcing effect on the emergence of global marketing strategies intended to accelerate business activities on the Web to the extent that the Web is likely to have a positive effect on global marketing strategies. When the internet was enhanced with graphic user interfaces, the creators did not call their accomplishment World Wide Web without potential reasons. Therefore, web marketing is considered as excellent for conveying information and detail as web managers consider Web to be similar to Direct Mail of ability to convey information and detail. The Web site is cost-effective, web managers perceive the Web as best in terms of cost to reach target market, surpassing even Direct Mail. Web is rational medium perceived to be excellent in its ability to stimulate emotion world wide web is communicating detailed information to the audience and effective in precipitating action. The Web site is effective for both short- and long-term promotional objectives. While the Web site is perceived to be effective for precipitating action, Web managers also perceive the medium to be effective for creating brand/product/corporate awareness, communicating brand image, and communicating corporate image. Thus, web should be integrated into the media mix to achieve the company’s marketing and communication objectives. The advertising on the web are to be design for right medium, advertising for Web should take advantage of medium’s unique interactive characteristics and capabilities. .            REFERENCES     </div> Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

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