4Ds of Marketing

For a long time, we have talked about Marketing in terms of 4Ps emphasized by the marketing guru Philip Kotler. Essentially the 4Ps represent all the aspects that need to be covered when planning a marketing campaign. The 4Ps represent Price, Product (Brand Positioning), Promotion (Advertisements), and Place (Channels to sell the product). This concept has served the marketers well for many years, but is rooted in times when Digital Marketing was non-existent.

Over the last couple of years, Digital Marketing has evolved as a mainstream practice for Marketers everywhere, and it is prudent that we re-define the 4Ps framework to reflect this reality. That’s the reason I have created 4Ds framework where Ds represent Digital, Data, Degrees, Dialogic. Before you ignore it as another gimmick, give me another few minutes to explain how this framework can actually help us think about Marketing in current times.

4Ds of Marketing

Digital: No matter which sector they belong, it has become virtually mandatory for companies to maintain a digital presence in terms of Facebook page or Twitter account. But it doesn’t stop there, and since majority of consumers are using mobile devices, companies need to provide an online shopping experience. This experience should consider multiple aspects such as:

1. Device the customer is using (smartphones, tablets, Glass)

2. Logging to the website and searching for a product

3. The payment methods available to buy the goods

Data: The most important benefit companies have got due to the digital revolution is that they have access to large swathes of data, which was impossible to collect in pre-digital age. Companies can (some such as Amazon are already doing) mine this treasure of data to gain valuable insights into buying habits of its customers. Powered with this insight, companies have the opportunity to cross-sell and up-sell. Predictive technologies such as Big data have become accessible even to small companies, with the reducing cost of storing data and tools like Hadoop. 

Degrees: It reflects how connected the company is with its customers on social media. Customers who are fans and followers of company on social media subsequently shop more, and even act as brand champions. Companies can create exciting content in terms of videos and images to increase the engagement, and rum smart campaigns to create awareness at a low cost. Companies such as Coca-Cola have a content strategy, which determines what sort of content should be published on its social media. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1P3r2EsAos

Dialogic: Whereas a Dialectic conversation aims to arrive at a common conclusion, a Dialogic conversation doesn’t strive for a common ground. In simplest words, it refers to two-way communication between brands and the consumers. There is no effort from the company to impose a specific image of the brand on the mind of its customers, but relies on consumers to shape it. It might seem counterintuitive, but in the age of digital media, companies can rely on digital channels to listen to their customers, and evolve into a brand as the customer see it. Red bull has used this strategy to create a huge loyal customer base. Other companies too can adopt this style of communication and foster loyalty among its customers.