Group Members:

Aarushi Jain
Anjali Bhardwaj
Apurva Kondapure
Ashar Manav
Dharmika Gollamandala
Faiza Mulla
Kanishka Sharma

Case Study 1

Case study on Digital Marketing

Introduction

Digital marketing involves leveraging digital channels and technologies to promote products
and services, with the goal of interactively engaging with consumers. Unlike traditional
marketing methods, which often involve one-way communication (such as TV ads or print
media), digital marketing facilitates two-way interactions, allowing brands to directly connect
with their target audience.

Strategies such as SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and email marketing are designed to
be measurable and adaptable, providing real-time data on consumer engagement. This
enables businesses to fine-tune their strategies, optimise campaigns, and achieve a higher
ROI compared to traditional methods.

Key Elements:

Online Advertising: This involves placing targeted ads on websites, social media platforms,
and search engines, allowing businesses to reach potential customers based on their browsing
habits, demographics, and preferences. It offers precise control over budgets, ad placements,
and targeting, making it an effective tool for reaching specific audiences.

Email Marketing: This tactic focuses on sending promotional emails directly to targeted
potential or existing customers to announce new products, share special offers, or convey
company news. It is cost-effective, easily measurable, and highly customizable, making it an
effective tool for maintaining customer relationships.

Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok play a
vital role in modern marketing due to their vast user bases. Brands use social media to build
communities, engage in conversations, run promotions, and respond to customer feedback.
This form of marketing allows brands to create authentic interactions, develop viral content,
and engage directly with their audience.

Affiliate Marketing: This is a performance-based model where companies reward affiliates

(publishers or influencers) for driving traffic or sales through their referral links. It is
cost-effective as businesses only pay for tangible results, like clicks, leads, or sales, making it
a low-risk strategy that can greatly expand a brand's reach.

Consumer Behavior and Digital Marketing

The growth of digital platforms has empowered consumers to become more informed and
selective, allowing them to easily research products, read reviews, and compare prices,
resulting in more deliberate purchasing decisions. Digital marketing supports this behavior by
providing accessible information and enabling peer recommendations.

Consumers have access to extensive online reviews, influencer endorsements, and social
proof that significantly impact their purchasing decisions. Customer experience has become
more important as brands compete not just on price and quality but on how well they engage
and support their customers online.

In the digital age, brand loyalty has decreased, as consumers can quickly switch to other
brands that offer better quality, pricing, or convenience. Therefore, digital marketing must
focus on delivering ongoing value, personalised experiences, and strong customer
relationships to maintain loyalty.

Advantages for Consumers:

Easy Comparison: Digital marketing platforms enable consumers to easily compare

products and services from various brands, helping them find the best options for their needs
and budget. This level of transparency empowers consumers to make more informed
decisions.

24/7 Accessibility: The digital marketplace is always open, offering unmatched convenience.
Consumers can browse, compare, and purchase products whenever they want, free from the
limitations of physical store hours.

Transparency: Digital marketing promotes transparency, as prices, product details, and

customer reviews are readily available online. This openness builds trust between consumers
and brands, as customers feel more confident in their purchasing decisions when they have
access to all necessary information.

Instant Feedback and Interaction: Digital platforms facilitate immediate communication

between consumers and brands. Customers can ask questions, receive instant responses, and
participate in real-time discussions, enhancing their overall experience.
Challenges:

Unethical Practices: Some companies misuse digital marketing channels by engaging in

dishonest practices, such as posting fake reviews, creating misleading ads, or sending spam
emails. These actions can damage a brand's reputation and erode consumer trust,
underscoring the importance of ethical standards and authenticity in marketing.

Trust Issues: Consumers often encounter problems such as receiving incorrect or

substandard products, facing difficulties with returns, and dealing with poor customer service.
These negative experiences can lead to dissatisfaction and lost loyalty, making it vital for
brands to maintain high standards of service and transparency.

Privacy Concerns: With the increasing use of personal data for targeted marketing,
consumers are becoming more worried about their privacy and data security.

Future Trends:

The future of digital marketing is being shaped by technological innovations that provide new
ways to connect with consumers:

The rise of smartphone usage has made mobile marketing vital, prompting brands to optimise
their websites, ads, and content for mobile devices to ensure a smooth user experience. IoT
devices provide real-time data on consumer behaviour, enabling personalised and timely
marketing. AI is transforming digital marketing through automated services like chatbots,
predictive analytics, and personalised content, enhancing customer engagement and
conversions. Big data analytics allows marketers to gain deeper insights into consumer
behaviour, refine targeting, and optimise campaigns, making data-driven decision-making
critical for successful marketing strategies.

Conclusion

Digital marketing provides brands with the ability to reach and engage with a global audience
effectively. However, it requires careful management of consumer trust, adherence to ethical
practices, and an adaptable approach to evolving technologies and consumer behaviours.
Brands that tackle these challenges and continue to innovate will succeed in the
ever-changing digital landscape.
Case Study 2 : Digital Marketing Strategy of Li Ning

Introduction

In the present scenario, as the world is getting digital day by day, organisations need to shift
their focus towards online channels. No other brand could be a good example other than
Li-Ning, a Chinese sportswear brand. Founded by Li Ning in 2007, one of China's most
famous gymnasts, it has grown over these years as one of the leading sportswear brands in
China. This brand is known for its fashion sense in sportswear and its innovativeness in
marketing. The following case study will analyse Li-Ning's digital marketing strategies on the
basis of SWOT analysis, outlining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Digital Transformation and Brand Growth: Li-Ning has kept pace with the times, mainly in
e-commerce and digital marketing. The reason for this lies in Li-Ning's "single brand,
multi-category, multi-channel" approach. Such strategy has enabled it to reach out to different
classes of customers. Li-Ning designs several products from sport fashion, basketball,
running, training, badminton with momentum across both physical stores and online. Its
success also comes from the partnerships with professional athletes, put together with a mix
of traditional Chinese culture and modern design.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:
Li-Ning has a broad product line that could reach various consumers' needs. The company
focuses on original design and enhancement of the product. This leads to popular products
such as the Fan Wu street basketball series, which is in demand by youngsters. Apart from
that, Li-Ning has a stable customer base. This is very true because of its outstanding
distribution channels and well-established in middle and low-end markets. Its outstanding
distribution channels are also another significant strength. The company has immensely
managed its online market through early entrance and resolving of problems that may arise in
the selling, such as that of copyright resulting in sustained sales.

Weaknesses:
Despite these strengths, Li-Ning has several weaknesses. One of the major weaknesses is
pricing strategy. The price increase was issued without the enhancement in product quality,
which did not give any good value-for-money perception to be more appealing for the
price-sensitive segment of customers, especially in lower-tier cities. This has led some
customers to shift to competitors such as Anta and Peak. Additionally, Li-Ning's lack of
experience in digital marketing has come to the forefront. The recent controversy with the
design of its products, resembling Japanese military uniforms during World War II, resulted
in consumer backlash and financial losses. This was typical of the brand's need to apply more
strategic public relations and social media communications to increase brand awareness.
Opportunities:
COVID-19 accelerates the pace of online shopping. It's a good opportunity for Li-Ning to
expand its sales. Many firms start changing their business mode to online sales due to the
lockdowns. Based on this, Li-Ning Company is supposed to make good use of such
opportunities to expand its digital marketing. Another opportunity may be the rise of
streaming marketing. With increased popularity of streaming platforms, such as Twitch,
Li-Ning will be able to reach more customers and eventually sell more products through
streaming. It can also improve customer activities and brand loyalty by cooperating with
influencers and live-streaming platforms.

Threats:
There is very strong competition for Li-Ning from both local and global brands. Locally,
companies such as Anta have managed to gain a foothold in the market, particularly in the
low-budget category. These competitors have also partnered with international sports
superstars, making their brands more desirable. In the international arena, established brands
like Nike still continue to eclipse the market, owing to their technology, celebrity
ambassadors, and intimate connections to their base of customers. Li-Ning should carefully
navigate this competition by investing in innovation and differentiation if it is to maintain its
present status in the market.

Conclusion

The conclusion of Li-Ning's experience in the digital age underlines the ability to adapt to
changes in the market. While extensive product varieties and a larger customer catchment
area are important features for Li-Ning, therefore placing the company in the sporting goods
competition, there is a need for Li-Ning to develop an appropriate pricing strategy and digital
marketing technique to sustain its growth. By leveraging e-commerce and streaming
marketing opportunities, and overcoming rivalries both at the level of local and global
players, Li-Ning can continue to thrive in digital. The case study therefore provides critical
insights for other Chinese brands as they seek to transform business models away from
traditional modes towards a more digital-first approach.