Merritt Group, Inc. (a top communications firm that claims to help moving markets for forward-thinking organizations in the government, healthcare, and technology sectors) has changed its marketing strategy and plans to promote digital services practice. It wants to provide customers “with proven expertise in developing and executing campaigns that integrate traditional public relations (PR) and market strategy with emerging digital and social media components” (MWN, 2009, p.1) The main reasons for the change were because online data sharing, self publication (e.g., e-pamphlet, e-book, or e-journal) and mass group effort or alliance were changing nowadays’ media setting and how organizations manage marketing, and PR.
The company approaches the development and implementation of the new strategy by applying the internal marketing approach—all managers and staffs of the firm are responsible for serving the needs of their internal (or employee customers) and external customers (e.g., just like Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton believed that if he took good care of his “associates,” they would take good care of the company’s customers); and taking a marketing-like method to motivate, coordinate, and integrate staffs on applying the company’s marketing strategy—recognizes that external customer satisfaction depends on the fulfillment and happiness of its internal customers or staffs (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008). The company would like to target those top Fortune 1000 companies and it projects that over 75% of them will take online social-networking proposal but half of them will fall short as they do not have good vision, direction or PR (MWN, 2009).
Reference
Marketing weekly news (MWN). (2009, January, 31). Merritt group; Merritt group launches digital services practice. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from ProQuest database.
What is CRM?
Customer relationship management (CRM) in customer markets not only recognizes long-term relationship with customer (e.g., motivate customers to remain loyal), creates mutually benefits, and each party provides value to the other party (or lifetime value [LTV] to the firm), but also emphasizes the important of quality, and customer satisfaction. Under the competitive and free market, if customers find that quality, value, and customer services (or expectations) are not there, they will shop in other stores or switch to other brand names that present the similar goods with similar prices. No customer expectations or satisfaction, and no customer retention.
When I go to shopping, if products offer the same price, or more or less, I would rather choose higher quality (or more core product quality, supplemental product quality, and experiential quality) with additional utilities, and brand names (e.g., better warranty or service after-sales). Quality is one of the keys to CRM; delivering high quality requires understanding consumers’ expectations, transforming and interpreting expectations into quality criterions (and not overpromise. In all, quality, value, and customer satisfaction not only bring in more sales and returns, but also help customer retention and improve the values of stakeholders (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008).
Reference
Ferrell, O., & Hartline, M. (2008). Marketing strategy (4th edition). Mason, OH: Thomson
If I were personally responsible for implementing a market strategy I would look into the situation or condition first and then find out which approach that would be most suitable and fitting. My personal preference would be implementation as organizational culture approach—as it is an extension of the firm’s vision and mission that all employees not only have permission to join in making decisions, but also understand and recognize its common goals and objectives. The benefit of this approach is no blockade, high moral, and employees at all levels are working together to achieve the same goal with more commitment and focus—top managers can direct more energy on create, evaluate or redesign the marketing plan. The weaknesses of this approach are taking more time, money, or training, and it may cause internal issues if managed poorly (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008).
I don’t think organizational culture approach be universally applicable to any given situation, and none of the approaches are, because each situation and setting may not the same and need different type of approach to apply. The implementation through change (e.g.,. Lee Iacocca and Chrysler, or Yun Jong Yong and Samsung) may be the one be universally applicable if employee motivation were high and support with skilled leader, better planning and less time to transform—this approach accomplishes a good balance between command and consensus (Ferrell & Hartline).
Reference
Ferrell, O., & Hartline, M. (2008). Marketing strategy (4th edition). Mason, OH: Thomson
South-Western.
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