SOLUTION: UG Business Discussion – Studypool

The dissertation research process
The dissertation is a long study period and can’t be rushed. The best way to approach it is
to take each element a ‘step at a time’, this is what I will be encouraging you to do – starting
with the first chapter. This is important as each step has to be related to the previous step
and the subsequent step. Whilst each chapter stands on its own, they are part of related
study, this is key.
So, it is not in your interests to undertake empirical research until you have a good draft of
your literature review. The two section must be related. I wont want to see a questionnaire
until I have seen a literature review – otherwise how would you know what to ask?
The dissertation is a big document, but students always produce too much. It is much easier
to cut material out at the end than create it.
Most students have the same components in a dissertation although there are different
ways of organising/structuring them.
– Introduction
– Literature review
– Methodology
– Report findings
– Analyse findings
– Discussion
– Conclusion and recommendations
The most important chapter is the literature review – everything else hangs from that.
Familiarise yourself with Dissertation Handbook. Make sure you use correct format
throughout, including title page and citations.
There are no right or wrong answers with research, anything can happen, it is never a
smooth process. What I’m looking for is for you to be reflective and aware of how you
execute a good quality research project.
Ethics is realised through a separate process. You are not allowed to undertake any
empirical research until your ethics is approved, there are serious consequences if you do
not wait. I will be looking at ethics proposals this week.
In terms of your preferred methodology, I am completely open to suggestions, although I
will challenge you if you want to use quants and statistics with very small unworkable
samples. A number of you are doing case studies, and you may need an additional chapter
describing your case. This is fine, your dissertation can have as many chapters as you like.
As you draft your chapters please remember who you are writing for. Not me, your markers
and your examiner. You need to make sure that your study is easy to read and follow. This
includes ‘signposting’. So, an introduction to each chapter saying what is in the chapter and
a conclusion linking a chapter to the next chapter.
References and citations are VERY important in academic work. Make sure you follow a
citation guide and you are CONSISTENT in how you cite materials. Be careful with online
sources. I don’t mind what citation style you use, so long as it is consistent.
Expectations
I will organise a series of group meetings to cover the core components of the dissertation.
I will provide a note (like this) for each meeting. The beauty of group work is that I will not
have to repeat myself and you can learn from each other.
I will also read one draft of each of your chapters and will provide feedback so you can
improve them. Where possible I will seek to get these chapters back to you within a week.
I am aware that students work at different paces, and it is your responsibility to produce
timely work.
You will need the last week of the dissertation period to organise the publication and
formatting of your dissertation. So, I won’t review chapters in the last week, as this would
not be helpful.
If you email me on other matters I will try to reply in two days. I will have my ‘out of office’
on when I am on holiday or in long meetings.
Getting started with chapter 1.
I’m not that bothered what was in your proposals. Your chapter one will cover what you do.
This is where I will find out what you are doing and how, and how you are proposing to
structure your dissertation.
Chapter One. Introduction (contents)
•
•
•
•
•
•
3-4 pages summarising the whole dissertation. This is where the reader learns what
you will be doing.
Writing style should be succinct and precise, no waffle.
Includes references, especially the background/context section.
Opening sentence should be ‘this dissertation explores…’ Go straight to the point.
Include a title for every chapter. Use subheadings, use standard format and spacing
as per dissertation guide.
Presentation is important, be consistent, always.
1. Background – what is the subject area of the dissertation? Topic area, issues to be
addressed. Make the dissertation sound interesting. Explain the problem area. Use
references
2. Case study – if you are doing a case study or consultancy report you may need a section
to describe your case.
3. Aims and objectives – what is the purpose of the study? Core Aim, 4 or 5 key objectives.
You can include research questions if you know how you are going to use them. Only use
a hypothesis if you are going to test it statistically. The aim should be the main purpose
of the study, the objectives to areas that you will research in order to deliver the aim.
4. Significance of the study – why do it? Why is it important? Can include personal
importance. What do you hope to discover? Why does it matter? What will the findings
contribute towards?
5. Methodology – what methods will you use and with whom? Literature review, case
study, focus-groups, survey and interviews (etc). Say who and how. Mention sampling.
Talk about your overall approach. Are you using a mixed methods strategy? Did you do
the empirical work online. You should start this section by saying that your ‘methodology
is designed to address the research aims and objectives set out above’. This is the point,
it’s part of your overall research process. At this point, you are mainly summarising your
overall resea5ch approach. Focus on methods and not methodology.
6. Structure of the dissertations – run through the sequence of chapters you are going to
have in your study (introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, analysis,
discussion conclusions and recommendations). At this stage you will not know exactly
what chapters you will have, so put down what you think you will have.
The point of this chapter is to show the reader what they can expect in the dissertation. It
has to be succinct, clear and cover all the key points. I need you to do this now, so that I
know what you are doing, beyond your proposal. What you write here is what I expect you
to do in the coming months. You should be able to cut and paste the content for this
chapter from your proposal. Now is your chance to refine your thinking and scope from the
proposal. This chapter does not need to discuss your findings.
We will need to get through initial lit review and methodology chapters before you can start
any empirical work. The reasons for this will become clear.
The Literature Review
What is the literature review?
Arguably the literature review is the most important chapter and element of your
dissertation. It should relate directly to your aims and objectives and all your empirical work
should be closely related to what you found in the literature. In turn, the way you report and
analyse your findings also relates to how you have organised your literature. Plus, the
literature review is the longest and most referenced chapter in the dissertation.
So, it is important that you do a good job with your literature review!
What’s in the literature review?
The literature review can be over 3,000 words. It should include an introduction, a conclusion
and clearly headed subsections. I am always asked how many references/citations should be
in a literature review. There is no answer to this question, it is like saying ‘how long is a piece
of string’? You will need lots. Ideally you should use journal articles, but you can also use
research monographs, text books, reports, and reliable sources from the internet (not
Wikipedia). As you are undertaking a piece of research publications that ae research related
(journal and monographs) hold the most value. Text books are just a starting point and their
intellectual value is limited.
Citations
Of course, you must reference all your materials properly. Use a recognised citation system
and be consistent. This includes with online sources. This is very important. You are
encouraged to use the Harvard system, but I don’t mind if you use another. The library
website has full details on different citation systems. Remember, a direct quote has to have
a page number or a URL link (so, in theory it can be checked). Be careful with referencing for
online sources, lots of students get this wrong.
The important thing to remember is the purpose of the literature review, what you are doing
– you are reviewing the literature – what is already known, what has been written and
published by others. So, your personal views are not important and would be inappropriate
here, you are capturing and summarising current thinking.
Where to find literature?
Where to find material for the literature review? Here you have lots of options. You can use
the library, or online search engines. There is Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus, Web of
Science, plus search engines like Google and Duck Duck Go.
The literature review as a research method
You should also see the literature review as a method. This is an important point. Sometimes
staff who are not research active do not see a literature review as a method as it does not
involve any empirical research. But, a literature review does not just happen, there is a
process to follow and you design it – so, it is a method. You should keep this in mind for your
methodology chapter. Plus, you should reflect on how you make your literature review as
effective as possible. And, there are a range of techniques for doing this. You will find much
more detail in a research methods text book. For example, you can do what is called a
‘systematic literature review’ which has certain design features and follows a rigid process.
I would suggest you follow an iterative exploratory process which is relatively easy. You know
your topic areas. Think of a range of key terms or phrases that relate to your topic and use
them as search terms in the sites I have mentioned above (this is design and process in action).
Once you have started to identify some literature use what is referred to as ‘snowballing’, so
look at the references in these articles, and so on. That way you can accumulate relevant
materials. If you are doing something contemporary have a search of the BBC (or other
reliable news outlets) website. This is a tried and tested method. I would also suggest that
you do plenty of reading around the topic area before you start to put the review together,
so that you are fully comfortable with the topic area.
Literature review approaches
There are a number of different approaches to doing a literature review and this may depend
on the type of study you are doing:
1. Above I have described the typical approach for an academic study – a review of
current knowledge.
2. You can also look for a ‘gap in the literature’. This approach relies on you having a
good command of all the materials and to be able to identify where there is limited or
lacking knowledge. I actually think this is tough, even for established researchers. My
PhD supervisor used to say, ‘if you think you have a good idea you can be sure that
someone else has had it already’. So, you are unlikely to spot new gaps relating to
theory. What you might spot is a gap in empirical knowledge, so the application of
empirical research in a new setting. This is why the ‘gap in the literature’ approach is
so popular with marketing, as they can plug the gap with a simple survey. You can do
this, but you will have to be very convincing in your arguments about finding a genuine
gap.
3. Another approach is to focus on a specific model/framework/theory in a particular
context or setting. This might suggest engagement with less literature. But, you will
have to explain the facets of the model, and the theories on which it has been built.
You will also need to reference limitations and advantages, as evidenced in
publications. This sort of approach is well suited to practical dissertations.
How to structure your literature review
There is no one set way of doing this, and this will be determined by your approach and the
available literature. Typically, students do the following:
–
–
The introduction will explain the topic area, the themes covered and the structure of
the chapter
There may be some opening sections setting out key terms/definitions and may
explore where they are contested by different authors
There may be a section exploring the main issues or controversies
Sometime students have a short section relating the topic to what’s in the media,
current news stories.
The literature may be organised around a series of key themes represented via subheadings. Now, if you choose to do this then your themes are likely to be the themes
you explore in your empirical research – so think carefully about the selection if these
themes.
If you are basing the literature on a core model/framework, make sure you set out its
core elements/features as well as any limitations. Reflecting on limitations is
important, no model is perfect.
–
–
Another way of organising a literature review is to organise the content around a
series of recognised advantages and disadvantages associated with the topic being
studies, for example a policy initiative or a new technology.
There is no harm having a short concluding section offering up a recap of what was
covered in the literature review.
There is no one right way of structuring the literature, it is just what suits your study.
Presentation
Note: if you use a table, make sure it is consistent in style and format with any others you use
in the dissertation. Screen shots often do not look great. The same goes for diagrams. Try
to get a table or a diagram onto one page if possible. It is normal to use a slightly smaller font
for a table. Remember tables and diagrams are visual shortcuts, so should look good as well
as convey a message. All tables and diagrams must be mentioned in the written text.
The bottom line
The bottom line, is that if it is not in your literature review then you should not be studying it
empirically as you have no basis on which to do so. In other words, you can’t ask questions
about topics or issues that do not appear in your literature review. This would be poor
science. This is not the same as saying you can explore new topics in an interview, as that
happens all the time, you can’t predict what people will say.
Finally, your literature review should be easy to follow, with a logical flow. This is important
to the reader.
Presenting your Research Findings
Introduction
This can be done in a number of ways, depending on your approach and the methods you
have adopted.
The most critical thing is that you recognise that the presentation of your findings is different
to your analysis and discussion. You are required to do both. The reporting of your findings
is the easy part, as you have conducted the research and you simply report what you found,
this cannot be questioned if you have used reliable methods.
Case Study
If you have opted to do a single case study, or a comparison of a couple of cases, it is usual to
spend a few pages describing your case. This can be done as a separate chapter after the
methodology or as the first part of a research findings chapter. Some students may have
opted to do this in the introductory chapter. If this is the case, you may need to cover some
of the same ground without being repetitive. You should provide details of the
company/service (etc.) with reference to company materials, including the website. Use stats
her, such as turnover, profit, market share, etc.
Survey
If you have done a survey the simplest thing to do is to report the responses question by
question, using graphs and charts. Every chart will need to be accompanied with some
written text explaining to the reader what to interpret from the chart/table. All charts must
be clear, fully labelled and easy to interpret. They are, after all, a visual representation of the
data. Use a consistent style and format. For example, do not jump from 2D to 3D
graphs. You can include the raw data in an annex if you want. Descriptive stats are perfectly
fine. If you are using sophisticated stats then you need to be clear that you have a good
enough sample, how the test works, and how to interpret the outcomes. You should start
this section by saying how many responses you had, and how many were completed
questionnaires, etc.
Interviews
If you have used interviews then you will need to report what your interviewees have
said. They should be anonymous, so you will need to invent pseudonyms, for example,
‘interviewee 1’ or ‘ a senior manager’, etc. As with a survey you will need to organise the
reporting of your findings around the questions asked. They can be your section subheadings. Do not simply list every answer by every interviewee, that would be a very dull
read. You can say ‘all interviewees reported that….’. Or, in relation to this question there was
a difference of opinion amongst the interviewees, some reported that….., whilst others
reported that….’ So, you are grouping the responses around common themes. It is also
recommended that you include a couple of quotes from your interviewees for each
question/section. Direct quotes should be presented in italics and in double “speech marks”
and aligned to a specific interviewee. Interview transcripts can go into your dissertation as
an annex if you like. At the start of the section you will need to remind the reader how many
interviews were conducted.
Focus Groups
The reporting of focus groups should follow the same pattern as set out above for interviews.
Multiple Methods
If you have more than one of the above the you will need to consider how you present the
findings. One option is to simply report the findings from one method, followed by the
other. This can be done in a single chapter, or even two separate short chapters. Remember,
all chapter should have an introduction and a some concluding comments. A more complex
way of doing this is to combine the reporting of the findings of the different methods. To do
this, you will need a common structure to frame the reporting. This will be easier if your
empirical methods have used similar questions, which in turn can be used as subheadings. So, this could be organised around a question, from which your present the survey
data followed by what the interviewees said about the question.
Research Analysis
All of the above is REPORTING your findings and is quite different to the analysis of your
findings. As always with research there are different ways of achieving this. You can have a
separate analysis and discussion chapter, or you can include the analysis in the findings
chapter (above). Also, linked to this is a general discussion of the findings which can be part
of your analysis or part of a concluding chapter. I will explain the various approaches here.
A Separate Research Analysis Chapter (or analysis and discussion)
Once your findings have been reported you will need to analyse and discuss them. If you are
doing this in a separate chapter you will need to think about how you are going to structure
your text. This is where your literature review kicks in. You should use the themes emerging
from your literature review to structure this chapter. What you are effectively doing is
comparing your findings to what is in the existing literature. So, do your findings align and
conform to the literature? Or, are they different and contest the literature? You should
introduce briefly each theme (use the references again) and then say what your research
shows against each theme. You can be very mechanical. Now you should see why the
literature review was so important. If you have done the literature review properly and have
designed your empirical research around your literature then the chapter should be straight
forward. This is the mechanical way of realising analysis. Effectively, what you are doing is
revisiting the literature in light of what your research shows. Often you can use the
concluding part of this chapter to summaries your overall findings.
A Combined Research Findings and Analysis Chapter
If you are combining the reporting of your findings and their analysis in one chapter you have
to follow the processes set out above, but simply combined into one chapter. Presumably
you will be using either a structure derived from literature themes or from the
questionnaire. Here you should go through each question/theme and report the findings and
then compare it to the literature (with references).
A Discussion
Once you have presented and analysed your findings you will need to consider how you will
discuss them I will leave this for the next meeting. But, you may want to include an extended
discussion in an analysis chapter. If you do this, you will need to explore the findings from a
broad, summary perspective in relation to the topic generally. Pick a few areas/topics, that
you want to discuss and which you think you have something interesting to say. You have a
bit of scope here to shape the findings around your interests and to pursue certain
agendas. Try to use language that is not too opinionated and arguments that are backed up
you the research evidence. This does not have to be a long section, 2-3 pages and should be
organised around a few sub-headings. This is your chance to pull the research together and
tell the reader how to interpret the findings.
At this point you should feel as though you are on the home straight and that your dissertation
is getting fully populated.
Conclusions and Recommendations Chapter/Section
By the time you get to this part of your dissertation/report you will have done all the work
and will probably be working to a final deadline. As a result, this part is often rushed. It is
an important part of the work as it ‘brings everything together’ and is the final outcome of
your research. So, please leave yourself some time to reflect and draft this part carefully.
There are some basic things you should do in this section/chapter, but as always the
structure you adopt is up to you and will depend on how you have organised other parts of
your document. If you have already done your analysis and discussion in an earlier chapter
then this concluding chapter can be quite short, just 4-5 pages. But, if you have not done
any discussion up until this point it will have to be included here. This should also be
reflected in the title of the chapter/section. So you either have:
1. Discussion, conclusions and recommendations, or
2. Conclusions and recommendations
I will focus on the latter. But, please make sure you include a discussion section
somewhere. If you have to include the discussion here it should go first.
As usual the chapter should have an introduction explaining what will be in the chapter. The
core purpose is to provide some concluding comments and to describe the main outcomes
of the research. You could say ‘your contribution to knowledge’, but don’t push this too
much as it is not doctoral research.
Revisiting the aims and objectives
The first thing you have to do, is revisit the purpose of your work. You can do this by stating
your aims and objectives again – literally cut and paste. Then for each go on to say what
you did and what you discovered. The ‘what you did’ are your methods and the ‘what you
discovered’ are your findings and analysis. This should be written in a summary style form
of writing, so you are making overview type statements, as opposed to precise individual
findings. If you want, use your aims/objectives as subheadings. You don’t have to go into
lots of detail. This part is about showing you know how to distil your work down into key
messages for the reader. It is your chance to draw out the core findings as you see them.
What you are doing here, is showing that the outcomes of your work are strongly related to
your purpose and that you have not done research which went off at a tangent to what you
intended to do. You are completing the ‘circle’, touching base with where you started.
Core Findings
After you have done the above I think it is useful to have a couple of paragraphs setting out
the main outcomes of the research – what does it all mean? What have you discovered?
This is a kind of extra discussion, the overall points from the whole research. So, areas
worthy of discussion, what you think are important. Be careful not to repeat the above. Is
there, for example, an agenda that needs addressing or bringing forward? Has your
research highlighted deficiencies in practices or knowledge. So, you can take the
conversation beyond your research here. This is your chance to push your ‘opinion’, so long
as you do it carefully. In many ways this is your final chance to draw out what you want to
say from your research.
Research Limitations or Future Research Directions
You should have a short section, a couple of paragraphs, saying what research could also
have been done if you had more time. So, for example empirical work in another country, a
bigger survey etc. In some ways this is revisiting your research limitations again. So, you
could call the section either ‘limitations’ or ‘research directions’. The latter sounds more
positive. You may have, for example, highlighted the need for further research in a
particular area, or a need to interview more stakeholders.
Recommendations
Students often struggle with this section as it seems so definitive. For a dissertation you
probably only need 4-6 recommendations, but for a consultancy report you at least 10+.
You have options here (again). Short precise recommendations, or a recommendation with
a bit of discussion (although I would stick to just one paragraph for each). Your
recommendations can be targeted at different audiences. So you can have
recommendations for further research, or for practice. For the consultancy project they
must be recommendations for the sponsor.
For recommendations I would suggest pitching them quite generally and writing them in a
way that encourages the third party to do something. Try to avoid being too judgemental
and opinionated. For example: “the research findings presented in this dissertation
suggested that female entrepreneurs struggle to develop their businesses internationally and
that support networks focussed on their needs would help them internationalise’. Can you
see what I have done there? I have translated a core finding into what should happen,
without saying this is what must happen and who should do it. I would advise that you
follow this pattern.
Obviously, you can only make recommendations that relate to your research and your
findings.
When your research is finished there are still a couple of things to do, which take time:
– Check all referencing is in the correct format and consistent with a citation style
– Check all formatting (margins, font, spacing, page numbering, etc.)
– Check that you have all the content, including a title page, an abstract, a contents
page, an acknowledgements page, a page listing anacronyms and a page listing
tables and charts – plus the declaration form.
The last few weeks of finishing a dissertation can be very intense and there is often pots to
do, it is worth putting the effort in, as it is an important assignment and carries a lot of
weight towards your final degree classification. Many students work throughout the night
with the view that they can sleep once it is submitted.
Chapter 5
5.0 Analysis of Findings
The chapter analyses quantitative data findings from the online survey that focuses on
establishing the position of online marketing in complementing or competing with conventional
marketing strategies. Analysing the quantitative data findings is geared towards supporting the
researcher in accomplishing various objectives for the study. The data supports the researcher in
examining whether online marketing has completely substituted the conventional marketing
method. The data reveals the extent to which online marketing has replaced traditional marketing
strategy in the corporate world. The data also provides details about the quality of content
presented through traditional and online marketing strategies based on respondents’ satisfaction
level. Additional details obtained from the analysed data include traditional marketing strategy,
online marketing strategy, and the possibilities of blending online with conventional marketing
strategies in business organisations.
After the completion of this survey, findings from 200 questionnaires were brought
together and analysed in line with the study objectives. Notably, the data analysis process was
conducted within two weeks after the completion of the online survey with the targeted 200
participant population. The analytical stage of the research was accompanied by the use of
statistical analysis techniques such as a Paired-Samples T-test, a Cronbach, and a Repeated
Measures ANOVA test (DeVellis & Thorpe, 2021). The Paired-Samples T-test was employed in
finding the level of significance in the preferential differences between the two variables. To test
the validity and reliability of the information, the analysis utilised Cronbach. This technique
helped the researcher in understanding the internal consistency of the variables. Cronbach
evaluated two variables, traditional marketing, and online marketing, separately. The model was
deemed acceptable in situations where the Cronbach Alpha (α) exceeded 0.7. Finally, the
Repeated Measures ANOVA test was utilised to check the relationship between media
preferences (DeVellis & Thorpe, 2021). In general, the analysis process provided a statistical
base for the research topic.
Analysing Internet Services Access among Participants
The section explored the internet resources accessibility rate among the respondent
population. Various internet resources examined in the study are email, social media sites, blogs,
online movie streaming sites, and online video games. Average populations accessing internet
resources at rates of “no access”, 1-7 days/month, 8-14 days/month, 15-21 days/month, and 2230 days/month are 10, 44.4, 51.2, 50, and 44.4. Standard deviations for populations accessing
internet resources at rates of “no access”, 1-7 days/month, 8-14 days/month, 15-21 days/month,
and 22-30 days/month are 9.7160, 9.1314, 8.4475, 15.9000, and 29.6486.
Internet Service
Email
Social Media
Sites
Blogs
Online Movie
Streaming Sites
Online Video
Games
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Access to Internet Services Rate in the Research Population
No access
1-7
8-14
15-21
22-30
days/month days/month days/month days/month
2
20
46
74
58
0
18
38
60
84
16
6
24
80
52
60
48
40
60
14
26
80
60
28
6
50
10
94.4
222
44.4
848.64
256
51.2
71.36
250
50
252.8
222
44.4
879.04
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error,
σx̄
9.7160
4.3451
29.1314
13.028
8.4475
3.7778
15.9000
7.1106
29.6486
13.2593
Figure 11: Access to Internet Services Rate in the Research Population
Marketers and Internet Services Usage
The section focused on determining whether marketers have effectively utilised internet
services in presenting informative and catchy advertisements to internet users. The section
provided a statistical mean of 40 and a standard deviation of 52.2609.
Opinion
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Disagree nor Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
140
44
10
4
2
200
40
2731.2
52.2609
23.3718
Figure 12: Marketers and Internet Services Usage
Quality of Content Presented Using Online Marketing Platforms
The section aimed at determining the satisfaction level respondents acquires from online
marketing operations. The satisfaction level serves as a direct representation of the quality of
content business organisations present to audiences through online marketing platforms. The
statistical analysis of the response gave a statistical mean of 33.6667 and a standard deviation of
34.5334.
Opinion
Extremely satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Extremely dissatisfied
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
100
50
36
12
4
0
202
33.6667
1192.5556
34.5334
14.0982
Figure 13: Quality of Content Presented Using Online Marketing Platforms
Quality of Content Presented Using Conventional Marketing Platforms
The section aimed at examining the satisfaction people acquire from conventional
marketing operations. The section was expected to provide details regarding the quality of
content presented through conventional marketing platforms like television and radio. The
statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 33.3333 and a standard deviation of 57.1042.
Opinion
Extremely satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Extremely dissatisfied
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
160
20
14
6
0
0
200
33.3333
3260.8889
57.1042
23.3127
Figure 14: Quality of Content Presented Using Conventional Marketing Platforms
Reduced Traditional Marketing Platforms Usage Since 2010
The section focused on assessing whether traditional marketing platforms’ usage in
marketing has declined since 2010. Respondents were expected to provide their opinions
regarding the usage of conventional marketing platforms like radio, magazines, television,
magazines, and newspapers. The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 39.6 and a
standard deviation of 29.5405.
Opinion
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Disagree nor Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
84
62
30
20
2
198
39.6
872.64
29.5405
13.2109
Figure 15: Reduced Traditional Marketing Platforms Usage Since 2010
Beneficial Aspect of Conventional Marketing
The aimed at assessing whether conventional marketing strategies offer unique benefits
to business organisations. Specifically, the section encouraged respondents to think about
conventional marketing benefits that are unavailable on online marketing platforms. The
statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 66.6667 and a standard deviation of 41.8994.
Opinion
Population
Yes
Not Sure
No
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
110
80
10
200
66.6667
1755.5556
41.8994
24.1906
Figure 16: Beneficial Aspect of Conventional Marketing
Disadvantageous Aspect of Conventional Marketing
The section focused on examining the disadvantages of conventional marketing platforms
from the respondents’ perspective. The survey question challenged respondents to think about
the limitations conventional marketing platforms present to marketing campaigns. The statistical
analysis gave a statistical mean of 66.6667 and a standard deviation of 20.5480.
Opinion
Yes
Not Sure
No
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
70
90
40
200
66.6667
422.2222
20.5480
11.8634
Figure 17: Disadvantageous Aspect of Conventional Marketing
Increase in Online Marketing Platforms Usage Since 2010
The section focused on evaluating the rise of social media platforms’ usage in marketing
since 2010. The survey question encouraged respondents to think about trends in social media
platforms’ usage in marketing in the 2010s. The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 40
and a standard deviation of 36.3758.
Opinion
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Disagree nor Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
74
90
32
4
0
200
40
1323.2
36.3758
16.2678
Figure 18: Increase in Online Marketing Platforms Usage Since 2010
Beneficial Aspect of Online Marketing
The section aims at evaluating various benefits online marketing platforms present to
business organisations. The section motivated participants to explore unique benefits associated
with online marketing platforms, which are unavailable in conventional marketing platforms.
The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 66.6667 and a standard deviation of 38.1343.
Opinion
Yes
Not Sure
No
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Population
76
108
16
200
66.6667
1454.2222
38.1343
Margin of Error, σx̄
22.0168
Figure 19: Beneficial Aspect of Online Marketing
Disadvantageous Aspect of Online Marketing
The section aimed at identifying disadvantages associated with online marketing
platforms on business organisations. Respondents were expected to think about the tendency of
online marketing platforms to lower the efficiency of organisational marketing campaigns. The
statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 66.6667 and a standard deviation of 51.8030.
Opinion
Yes
Not Sure
No
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
58
134
8
200
66.6667
2683.5556
51.8030
29.9085
Figure 20: Disadvantageous Aspect of Online Marketing
Relationship between Online Marketing and Offline Marketing
The section aimed at assessing whether online marketing strategy complementing or
competes with the traditional marketing strategy. The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean
of 100 and a standard deviation of 74.
Opinion
Complement
Compete
Population
174
26
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
200
100
5476
74
52.3259
Figure 21: Relationship between Online Marketing and Offline Marketing
The section assessed whether online marketing strategy would completely phase out
conventional marketing strategy in the future. The researcher wanted to make this assessment
based on respondents’ opinions. The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 66.6667 and a
standard deviation of 19.6186.
Opinion
Population
Yes
68
Not Sure
42
No
90
Total
200
Statistical Mean
66.6667
Variance, σ2
384.8889
Std. Deviation, σ
19.6186
Margin of Error, σx̄
11.3268
Figure 22: Possibility of Online Marketing Strategy Phasing Out Conventional Marketing
Strategy in the Future
Blending Online Marketing with Conventional Marketing
The section aimed at identifying the viability of the idea of conventional marketing
strategy integration with the conventional marketing process. The statistical analysis gave a
statistical mean of 66.6667 and a standard deviation of 79.2352.
Opinion
Yes
Population
178
Not Sure
No
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
22
0
200
66.6667
6278.2222
79.2352
45.7465
Figure 23: Blending Online Marketing with Conventional Marketing
The section aimed at assessing whether the blending of online marketing with
conventional marketing process in business organisations is possible. The statistical analysis
gave a statistical mean of 40 and a standard deviation of 35.2136.
Opinion
Population
Strongly Agree
76
Agree
88
Neither Disagree nor Agree
22
Disagree
14
Strongly Disagree
0
Total
200
Statistical Mean
40
Variance, σ2
1240
Std. Deviation, σ
35.2136
̄
Margin of Error, σx
15.7480
Figure 24: blending of online marketing with conventional marketing process in business
organisations
The section aimed at determining whether blending online marketing with conventional
marketing operations would support organisations in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency
of promotional programs. The statistical analysis gave a statistical mean of 40 and a standard
deviation of 37.5446.
Opinion
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Disagree nor Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Statistical Mean
Variance, σ2
Std. Deviation, σ
Margin of Error, σx̄
Population
80
90
22
8
0
200
40
1409.6
37.5446
16.7905
Figure 25: Blending Online Marketing with Conventional Marketing Operations
Concluding comments
You need a section offering up concluding comments, and overview of all the data
presented in this chapter.
Online Survey Outcome
1. How many days per month do you access the internet services listed below?
o Email: _________ days/month
No access (1%), 1-7 days/month (10%), 8-14 days/month (23%), 15-21 days/month (37%), 2230 days/month (29%)
o Social media sites: ________days/month
No access (0%), 1-7 days/month (9%), 8-14 days/month (19%), 15-21 days/month (30%), 22-30
days/month (42%)
o Blogs: _________days/month
No access (8%), 1-7 days/month (12%), 8-14 days/month (26%), 15-21 days/month (24%), 2230 days/month (30%)
o Online movie streaming sites ________days/month
No access (3%), 1-7 days/month (40%), 8-14 days/month (30%), 15-21 days/month (20%), 2230 days/month (7%)
o Online video games: __________days/month
No access (13%), 1-7 days/month (40%), 8-14 days/month (30%), 15-21 days/month (14%), 2230 days/month (3%)
2. Marketers have effectively utilised internet services in presenting informative and
catchy advertisements to internet users.
o Strongly Agree (70%)
o Agree (22%)
o Neither Disagree nor Agree (5%)
o Disagree (2%)
o Strongly Disagree (1%)
3. What is your satisfaction level in regard to the content presented through online
marketing services like social media platforms?
o Extremely satisfied (50%)
o Satisfied (25%)
o Somewhat satisfied (18%)
o Somewhat dissatisfied (5%)
o Dissatisfied (2%)
o Extremely dissatisfied (0%)
4. What is your satisfaction with content presented through traditional marketing
platforms like television and radio?
o Extremely satisfied (80%)
o Satisfied (10%)
o Somewhat satisfied (7%)
o Somewhat dissatisfied (3%)
o Dissatisfied (0%)
o Extremely dissatisfied (0%)
5. Utilisation of traditional marketing platforms like radio, magazines, television,
magazines, and newspapers has declined significantly since 2010.
o Strongly Agree (42%)
o Agree (31%)
o Neither Disagree nor Agree (15%)
o Disagree (10%)
o Strongly Disagree (2%)
6. Conventional marketing offers business organisations benefits that are unavailable in
online marketing.
o Yes (55%)
o Not Sure (40%)
o No (5%)
7. Conventional marketing has disadvantages that lower efficiency of organizational
marketing campaigns.
o Yes (35%)
o Not Sure (45%)
o No (20%)
8. Utilisation of social media marketing platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter has increased tremendously since 2010.
o Strongly Agree (37%)
o Agree (45%)
o Neither Disagree nor Agree (16%)
o Disagree (2%)
o Strongly Disagree (0%)
9. Online marketing offers business organisations benefits that are unavailable in
conventional marketing.
o Yes (38%)
o Not Sure (54%)
o No (8%)
10. Online marketing has disadvantages that lower efficiency of organizational marketing
campaigns.
o Yes (29%)
o Not Sure (67%)
o No (4%)
11. Is the online marketing strategy complementing or competing with the traditional
marketing strategy?
o Complement (87%)
o Compete (13%)
12. Do you believe the online marketing strategy will completely phase out conventional
marketing strategy in the future?
o Yes (34%)
o Not Sure (21%)
o No (45%)
13. Would it be wise for companies to integrate conventional and online marketing
strategies with their marketing campaigns?
o Yes (89%)
o Not Sure (11%)
o No (0%)
14. Online marketing can be blended with conventional marketing in business
organisations.
o Strongly Agree (38%)
o Agree (44%)
o Neither Disagree nor Agree (11%)
o Disagree (7%)
o Strongly Disagree (0%)
15. Blending online marketing with conventional marketing operation would support
organisations in increasing effectiveness and efficiency of promotional programs.
o Strongly Agree (40%)
o Agree (45%)
o Neither Disagree nor Agree (11%)
o Disagree (4%)
o Strongly Disagree (0%)
1
Chapter 1
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
The increased usage of online marketing strategy in the 21st Century has created debates
regarding its position in organisational marketing processes. Traditionally, print and mass media
were mostly used, but they seem to have been replaced with a more digital approach of marketing
that uses websites and social media platforms. Business organisations have realised that social
media marketing creates an opportunity for reaching a huge potential consumer population without
incurring huge financial costs. With the introduction of online marketing, more emphasis is being
placed on more inbound information delivery (Du Plessis, 2017). Lately, the demand for quick
turnarounds has forced most companies to watch counterproductive efforts of attempting to create
social content fit for traditional media. The transformation in marketing processes requires
individuals to consider the position of online marketing in modern marketing operations and its
relationship with the conventional marketing method. Hence, this study analyses the position
online marketing holds in the economy today to help businesses understand how it can be
incorporated together with the traditional means still in application. The research will generate
information that will guide business organisation on online marketing integration with their
marketing programs.
The study is based is based on the consideration that there is limited research on the
integration of online marketing while appreciating the power of traditional marketing. Even as the
age of online marketing takes over the marketing section of the economy, a lot of traditional
marketing mediums have remained not only resilient but consistently relevant. The scenario
2
challenges an argument that online marketing has replaced traditional marketing. The argument is
based on individuals’ inability to consider numerous benefits associated with conventional
marketing platforms. The research aims at examining whether traditional marketing has been
phased out completely. It shall also carry out an exploration of the quality of content creation
between online marketing and traditional marketing as well as elaborate other methods of
marketing besides traditional marketing and online marketing. By so doing, the research hopes to
assess whether online marketing is replacing traditional marketing. The research shall assess this
point by determining whether online marketing is actually competing with traditional marketing
or simply complementing it.
1.2 The Rationale for the Study
Online marketing has leveraged internet-based channels to spread marketing messages
about corporations, brands, products, and services to a global audience. Online marketing is a very
extensive concept that has become increasingly fundamental in the modern economy (Durmaz et
al., 2015)). Ushering in the age of the internet and the extensively digital world, all sectors of our
lives have been affected to some considerable degree (Pawar, 2020). At the turn of the Century,
most effective marketing campaigns were broadcast on televisions and radios or printed in
magazines and newspapers (Durmaz et al., 2015)). Many people never believed that other
marketing platforms would substitute or complement traditional media sources. However, as
technology revolutionised over the two decades, radios have been replaced by podcasts, streaming
services have replaced televisions, telephones are now cells, and the internet has enabled one of
the most powerful social tools in modern society, social media. It is a norm that in every marketing
boardroom, every company has to think of means to target customers through platforms such as
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (Zuhdi et al., 2019).
3
However, even as the age of online marketing takes over the marketing section of the
economy, a lot of traditional marketing mediums have remained not only resilient but consistently
relevant. The scenario challenges an argument that online marketing has replaced traditional
marketing. The argument is based on individuals’ inability to consider numerous benefits
associated with conventional marketing platforms. Addressing the contentious issue creates the
need for comprehensive research to determine the relationship existing between conventional and
online marketing platforms. Therefore, the findings of this research will be essential to businesses
looking for efficient means of marketing that can fit into their business culture. The findings shall
also be insightful for companies seeking to integrate both online and traditional marketing methods
into their marketing campaigns. Finally, the research shall create precedence over other studies
that will establish a fundamental research problem that requires further extensive assessment.
1.3 Research Aims and Objectives
The core aim of the dissertation is to examine whether traditional marketing has been
phased out completely, and assess the quality of content creation between online marketing and
traditional marketing. By so doing, the study will provide a reliable assessment of the degree to
which online marketing has replaced traditional marketing.
Within this broad aim the study has a number of research objectives:
•
To provide a brief overview of traditional marketing mechanisms.
•
To identify and assess the emergence of new online forms of marketing.
•
To examine the degree to which companies are replacing traditional marketing mechanisms
with online processes.
4
•
To examine whether online marketing can be blended with conventional marketing
platforms to create effective marketing campaigns.
1.4 Value of the Research
The research shall address a trending subject matter in the sphere of marketing and
commerce in general. The 21st Century is an age filled with a lot of data-generating technology.
This data has been specifically generated through social media platforms that can convert into a
marketing potential. Countless organisations are willing to pay for this information in order to
drive their marketing campaign in a more targeted manner. At the same time, there still lies a lot
of value in the vintage ways of marketing. Today, corporations want to have a degree of control
over their image and brand perception. Similarly, there is a yearning for brand security and stability
among most organisations. These elements are not easily maintained within the context of online
marketing. This research ventures into this rigid yet sustainable means of marketing and attempts
to place the versatility of online marketing and its fleeting convenience. The findings of this
research will be essential to businesses looking for efficient means of marketing that can fit into
their business culture. The findings shall also be insightful for companies seeking to integrate both
online and traditional marketing methods into their marketing campaigns.
1.5 Research methodology
The research methodology is designed to address the research aims and objectives set out
above. The research will utilise the qualitative methodology in addressing the objectives. The
information and data gathering methods that will be utilised in the qualitative study methodology
are literature review and an online survey. The research shall collect data from a randomly selected
group of 200 consumers aged 20-45 years. The population selection is based on the consideration
5
that individuals aged 20-45 years observed conventional marketing strategy usage before online
marketing gained popularity. The population also serves major internet users and shoppers due to
their ability to generate revenue. This is to ensure that the research focuses on respondents who
understand both types of marketing. Additionally, the research shall conduct a literal search and
review at least 60 studies that are relevant to the study. The collected information shall be analysed
through content analysis techniques with framework analysis to ensure themes are identified with
accurate control of biases.
1.6 Structure of the Dissertation
The dissertation will be divided into the following sections:
•
Abstract
•
Chapter 1 (Introduction)
•
Chapter 2 (Literature Review)
•
Chapter 3 (Research Methodology)
•
Chapter 4 (Results)
•
Chapter 5 (Discussion)
•
Chapter 6 (Conclusion and Recommendation)
6
References
Durmaz, Y., İlhan, A., & Ince, E. (2015). Theoretical Approach to Online Marketing.
International Journal of Computers & Technology, 14(11), 6244-6249.
Pawar, A. (2020). Evaluation of Impact of Instagram on Customer Preferences: The Significance
of Online Marketing. Varma, M., Dhakane, N., and Pawar, A., Evaluation of Impact of
Instagram on Customer Preferences: The Significance of Online Marketing. International
Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 9(2), 548-554.
Zuhdi, S., Daud, A., Hanif, R., Nguyen, P. T., & Shankar, K. (2019). Role of Social Media
Marketing in the Successful Implementation of Business Management. International
Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(2), 3841-3844.
1
Chapter 2
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The turn of the century brought with it a myriad of technological and digital
advancements. Communication and transport became faster, sharing information were
revolutionised by computerisation, and marketing began joining (Richani et al., 2016). As the
world began switching from offline to online media, so did marketers. However, the
revolutionary stage of digitisation in the marketing context came with the age of online media
through social networking. Kasavana et al. (2010) report the increase in customer engagement as
a result of improved social networking. The same sentiments have been held by other researchers
such as Bosch (2009) and Collin et al. (2011). The applicability of the internet in marketing can
be viewed from two perspectives; one being that it has alienated the use of traditional marketing,
or it has been assimilated and funded a place in traditional marketing. The main components of
this literature review are online marketing description, online marketing benefits, online
marketing disadvantages, traditional marketing description, traditional marketing benefits, and
traditional marketing disadvantages. Additional sections in the literature review are blending
online with traditional marketing, consuming traditional marketing, friction between
Conventional and Online marketing, and combining outbound and inbound marketing.
2.2 Online marketing description
Online (inbound) marketing represents business promotion through social media
platforms, video, physical products, search engine optimisation, whitepapers, enewsletters,
eBooks, podcasts, and blogs. The marketing strategy focuses on impressing consumers through
2
diverse purchase funnel stages, including actions, desires, interests, and awareness. In the
awareness stage, marketers offer comprehensive information about services and products to
promote understanding among their target customers. Various marketing strategies that
marketers can utilise in the awareness stage include video ads, display ads, white papers, blog
posts, trade shows, email, media mentions, and social media posts. (Todor, 2016). Marketers
normally perform lead nurturing procedures at the interest stage using tools like emails, classes,
newsletters, and classes. The process allows marketers to take their leads to the consideration
phases, whereby they demonstrate an interest in specific brands. At this stage, effective
marketing tactics that marketers can utilise at this stage include case studies, email campaigns,
and free trials. The evaluation phase represents a stage where consumers make an important
product purchase decision. Important marketing strategies that marketers can utilise at the
evaluation stage include emails, display ads, and social media posts. Strategies implemented in
different purchase funnel stages enable customers to make an informed purchase decision.
Digital marketing represents an innovative strategy for services and products promotion
that uses digital technologies in reaching customers and consumers in a cost-effective,
personalised, and timely manner (Wsi, 2013). The interactive, measurable, and focused
marketing strategy uses digital technologies in retaining and attracting consumers. Digital
marketing supports business organisations in boosting sales, shaping preferences, and promoting
brands in the market. Inbound marketing comprises activities that enable marketers to attract
customers using stimulating content. Mobile communications and internet technologies have
facilitated the development of inbound marketing initiatives for global marketing. Technological
resources have facilitated the development of economic and strong marketing options for modern
organisations. Online platforms have allowed marketers to access free marketing platforms.
3
However, marketers understand that digital marketing tools only play certain roles in global
marketing campaigns (Wind & Mahajan, 2002). Although digital marketing has flourished in the
globalised market, they have demonstrated inadequacy in addressing all marketing needs (Wind
& Mahajan, 2002). Specifically, digital marketing tools have failed to create a broader impact
that is only achievable through outbound (conventional) marketing strategies.
Online marketing has been a game-changer. This medium allows businesses to develop
meaningful relationships with customers in a more targeted way (Bostanshirin, 2014). However,
Bostanshirin (2014) adds that this medium comes with its share of cons as well. These include
more instances of unethical behaviour and fraud, a cluttering of advertisements that may lower
their impact on the customer, high dependability, stiff competition, and increased time
consumption (Bostanshirin, 2014). Compared to traditional marketing, messages delivered
through this medium are highly conspicuous and harder to ignore. Additionally, there is a
reduced possibility of security risks, and there are certain audiences that can only be reached
through traditional marketing, such as elite classes (Lawrence et al., 2018). These benefits have
kept the usage of traditional marketing alive even after a skyrocketing growth trajectory in online
marketing. However, traditional marketing does come with its share of demerits. Kumar et al.
(2017) observe that traditional marketing is associated with disadvantages such as the issue of
cost ineffectiveness when using traditional marketing in comparison to online marketing.
Similarly, the impact of traditional marketing cannot be tracked in measurable ways, such as
online marketing (Kumar et al., 2017). The process of execution is also very long and unrefined
when compared to how much time is spent on digital marketing.
Online marketing strategy has grown significantly in 21st Century business organisations.
Management teams have considered that online marketing increases organisations’
4
competitiveness in the globalised business environment. The marketing tools derive their
efficiency from their capacity to create two-way communication channels between companies
and customers. Creating two-way communication channel offer business organisations an
opportunity for engaging their customers during marketing campaigns. Online platforms enable
companies to offer potential clients comprehensive information about their products and
services. (Barefoot & Szabo, 2010). Communication features available in various online
resources allow potential customers to ask questions about specific products. For instance, clients
may require marketers to make clarifications about particular services and product features.
Companies also allow customers to present crucial information about their product usage
experience and improvement recommendations (Watson et al., 2002). Watson et al. (2002)
observe that online marketing platforms allow companies to receive guidance from clients
instead of forcing them to change their perspectives. Watson et al. (2002) observe that customer
engagement makes online marketing strategies very effective in product popularisation
processes.
Currently, online marketing tools that have been widely adopted in multinational and
local companies are social media platforms. The technology combines technological and
sociological principles in promoting experience and knowledge sharing among individuals
(Conrad et al., 2010). Social media sites allow people to create networks for formal and informal
purposes. Ahmad (2011) observes that social media constitute three major components, namely
relationship building, information diffusion, and publishing technology. The publishing
technology aspect implies that organisations and individuals can publish content openly and
freely on social media platforms (Ahmad, 2011). The information diffusion aspect means that
social media sites distribute information quickly within a virtual social environment (Szabo &
5
Barefoot, 2010). Relationship building aspect represents social media platforms’ existence as a
powerful socialisation medium. The platforms create a virtual environment that allows people to
establish a network, interact, and share content. The aspects make social media platforms very
powerful among individuals and businesses today.
Business organisations utilise social media platforms in marketing due to their different
features and high popularity. Commonly used social media sites in marketing include YouTube,
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Business organisations have relied on Facebook to
establish strong brand images and maintain contacts with customers. The platform has
approximately 2.9 billion active users per month, which makes it a reliable marketing tool
(Statista Research Department, 2022). Features that facilitate interaction and content sharing on
Facebook are likes, inbox, comments, timeline, and notifications. For instance, people can like
and comment on product images uploaded on companies’ Facebook pages. The availability in
the inbox section allows people to interact with marketers about specific services and products.
Other social media platforms with high active user populations are Twitter (330 million), and
Instagram (1 billion) (Statista Research Department, 2022). Twitter combines social network and
microblogging aspects in facilitating interaction and information sharing among individuals.
2.3 Online Marketing Benefits
Online marketing offers various benefits to business organisations, including
interactivity, cost efficiency, empowerment, quality content, infinite audience, adaptability, and
personalisation. The online market allows business organisations to enlighten numerous
individuals about their products in a cost-effective manner (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Online
platforms offer features that facilitate interaction between marketers and consumers. For
example, social media sites and websites have chat features that facilitate communication
6
between clients and marketers. Increased internet usage globally means that online adverts reach
an infinite audience (Sheth & Sharma, 2005). Using online platforms enables companies to
provide comprehensive information about their products and services to their target populations.
Adaptability associated with online resources allows users to edit their messages to suit their
specific desires (Varbanova, 2013). Finally, these platforms enable marketers to develop
personalised programs to address specific preferences, values, and needs for the audience.
Meeting customer requests and needs increases their loyalty and satisfaction, which offers
business organisations an opportunity to create a huge loyal customer base. Customer
satisfaction supports companies in maximising their competitiveness and profitability in their
markets.
2.4 Online Marketing Disadvantages
Online marketing strategy has disadvantages like copyright issues, internet connectivity
issues, payment problems, online fraud, and technical errors. The online marketing process
creates a situation where competitors copy business organisations’ ideas. The situation
commonly happens during online marketing campaigns because of licensing unavailability
(Veleva & Tsvetanova, 2020). Target audiences with unstable and slow internet connections
experience challenges in accessing large and complex advertisements. Connectivity issues
normally demotivate potential customers, thus making the marketing campaign inefficient. Some
individuals experience challenges in trusting online campaigns due to the high prevalence of
online fraud. Prevalent fraudulent promotions expose genuine marketers to problems in
convincing target consumers about their products’ or services’ legitimacy. Online fraud creates a
scenario where people encounter fake pages, logos, and counterfeit brands. Specifically, older
people in most societies prefer conventional marketing strategies to online marketing methods
7
due to security concerns. Overdependence on technology makes online marketing highly
susceptible to technical errors.
2.5 Traditional marketing description
Conventional marketing occurs as the oldest marketing strategy. Conventional
(outbound) marketing strategies popularise products and services to customers using
conventional marketing tools. Conventional marketing involves techniques like outdoor
advertising, broadcasting advertising, print advertising, and telemarketing. Print media sources
that companies utilise in popularising their products and services include newsletters, magazines,
and newspapers. Business organisations can utilise print marketing as niche advertising and mass
advertising strategies. Broadcast advertising represents commercials that air publicly on
television and radio stations. Marketing using these platforms involves purchasing “spots” in
radio and television stations. The strategy offers authenticity and realism to services and products
since the targeted individuals normally get a viewing experience. Telemarketing represents a
process where marketers promote, solicit, and sell services/products through the telephone. The
marketing strategy is selected due to its statistical accountability, flexibility, and costeffectiveness. Finally, outdoor advertising represents a marketing strategy that focuses on
reaching individuals within a specific geographical location. Outdoor advertising involves
strategies like signage posts, construction advertising, billboard advertising, bridge banners,
displays, transit advertising, and vehicle advertising.
Traditional marketing methods include print marketing, broadcast marketing, direct mail
marketing, telephone marketing, and outdoor marketing. All these means of marketing depended
on offline means of reaching out to an audience. Their audience targeting is relatively broad, and
the cost is usually high. This makes these methods of marketing a little expensive for smaller
8
businesses to harness. Online marketing has a broader spectrum of strategies compared to
traditional means. These strategies include Social Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media
Marketing (SEM), Paid Search Advertising (PSA), website optimisation, affiliate marketing,
marketing automation, email marketing, and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing. According to Tarik
& Adnan (2018), the one thing all these forms of marketing have in common is taking into
account consumer behaviours before targeting their campaigns. The researchers posit that
comprehending your consumers’ behaviours can be effective in focusing marketing activities. A
company should not only concentrate on speaking to potential customers but also direct its
messages to current customers (Tarik & Adnan, 2018). The process can allow companies to
accomplish their customer retention and attraction goals. Benefits of Traditional Marketing
Strategies.
Business organisations still utilise conventional marketing strategies in popularising their
services and products. Traditional marketing platforms is associated with benefits like face-toface contact, reaching a local audience, faster results, and trustworthiness. Organisations utilise
the marketing strategy due to its capacity to generate faster results (Christopher et al., 2013).
Marketers observe that these marketing strategies yield better results when oriented effectively
for a specific audience (Kashani et al., 2005). Traditional marketing platforms are effective for
the local audience because of the common perception about their safety (Christopher et al.,
2013). Specifically, older adults feel that these platforms are safe from deceptive information and
fraudulent strategies. The individuals regard these tools as trustworthy due to their capacity to
create face-to-face contact with the audience. The high success rate makes these platforms very
effective in strengthening brand images for products or companies. Conventional marketing tools
allow marketers to disseminate information to huge populations based on the objective of
9
increasing sales. The marketing design is based on the idea that reaching huge audience
populations results in high sales volumes.
2.6 Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing Strategies
However, traditional marketing platforms have disadvantages like high costs, rigidity,
low engagement level, high financial cost, poor customisation, and measurement difficulty.
Marketers consider that using traditional marketing strategies exposes business organisations to
huge financial costs (Todor, 2016). Todor (2016)consider that placing advertisements on
pamphlets, newspapers, flyers, television, and radio attracts huge fees. The one-way
communication channel featured in these platforms makes them less engaging than online
marketing platforms (Cain, 2010). The forced selling tactic associated with these marketing
strategies creates a low response rate among targeted individuals (Todor, 2016). Minimal
interaction with clients makes this marketing strategy static and ineffective (Jothi, 2019). The
marketing platform creates a rigidity challenge for marketers, thus exposing these to a challenge
in changing content swiftly. Finally, the strategy hinders content customisation to suit the needs
of specific clients. The strategy only allows marketers to target a specific consumer segment but
not a specific person.
2.7 Blending Online with Traditional Marketing
This idea of blending the two methods to allow the new online marketing techniques to
subsist within the older means was reported by Todor (2016) before Tarik & Adnan (2018). The
study, Todor (2016), addressed the need for bringing the online and traditional means of
marketing to target the same goal. Living in an increasingly digital era has made communication
easier and faster. The use of the internet is perhaps one of the most growing aspects of humanity
10
today. Several analysts have brought forward an argument that digital marketing is indeed
phasing out traditional marketing whose significance is dwindling. However, the opposite has
been supported by Todor (2016), who joins the conflicting school of thought that suggests that
digital marketing is combined with traditional marketing to birth a refreshed tool. The opinions
of Todor (2016) are largely based on a survey conducted by ZenitOptimedia (2015), which
showed that there is indeed an indication that traditional media is losing out to competition from
the internet.
2.8 Consuming Traditional Marketing
As from the year 2010, the consumption of traditional media such as newspapers,
magazines, television, radio, and cinema dropped considerably (Wray, 2020). However, at the
same time, there was an observable increase in the amount of time spent exposed to outdoor
advertising, which accounts for traditional marketing. Additionally, television has failed to lose
its dominance in the media consumption arena despite being in the age of the internet
(ZenitOptimedia, 2015). This same trend was not far placed from the one made by Tarik &
Adnan (2018) in the users of telecommunication services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Their study found that while most telecommunication services users prefer social networks
(online marketing tools), the following list is still riddled with traditional means of marketing
such as television, billboards, newspapers, and radio. However, the same list competes with text
messages, company web pages, web advertisements, and email (Tarik & Adnan, 2018). These
two research studies and the survey indicate the preliminary signs that traditional media has not
yet been fully phased out of my online media.
2.9 Friction between Conventional and Online marketing
11
Having established the coexistence of these two methods of marketing, the next need has
to focus on the friction between them. The friction between conventional and online marketing
platforms suggests that companies have focused on developing new marketing strategies. It is
evident that the marketing space is being filled by new players each and every day (Cravens &
Piercy, 2006). Business organisations are introducing newer and better marketing strategies to
achieve a competitive advantage in the market. The competition within the marketing discipline
has been termed by Bhayani & Vachhani (2014) as a preferential tussle that sways consumers
back and forth. Both traditional and online marketing method presents their own set of merits
and demerits. Taherdoost & Jalaliyoon (2014) addresses the strengths of each media to target
customers. Traditional marketing focuses on the product, price, place, and promotion. On the
other hand, online marketing has added a new dimension of people into the marketing
framework. Online marketing strategies are finding it easier to establish personal contacts with
consumers. This element allows them to individualise their commercial offer for each client
(Kayumovich & Annamuradovna, 2020). With internet usage increasing over time, more and
more people are bound to get reached by online marketing campaigns. This has been the primary
convenience of online marketing over traditional marketing. Additionally, online marketing has
the advantage of new media being introduced into the picture due to technological and digital
advancements (Kayumovich & Annamuradovna, 2020).
The above argument is underlined by the element of interactivity, as elaborated by
Kayumovich & Annamuradovna (2020). In the research, there is general agreeableness that
while there still exists a significance of using traditional marketing methods, online marketing
possesses a certain irrefutable convenience over traditional marketing. At the same time,
Kayumovich & Annamuradovna (2020) realises that within the role of the fifth element of
12
marketing, the people, online marketing simply manages to broaden the scope of traditional
marketing in two ways. First, online marketing introduces the people as the traditional object that
the company can apply to marketing efforts. Secondly, the people are viewed as company
partners who mutually benefit from the relationship while helping the company achieve its
objectives (Kayumovich & Annamuradovna, 2020). Kayumovich & Annamuradovna (2020)
observe that conventional and online marketing platforms can be utilised as complementary
resources in organisational marketing campaigns.
The complementary aspect of online marketing can be observed from the one position
that traditional marketing was struggling with. Traditional marketing has for a long time
concentrated on promoting products and services. However, with the introduction of online
marketing, more emphasis is being placed on information delivery which is more inbound. Du
Plessis (2017) acknowledges that marketing content is currently the leading technique used by
marketers in online marketing. This marketing approach uses the customers as the point of
reference to establish and strengthen relationships by creating and distributing engaging content
on social networks. This type of marketing creates virtual brand community perspectives. The
role of content marketing in these social network communities is to benefit a brand by naturally
making the brand part of the social conversations (Du Plessis, 2017). In this study, Du Plessis
(2017) adds that brands actively employ non-promotional human tales that are skillfully blended
throughout various social media channels, according to the findings. The activities with no
advertising interference are perhaps the most intriguing findings, which are congruent with the
research on content marketing.
Marketers should understand the way traditional media associate with content creation as
a way of blending the two methods of marketing in this age. Consumers respond positively to
13
organisations that produce interesting, engaging, or helpful material, which is why content
marketing has grown in popularity (Cella Staff, 2013).. A customer is far more likely to learn
more about a new firm if it has given them something useful, such as an answer to a question or
step-by-step guidance to completing a difficult activity. Traditional media is therefore being
contemplated by most marketers who are seeking a way to incorporate it into the content
advertising campaigns (Cella Staff, 2013). Traditional methods may require a speedy response,
but social media is like media relations with an overactive thyroid. It’s quick, it’s up to date, and
it’s never-ending. Multiple rounds of content and legal clearances are not feasible for content
creators. The time it takes to execute an order cannot be considered. Most of these effort-sapping
strategies, however, are embedded into their engagement rules (Cella Staff, 2013). As a result of
this, demand for quick turnarounds has forced most companies to watch counterproductive
efforts of attempting to create social content fit for traditional media. Therefore, this remains a
holdup in the efforts to blend the efforts of online marketing to complement the structures set by
traditional marketing.
2.10 Combining Outbound and Inbound Marketing
Outbound and inbound marketing strategies possess separate weaknesses and strengths
with complementary impacts on each other. Outbound marketing methods like pay-per-click
advertising and bulk emails can support companies in starting their marketing operations before
embarking on inbound marketing. The process implies that inbound marketing operations should
be performed in coordination with outbound marketing strategies (Frau et al., 2020). Using this
approach requires marketers to determine specific areas that inbound marketing can address
effectively and cost-effectively.
14
Using conventional marketing platforms to establish a presence before going online
enables business organisations to reach a huge population. Combining digital and traditional
platforms makes business organisations recognisable on various online platforms. The situation
makes the blended marketing strategy very effective in popularising corporate and product
brands. For instance, radio stations, television channels, and print media inform huge populations
about specific services and products. Online resources like social media channels enable people
to acquire comprehensive details on these services and products.
Combining online and traditional marketing offer companies an opportunity for reaching
a huge customer population. Combining these marketing strategies facilitates the creation of a
blended marketing strategy. Blended marketing allows conventional and online marketing
strategies to exist as complementary elements. The process enables organisations to benefit from
these marketing strategies simultaneously. For instance, an organisation can enjoy benefits
associated with online marketing, including interactivity, quality content, cost efficiency,
empowerment, personalisation, infinite audience, and adaptability. The marketing plan also
enables organisations to enjoy benefits associated with conventional marketing strategy,
including reaching the local audience, face-to-face contact, trustworthiness, and faster results. A
blended marketing strategy eliminates weaknesses associated with these marketing strategies
(Frau et al., 2020). For example, online marketing solves problems associated with conventional
advertising, including high financial costs, high costs, rigidity, low engagement level, and low
customisation. On the contrary, traditional marketing addresses problems associated with online
marketing strategy, including safety concerns, copyright issues, payment problems, internet
connectivity issues, and online fraud.
15
Marketers experience a serious challenge when selecting an effective tool during
marketing. The selection procedure requires marketers to consider weaknesses and strengths
associated with every tool. Individuals also consider the effectiveness of every marketing tool in
accomplishing specific objectives and goals. In most cases, choosing specific marketing tools
creates a dilemma for marketers in organisations. Selecting a specific strategy is challenging
since they have complementary attributes instead of competing nature. Viewing conventional
and online marketing strategies as competing element is difficult due to their different capacities.
Specifically, different strengths and weaknesses associated with these marketing tools normally
create a challenge in choosing the better one. At this point, a blended marketing platform serves
as an am effective strategy in popularising organisational products, services, and brands.
Marketers can implement different strategies in ensuring that online and conventional
play a complementary role. Strategies that facilitate blending of these strategies include
redirecting, filling gaps, and combining specific tools. For example, redirecting concept involves
marketing tools usage in supporting each other. For instance, a marketer can request social media
clients to participate in conventional marketing processes like displays viewing and roadshows.
Marketers should rely on the blended system in addressing gaps existing in marketing
campaigns. In this case, an employee may consider that placing billboards across a country can
be extremely costly (Todor, 2016). The situation forces these companies to choose specific
locations with huge populations to prevent money wastage. Marketers can depend on online
marketing tools like social media platforms to address gaps in specific regions. Using social
media as a complementary marketing tool for billboards can allow marketers to engage potential
clients. The process makes the marketing process highly effective in reaching a population with
different characteristics, including age, gender, and ethnicity.
16
Creating a blended marketing strategy can revolve around a combination of print media
and digital content. The strategy is based on the understanding that people use both traditional
media sources and internet resources today. The process requires individuals to ignore a common
assumption about the demise of print media sources. Todor (2016) argues that marketers should
consider that conventional media sources still serve as an information sources for older people in
modern societies. The younger generation also relies on media sources for news and
entertainment programs access. Marketers should view conventional media sources as an
opportunity for improving their marketing campaigns. The current scenario means that
companies should supplement conventional marketing tools with online materials to improve
marketing program’s efficiency and effectiveness. Geo-targeting is an emerging concept that
combines online and conventional marketing perspectives. The concept represents the way
people use data while considering their location (Amirkhanpour et al., 2014). Marketers
determine people’s location using their IP addresses. The knowledge about individuals’ location
enables marketers to create evidence-based decisions during marketing. In this case, marketers
may choose to locate outdoor advertising campaigns in areas where individuals spend stay and
spend time.
Today, marketers should focus on balancing online and traditional marketing to optimise
their associated benefits. Blending these tools offer marketers an opportunity to accomplish their
marketing goals. Marketing offline and online allows these professionals to attract and maintain
customers as compared to one podium usage. Todor (2016) observes that blended marketing
serves as a representation of individuals’ capacity to implement different marketing tools.
Marketers should consider that digital and traditional marketing tools can improve marketing
strategies in organisations. The professionals must consider that people consume content
17
available in conventional and online marketing campaigns. The professionals should rely on
statistics representing media sources usage variations in societies. For example, statistics
demonstrating changes in marketing tools usage in societies globally are magazine (-23%), radio
(-15%), cinema (-11%), television (-8%), outdoor (+3%) and internet (+105%) (Todor, 2016).
The statistics demonstrate increased internet usage and the traditional sources retention in
communities. The situation means that blended marketing effectively suits marketing campaigns
in modern globalised and multicultural societies.
2.20 Conclusion
The technological advancement happening in the 21st Century has facilitated the
development of online marketing platforms. Online marketing revolves around the usage of
resources like social media platforms, video, physical products, search engine optimisation,
whitepapers, enewsletters, eBooks, podcasts, and blogs in popularising products and services.
The online marketing strategy has gained popularity in multinational and local companies.
Benefits associated with online marketing strategies include interactivity, cost efficiency,
empowerment, quality content, infinite audience, adaptability, and personalisation. Online
marketing has disadvantages like copyright issues, internet connectivity issues, payment
problems, online fraud, and technical errors. Benefits associated with conventional marketing
strategies include face-to-face contact, reaching a local audience, faster results, and
trustworthiness. Traditional marketing platforms have disadvantages like high costs, rigidity, low
engagement level, high financial cost, poor customisation, and measurement difficulty.
Therefore, blending the online marketing method with a conventional marketing strategy can
support business organisations in exploiting their benefits and overcoming their weaknesses,
which can enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
18
References
Ahmad, H. A. (2011). Social media marketing. Munich: GRIN Verlag.
Amirkhanpour, M., Vrontis, D., & Thrassou, A. (2014). Mobile marketing: A contemporary
strategic perspective. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 9(3), 252-269.
https://doi.org/10.1504/ijtmkt.2014.063855
Bhayani, S., & Vachhani, N. V. (2014). Internet marketing vs traditional marketing: a
comparative analysis. FIIB Business Review, 3(3), 53-63.
Bosch, T. E. (2009). Using online social networking for teaching and learning: Facebook use at
the University of Cape Town. Communicatio: South African Journal for Communication
Theory and Research, 35(2), 185-200.
Bostanshirin, S. (2014, September). Online marketing: challenges and opportunities. In
Proceedings of SOCIOINT14-International Conference on Social Sciences and
Humanities, Istanbul, September (pp. 8-10).
Cain, P. M. (2010). Marketing mix modelling and return on investment. Integrated Brand
Marketing and Measuring Returns, 94-130. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230297340_4
Cella Staff. (2013, January 22). Content Development: Social Vs. Traditional Media. Cella.
https://www.cellainc.com/insights/blog/content-development-social-vs-traditional-media/
Collin, P., Rahilly, K., Richardson, I., & Third, A. (2011). The benefits of social networking
19
services. Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing,
Melbourne, VIC.
Conrad, J., Levinson, J., & Gibson, S. (2010). Guerrilla social media marketing. Irvine, CA:
Entrepreneur Press.
Christopher, M., Payne, A., & Ballantyne, D. (2013). Relationship marketing. Abingdon-onThames: Routledge.
Cravens, D. W., & Piercy, N. (2006). Strategic marketing (Vol. 6). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Frau, M., Moi, L., & Cabiddu, F. (2020). Outside-in, inside-out, and blended marketing strategy
approach: A longitudinal case study. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 12 (3),
1. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v12n3p1
DeVellis, R. F., & Thorpe, C. T. (2021). Scale development: Theory and applications. Sage
publications.
Du Plessis, C. (2017). The role of content marketing in social media content communities. South
African Journal of Information Management, 19 (1), 1-7.
Jothi, G. (2019). A Study On Advantages and Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing and
Digital Marketing. International Journal of Research and Analytical, 1.
Kasavana, M. L., Nusair, K., & Teodosic, K. (2010). Online social networking: redefining the
human web. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 1 (1), 68-82.
Kashani, K., Jeannet, J. P., Horovitz, J., Meehan, S., Ryans, A., Turpin, D., & Walsh, J. (2005).
20
Beyond traditional marketing: innovations in marketing practice. Hoboken: John Wiley
& Sons.
Kayumovich, K. O., & Annamuradovna, F. S. (2020). The main convenience of internet
marketing from traditional marketing. Academy, 1 (52), 30-32.
Kumar, V., Choi, J. B., & Greene, M. (2017). Synergistic effects of social media and traditional
marketing on brand sales: capturing the time-varying effects. Journal of the Academy of
Marketing Science, 45(2), 268-288.
Lawrence, S., Deshmukh, S., & Navajivan, E. (2018). A Comparative Study of Digital
Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing. IIBM’S Journal of Management Research, 112-121.
Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion
mix. Business Horizons, 52(4), 357-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.03.002
Nemoto, T., & Beglar, D. (2014). Likert-scale questionnaires. In JALT 2013 conference
proceedings (pp. 1-8).
Richani, E., Papaioannou, G., & Banou, C. (2016, October). Emerging opportunities: the
internet, marketing and museums. In 20th International Conference On Circuits, Systems,
Communications and Computers (CSCC 2016) (Vol. 76, pp. Art-no). EDP Sciences.
Safko, L., & Brake, D. (2009). The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools and Strategies for
Business Success. New York: John Wiley &Sons, p. 181; 243.
Sheth, J. N., & Sharma, A. (2005). International E‐marketing: Opportunities and issues.
21
International Marketing Review, 22(6), 611-622.
https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330510630249
Statista Research Department. (2022). Distribution of Instagram users worldwide as of October
2021, by age group. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-ofmonthly-active-twitterusers/#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20use%20Twitter,daily%20active%20users%
20(mDAU).
Statista Research Department. (2022). Leading countries based on Facebook audience size as of
October 2021. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/268136/top-15-countriesbased-on-number-of-facebookusers/#:~:text=With%20around%202.9%20billion%20monthly,revenue%20is%20generat
ed%20through%20advertising.
Statista Research Department. (2022). Number of monthly active Twitter users worldwide from
1st quarter 2010 to 1st quarter 2019. Statista.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthly-active-twitterusers/#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20use%20Twitter,daily%20active%20users%
20(mDAU).
Szabo, J., & Barefoot, D. (2009). Friends with benefits: A social media marketing handbook. San
Francisco: No Starch Press.
Taherdoost, H., & Jalaliyoon, N. (2014). Marketing vs E-marketing. International Journal of
Academic Research in Management, 3(4), 335-340.
22
Tarik, Z., & Adnan, S. (2018). Online vs Traditional; Marketing Challenge in the Telecom
Market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Economic Review: Journal of Economics and
Business, 16(1), 45-57.
Todor, R. D. (2016). Blending traditional and digital marketing. Bulletin of the Transilvania
University of Brasov. Economic Sciences. Series V, 9(1), 51.
Varbanova, L. (2013). Strategic Management in the Arts. New York: Taylor and Francis, p. 161.
Veleva, S. S., & Tsvetanova, A. I. (2020). Characteristics of the digital marketing advantages
and disadvantages. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 940(1),
012065. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/940/1/012065
Watson, R. T., Pitt, L. F., Berthon, P., & Zinkhan, G. M. (2002). U-commerce: Expanding the
universe of marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(4), 333-347.
https://doi.org/10.1177/009207002236909
Wind, Y. J., & Mahajan, V. (2002). Digital marketing: global strategies from the world’s leading
experts. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Wray, R. (2020, April 16). Media consumption on the increase. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/apr/19/media-consumption-survey
Wsi. (2013). Digital Minds: 12 Things Every Business Needs to Know About Digital Marketing.
Victoria: Friesen Press, p. 7.
ZenitOptimedia. (2015, May 31). Internet use to drive 1.4% increase in media consumption in
23
2015 – Zenith. Zenith. https://www.zenithmedia.com/internet-use-drive-1-4-increasemedia-consumption-2015/
1
Chapter 3
3.0 Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction
The section describes the methodological approach and technique that will be utilised in
the research. The quantitative study focuses on determining the place of online marketing strategy
in the current marketing operations. Specifically, the study will determine whether online
marketing complements or competes with traditional marketing strategies like print media
(newspapers and magazines), broadcasting (radio and television), and outdoor (posters and
billboards) platforms usage. For instance, the quantitative study will support the researcher in
identifying whether online marketing has completely replaced traditional marketing. The study
makes an important consideration that advancement in technological platforms like computers and
social media has revolutionised marketing processes. Online marketing platforms offer business
organisations benefits like personalisation, cost efficiency, infinite audience, adaptability, quality
content, empowerment, and interactivity. Hence, the study will provide reliable and
comprehensive information regarding the characteristics and significance of online marketing.
Important elements of the research methodology section are research design, research
methodology, instruments, sampling and population, study procedure, data collection, ethical
assurances, data analysis, delimitations, and limitations.
3.2 Research Methodology
The study will rely on the quantitative study methodology in performing a broad
investigation of online marketing’s role in the current marketing process. The quantitative research
methodology allows researchers to investigate certain phenomena by gathering data and analysis
2
statistical data. The research methodology utilizes the deductive logic in developing a broad
outlook of specific topics. Various activities for quantitative research operation are hypothesis
generation, data gathering, data analysis, and hypothesis testing. The research methodology relies
on data gathering instruments like surveys and structured interviews in obtaining sufficient data
regarding particular research topic. The study relies on data analysis tools like t-test, ANOVAs,
and multiple regression correlation in creating descriptive statistics like mean, median, and
standard deviation (Taylor, 2005). The data analysis procedure facilitates the breakdown of
complex data, which facilitates hypothesis testing.
The researcher will rely on the quantitative methodology in engaging subjects in the
evidence generation process. The engagement tactic will allow participants to describe their firsthand experience with traditional and online marketing processes. Engaging participants enable
researchers to develop a holistic approach to specific topics. Variables collection, quantification,
and analysis enables researchers to answer questions like how, when, how many, what, where,
who, and how much. The study tests hypothesis and achieves research objectives using randomly
selected and larger study populations. The process requires researchers to collect statistical data
using reliable collection instruments. Data collected through this process facilitate the generation
of generalizable findings to populations with similar characteristics. For instance, the research
method will support the researcher in establishing whether online marketing can substitute
conventional marketing completely in different markets globally. The study will determine the
quality of content that researchers generate through conventional and online marketing processes.
The study method will further enable the researchers to understand whether traditional and online
marketing methods have a competitive or complementary relationship.
3.3 Research Design
3
The deductive reasoning associated with the quantitative research facilitates the usage of
huge samples in creating broad knowledge about specific topics. In this case, the method of
research shall involve an online survey of 200 randomly selected customers. These customers shall
be respondents to a specific set of questions that will have been prepared beforehand. The
population targeted shall consist of adults who are 20-45 years and who express that they have had
past experience with content from online marketing and traditional marketing. Their technical
comprehension of these terminologies and marketing concepts shall not be a consideration. The
questions conveyed to them will seek to understand the most vivid marketing campaigns that they
can remember. This survey shall also attempt to establish the impact each source of marketing
campaign has had on their consumer behaviour. Having established their consumer behaviour, the
data collected shall be compiled in a manner that allows the process of analysis to begin.
The second set of data in this study shall be collected from past literature. Collecting data
from previously conducted studies on the place of online marketing in complementing or
compensating conventional marketing will facilitate validation of the collected data. Approximate
15 former studies shall be reviewed and their findings systemically analysed. These studies shall
be selected in the order of their relevance and applicability to the topic. The search strategy shall
employ the use of keywords to get the first set of studies. The studies shall then be eliminated
considering the objectives of the study and the research problem they intend to resolve. The
selected studies will be expected to have covered the topics of online marketing and traditional
marketing. Studies researching content marketing in both online marketing and traditional
marketing contexts shall also be included. Studies elaborating further about other methods of
marketing shall also be considered in the research as a source of data.
3.4 Population and Sample
4
Sample selection represents a critical stage in defining the primary research dimension.
The chosen sample size serves as a critical determinant for the accuracy and uniqueness of the
research findings. Therefore, the chosen sample size determines the effectiveness and applicability
of a specific research methodology. For instance, a large sample population makes quantitative
methodology highly suitable for this study. Researchers consider that a small sample population
is unsuitable for quantitative research methodologies (Creswell, …
Purchase answer to see full
attachment