Introduction
Contemporary marketing strategy is an essential aspect of any top-performing organization. Marketing has grown over time and is currently being compared to managerial sciences such as administration and finance. Over time, the field has advanced knowledge that has adopted modern marketing philosophies such as the use of social media. The report is going to be based on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK is a multinational pharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Britain, United Kingdom (UK). The company was founded in 2000 after a merger between Smith Kline and Glaxo (GSK, 2021). According to Stern, McDaniel, and Gates (2020), in the Forbes ranking of 2019, GSK was the world’s sixth-largest pharmaceutical manufacturer. The company has designed a Facebook community known as the GSK online to improve customer support, better idea generation brand awareness, increased engagement on social, and reduce marketing expenses. The crowding of online spaces with marketing communication has made people less receptive. Such is because consumers are seeking deep and authentic interactions online. Creating an online brand community creates a platform for consumers to have a meaningful relationship with the company. Building an online platform is the new way of boosting the markets for any business.
Part I
The GSK online is a community for marketing pharmaceutical products that will be primarily on Facebook. The community has about 3million followers on this platform. The platform is a specialized non-geographical bound community that is founded on specific social relations. The page is based on new behaviors of the consumers using computer-facilitated environs that are exploring the various characteristics of the other brands. The platform exhibits the old-style indications of the online community that include rites and customs, shared consciousness, and moral responsibility. The mass-mediated ethos and commercials, which are the basis of these online, influence their structure and character raises to their specialties. The platform has outlined sociological theories of branding and consumer behavior (Morris 2019, p.385). It has provided a strategy tool for the dynamic role of strategists. Additionally, the online page is a tool for strategic engagement with the stakeholders. Facebook is also acting as an agency type; that is, the recent media are the forces that have influenced human hands that are seen as the strategy for the agency.
Brand Community Model
A sense of belonging
In the brand community model, three vital aspects were identified. The first aspect was the sense of belonging, which referred to the deep connection that the members had for each other and a sense of difference between people outside the community (Werner, 2016 p. 24). It was this sense of membership that created a vital link to the brand. The brand community of a company like GSK works has several members that include distributors and suppliers and affiliated companies that assist the company in developing, manufacturing, and distributing the vaccines. In such consideration, members of a brand community should demarcate the line between the brand users and users of other brands (Hatta and Rachbini, 2018, p.28). It is this aspect that differentiates them from others and makes them similar to one another. The result of this difference is the act of being special compared to others. The company spends a lot of millions on suppliers and a wide range of goods. Therefore, suppliers and third parties must work harmoniously to be part of GSK.
Shared rituals and traditions
According to Muniz and O’Quinn’s model, shared rituals and traditions were crucial aspects of the social process that assisted companies in preserving and transmitting the community’s shared cultural history (Werner 2016, p.25). The traditions are centered on common assumptions and experiences from consumers. Sharing brand stories on social platforms is one tool that assists the brand in differentiating brand opportunists from true believers. Additionally, sharing brand stories is a vital process that reinforces mindfulness between the supporters and brand community members’ feeling of being with like-minded people. Therefore, this is the space where the consumption of cultures and conformity comes to play. Through the Facebook platform, GSK can share its brand stories as a critical process that points toward knowledge of societal values and the ritualized appeal and certainty representing robust traditional practices within the brand community (Hatta and Rachbini, 2018, p.29). Facebook stories are vital aspects that reinforce the consciousness of a kind between brand community members and support like-minded people.
Sense of moral responsibility
It marks the last aspect of the Muniz and ‘O’Quinn model. Such a feature is associated with the feeling of obligation towards the community wholesomely to its members. It is through the mind of moral responsibility that the brand can decisively integrate and retain new customers. Werner (2016, p. 26) suggested that most community members assisted in consuming brands by solving the problem with the customers. Moral responsibility is a priority for GSK, and the company is committed to performing with integrity (Nilasari et al., 2020, p.3406). The company has a list of compliance policies that oversee all its operations. GSK expects all its stakeholders to live in these shared values. Before completing an online transaction, the brand should ensure emotional connections with customers (Mason, 2018). Repeated purchase and brand loyalty are precious to every company. Moreover, the human relationships in the online purchase form more robust user engagement that eventually increases sales.
Strengthening Customer Relations and Co-creation
There several ways of strengthening relationships with the online community. For instance, surveying customers to get their opinions is vital (Yim 2019, p.236). Offering customers their exact needs helps trust-building repeat purchases. The relationship can also be strengthened through email communication and replying to direct messages on the platform’s page. The direct messages and emails provide valuable feedback from customers. Another way of enhancing online interaction is through real-time videos from customer support and rewarding the best customer. According to Stern et al. (2020, p. 379), the value of consumer co-creation is founded on a constant logic. Co-creation creates value and emphasis the development of customer-supplier interaction. The co-creation approach is practical as an analysis of global transactions. The co-creation approach has facilitated the identification of patterns of behaviors and actions of online consumers. Additionally, integration of co-creation increases customer-to-customer as the process adds value to the platforms using ‘ ‘consumer’s knowledge and experience.
Part II
Digital brand communities play a significant role in consumer marketing. On the digital platforms, the company needs to identify the target customer since it is a pivotal point in enhancing content. Suppose GSK wants to implement the online brand community into a strategic business model in addition to co-creating a brand value. In that case, the delivery of helpful brand content is desired for self-expression and social interaction (Yim 2019, p.239). Such a process will allow for the consumer-brand identification and promotion of customer-to-customer social bonds vital in transforming the online audience into a community. Such considerations indicate that ‘ ‘GSK’s online community will generate more traffic and engage current and potential customers. For example, better brand awareness and loyalty are achieved through online communities because the consumers are more likely to share ‘ ‘GSK’s content (Stern et al., 2020). A brand grows through online brand-content sharing and is expected to influence other peers in the target segment.
Elements of Brand Community
Getting a brand community at times is incredibly difficult, as it is perceived as a marketing campaign. In this case, GSK online is the name of the brand community. Facebook will be the leading social media platform. The Facebook page will allow the brands to map their potential connections on network websites to pass on the information and expand their relationships. Elements of a community include; membership, whereby Stern et al. (2020 p. 379) broke it down into five attributes: emotional safety, boundaries, a standard symbol system, personal identification, and boundaries. Borders, for example, will define who would be part of the group, their interaction, and the expectations of the members. According to Hapsari (2018, p.45), the prevalence of social network websites has made people advertise on their websites, and companies set up various brand communities on different social network websites. Companies, for instance, used 75 percent of brand pages on Facebook, with 96 percent weekly updates on pages (Yim 2019, p.242). Such considerations marked the primary building block of a community in essence.
Elements of the site using a wireframe
A wireframe, also known as a screen or schematic blueprint, will visually guide the company’s structural framework. GSK online wireframe will be created to arrange elements in accomplishing the purpose informed by the objectives of the company and the creative idea (Morris 2019, p.387). The wireframe will outline the layout of pages, content in the website, interface, and navigational systems. Elements that will not be included in the wireframe include graphics, color, and typographic styles, as the wireframe will focus on priority, functional analysis, and behavior of content (Yim 2019, p.255). The wireframe developed will focus on the functions available, their preferences of information to be displayed, and the working condition of the website to be set. Its purpose will focus on establishing functionality and a relationship between different websites and screen displays.
Creating a wireframe will effectively make page prototypes and measure the practical aspect of the design concept. Other disciplines will use the wireframe. People to use the wireframe within the company include; business analysts, stakeholders, professionals, programmers, graphic designers, and product managers (Hatta and Rachbini, 2018, p.27). Working with the wireframe will involve collaboration in the company since there is a bridge between information architecture the visual design. Conflicts arise in the event of use due to overlaps in professional roles; hence, wireframing is a controversial design procedure.
Structure of GlaxoSmithKline one-week content calendar
Strategy for Engagement in GSK Online
GSK online will figure out what the end buyers of the products are. It will erase the suspicions that arise from the inability to identify the products’ target audience, persons who make purchase decisions, and product services (Anastasi, 2018, p.166). Eradicating such doubts will increase the chances of selling the content posted on the developed social media platform. A quick analysis of the product buyers through the social media platform and why cannot be taken for granted by the company (Yim 2019, p.271). Building a close relationship with the target group, engaging them, and asking questions that dig deep into their purchase decisions of the drugs creates a proper foundation for the social media strategy.
Engagements make the company know what the customers need in reality, their concerns, and what brings them into its sphere of influence. Such information makes the company know the potential prospects (Yasin et al., 2019, p.47). After establishing the more significant segment, smaller segments can be considered, motivating the customers (Hatta and Rachbini, 2018, p.36). Success in Facebook will not be possible without a proper understanding of who the prospective customers are, their motivating factors, and their interests. GSK’s Facebook page will emphasize conversations with customers and stories and give them a compelling reason to follow it and gain interest and be retained.
Analysis of Critical Partners
GSK online will ensure that the choice of partnerships will factor in whether the company’s goals are aligned with those of its partners. It is vital to select partners that have a similar purpose (Anastasi 2018, p.148). The alignment of objectives will allow the unions to build solid foundations that can be relied on in the future. Partnerships will enable the company to have a foundation to rely on when addressing future issues (Morris 2019, p.388). Sharing of connections between partner companies will boost the company’s profits and success. Testimonials and recommendations will not only improve but also illustrate generosity in partnership promotions. Through partnerships, companies set common values and strengths which are complementary. GSK online will restore the true customer partnership.
The Role of Co-creation
Co-creation was an aspect that happened only when divergent parties mutually worked together in producing a valuable outcome. According to Katsikeas (2016, p.219), co-creation will help GSK online expand its intellectual resources, engage consumers, increase intellectual property in the firm, align with the company mission, and involve customers’ insight. Furthermore, improved services in the company increased brand loyalty and achieved greater brand awareness in co-creation. Co-creation will further enable the company to accomplish its culture aimed at consumer consideration (Yim 2019, p. 247). Increased return on investment with co-creative firms will help boost the return on investment of the firms. Through power-sharing, co-creation with consumers will help the company in the growth of sales and profits.
Overall, contemporary marketing is beneficial to companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline. The value of aspect is worth millions of benefits to both the organization and the customers. The marketing strategy will build trust with huge numbers by integrating the marketing plans to online platforms, co-creation strategies, and information attained through the Muniz and ‘O’Guinn 2001 brand community model. The GSK online Facebook page will give its customers the most valuable brand community, knowledge sharing, and improved communication with the customers in direct messages and emails. The online marketing methods are looking to create a trust-based customer-supplier relationship. Therefore, social media-based strategies for marketing are being used to build client relationships with the suppliers, which is the ‘ ‘GSK’s strategy. It involves identifying and sensing market categories for ‘ ‘GSK’s clientele and bridging the gap through exclusive online marketing strategies.
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