DM Group Assignment
DM Group Assignment
SUBMITTED BY –
VIDWATH – 211202001
CHETHAN – 211202004
BHARGAV – 211202041
SWASTHIK – 211202044
NIRANJAN – 211202046
SUBMITTED TO –
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Table of contents
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Bharath Bookmark
Bharath Bookmark in Mangalore and Manipal is one of the leading businesses in the Book
Shops. Also known for Stationery Shops, Water Bottle Dealers, Sticker Dealers, Pen Dealers,
Bond Paper Dealers, Art Material Dealers, Stationery Dealers and much more.
We can't ignore the importance of books in our lives. Be it educational or recreational, each
book is special and important in its own way. The pleasure of reading a book cannot be found
in any other activity. If you are an avid reader, there are many Book Shops that provide you
with the best of books to indulge in.
One such book shop is Bharath Bookmark in Mangalore and Manipal that houses all types of
books. Be it educational, romantic, mystery, thriller, comic or religious, the shop houses all
types of books.
Bharath Bookmark in Mangalore and Manipal is a top player in the category Book Shops in
their respective region. This book shop acts as a centre for servicing customers both local and
from other parts of Mangalore and Manipal. Over the course of its journey, this business has
established a firm foothold in its industry. The belief that customer satisfaction is as important
as their products and services, have helped this store, garner a vast base of customers, which
continues to grow day by day. This business employs individuals that are dedicated towards
their respective roles and put in a lot of effort to achieve the common vision and larger goals
of the company, Soon, this business aims to expand its line of products and services and cater
to a larger client base. In Mangalore, this establishment occupies a prominent location in Bejai
and in Manipal the shop is located near tiger circle. It is an effortless task in commuting to this
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establishment as there are various modes of transport readily available which makes it easy for
first-time visitors in locating this establishment. It is known to provide top service in the
following categories: Book Shops, Stationery Shops, Water Bottle Dealers, Sticker Dealers,
Pen Dealers, Bond Paper Dealers, Art Material Dealers, Stationery Dealers.
Bharath Bookmark in Mangalore and Manipal has a wide range of products and/or services to
cater to the varied requirements of their customers. The staff at this establishment are courteous
and prompt at providing any assistance. They readily answer any queries or questions that you
may have. Pay for the product or service with ease by using any of the available modes of
payment, such as Cash. This establishment is functional from 10:00-21:00.
SOSTAC framework
The SOSTAC framework is a marketing planning model that can be used to develop and
implement marketing strategies for businesses. It was created by PR Smith in the 1990s and
has since become a widely used model for businesses of all sizes.
SOSTAC is an acronym for the six key elements of the framework, which are:
i. Situation Analysis: The first element of the SOSTAC framework is situation analysis,
which involves reviewing the company's present status. It involves compiling data
about the company's internal and external environments, detecting important trends,
problems, and opportunities. This step's goal is to comprehend the company's existing
market position, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. Businesses can find the
most important chances for change and growth by using situation analysis. It is a crucial
stage in the SOSTAC framework because it lays the foundation for creating powerful
marketing strategies that can aid the company in achieving its objectives.
ii. Objectives: The Objectives element of the SOSTAC framework refers to the specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that a company
wants to achieve through its marketing strategy. The marketing initiatives are given
direction and focus by the objectives, ensuring that they are in line with the overall
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company goals. The goals should be precise and tangible, which means that they should
be well-defined. Considering the resources and capabilities at hand, they also need to
be achievable and relevant to the company. Lastly, goals should be time-bound, which
means they should have a limit for completion. In general, objectives serve as a road
map for the marketing plan and a standard against which to measure its effectiveness.
iii. Strategy: In the SOSTAC framework, "strategy" refers to the action plan created by a
company to accomplish its marketing goals. It involves evaluating the situation, finding
the target audience, and figuring out the best way to connect and interact with them.
The marketing mix, which includes the product, price, promotion, and distribution,
should be considered in the plan. The plan must be SMART (specific, measurable,
achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and it must be in line with the overarching
objectives of the company. The plan should be adaptable and flexible enough to evolve
as the market, the competition, and customer needs. In general, the strategy serves as
the basis for placing tactics and actions into place to get the marketing results that are
desired to be achieved.
iv. Tactics: The specific actions that a company will take to carry out its marketing strategy
are referred to as its tactics. These actions, which aim to accomplish the goals
established in the SOSTAC framework's earlier phases, are frequently short-term and
focused in nature. A broad range of activities, including product development, pricing
plans, marketing initiatives, public relations efforts, and distribution channels, can be
considered tactics. The type of company, the target market, and the available resources
all influence the choice of tactics. The strategies should be precise, measurable, and
coordinated with the tactics. Achieving the marketing goals outlined in the SOSTAC
framework's early stages depends on the effective application of tactics.
v. Actions: Implementing the strategies that were determined in the prior step is what the
"Action" step of the SOSTAC framework means. This could involve starting marketing
campaigns, enhancing the range of goods or services offered, improving the website or
online presence, or taking any other steps required to meet the goals established in the
previous stage. A detailed plan should be followed, and people or teams should be given
deadlines and responsibilities. To make sure the actions are helping to accomplish the
goals, their effectiveness should be measured and tracked on a regular basis. The
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SOSTAC framework's action step is essential because it is here that the plan is
implemented, and results can be seen.
vi. Control: The SOSTAC framework's final stage which involves keeping track of and
assessing the performance of the deployed tactics and, as necessary, modifying the
strategy. The managements’ goal is to assess the marketing plan's effectiveness and
make sure the predetermined goals are being met. Setting up metrics, monitoring the
plan's development, and analysing the outcomes to identify the areas that require
improvement are all part of this step. The company can use the feedback from the
control phase to make educated decisions, modify the strategy, and improve the
marketing plan to get the desired results.
Situation Analysis:
The Bharath Bookmark has good perception in the local market. Individuals prefer going to
Bookmark rather than other outlets. The digital presence of the store is very limited and do not
have huge number of online customers. Currently the business is offline. The major competitors
for the store are local stationery shops, fancy stores, gift shops as they offer similar products in
the local market.
The strengths of Bharath bookmark include, it has variety of products such as paper, pens,
notebooks, folders, and other office supplies in one convenient location and it saves the
customers time in finding what they need. The store has wide variety of collection of books
which includes, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, fantasy, and so on. They offer quality
products and good customer service, and the store locations are at the cities which will be
convenient for the customers to find the store. They also offer products such as business cards,
wedding invitations, and personalized stationery. This provides customers a personalized
experience. The store has good brand identity in the local market and are successful in creating
brand awareness. They also have loyal customer base who keeps coming back by attracting the
customers by offering loyalty programs, discounts and other incentive offers.
The brand also has some weaknesses such as their online presence is not that great, and the
website is not designed properly and has got many glitches. This makes customers dissatisfied
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and affects their user experience. They have limited number of stores and is difficult for them
to increase their customer base and they are not quickly adapting to the market trends. The
opportunities include expansion into online sales and e commerce platforms which can expand
their reach by establishing online presence and selling products online. This helps to compete
with the online retailers as well. They can also offer exclusive products and limited-edition
items that are not available anywhere else. Brand can also build strong online presence to reach
wider audience and engage with customers. In this way they can attract new customers. The
threats for Bharat bookmark include, change in consumer behaviour which can reduce sales
and negatively impact the business. The store can face competition from other retailers who
can offer at lower price and has wider product selection. The increasing popularity of digital
products can reduce the demand for traditional stationery items such as books.
Objectives:
After conducting the situation analysis, the next step is to set specific and measurable objectives
for the marketing plan. Here are some objectives for the shop:
Sell: The objective is to establish online platform Which is user friendly and cater to the needs
of the customers. The objective is to increase the sales revenue by the end of the year through
expanding the product range and working on the pricing strategies and improving the online
customer experience.
Serve: The objective is to serve the online customers a quality services and create a positive
online brand experience by ensuring that the website is responsive to the needs of the customers
and provide accurate and useful information about the products available.
Sizzle: The objective is to increase brand awareness by investing in promotional activities and
enhancing the customer interest by promoting new book releases and create visually appealing
digital contents of books and other products available through the digital platforms.
Speak: the objective is to increase the social media engagement of the customers by enhancing
the online communication and providing with the informative and creative contents and also
giving proper feedback to the customers queries in digital channels.
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Save: the objective is to reduce costs by implementing effective online marketing campaigns,
streamlining the digital marketing budget, and reducing unnecessary expenses which can help
in reducing the costs.
Strategy:
Once objectives have been set, the next step is to develop a strategy to achieve them. Here are
the strategies for the shop:
Sell: The above objective can be achieved by expanding the online product range to include a
wider variety of genre and niche topics. Also implement a dynamic pricing strategy that
considers market demand and competitive pricing. Enhancing the online customer experience
by offering easy payment options faster delivery and hassle-free returns.
Serve: The objective can be achieved by optimising the websites design and navigation to
ensure that it is user friendly and accessible to all the customers provided personal
recommendations and suggestions based on customer preferences and purchase history. Also
offer online customer service via chat, email, or phone to address the customer queries and
concerns in a timely manner.
Sizzle: The objective can be achieved by using social media and email marketing effectively
to promote new book releases events and exclusive deals and create engaging digital content
such as book trailers podcast and blog posts to generate interest and buzz and also collaboration
with authors and publishers to host online book discussions and question and answers sessions
with readers would be helpful.
Speak: The objective can be achieved by using social media to engage with customers respond
to their comments and questions and share valuable insights and information create a blog for
newsletter to provide customers with updates on new releases upcoming events and industry
news. They can monitor online reviews and ratings and respond to feedback in a professional
and constructive manner.
Save: The objective can be achieved by using digital advertising platforms like Google ads
Facebook ads to target specific audiences and optimise ad spend. Tracking website and social
media analytics to identify areas for improvement and adjust digital marketing efforts
accordingly will add value. This can help in cost cutting and increase the revenue.
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Tactics:
Tactics are a crucial component of any marketing plan. It refers to specific methods used to
execute the designed marketing strategy and achieve the set objectives. Bookmark can use 7p’s
of marketing mix to achieve the goals.
The store can Offer all the items at one place with high quality affordability depending on the
target audience. The store should design pricing strategies which will attract customers towards
the shop and refrain them from buying the products from the competitors. The location when
are the stores are located should be convenient to all the customers. They can invest in
promotional activities like advertising to increase brand awareness. the people aspect of the
marketing mix includes Staffs at store, Customer service personnel, and in store associates
assist customers in finding the right products and guide them properly. The process aspect
includes a streamlined process while purchasing. User friendly website easy payment
processing and Aircel free returns and refunds are necessary. The physical evidence aspect
includes high quality products from the store and also infrastructure of the store.
To achieve the set objectives social media marketing can be a one of the most effective tactics.
By creating a social media presence for the store and regularly posting updates promotions and
educational contents the shop can increase brand awareness and brand loyalty. They also can
use email campaigns by collecting the email addresses of customer and sending the messages
to the target audience. The store can also focus on content creation by creating informative and
educational content and include blogs, posts, tutorials showcasing the different products sold
in the shop. They can also use a tactic of Instore promotions by offering discounts or freebies
to customers who visit the store. the shop can also encourage foot traffic and increase the sales.
Tactics such as search engine optimization, pay per click affiliate marketing and email
marketing can be used to make the brand more attractive. The store can provide good training
to the staff in order to provide excellent customer service and also providing them with
adequate product knowledge and its usefulness. They can collect customer feedback and
encourage the customers to give the reviews to improve the shops reputation.
Action:
The action face of a marketing plan is the time when the marketing tactics are put into action
and the plan is executed. The stores can optimise the website for search engines. this involves
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using keywords, meta descriptions, and other techniques to ensure that website ranks higher on
search engine results pages. This helps in increasing the visibility of the website and helps in
attracting more traffic to the website which leads to higher sales. Launching social media
campaigns could be another action during this phase. By creating social media presence for the
shop and regularly posting updates, promotions, and educational content related to its products
the shops can reach a wider audience and build a loyal following. Social media helps in better
engaging with the customers and answer their queries and market their products which leads
to increased brand awareness and sales. Also, the Instore promotion by offering discounts can
encourage customers to visit store and make purchases it can be done to showcase new
products, offer demonstrations or provide personalised recommendations to the customer. SEO
tactic can be used for on page optimization of the targeted keywords, to ensure best rankings
within Google.
Control:
The control phase of a marketing plan is crucial for ensuring that the plan is achieving its
objectives and that resources are being used effectively. In control phase variety of activities
are involved such as analysing website traffic and sales data and tracking the social media
engagement and collecting feedback from customers. By monitoring the number of visitors to
the website the time spent on the site and the conversion rate, the store can identify areas for
improvement and make adjustments to the website to increase the sales. This includes changing
the layout, updating product descriptions and characteristics, and adding new features.
Tracking social media engagement is another aspect of control. by monitoring likes, comments,
shares, and followers the store can measure the success of its social media campaigns and
improvise their strategies as required. The performance can be measured using the KPIs.
Gathering customer feedback is an important activity in this phase, which involves conducting
surveys, soliciting reviews, are simply talking to customers in the store. By understanding the
needs and preferences of customers the shop can make adjustments to its products and services
or marketing strategies to better meet their needs and increase satisfaction.
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Digital marketing strategies
1. Social Media Marketing: Bharath Bookmark can increase the presence on social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It can regularly post updates
about new book releases, author events, and other literary news to keep its followers
engaged. The company should focus on running social media campaigns and contests
to promote its brand and increase engagement. A stationary outlet uses social media
platforms to reach out to its target audience, showcase their products, and build a
community of loyal customers. The content should be visually appealing and
informative, highlighting the unique features and benefits of their products. The outlet
also can invest more on social media ads to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to
their website or store. This can help in expanding brand awareness and advertise
effectively to the target market.
2. Email Marketing: Bharath Bookmark can use Email marketing as their digital
marketing strategy to regularly send out newsletters and promotional emails to its
customers. These emails should contain information about new book releases,
discounts, and other offers, thus increasing the chances of repeat purchases. Email
marketing is an effective way to build relationships with customers and keep them
updated about new products, sales, and promotions. The store can collect email
addresses from customers and prospects through their website, social media pages, and
in-store promotions. They can use email marketing tools to create personalized
newsletters, promotional emails, and surveys. The emails should be visually appealing,
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easy to read, and include a clear call-to-action that encourages recipients to visit the
store or website.
3. Content Marketing: Bharath Bookmark can have a blog section on its website where
it can regularly publish articles and book reviews. This helps the website rank higher in
search engine results pages (SERPs) and provides valuable information to its readers,
thus establishing the brand as a trusted source of information for book lovers. An outlet
can create informative and engaging content that is related to their products and
industry. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts. The
content should provide value to the reader and showcase the expertise of the outlet in
the industry. By creating useful content, the outlet can attract more traffic to their
website or social media pages, establish themselves as an authority in the industry, and
build brand loyalty.
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4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Bharath Bookmark can optimize its website for
search engines by using relevant keywords and meta tags. This helps the website rank
higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it easier for potential customers
to find the website when searching for books online. SEO is the process of optimizing
a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages. The outlet can optimize
their website by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and optimizing the
website's structure and content. This can help them to rank higher in search results when
customers search for products or information related to their industry. A higher search
engine ranking can result in increased traffic and sales. This helps in spreading brand
awareness.
5. Influencer Marketing: Bharath Bookmark can collaborate with local influencers such
as book bloggers, instagrammers, and YouTubers initially to promote its brand and
products. These influencers share their honest reviews and recommendations, thus
increasing the credibility of the brand and attracting more customers. Influencer
marketing involves partnering with social media influencers and bloggers who have a
large following in the outlet's target market. The influencers can promote the outlet's
products to their followers, either through sponsored posts or by reviewing the products.
This can help to increase brand awareness, build credibility, and drive sales. Currently
they lack influencer marketing.
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6. Paid Advertising: Bharath Bookmark can invest more in advertising such as television
advertisements, online advertisements etc. This can increase their online presence and
help them gain greater market share by converting the ads into sales. Paid advertising
involves paying for ads on search engines, social media platforms, and other online
channels. A stationary outlet can use paid advertising to reach a wider audience and
drive traffic to their website or store. They can use targeting options to reach customers
who are most likely to be interested in their products.
7. Retargeting: Bharath Bookmark can use retargeting as one of their digital marketing
strategies to ensure the existing customers are kept engaged and retargeting them to
increase repurchases and purchase frequency. Retargeting involves showing ads to
customers who have previously visited the outlet's website or social media page but did
not make a purchase. By retargeting these customers, the outlet can remind them of
their products and encourage them to return and make a purchase.
POEM framework
Paid Media:
Paid media is a form of advertising that involves paying for visibility and exposure in various
marketing channels. Search engine marketing is one of the most effective forms of paid media
and bookmark can you use search engine marketing for advertising. they can please ads on
search engines like Google or Bing, where potential customers are actively searching for
stationary and other products available at the store. The store can ensure that it's add appear at
the top of the search results by bidding on relevant keywords. When the ads appear at the top
of the search results it increases the likelihood that I user will click through the website.
Bookmark can also use social media marketing in the platforms like Facebook Instagram and
Twitter to target specific demographics with their ads. Display ads on the websites can also be
a useful form of paid media for the store like bookmark. By placing ads on relevant websites,
the store can reach potential customers.
Owned Media:
Owned media refers to marketing channels that a business owns and controls, such as its
website, social media profiles, email marketing campaigns, and content marketing efforts. The
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website can be the most important owned media channels hence the design of the website
should be properly design and ensure that it is user friendly. A well-designed website can
showcase the shops products, provide information on its location and hours, and allow
customers to purchase products online. The website should be optimised ensuring it is easy to
navigate and use the platform, the store can attract and retain customers. Social media profiles
such as Facebook Instagram and Twitter also important owned media channels. these platforms
allowed the shop to engage with customers, promote its products and share the content relevant
to the target audience. The strong following of social media helps in building brand awareness
and drive traffic to the website. Email marketing can also be used for advertising by sending
newsletters and promotional offers to encourage repeat purchases.
Earned Media:
Earned media is a valuable marketing channel that a store like bookmark can you use to
increase brand awareness and drive sales. Earned media refers to the organic exposure that a
business receives through word of mouth, customer reviews and media coverage.
For a store like bookmark the most important forms of earned media is positive customer
reviews which can significantly influence other potential customers. By providing excellent
customer service and quality products, they can encourage satisfied customers to leave positive
reviews and generate buzz. Social media can also be a Channel for earned media where
customers happy with their purchases share their experiences among their followers which
improves the shops visibility. Media coverage such as local news articles blogs can also be an
effective form of earned media for the store.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, online advertising is a crucial element for any bookstore to succeed in the
competitive marketplace nowadays. Book shops must modify their marketing strategies to stay
relevant and draw consumers in the age of e-commerce and digital reading platforms. Bharath
Bookmark stores can create tailored encounters that connect with their audience and increase
sales by utilising the most recent digital marketing strategies and tactics. Knowing the target
market is one of the most crucial tactics for bookstores. Book stores can create personalised
experiences that appeal to their audience by collecting information on the reading tastes,
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behaviours, and needs of their customers. Techniques like customer segmentation,
individualised suggestions, and targeted advertising can be used to accomplish this.
Making interesting and valuable content that appeals to book lovers' interests is another crucial
tactic. The newest trends and releases can be discussed in blog posts, book reviews, and social
media updates. Book stores can establish themselves as subject-matter experts in their field and
gain the audience's confidence by producing content that is valuable and informative. Another
crucial tactic for bookstores to consider is social media. Book stores can interact with their
audience and raise brand recognition by establishing a strong social media presence.
Techniques like influencer marketing, social media advertising, and community administration
can be used to accomplish this.
The use of SEO, or search engine optimization, is yet another crucial tactic for book shops.
Book stores can increase their exposure and draw more organic traffic by optimising their
website and content for search engines. Techniques like keyword study, on-page optimization,
and link building can be used to accomplish this. Book stores can improve their chances of
being discovered by prospective customers by making sure their website is search engine
optimised. Another effective tool for bookstores to interact with their community and
encourage conversions is email marketing. Book stores can develop relationships and increase
sales by designing targeted email campaigns that add value and appeal to their audience's
interests.
Finally, the success of any digital marketing plan for bookstores depends on the data analysis
component. Book stores can learn more about the habits and tastes of their audience as well as
the success of their marketing initiatives by collecting and analysing data. This can help book
shops improve their ROI and optimise their strategies.
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