Drawing On Module Theories, Critically Discuss How Informati ✓ Solved

Drawing on module theories, critically discuss how informati

Drawing on module theories, critically discuss how information and digital technologies have transformed organisations' operations, communication, and engagement with existing and potential customers. Employ no more than 3 theories. Discuss how future changes in information technologies might change these practices. Support your essay with relevant examples and appropriate references.

You may draw on theories such as: marketing communications; market segmentation, targeting and positioning; pricing strategy; new product development and innovation; market research and marketing intelligence; business ethics; services marketing; distribution strategies and retailing; brand strategy; public relations and stakeholder engagement; customer relationship management and lifetime value; business to business and supply chain management.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

Digital technologies have profoundly reshaped core marketing practices, from how organisations innovate products to how they communicate and maintain relationships with customers. This essay uses three theories—marketing communications (integrated communication), new product development and innovation (co-creation and crowdsourcing), and customer relationship management (CRM) and lifetime value—to critically examine transformations in organisational operations, communication, and engagement. These areas are chosen because communication channels drive discovery and persuasion, innovation determines competitive offerings, and CRM secures long-term value—together they form the nexus of commercial success in the digital age (Kotler & Keller, 2016; Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019).

Selected Theories

1. Integrated marketing communications (IMC): emphasises coordinated, consistent messaging across channels to create unified brand narratives (Keller, 2013).

2. New product development and co-creation: highlights consumer involvement and open innovation in ideation and product refinement (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004).

3. Customer relationship management (CRM) and lifetime value (LTV): focuses on managing customer data, personalization and maximizing long-term profitability (Kumar & Reinartz, 2018).

How Digital Technology Has Transformed Marketing Practices

Theme 1 — Integrated Communication and Real-time Engagement

Digital platforms have shifted communication from one-way mass broadcasting to dynamic, multi-channel dialogues. IMC once meant aligning TV, print and outdoor campaigns; today it requires synchronising paid search, social, email, content marketing and programmatic ads in real time (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019). Data-driven targeting and automation enable message personalisation at scale, improving relevance and response rates (Kotler & Keller, 2016). Social media has turned customers into amplifiers and critics—organisations must manage earned, owned and paid media cohesively to protect brand reputation (Edelman, 2020). For example, Nike integrates product launches with influencer campaigns, interactive content and e-commerce links to maintain consistent narratives across channels (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019).

Theme 2 — Co-creation and Agile New Product Development

Digital tools enable firms to involve users throughout the innovation cycle via crowdsourcing, beta testing and online communities. Co-creation reduces market uncertainty, accelerates iteration and increases customer buy-in (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004). Agile methodologies, supported by analytics and cloud collaboration, allow rapid prototyping and A/B testing. Examples include LEGO Ideas and Threadless, where user proposals and votes inform product lines. This shifts the firm’s role from sole creator to platform orchestrator, demanding capabilities in community management and open innovation governance (Vargo & Lusch, 2004).

Theme 3 — Data-driven CRM, Personalisation and Lifetime Value

CRM systems augmented by AI and predictive analytics have transformed relationship marketing from broad segments to individual-level lifetime value optimisation (Kumar & Reinartz, 2018). Firms now integrate transactional, behavioural and social data to orchestrate personalised journeys across channels, improving retention and cross-sell opportunities (Rust, Lemon & Zeithaml, 2004). For example, Amazon’s recommendation engine and retention tactics maximise customer LTV through tailored offers and frictionless fulfilment. However, this reliance on data raises privacy, ethical and regulatory concerns, requiring transparent governance and consent (Gartner, 2020).

Cross-cutting Impacts on Organisational Operations

Operationally, organisations have shifted toward platform-based architectures, modular teams, and continuous delivery models. Marketing, product and IT now collaborate using shared analytics, marketing automation and customer-data platforms (CDPs) to deliver unified customer experiences (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019). Supply chains have become more responsive through real-time demand signals and e-procurement, enabling just-in-time marketing fulfilment aligned with digital promotions (McKinsey, 2021).

The Future of Marketing Practices

Over the next decade, advances in AI, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), voice interfaces, edge computing and privacy-preserving analytics will further reshape marketing. AI will enable hyper-personalisation and autonomous campaign optimisation, reducing manual campaign management and increasing ROI (Gartner, 2020). AR/VR will make product experiences immersive—brands may use virtual showrooms to shorten purchase cycles and support co-creation in simulated environments (PwC, 2021).

At the same time, privacy regulation (GDPR-style laws) and ethical expectations will force transparent data practices and greater consumer control. Technologies such as federated learning and differential privacy will allow marketers to draw insights without exposing raw personal data, balancing personalisation with privacy (McKinsey, 2021). Marketers will face the challenge of maintaining trust while leveraging automation—failure to do so risks reputational damage and regulatory sanctions (Edelman, 2020).

Opportunities include more efficient customer acquisition, deeper brand engagement through personalised journeys and reduced time-to-market via digital co-creation. Challenges include technological complexity, data governance, talent gaps in AI and analytics, and the need for integrated organisational structures to prevent siloed capabilities (Kumar & Reinartz, 2018).

Conclusion

Digital technology has transformed marketing from discrete campaigns and products into an integrated system of co-created experiences, personalised journeys and data-driven decision-making. Using IMC, co-creation and CRM/LTV as lenses reveals how communications, innovation and relationship management are now interdependent and mediated by platforms and analytics (Kotler & Keller, 2016; Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004; Kumar & Reinartz, 2018). The future promises richer experiences and more efficient value capture but also heightened ethical and regulatory demands.

Overall, the rise of digital technology is an optimistic development for marketers who embrace customer-centricity, invest in analytics and governance, and foster cross-functional agility. Practitioners should prioritise transparent data practices, continuous co-creation, and aligning organisational incentives to lifetime customer value. Balancing innovation with responsibility will determine which firms thrive in the digital marketing landscape.

References

  • Chaffey, D. & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. 7th edn. Pearson.
  • Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2016) Marketing Management. 15th edn. Pearson.
  • Prahalad, C. K. & Ramaswamy, V. (2004) 'Co-creating unique value with customers', Harvard Business Review, 82(11), pp. 1–11.
  • Kumar, V. & Reinartz, W. (2018) Customer Relationship Management: Concept, Strategy, and Tools. 3rd edn. Springer.
  • Rust, R. T., Lemon, K. N. & Zeithaml, V. A. (2004) 'Customer equity management', Journal of Marketing, 68(4), pp. 109–127.
  • Vargo, S. L. & Lusch, R. F. (2004) 'Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing', Journal of Marketing, 68(1), pp. 1–17.
  • Gartner (2020) 'Top marketing trends and technologies 2020'. Gartner Research. Available at: https://www.gartner.com/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).
  • McKinsey & Company (2021) 'How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever'. McKinsey. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).
  • Edelman (2020) '2020 Edelman Trust Barometer'. Edelman. Available at: https://www.edelman.com/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).
  • PwC (2021) 'Seeing is believing: How virtual reality and augmented reality will transform business and the economy'. PwC Report. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).

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