GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE SPORTS MARKETING
Table of contents
3.1 Brand awareness of a product 3
3.3 Competitive competitors. 5
4.3 Discuss and justification. 7
6.1. Different marketing strategies. 11
6.2. Timeline for implementation. 12
Appendix 1: Timeline for IMC implementation. 19
Appendix 2: Budget planning. 20
Appendix 3: Social media advertisements. 21
1. Executive Summary
The study has focused on cause effectiveness of valuable strategies by sport marketing leaders and based on fulfilling consumers expectations. In this present era, it has become mandatory to increase brand awareness among existing customers, effective ways to influence customers towards products purchasing and strategies to increase sales have been evaluated through objectives of marketing communication, which might be beneficial to develop in-depth idea and in-depth analysis based on this research topic. Throughout this study, IMC campaign strategies have been discussed through different segments that might be better for individuals to develop a detailed account related to sports marketing strategies. The study has encountered the implementation process of IMC through different marketing strategy, budget planning and implementation timeline. Evaluation and measurement of sports marketing and maintained strategies have been illustrated for better understanding about effective decisions and marketing strategies by reputed sports brand, such as Decathlon.
2. Introduction
This assignment is based on global perspectives on sports marketing of a company named Decathlon. In addition, this study has discussed marketing strategy which can help to increase the existing market and which is an important factor to develop an effective business. In order to discuss the market communication this included brand awareness and increase sales of products. In addition, also discuss and give a creative brief which helps to make effective ideas and creativity in this company. Aim of this study is to deliver a detailed account of brand awareness of sport-based products, effective strategies to increase sale and strategies to manipulate customers towards regular visits and purchase to develop business and sales growth based on reputed sports brands, such as Decathlon.
3. Objectives of marketing communication
3.1 Brand awareness of a product
It is one of the largest sports retailing companies in the UK and the company is apportioned “retail PR and consumer PR specialists” to foster their products and handle the presence of products. Mainly their brand awareness consists of some qualities which can shape their brand such as visibility of market, market differentiation, necessary ability to maintain the reputation of a brand and trusted profile and so on (Waller, 2020). Decathlon mainly fosters and implements their market communicating principles to reduce the weakness through numerous tools. The tool such as advertising, direct marketing, sports sponsorship, personal selling and sales promotion, which are integrated to recover the negative impact of maximum sales of Decathlon (Hollebeek and Macky, 2019). Based on present market scenario, it has been seen that threats, such as substitutes and new entrant’s involvement have become highly worried factors for the business associates in sports marketing field. Therefore, it has become mandatory for them to develop smart and accurate integrated marketing communication plan through following the standard of different marketing communication methods and acknowledge customers decision-making process that will be better for the implementation of IMC plan. Customer’s decision-making process needs to be essential part of the IMC plan in case of implementations of IMC plan more detained, accurately and eventually.
Figure 1: Marketing channels of Decathlon
(Source: decathlon-united. media, 2020)
3.2 Increase in sales
Sales are an important factor in financial performance of Decathlon and its help to make a competitive growth in the market. Decathlon has acquired €11.4billion in 2020 and in which is down from 6% in 2019. Additionally, the company has a 60% rate, consumed by their electricity consumer stores and warehouses (decathlon-united. media, 2020). Moreover, the company produced some new transition plans, which can help in increasing sales and also help in marketing communication. They have increased teammate members to 97,000 of which 55,700 are only the shareholders. The company Decathlon discussed the retail sales which have risen from 8% to 19% in 2020 (decathlon-united. media, 2020). This has translated the increasing rate which is €2.2billion and which can be mostly observed in many countries and noted the growth of digital sales of Decathlon. In this segment here mainly developing a plan for “3 months of the brand awareness & reputation management campaign”. Decathlon uses numerous strategies to implement their market segmentation and increase their sales which can help to increase brand awareness and also engage customers. The company also uses different kinds of technical and optimizing tools which maintain information about their products and through online portals they could reach market segments and meet customer expectations.
3.3 Encourage customers towards purchasing products
In this present era, it has become necessary to put extraordinary efforts in influencing customers why they will be choosing this brand and which are the positive segments through buying products from a particular sports brand. Customers looking for something new and innovative that have not been tried by any other person and such enthusiasm have been found among teenagers behaviors as well as it is easily observed within the nature of adult generation that are diehard fan of sports and shares different passion to buy advanced sport products. Therefore, sports brands, such as Decathlon needs to pay attention to the target audiences buying or purchasing behaviors and while finalizing deals get to know about what are they looking for in coming days might be a desirable IMC plan all over the world of sports marketing. Customers get influenced towards those brands all over sports retail industry that maintains quality products and the brand that includes tendency to meet customers’ expectations on a regular basis by the assurance of sustainable finance development within business.
4. IMC Campaign strategies
4.1 Overall strategy
“Hyper-specialist” strategy of products
This strategy helps to focus on the target market and helps to increase the market sales in which Decathlon has reached and owns 25 labels and crosses over 70 sports. In which it discusses the power of Decathlon and the company aimed to reach the sports of 100. It is the most relevant and developing strategy for decathlon and their main aim is to develop the budget, to perform some required action to perform some positive activities (decathlon-united. media, 2020). The company also uses numerous technologies to reach customers and meet their expectations such as Artificial intelligence such as google meet. The strategy mainly focuses on different customer segments and tries to delta with lots of brands in the target market. In coming days, there will be difficult for business association to run business smoothly due to increasing rate of fossils fuels or non-renewable resources, which might lead to the situation of product high rate. Therefore, it will be problematic for different sport brands to deliver extraordinary products at a reasonable price based on customer’s expectation to purchase advanced products at a reasonable price.
Community “validation first”
This strategy is mainly used to guide the main program and implement the programs which can help to give Decathlon some dynamic tips. In which it also helps to solve pain points of customers and it includes two main core elements which are such as “customer feedback and insights” (McColl-Kennedy et al. 2019). On the other hand in modern times they have launched Decathlon creative, platform that helps to allow all customers to serve their product ideas and get some valuable information in which companies can share their new ideas (Vollero et al. 2019). Based on present market scenario, it has become mandatory to develop proper business plans due to increasing ratio of market competitors and different business brands all over sport industry are aiming to research on making exactly similar sports products that athletes wears.
“BE EVERYWHERE” of distribution strategy
The distribution strategy helps to find where a company is going to be and also make sure about those assets which are used to define the valuable information. In addition, it also helps to ensure all types of online data and this company Decathlon owns this strategy for revenue growth in their strategies of omnichannel (decathlon-united. media, 2020). In which Decathlon has an excellent market strategy in which they served their product through 30-40% less than any other company. The company Decathlon has recently suppressed some big names in which they are such as “Nike and Adidas in revenue in India”. This strategy also helps to understand the use of their applications such as 14 websites and also 32 mobile applications in the UK. This strategy helps to ensure all types of information and data up-to-date and companies need to work extra for better results which can help to increase company productivity and better products and services.
4.2 Target Market
The main target of this company has to provide essential and better services to customers. In which, they only work for real growth and which helps to deliver them numerous opportunities to reach the customer expectations (Rees and Gold, 2020). Decathlon used different kinds of tools such as Trustpilot and also website features like A/B Tasty, which can help to meet customers’ expectations and focus on brand awareness. The segmentation approaches in this context are used to increase the positive brand image and develop the area of product sales which can also help to increase audience awareness and can also develop through SEO strategy (Putri, 2021)
The main target audience of Decathlon are middle aged and young people belonging from 18 to 40 years old. The company majorly focuses on people who seek value for money products. One of the major reasons for targeting this customer segment is the increasing popularity of fitness products among this age group. Modern people belonging to this age group are usually inclined towards health and fitness. However, expensive healthcare and sporting products turns down a large market segment. Provision of sports equipment at comparatively lower costs can help this company to attract more customers that seek value for money fitness products. There has been few segmentations are used based on decision-making process of customers and increasing brand awareness among existing customers to develop a prestigious position all over the world of sports industry for the sport marketing associations, such as Decathlon.
4.3 Discuss and justification
The discussion and implementation of IMC in decathlon implement the different practices of business companies and which helps to consider some kinds of approaches that helps to support the brand and audience awareness. In this context the main justification of using different approaches and strategies are discussed as follows: “advertising, sponsorship, direct marketing, public relations, and sales promotions” (Fill and Turnbull, 2019). It discusses three types of customer segments and approaches which are as “Young people, Middle-aged people, Senior/retired people. The company mainly targets those customers which seek their value in money rather than brand image. In these segments, the discussion and justification for different types of stakeholders and audience are concluded such as “consumers, suppliers and employees of this company”. According to Anabila, (2020), Decathlon aimed to develop and use the IMC plan which can help to assist business performance of the company. It is also beneficial to all stakeholders and in order to discuss the plan implementation. The company needs large investment in this project planning as well as improving the business performance.
Customers in sports industry buy products from companies that are trustworthy and are followed by more people. This is the reason why this company tends to listen to people who wears some specific uniform such as Policemen, lawyer and others. The principle of authority is used by the company by hiring only the sports fans to join the social media team of Decathlon. Besides, the company produces high value content about sports that their fans follow as well as participate in.
4.4 Theories
This assignment has justified and discussed advantages and disadvantages through the link with theory and which help to outline the potential challenges. The entire justification has been discussed through the use of 4C’s of integrated marketing communication theory. This theory analyzes consistency, coherence, continuity and complementary.
Consistency: It discusses the core competence plan which is IMC plan in developing the new era to developing the market communication in Decathlon. The company Decathlon is using online platforms and has core campaign messages which can help to increase market segment. The brand image and hashtag is one of the ways to ensure the main consistency in the target market of integrated communication strategy. It helps to reflect on “customer-brand relationship outcomes” and it is one of the basic principles of IMC (Juska, 2021). Through digital marketing it has become possible to develop a great base of customers and advertise about products among target audiences from multiple countries all over the globe. Through utilising IMC plan it will be beneficial for brands, such as Decathlon to develop a detailed account customers buying and continuous changing behaviours based on current market trends and others. In this present era, people can easily find out products through typing hash tags and such innovative strategy is better to reach among those customers that are looking for better products at a smart business deals.
Coherence: It is used for different types of communications which are logically connected with each other in a company and it is one of the important principles which could help to make proper planning with IMC approach (Blakeman, 2018). Thus, this mainly helps to understand how it is related to each other and with the help of the target audience. In this context, the target market is the market segmentation which considers in this IMC approach of Decathlon. The other is the target, for the best approach and which helps to meet customer satisfaction and requirements. The last is positioning, which discusses the competitors of Decathlon.
Figure 3: 4C’s of Integrated marketing communication theory
(Source: Zhang, 2018)
Continuity: The campaign is not connected with prior planning in which the company used another approach for developing the company profitability. In order to discuss the IMC approach that is used to reach customer expectations and helps to reach the target market (Zhang, 2018). The continuity of the campaign is consistent through time and this has strong and successful grounds in which Decathlon can increase its brand image.
Complementary: The elements which are used to develop effective planning of IMC in a company Decathlon and in order to discuss using some tools which have helped to engage customers. The elements are used to work together and they are highly impactful in a company (Blakeman, 2018). The different market communication strategies help to develop the marketing plan of Decathlon and it has a positive impact on brand awareness and customers also.
5. Creative brief
In order to discuss the creation of big data, as a marketing manager company aimed to organize a social media campaign for a product of lightweight shoes. This campaign is mainly endorsed by Lewis Hamilton, a sportsperson from the UK. In which this campaign can help to organize and create brand awareness in Decathlon and reach the target market of this retail industry. The main aim of this campaign is to allow mainly the brand and which mostly targeted the integrated communication which can help to allow only the demographics. The campaign helps to reach the market and it is very easy to track success rates.
Logo
Figure 4: Tagline Logo
(Source: Baziet al. 2020)
A creative brief on “big data”, considers as uncovering the gripping of some insights which are discussed and helps to discover the problems and issues of consumers in a company named decathlon. The main aim of big data is usually to achieve the target market and target the audience to achieve the overall productivity of this company of Decathlon (Bazi et al. 2020). The social media campaigns mainly discuss features and specific outcomes which can help to increase income rates and increase brand and audience awareness. Based on fulfilling customer’s expectation, there is need of getting positive or negative feedback from customers in huge populated location all over the globe. Therefore, it will be easier for business associations from sports brands to deliver better quality services among customers through meeting their each and every requirements and needs.
Feature and Benefits
The main features and benefits are increased brand awareness, increased brand loyalty and good customer satisfaction. The campaigns are more effective to develop brand awareness in which companies can increase theory income rates as well. In addition, these campaigns are most effective in a positive way and use some tools such as “Influencer marketing, social media marketing and advertising on Facebook”, which can help to enhance business performance (Masuda et al. 2022). Additionally, it increases the brand image among stakeholders which can help to foster a positive way in this company and increase brand awareness.
It easily increases brand identification: This campaign helps to create a new brand image and which company must be creative to advertise the brand recognition (Baziet al. 2020). The prevalent use of online platforms such as Facebook and social media networks helps to enable the area in which companies can target their audience and helps to meet the customer expectations.
Helps to get more opportunities: Each post on social media merely helps to create a new way in which customers can post their brand and understand their values. In addition, through the advertisement on online platforms companies can enjoy some more opportunities which help to increase the overall productivity of a company and improve the brand engagement in Decathlon (Olanrewaju et al. 2020). In which, each image which has shown through online portals of social media campaigns helps to share more opportunities for a company and which states the reaction by the potential followers.
6. IMC implementation
6.1. Different marketing strategies
Decathlon is a sports retail organization that offers sports products, services in the France market. Management of Decathlon can use several marketing strategies such as advertisements, sponsoring, direct marketing, public relation, sales promotion in their business, and get better customer responses in business (Krizanovaet al. 2019). Through the strategies of IMC, management of this sports organization can implement innovative marketing strategies in their business. Decathlon offers sports accessories and products for 70 different sports at an affordable price. Hence management can provide offline advertisements, social media advertisements to attract consumers and promote business in the competitive market. The company mainly targets young and middle-aged people for selling their sports accessories in the market. Management can take sponsorship in different sports events to promote their brand values.
Most of the young and middle aged people are active in social media, which can create a good opportunity for Decathlon to attract them towards the business. Management of Decathlon mainly focuses on customers’ feedback to improve their business service and products. Through advertisements on social media platforms management can get feedback to improve business services (Duralia, 2018). Through direct marketing strategies, the management of Decathlon can build effective communication with consumers. Decathlon promotes its sales through its offline business stores and online platforms. Management can offer coupons, discounts on sports accessories to promote sales activity. Social media tools, such as advertising through making short ads, making brands page along with detailed information and development of communication through influencing customers to do direct message in order to know in detailed information about products will be smart social media tools to develop a great base of customers and achieve financial goals.
6.2. Timeline for implementation
Timelines are important to implement several marketing strategies in business for achieving better business results in the competitive market. There are several processes such as customer identification, product manufacturing, advertisement of products required for implementing strategies based on IMC (Akbar et al. 2019). Approximately 1 week to initiate the IMC implementation plans and 1 month is required for the marketing team of Decathlon to identify their potential customers from different market segments in business. Manufacturing team of the company required around 2 months to manufacture sports accessories for 70 sports fields. From week 1 to week 15 have been referred to the planning of IMC and by following each standards, pros an consequences there will be a detailed account for each weeks practises and task activities for better outcomes at the end of the implementation of IMC.
Around 1 month is required for the marketing team to provide advertisements through offline as well as online marketing channels. Management required approximately 3 months selecting a business organisation for increasing selling activity in business. Around 3.5 months are required for the marketing team to increase the sales rate in the market. Around 1 week is required for management to review the IMC implementation plan to maintain closer stage. [Refer to appendix 1]
6.3. Budget planning
Budget planning plays a vital role for Decathlon to implement different marketing strategies based on the IMC for getting a better business performance. Investment is necessary for digital marketing to promote products and enhance brand awareness to compete with other competitors. Around £35 billion is required to invest for social media marketing to promote business through YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Management of Decathlon can invest approximately £20 billion to recruit marketing employees to positively influence the direct marketing strategies in business (Mora and Triana, 2018). The financial management of the company is required to invest around £25 billion, £60 billion to develop the company’s websites and purchase advanced software to boost-up marketing growth and sales. The company faced several issues regarding digital gadgets to provide a good in-store experience for consumers hence investing to purchase advanced technology is required. [Refer to Appendix 2]
7. Measurement & evaluation
Throughout this study, it will be easier for sport industry to develop an in-depth idea about effective strategies for IMC implementation based on fulfilling customers expectations more effectively and eventually.
Metrics
Web trafficking: Web traffic of Decathlon contributes significantly in increasing the overall customer base of this company. Almost 60% of customers traffic comes from mobile web traffic that contributes significantly in improving the overall web performance of this company.The UK’s web traffic is used by 2 million users in a global ranking and mainly is reasonable with a bound rate of 45%. These estimations indicates that the web traffic plays a strong lead for increasing customer base of Decathlon.
Figure 5: Web traffic metric
(Source: decathlon-united. media, 2020)
Social media trafficking: Social media trafficking uses different multimedia channels and considers some online platforms such as Facebook pages, youtube channels and Instagram. Decathlon only counts 2% of social media traffic, which is merely followed by Reddit (decathlon-united. media, 2020).
Figure 6: Social media traffic
(Source: decathlon-united. media, 2020)
The evaluation has been conducted on the entire discussion outlined through the social media campaign. A marketing communication campaign is mainly organized for developing brand awareness and to enhance target audience engagement which can help to increase the overall productivity of this company. The campaign gives numerous successful tips to Decathlon, which helps to improve business performance and develop overall productivity of this company. Moreover, through this campaign Decathlon measures its success at a large rate and increases its brand awareness through using online portals and marketing strategies. The social media campaign gives such help to increase brand loyalty, brand awareness and employee engagement in a company which is the main target of this company. In addition, it also increases company profitability through using IMC strategies which can also help to make a strong and successful brand image and which can also help to meet customer expectations.
8. Conclusion
As per this assignment, it is concluded that this company is using effective policies and methods, which can help to set better business practices in a company. In addition, it also concludes the schemes of customer engagement that can increase product sales. This assignment also concludes the development of IMC for Decathlon and it also concludes how this company has faced numerous problems and difficult situations. Therefore, the measurement and evaluation also conclude how this company improves their performance and what are those factors which can affect the business performance. However, the timeline of implementation helps to discuss effective strategy and which require some evaluation process of implementation in a company named Decathlon.
References
Book
Blakeman, R., 2018. Integrated marketing communication: creative strategy from idea to implementation. Rowman & Littlefield.
Fill, C. and Turnbull, S., 2019. Marketing communications: touchpoints, sharing and disruption. Pearson UK.
Juska, J.M., 2021. Integrated marketing communication: advertising and promotion in a digital world. Routledge.
Rees, S., 2020. Public Relations, Branding and Authenticity: Brand Communications in the Digital Age. Routledge.
Journals
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Anabila, P., 2020. Integrated marketing communications, brand equity, and business performance in micro-finance institutions: An emerging market perspective. Journal of Marketing Communications, 26(3), pp.229-242.Available at:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Anabila/publication/331051836_Integrated_marketing_communications_brand_equity_and_business_performance_in_micro-finance_institutions_An_emerging_market_perspective/links/5ea6994aa6fdccd79457fdfd/Integrated-marketing-communications-brand-equity-and-business-performance-in-micro-finance-institutions-An-emerging-market-perspective.pdf
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Masuda, H., Han, S.H. and Lee, J., 2022. Impacts of influencer attributes on purchase intentions in social media influencer marketing: Mediating roles of characterizations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, p.121246.Available at:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004016252100679X
McColl-Kennedy, J.R., Zaki, M., Lemon, K.N., Urmetzer, F. and Neely, A., 2019. Gaining customer experience insights that matter. Journal of Service Research, 22(1), pp.8-26.Available at:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1094670518812182
Mogaji, E., Soetan, T.O. and Kieu, T.A., 2020. The implications of artificial intelligence on the digital marketing of financial services to vulnerable customers. Australasian Marketing Journal, pp.j-ausmj. Available at:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.05.003
Mora, M.L.C. and Triana, M.S.F., 2018. The Management of Process of the Budget Area. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 5(2), pp.104-112. Available at:https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230598094.pdf
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Websites
facebook.com, 2022, Decathlon.France, Available at: https://www.facebook.com/Decathlon.France/ [Accessed on: 5th January, 2022]
decathlon-united.media, 2020, Anuual report, Available at: https://www.decathlon-united.media/decathlon-united-2020-results.pdf [Accessed on 2nd January, 2022]
Appendix
Appendix 1: Timeline for IMC implementation
Appendix 2: Budget planning
| Calculation of budget for advertisement next plc. | |||
| Particulars | Amount(billion) | ||
| the charge for social media | £35.00 | ||
| Recruit marketing employees | £20.00 | ||
| Website development | £25.00 | ||
| Purchase advance software | £60.00 | ||
| Total | £ 41.00 | ||
Appendix 3: Social media advertisements
(Source: facebook.com, 2022)
