The Internet Presence of Marks & Spencer and Next Departmental Store Brands - Case Study Example

Internet Marketing Introduction Marks & Spencer and Next, both are globally recognized brands departmental store that operate mainly in the United Kingdom. This paper shall attempt to analyze the internet presence of these two departmental store brands. In order to do so, the paper shall discuss the specific online branding strategies adopted by each retailer in terms of the methods used to reinforce their brand image seamlessly across a number of channels while providing evidence of detailed research into the usability of both websites in terms of design, functionality, complexity, download restrictions, and links with key sites. The paper will also explain the promotion and advertising strategy adopted by both online retailers, evidenced by making links back to ‘brand image’ and discuss how the retailers have integrated their promotions through multiple channels. The discussion shall come to a close with the presentation of the comparative analysis of the feedback features made available by the e-retailers and their effect on the overall brand image as well as with a general conclusion indicating which of the two sites the researcher prefers and why. Brand Image The branding strategy adopted by Marks and Spencer and Next alike was one that sought to provide the user with enough information on a product to convince the user to make a purchase. Information was classified into neat well classified categories on both websites and a cursory look at both the websites made it somewhat difficult to judge the two and evaluate them for underlying differences between them. Both brands chose to make use of details such as expanded product details, customer reviews and delivery details for every single product that they had available on the websites. Almost every product allowed users to choose the preferred option from those available and allowed the user to monitor their shopping progress as they went along. It was observed that the reason behind Marks and Spencer's continuous tendency to implement change in its website was caused by a particular strategy followed by Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer chooses to fashion its outward appeal in accordance and adherence with consumer demand. It is for the same reason that the last few months have seen the Marks and Spencer become all the more cross-interactive. Ease of Use It was evident that both websites were designed to be as user friendly as possible and took up minimum loading time. Also, there was no restriction of downloading on either one of the websites. However, there was a rather prominent difference between the two websites in the case of enhanced capabilities. Marks and Spencer’s website offered users the facility to share the product in question while Next’s website offered no such facility. Marks and Spencer offered users the facility to share on face book, MySpace, twitter, yahoo, This Next, Digg, Google Bookmarks, Kaboodle, Style hive, Del.ico.us, Stumble Upon and Yahoo Buzz. In sharp contrast, Next appeared to offer no such facility. It was observed that both brands choose to give an extensive degree of attention to their e-tailing. Both websites not only offered consumers highly extensive information on their products but were highly expansive in the products they covered. Both of the two websites were designed to be extremely interactive and the main menus were designed to function on mouse over prompts rather than waiting for the mouse click prompts for activation. The degree of classification of clothing was extremely thorough on both websites. The retailers attempted to integrate their image through multiple channels by allowing users the comfort of browsing through their websites as if they were browsing in the actual store. Both internet retailers chose to develop their brand image by allowing the user to closely observe their products. Promotion While it may be difficult for a consumer to acquire a clear perception of a product through a photograph on a computer screen, Marks and Spencer and Next attempted to overcome the problem by providing users with snapshots of the products from different angles as well as videos in some cases. The consumers in Marks and Spencer had the option to share their choices and preferences at any time they wished through virtually any internet based prominent communication portal they wished to use to do so. On the other hand, visitors to the Next website were provided with a recommend a friend option placed in the lower right corner of the page (Next, 2009). The link allowed users to access a page from where they could enter in their name, their friend’s name and their friend’s email address in order to invite them to download the Next Directory. Another aspect that came forth in this regard was one that came forth as a sharp contrast between the two websites and one that was rather odd. While Marks and Spencer allowed website visitors to choose the portal they wished to use to communicate with their friends about Marks and Spencer’s products, Next did not do so. Instead, Next invited registered website users to make use of the recommend a friend option to email their friends about Next, and in return, Next set up a condition according to which the sender of the invitation/referral would be credited with free credits in his/her account in the event that the referred friend made a purchase that amounted to a certain threshold. This difference is one that serves to identify the difference in approach between Next and Marks and Spencer’s website to an undeniable extent. Marks and Spencer chooses to make use of communication as a tool where the motivation for the website viewer is the increased degree of interaction that the website provides while the Next website chooses to motivate its viewers with alternate incentives for spreading Next’s word of mouth. Feedback It was observed that both websites allowed users an extensive degree of constriction when it came to providing feedback. Users could not provide feedback to either one of the online retailers for individual products. The only clear approach to providing feedback available on the Marks & Spencer was the Contact Us link provided at the bottom of the page and the only way a user could expect to provide feedback to the retailer was through the option to write reviews on the product that were later shared with other potential customers. In the case of Next, consumers did not even have the luxury of writing reviews and were left with no other option but the Contact Us link provided amidst numerous others at the bottom of the page. Marks & Spencer actually invited users to be the first to write reviews on a product if none had been written at the time of the viewing while Next did not direct any attention towards any such detail. Conclusions A brief exploration of the two websites served to convince this researcher of the magnitude of the vastness of the two brands. By the time the preliminary browsing had been done for the purpose of this paper, it was apparent that the two websites commanded the most imperative of marketing positions for their productive companies since they served as the ideal sources for window shopping from where the consumer could purchase the product if he/she desired to do so. Although the two websites were observed to be fairly similar in their approach to the consumer, it was evident that Marks and Spencer was the leading website in terms of accessibility and options available to the user while it was Next that managed to successfully create an environment in which the consumer could be convinced to make a purchase. Next chose to make use of dark colours as its anchor colour while Marks and Spencer chose to retain a light array of shades throughout its website. Therefore, it was clear that the two websites chose to seek out differing consumer segments (Aykin, 2007). Next chose to attract consumers who wished to give style and class a primary priority while Marks and Spencer chose to attract consumers who chose to acquire products that followed an essentially casual appeal to them (Wise, London). It is recommended in light of the discussion presented above that both websites need to adopt an internet marketing strategy that facilitates and invites consumers from all classes and social establishments. The departmental store brands should refrain from engaging in development measures for their websites that encourage only specific consumer segments and should design their website to be as adaptable as possible to increase the potential for customer acquisition. It was apparent that both e-retailers fully recognize each other as competition since the options and degree of accessibility available on the websites appeared to be oddly similar as if in constant competition to provide the website visitor with the most user friendly interface and the fastest, most convenient and precise information on products. Both websites divided the products into the broad categories of men, women, children, Christmas shopping, electronics, boys and girls amongst other categories (Next, 2009). Another option that was available on both websites was that of the shopping cart. Also, both websites made sure to place the business links in the lower sections of their home pages (M&S, 2009). List of References Aykin, N. (2007) Usability and Internationalization: Global and local user interfaces. London: Springer M&S. (2009) Your M&S [online] available at [accessed 9 December 2009] Next. (2009) Next [online] available at [accessed 9 December 2009] Next. (2009) Recommend a Friend [online] available at [accessed 9 December 2009] Wise, C. D. (London) Foundations of Microsoft Expression Web: The Basics and Beyond. 2007: Apress Zaidi, A. (2009) Q&A: Sienne Veit on Marks & Spencer's social media strategy [online] available at [accessed 9 December 2009] Read More