Running Head: MARKETING PLAN FOR AMAZON
Marketing Plan for Amazon
Name: Jeff Clayborn
Institutional Affiliation: Rasmussen College
Date: 7/10/17
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MARKETING PLAN FOR AMAZON
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Table of Contents
Marketing plan for Amazon .......................................................................................................................... 3
Executive summary ................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Problem statement......................................................................................................................................... 4
Research objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Research methods ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Background material ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Sampling design .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Data analysis ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Limitations .................................................................................................................................................. 14
Findings ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................. 15
Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 15
References ................................................................................................................................................... 16
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Marketing plan for Amazon
Executive summary
Different companies across the globe have had their different ways of marketing their
associated products to their respective markets. It has been established that for a company to
become successful in making its products available to the esteemed customers, a good marketing
plan and strategy goes a long way in boosting the product into and through the market. This
paper has been based on this principle and that the best company in terms of ensuring that the
products have reached the customers in the best manner possible has been selected. This paper is
going to look at Amazon and its associated marketing plan as well as the associated marketing
strategies that it uses for the different products and services that it offers to the different
customers across the globe and also on the local scene.
Introduction
Amazon has been found to be one of the best companies across the world. this has been
associated and linked to the various ways and manner that the company conducts its overall
business activities. With the continued improvements in the world of technology and the internet,
the company has taken that opportunity to ensure that it has improved on the way it operates and
conducts its overall business activities (Mellahi & Johnson, 2000). The company has in the
recent past been reported to have been putting more emphasis on the web part of business
operations. The primary reason that may have been used and can be used to explain this idea is
the fact that a lot of people who have been found to be and make up the market for Amazon
would prefer an online platform as compared to a physical platform. Besides, the current world
of business has been reported to be shifting from the ordinary physical platforms to the online
platforms that is conducting the different business activities over the internet.
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Having different competitors such as WalMart, the competition forces have pushed the
operations of the different businesses to the extreme end in terms of technological inclusion
within the businesses (Filson, , 2004). The different forces have played a huge part in ensuring
that Amazon has integrated and also ensured that it has implemented on one of the best strategies
and technological infrastructures within their different operations (Kantor & Streitfeld, 2015).
Amazon works under and is driven by its powerful goal and objective. Since the introduction and
the embracing of the online platforms by Amazon back in the 1995, Amazon has been found to
be working around the clock in order to ensure that it has become the ultimate choice and
preference of many people who are not only located on and within the locality of the business
but also those who are geographically distributed across the entire world.
The primary reason that has driven the company into the building and crafting its vision
is the overall enhancement of business activities that are being carried out on the daily basis by
the different companies across the globe. It is the primary aim of Amazon to be world`s most
customer driven company to exist. The company further says that it wants to reach a point where
it builds a place where people from different parts of the world and come together being brought
together by the integrated technologies to search and find each and every product or service that
they would wish to buy. This means that by the development of Amazon through the years, the
company wants to create an online platform that offers a wide range of products that would
enable the different customers to choose from regardless of their geographical location across the
entire globe.
Problem statement
Following the different similar companies that act and stand out as the major competitors
for Amazon, the latter has developed various strategies that it has been using to boost its overall
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operations in order to not only maintain its customers but also to reach more and more customers
across the globe (Chiou, 2005). The company has implemented a firm and a dependable
marketing plan and strategy that the company has been using to counter the competition. This
leads to the formulation of the problem. Besides being one of the best-selling companies across
the globe and operating in a very competitive environment, what marketing plan does Amazon
use in its operations in order to stand out as the best and also to counter the existing stiff
competition? In order to answer the given question, a conclusive research, therefore, needs to be
undertaken with the various aims and objectives as has been described in the next section.
Research objectives
As has been described and outlined in the previous section, it has been found out that the
success of Amazon does not only come from the sale of the different products but it has also
been based on the marketing plans nd strategies that the company uses and has employed within
its operations. The primary objective of this research is, therefore, to ensure that the ultimate
marketing plan that Amazon uses for its different products has been found out and described
conclusively. The other objective is to ensure that the product development plan that the
company has implemented has been described since product development has been known to
have a huge impact on the way business is being conducted by the different companies across the
globe especially Amazon.
In conducting the underlying research, the research cannot be completed successfully
without the following and the implementation of the best research methods that are best suited
for the given research. In this section, the various data collection methods will be discussed
which includes the specific methods that are used in the attempt to achieve and fulfill the set
objectives of this research paper. The other considerations that have been included in this section
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include the particular requirements for implementing the chosen research methods and the
explanation of the choice of the selected methods.
Research methods
In conducting each and every research, there are the various methods that have been
found to be useful in undertaking the given research papers. The choice of each and every
research method is driven by the nature of the research being undertaken by the given research
teams. The two broad categories of the different natures of any piece of research include whether
the research is qualitative or the research being carried out is quantitative in nature (Temple &
Young, 2004). Each of the given categories has their respective methods that they use to collect
and analyze the research data collected. The quantitative research methods are calculative in
nature which means that they are statistical in nature. This follows that a quantitative research
method is statistical in nature wich involves a lot of calculation and mathematics in the data
collection as well as the data analysis section. The quantitative research methods use various
strategies and methods to gather data. The most commonly used method is the use of surveys.
They offer a wide range with which the research teams can gather the related data as per the
given subject area or the subject under research. This has been found to assist the researchers in
this category to come up with the most conclusive finest details on the given problem that they
are researching or the phenomenon under study.
There are various advantages that have been linked and associated with the quantitative
methods. One of the major benefits is that by using the quantitative methods, it is possible to
state and describe the given problem statement in specific and also in the finest details. It is
possible to describe exclusively and specifically the various variables that are used in the
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research. The other major benefit is that it is possible and easy to eliminate the possibility of the
subjectivity of making any judgments as far as the research being conducted is concerned.
However, there are the associated demerits and challenges that surround the quantitative
research methods. This section is going to address the various disadvantages that surround the
quantitative methods. One of the major weaknesses of the quantitative methods is that it does not
provide the researcher with the relevant information on the given situation that is the area of
study to the researcher concerning the area where the study occurred. The other huge drawback
is that the quantitative methods have no capability to control the surrounding and the overall
environment where the respondents who have been selected as the subject of the study and are
subjected to the associated survey questions operate within. The quantitative methods are not
found to be enhancing the continuous investigation of the given problem domain. These are
some of the issues surrounding the quantitative methods such as the surveys.
Considering the qualitative methods, it can be seen that the qualitative methods are
concerned with the notion that a phenomenon can be described theoretically gathering the
relevant information on the given problem domain under study and or research (Golafshani,
2003). It can be deduced that qualitative research is and can be used appropriately in the natural
settings. This means that it can be used in the situations that involve the natural occurrence of
events on the daily basis. According to this research, it can be seen that the given problem can be
solved using either of the two methods which are either the qualitative or methods which involve
the use of interviews or the use of the quantitative methods which use and implement such
methods as the use of surveys to gather the relevant information from the selected population.
In order to successfully conduct and complete this research on the marketing plan that
Amazon uses, it can be seen that the quantitative methods are appropriate. This is championed by
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the fact that surveys are appropriate for use in this setting and that the results that will be
obtained will be more concise and specific in nature. This is as compared to the qualitative
methods where the results may not be as concise as required which would make it difficult for
the researchers to draw the necessary and the most appropriate conclusions on the subject matter.
In undertaking a research using the quantitative methods, the first step is to design the
sample sizes as well as the samples to be taken (WANG, ZHANG, HE & LIN, 2010). This will
be discussed in details in the following sections. This section, however, is going to look at the
various merits, demerits and also the associated ethical considerations that must be considered as
far as the use of surveys is concerned. Looking at the various merits of using surveys, it can be
seen that surveys are relatively easy to administer. The time required to develop a survey is little
as compared to the time required to develop the other data collection methods. Surveys are not
limited to be administered in a given geographical location but they can be undertaken and
administered in the different geographical locations. The possibility of flexibility as far as the
questions on the given subject matter is concerned has been found to be achievable by using
surveys. Surveys have been found to facilitate the collection of vast and diverse data in a given
research. This helps in collecting various data such as opinions and behavior among others.
However, there are the associated demerits that have been attributed to the use of surveys.
One of the major drawbacks of using surveys is that the respondents may not at all times feel and
be inclined towards the provision of the correct data concerning the given problem domain or
area under study. The respondents may at times not be comfortable when responding to the given
questions in the given problem areas under study. There exists a possibility of data errors due to
the difference in the number of people responding to the different questions which may lead also
to bias (Liao, Hu, Huang & He, 2010).
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There are the various ethical considerations that must be taken into account when using
surveys. One of the issues regards to the privacy of the respondents. The presented survey
questions must never, in any case, infringe the privacy of the given respondents at any time.
Privacy may be in the form of trying to get personal data other than the intended information
concerning the problem domain. The surveys must also be designed in such a way that they
make the respondents feel comfortable with the kind of questions that they are subjected to
which ensures that the respondent otherwise feels encouraged to respond to all the given survey
questions on the given problem domain or the given subject matter that is under study.
In conducting the given research, it has been established and it can be seen that the nature
of the research is one that can be thought of being non-mathematical in nature. Although there
are some areas in the research where the data will be subjected to various calculations, the
collection of the data will be done in a manner that shows that the research is qualitative in
nature. In order to undertake the respective research, the chosen research methods include the use
of interviews, conversational analysis, observations and also ethnography.
These methods and approaches have been used in the recent past in various research
pieces of work where the results were as expected. The survey has been found to be the most
appropriate method that will be used in collecting the relevant data on the given subject matter.
The surveys will be subjected to the different respondents as will be described in the sampling
and sample size selection sections. The following section is going to look at the
Background material
Considering the given subject matter, it follows then that there exist various scales of
measurement that can be used and implemented as far as the given research is concerned. There
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are different scales that have been found to be used in the different areas and have been
categorized into four categories. These categories are an include nominal, ordinary, the basis on
ratio scales and also on the basis of intervals. Further, in order to describe and understand the
measurement scales, there are the different properties that have been used to describe the
measurement scales. The first property is and concerns the equal intervals. This means that all
the scale units that are used in the given scales must be equal to one another. It further can be
described that for example, the scale unit between 1 and 2 should be equal to the scale between
any two intervals across the given scale such as the difference between 20 and 21.
The other property concerning the measurement scales is the identity (Windle, Bennett &
Noyes, 2011). The idea and the operational principle of this property are that each and every
value as far as the measurement scale is concerned is that it has a unique meaning. This further
means that all the values are unique in their own ways which enable them to be interpreted
uniquely accordingly. Magnitude is the other property that gives and outlines the relationship
between the values on the measurement scale. This means that each and every value on the
measurement scale has an ordered link to each and any other value on the scale (Froehle & Roth,
2004).
In simple terms, some values on the measurement scale are smaller than the others while
the others have been found and are made to be larger than the others accordingly. A minimum of
zero is the other property of the measurement scale which describes the true zero point. This
follows then that no other values exist below the described true zero point of the measurement
scale. The surveys will be subjected to a similar measurement scale that will be used in
measuring the correctness and validity of the answers and the questions provided.
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However, through the surveys, there are various errors that may be realized during or
after the survey has been completed. These are the measurement errors that might and are subject
to be realized in and after the completion of the survey. One of the errors that are most likely to
be achieved and realized is the theoretic error. This arises for example when a theory says that
the temperature of a given entity is set to change when subjected to the given conditions only to
undertake the given test and the temperature fails to change. Considering the problem at hand,
such an error may be achieved when a theory claims that the marketing plan for a given company
can be used successfully in all the other companies when in the true sense after undertaking the
study, it is realized that the opposite is true. The measurement scale will, therefore, look at all the
aspects of both the theory and the actual study and harmonize on a level ground of consensus.
The other possible error is random error. This is the most widely achieved error and can
occur due to the tiredness of the respondents who are subjected to the given survey. In order to
mitigate this error, the system should ensure that the survey is issued to the respondents at the
most appropriate time of the day and that the survey should not be boring, tiresome and also not
so many questions that could lead to boredom.
The supporting material for the given research is based on the theories and the various
principles that govern and revolve around the entire subject of the marketing plan for Amazon
can and is found in the different archives that contain the information on Amazon and the
development of the company through the recent past in the world of business and technology.
This can be seen as the utilization of the secondary sources of information such as the written
books and journals among other secondary sources of information such as the internet sources
that contain the respective and the appropriate information on Amazon as far as the marketing
strategies and plans for the company are concerned.
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Sampling design
In undertaking the various testing activities on the given population in order to determine
the overall number of participants who will be subjected to the given study, the taking of the
different samples and the appropriate sampling method must be used. In this case, in order to
conduct and determine the total number of participants, there are the various factors that must be
taken into account regarding the calculation of the sample size of the given project and study.
The different types of data that must be taken into account include some of the various types of
data that stand out as the building blocks or the overall base upon which the development and the
determination of the correct sample size are formed and based. These include such criteria as the
confidence level, the list size as well as the overall acceptable margin of error. These are the
three most important aspects that must be taken into account in sampling and as far as the
determination of the correct sample size is concerned.
Looking closer at the different outlined aspects in the previous section, the confidence
level can be seen and described as in simple terms the probability that the given sample has been
found to be accurately a reflection of the attitude of the entire population. It is further seen and
outlined that the best confidence level should be above 90%. A confidence level of about 95%
can be described as a reliable sample. The second aspect is the list size. This can simply be seen
as the total number of participants in the given company as far as the online participation is
concerned.
This may include the total number of email subscribers for the company or any other
participants. The last aspect as has been identified above is the acceptable error margin. This can
be seen as the overall acceptable level of random errors as far as sampling is concerned. The
errors in sampling may be as a result of the reception and the filling in the survey questions in
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the given survey that has been conducted as far as the company and the subject matter are
concerned. It has been known that a smaller margin error is the best since the smaller the error,
the closer it is for one to achieve the best, desired and the actual results on the given
phenomenon or subject of study.
It has been found out that there are various ways with which the sample size can be
calculated. The internet has provided various means of calculating the sample size of a given
population by ensuring that the best results are achieved. Apart from ensuring that the integrity,
as well as the credibility of the intended research, is maintained, there are the different figures
that need to be provided in order to ensure that the best sample size has been achieved. These
figures include, as mentioned above, the confidence level, the confidence interval and also, the
total population. The attached document shows the sample size calculation and also the target
population in the presented table.
Data analysis
Following the surveys that were subjected to the different people according to the sample
size selected, the data was received electronically since it was submitted electronically. There
were various assumptions that were made concerning the survey. One of them is that it was
assumed that each of the individuals in the sample population is computer literate and that he or
she had an access to a computer device. The other assumption was that when responding to the
questions, the respondents have a clear understanding of the basic operations of a business hence
had the capability to tell the different ways with which Amazon and the other e-commerce
companies conducted their marketing.
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Limitations
In each and every research, there are the various limitations that the given research is
faced with. In undertaking the research, one of the limitations is that the research made a huge
assumption that each and every respondent had an understanding of the underlying factors only
to discover that a good percentage of the total sample size had no idea on the marketing
strategies used by the company.
Findings
In looking at the results, it has been established that the company employs various plans
and strategies as far as the marketing of the different products is concerned. One of the various
strategies is that the company markets its products through its own website. Marketing through
the website ensures that it reaches more customers from the different parts of the world
regardless of the time and the geographical location. This is because the website is accessible to
all either the customers or the general public who make up the entire population and also a target
population (Luther, , 2001).
The other plan and strategy that Amazon uses are customer loyalty (Pride, 2008). The
company has managed to capture and retain quite a good percentage of the customers through
the prime plan. With the membership growing sharply over the recent past, this makes it a
conducive platform upon which the company markets its products. Marketing by the use of
videos has been found to be another huge determining factor that the company has been using to
market its different products. The company has been known to be streaming tons of videos over
the recent past that has made it possible for the company to market its different products. These
being just a few marketing plans that the company has been using, they have pushed the
company to greater heights as far as success is concerned.
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Conclusions
Summing up the paper, it can be seen that Amazon is one of the biggest companies across
the world that provide not only a single brand of goods but also the other differentiated products.
The company started as a bookstore which later on has been developed and grown to be a
leading provider of the different goods and services across the world. The success of the website
has been linked to a number of factors that have been found to be the most pressing and
involving issues that have contributed towards the success of the company. Besides having a
strong team of experts behind the operations of the company, the various marketing plans and
strategies that the company has employed has ensured that the company has succeeded over its
close competitors in marketing its products to the general platform.
Recommendations
Although the company has had a good business environment, the website of the company
has made it possible for the company to utilize its available resources in order to reach its
customers as well as the other potential customers across the globe. However, it would be a good
practice and idea if the company employed a different approach that would be used to market its
products. One of the recommendations as far as the response is concerned is that the company
should ensure that it markets its different products by employing the other strategies such as the
use of other media. This would ensure that the company has covered almost all the available
avenues as far as marketing of the different products is concerned which would be the ultimate
marketing strategy that the company could ever use.
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References
Mellahi, K., & Johnson, M. (2000). Does it pay to be a first mover in e. Commerce? The
case of Amazon. com. Management Decision, 38(7), 445-452.
Kantor, J., & Streitfeld, D. (2015). Inside Amazon: Wrestling big ideas in a bruising
workplace. New York Times, 15, 74-80.
Filson, D. (2004). The Impact of E‐Commerce Strategies on Firm Value: Lessons from
Amazon. com and Its Early Competitors. The Journal of Business, 77(S2), S135-S154.
Chiou, L. (2005). Empirical analysis of retail competition: spatial differentiation at WalMart, Amazon. com, and their competitors.
Temple, B., & Young, A. (2004). Qualitative research and translation
dilemmas. Qualitative Research, 4(2), 161-178.
Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The
qualitative report, 8(4), 597-606.
WANG, Z. M., ZHANG, Y. D., HE, J. T., & LIN, L. (2010). Researchers on quantitative
analysis of the accumulation of protoporphyrin Ⅸ in colorectal cancer cells induced by
drugs. China Journal of Modern Medicine, 1, 011.
Liao, Y., Hu, X., Huang, X., & He, C. (2010). Quantitative analyses of CD133 expression
facilitate researches on tumor stem cells. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 33(5), 738742.
Windle, G., Bennett, K. M., & Noyes, J. (2011). A methodological review of resilience
measurement scales. Health and quality of life outcomes, 9(1), 8.
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Froehle, C. M., & Roth, A. V. (2004). New measurement scales for evaluating
perceptions of the technology-mediated customer service experience. Journal of Operations
Management, 22(1), 1-21.
Luther, W. M. (2001). The marketing plan: How to prepare and implement it. AMACOM
Div American Mgmt Assn.
Pride, W. (2008). Marketing. Cengage Learning.
With your research completed, you will now turn your attention to how to report your findings. In addition
to the written report, many businesses expect their employees to give a presentation of their findings.
This assignment will be a chance for you to create a presentation based on your work to date.
Prepare a 10 - 12 slide PowerPoint presentation of your course project. Consider your audience to be
management of the case study company. What specific material would you include so that your audience
will receive your presentation positively?
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