Factors Affecting ‘Internet Marketing’ Campaigns with Reference to Viral and Permission Marketing

Faced with media fragmentation and escalating demand for measurable results, marketers are shifting their spending from mass media to response-oriented promotional channels. Even the advertising industry is propagating 360 degree marketing, as it is also confronted with wafer-thin margins. And with rising competition in almost every customer-centric product category and increasing clutter in the traditional advertising media, this is a fact which Indian companies have also realized. Organizations are now in the dilemma in which way to go – traditional or modern; they are trying to find out the perfect balance between the above the line and below the line communication strategies. Below-the-line promotions include any marketing communication containing a reward, either economic or experiential, which motivates a specific action by the target audience during a defined time period. It provides the ‘reason to buy now' and, are increasingly becoming important part of the integrated communications mix of many companies. Below-the-line marketing consists of channels that strive to establish targeted relationships between marketers and individual consumers; it includes direct mail, direct response broadcast, direct response print, event marketing, interactive marketing viz., one-to-one marketing, the Internet and mobile marketing, consumer promotions and trade promotions and point of purchase displays and in-store marketing. This paper covers the key areas related to the Internet marketing, its intricacies and most important factors which affect the consumers choice towards the various communication vehicles. This helps to better understand the market and make desirable changes to make the Internet most effective and efficient vehicle to convey message to the people