Before trying to define the term of eMarketing (or electronic marketing, so to speak), we should first take a look at the premises of its apparition and development.
The theories concerning eMarketing have not been unified yet, due to a large diversity in specialists' opinions. Still, one of the aspects that is established and has ceased being discussed in contradictory, is the fact that electronic marketing first appeared under the form of various techniques used by companies distributing their products through online channels (Internet ? based). That happened back in the pioneering age before 1995. These companies that opened the road were called "e-tailers", as opposed to the traditional retailers (also known as "brick-and-mortar" retailers). During their limited life, these electronic retailers began to develop and frenetically introduced new marketing techniques based on the support offered by the internet.
The online technologies mentioned above developed in the context created by the e-tailers, they are widely used these days by B2C and B2B organizations. In other words, they evolved towards what we call now eMarketing (you can also spell it e-Marketing if you wish, the "e-" stands in both cases for "electronic").
You might find as extremely useful and suggestive the perspective offered by the eMarketing Association (eMA). You heard a lot, especially over the past 2 years, about the decline of online businesses (or the decline of dotcoms), but this temporary difficulty can be viewed as a similarity to the impasse of Columbus during his expedition that made him famous more than half millennium ago. The initial "business plan" with which Columbus started this trip (that of bringing the Asian resources in his country and getting fabulously rich) was a complete disaster: catastrophic estimations, not enough resources allocated, total lack of information upon the environment he will develop his "business" in, but... he discovered America instead and changed the world for ever. In a similar manner, we can say that the dotcoms, despite their terrible strategies (if any), "discovered" by mistake the world of eMarketing.
As we already noticed, defining eMarketing is still highly problematic. Still, what do we mean when we use this term? As many other English words, the term was born by adding the prefix "e-" to a term already known and used, in this case "marketing". The prefix "e-" is actually the extreme contraction of the word "electronic" and is quite omnipresent in today's language of many people: "e-marketing", "e-business", "e-mail", "e-learning", "e-commerce", "e-", "e-", "e-"...
The simplest definition of eMarketing could be that suggested by Mark Sceats: the eMarketing that uses internet as manifestation channel.
A more comprehensive, practical definition is the one formulated by specialists of CISCO company: eMarketing is a generic term utilized for a wide range of activities ? advertising, customer communications, branding, fidelity programs etc. ? using the internet. More than the simple development of a website, the eMarketing focuses on online communications, direct dialog with consumers who thus participate to the creation of new products, finding efficient methods to win customer's fidelity and ease their business-making process. eMarketing is the sum of activities a company makes with the purpose of finding, attracting, winning and retaining customers.
At last, for those of you interested in a more scientific approach, we could say that eMarketing allows relational exchanges in digital, networked and interactive environments (acronym: DNI environments). Earlier in the history of eMarketing, it was conceptualized as being focused upon the exchanges, but today's theoreticians suggest the exchange paradigm is a limited modality to define eMarketing.
Whichever definition you will choose to use, will depend on where exactly you need to use it and for what purpose. You can probably formulate a definition yourself, according to your own knowledge, experience and view upon what is eMarketing.
However, one conclusion needs to be drawn in connection with eMarketing: it has developed over the past few years into a standalone discipline, with its own conceptual apparatus, tools and laws, but with a still-to-be systematized knowledge.
Otilia Otlacan is a young certified professional with expertise in eMarketing and eBusiness, currently working as independent consultant and ePublisher. She developed and teach her own online course in Principles of eMarketing and is also a volunteer Economics teacher. Contact Otilia through TeaWithEdge.com, her Marketing and eMarketing articles and resources portal.



Have you ever been lost in the woods - wondering... Read More
How many times have you... heard that running solo ads... Read More
It may not rank as a killer like heart disease... Read More
For large corporations, a marketing plan is a huge document... Read More
In my previous article How To Be 100% Sure That... Read More
We know once you have a room full of guests... Read More
We all need a little inspiration once in a while,... Read More
Hint: don't send send your online advertising traffic to your... Read More
Copyright 2005 Michael Port & Associates LLCWould you rather be... Read More
RSS marketing is a tool used by many on the... Read More
When the economy is booming, you may do well in... Read More
Starting an internet based business when you have zero marketing... Read More
Forget clicks, page views, and impressions; the only way to... Read More
Are you looking for something unique or unusual that you... Read More
You can't row a boat without an oar or build... Read More
Did that headline grab your attention?I have experimented with many... Read More
Nothing happens in business until a sale is made. Marketing... Read More
1. Far Cheaper and Much More Flexible Than Print AdvertisingThe... Read More
When I first started my internet home business, I realized... Read More
What's in your name?I'm not trying to be funny here,... Read More
Online shopping continues to grow at leaps and bounds. Depending... Read More
Special Article Report: Theses Keys Work!Many times over the past... Read More
Did you know that, on average, only 2% of visitors... Read More
Believability is what's missing, and the majority of all businesses... Read More
Now, I'm a firm believer in knowing what you're getting... Read More
Believability is what's missing, and the majority of all businesses... Read More
If you own your own website, there are a variety... Read More
It's well known that internet marketers are in the business... Read More
There are many simple, infallible ways to earn income, and... Read More
Tell your readers what they are probably thinking, feeling or... Read More
I'm sure everybody has received an email from a company... Read More
Everybody wants to learn how to make money on the... Read More
Building a home internet business on the web can seem... Read More
Some sites are perfect for the Christmas season - their... Read More
What's in your name?I'm not trying to be funny here,... Read More
Headlines are short vital statements to stimulate your potential customers... Read More
As we all know, visitor traffic is crucial to the... Read More
Hello, do you have any website that is not bringing... Read More
Do web surfers really bookmark websites anymore? A good friend... Read More
The public domain is full of books, journals, literary works,... Read More
Late last night I turned on my television and discovered... Read More
Set up multiple simultaneous marketing campaigns with database marketing automation... Read More
Creating mini-sites that grab your browsers and prime them into... Read More
An Internet marketing strategy is important if you plan on... Read More
1 Planning:When starting your marketing strategy, it is wise to... Read More
Let's face it, most of us know the basics of... Read More
Today I was optimizing a couple new websites for search... Read More
As an online marketer, there are many tools available to... Read More
Marketing gurus travel all over...Malaysia, London, San Francisco ..so make... Read More
Internet marketing is a wonderful thing, but it has it's... Read More
|
|