'SMEs must take advantages of e-marketing'

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SME Times News Bureau | 09 Nov, 2009
Small and Medium Enterprises' (SMEs) must look for the advantages of Internet Marketing as it diametrically changes and improves business profiling, CEO of NGA Consultancy Services, Lt. Col (Retd) Nageshwant Roy Vaid said in an exclusive e-mail interview to SME Times.

Excerpts of the interview...

Electronic marketing or digital signature marketing is now a absolute imperative.Your comments on the subject?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: Marketing has been the cardinal input in one form or the other for our collective survival and has both in design and content dictated our very existence. Marketing methodology has seen both a qualitative and quantitative improvement with e- marketing being the resultant innovation as also a well orchestrated professional product culminating in modern technologies taking over the world of professional marketing. Simply defined and understood in its multifaceted manifestations marketing or electronic marketing refers to application of marketing principles, techniques via electronic media and more specifically the internet. The terms e-marketing, internet marketing, online marketing are frequently interchangeable and do have similar connotations in meaning. Indian SME's must look for the digital advantage as it diametrically changes and improves business profiling. Globalisation is a result oriented manifestation of trade and commerce,movement of liqid assets, internationalization of movement of human resources and above all rapid inroads in information technology. IT supremacy is pivotal for improvement of Indian SME's stature in the market.

Process oriented e-marketing is the need of the hour. What should SME's in India do to make internet marketing an advantage statement?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: In terms of processes e-marketing is marketing a brand using the internet. It uses both direct response marketing as also resorts to indirect marketing elements which use a range of technologies which unilaterally allow connectivity by multifaceted business activities with stated target audiences i.e target customers. SME's in India today must understand both the value accretions as also multifaceted advantages the utilitarian mode which e-marketing offers. Internationally countries are generating comfort levels for business improvement, doing enhancement and achieving multi country penetration by the internet advantage.

What should e-marketing entail?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: E-marketing encompasses as also entails all marketing activities conducted via the availability of world wide web with the stated aim of doing business and developing brand acceptance as also giving the brand/ focus and identity. Our SME's need both focus and identity as without them we cannot carve a niche in the the world peopled by marketers. Subsequent to correct strategies being implemented and subtle nuances of e-marketing enunciated the "ROI" can far exceed that of traditional marketing strategies.Marketing is associated with several models which are goal oriented-commerce, where goods are sold directly to prospective customers, publishing or the sale of advertising and more importantly lead based sites where an organisation generates value accretions by getting well tailored sales leads from delineated sites. Indian SME's are looking at creation of international business and gradually becoming continental players before finding acceptance at global levels. Our products need both marketing and engineering expertise and product movement is simplified by e-marketing in terms of product comprehension by major global players. Global acceptance for new product development, associated R&D will diametrically change and alter market equations for the better in the market. We need more market credibility and acceptability.

Internet gives value accretions. What multifarious benefits will accrue to industry at large?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: The internet in its myriad manifestation has given major and unique benefits to marketing which includes low and acceptable costs in dissemination of information and media to what constitutes a global audience. In a more proactive manner the interactive nature of the internet in terms of what can be described as instant response as also in its inherent ability in eliciting response would become cardinal to success. Internet marketing will in term of duality of aims bind both creative and technical aspects of the internet. We can qualify internet marketing methods to include search engine marketing, display advertising, email marketing, affiliate marketing, interactive marketing, blog marketing and what we understand as proactive marketing. Both qualitatively and quantitatively internet marketing is the process of growing and promoting stated organizational interests using online media. We must categorically understand that internet marketing will not simply mean constructing a website or website promotion. It is essential to understand that behind that website is a real organization with quantifiable goals. There are strategic connotations of emarketing which will encompass online advertising products, services, and websites which will include market research as also email marketing strategies dovetailed with direct sales. Indian SME's will logically benefit immensely if we do goal oriented marketing. We must seek a shift of emphasis and logically confine ourselves to attainble parameters which must have a qualitative and quantitative sanctity.A major revolution is brewing to bring all national markets closer and in all probability the end of the century will see outstanding internet penetration quotient. Continental marketing/ multi-national marketing and global marketing is all set to change more emphatically.

What are proactive market benefits which can be made available to Indian SME's?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: A major benefit associated with internet marketing is in its physical availability of astounding amounts of information. Consumers can access both the internet and available research products, as also purchase them at any hour of the day. Businessmen can transact business on dedicated shopping sites and even auction sites at any hour of the day. Micro canvas and macro canvas connotations exist for businessmen to expand from what are predominantly local markets to national markets and even international markets. Undeniably e-marketing has given global connotations to marketing and brought the world closer as nothing else. Accountability for advertisers, low cost of entry as also major and pronounced emphasis on business goals will not only determine strategy but also quantifiably dictate marketing operations. This will enhance overall marketing impact and ensure effectiveness of marketing campaigns. We must understand that for a average customer / businessman aspects of exposure, responsiveness, and overall efficiency of inter media or emarketing capability is much easier to monitor and track in stark comparison to traditional available"offline media". Enconsed in the privacy of his business cubicle or sitting in his house the average consumer and the businessman can transact business with a click of the mouse. Information passage is faster as also authentic deals can be transacted and long term affiliation between parties to a deal is now on the cards for business development due to emarketing.We need the internet advantage, today and tomorrow.

What are your views on online banking?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: Online banking as also online advertising has major ramifications which have diametrically change the very face of trading. Internet auctions have gained tremendous popularity and appeal. Needless to state that emarketing has impacted several industries to include music, banking, flea markets and lead to creation of major inroads in the advertising industry.

Is internet a viable tool for globalisation?
Nageshwant Roy Vaid: It is a fact that the average consumer/ businessman is not complaining today as he is spoilt for choice by the multifarious advantages offered by e-marketing. It has come to rule our very existence and qualifies as a medium for the present and future for transacting business. Globalisation which is directly impacted by trade related commerce and movement of liquidity instruments coupled with movement of human resources and exchange of knowledge will owe its growth profile to internet in foreseeable future and it is for these reasons that we should enlarge both the scope and template of our internet advantage.