MARK301

WebsiteFunctionalityReport

Reportconductedonselectedwebsite:
http://www.absolut.com/au

ExecutiveSummary

AbsolutVodkaisthefourthlargestinternationalspiritbrandintheworld,andthePremium
vodkamarketleader,standingoutthroughitsstrategyof"constantcreativity".Sinceits
beginningAbsoluthasconveyedthisconstantcreativityandhasmarketedtheproducttotoday's
consumerlargelythankstotheonlinepresenceithascreated.Thisreportprovidesanalysisand
evaluationofthecurrentaspects,featuresandfunctionalityofthedigitalmarketspacethat
Absolutprovidesthroughitswebpage.

Absoluthaveidentifiedtheirprimarycustomerstobepredominantlyyoungadultsandbusiness
professionalswheretheproductscanbeclassifiedinboththelowandhighinvolvement
purchasingdecisionspectrumdependingonthevaryingproductandpricerange.Thisaudience
isoftenrecognizedasputtingworthonsocializingandsocialstatusthatmakeAbsolutthe
perfectdrinktoreflecttheirlifestyles.
InthereportitisoutlinedthestrategiesthatareimplementedbyAbsolutVodkafacilitatethe
primaryinformation,interactionsandadvertisementthatarenecessarytomeetcustomerneedsto
makeapurchasingdecision.ThroughtheseonlinestrategiesthatareSpeak,Sell,Serve,Saveand
SizzleAbsolutcreateaplatformfortheconsumerthatformsapersonalisedserviceof
informationthatinducesbrandloyaltyandaddstotheoverallpurchasingexperiencethatoccurs
instores.

AbsolutVodkasroleintheOnlinemarketingmixcontributestothesuccessandcompetitive
advantageithasoveritscompetitorsasitpositionsitselfthroughtheuseofthe7Psputting
emphasisontheProduct,PlaceandPromotion.Additionallythewebsitefacilitatescustomer
relationshiplargelyfocusingonbrandloyaltythroughitstailoredlocalisedpromotionand
marketingaddingtothebrandinformationsupplied.
Fromthispositionthereportfindsthatthefutureprospectsofthecompanyarepositiveasits
onlinepresencestronglyalignsitselfwiththeconsumerneedscreatingagratifyingonline
experiencethatinducesofflinepurchasing.

TableofContents

1.0.

Introduction

2.0.

OnlineStrategyoftheOrganisation5s

3.0.

4.0.

2.1.

Speak

2.2.

Sell

2.3.

Serve

2.4.

Save

2.5.

Sizzle

MarketingMix
3.1.

Product

3.2.

Place

3.3.

Promotion

3.4.

Process,PeopleandPhysicalEvidence

3.5.

Price

OnlineRelationshipsandCustomerExperience
4.1.

ConsumerRelationshipManagement

4.2.

WebsiteFunctionalityandConsumerRelationships

5.0.

Conclusion

6.0.

References

7.0.

Appendices

1.0.

Introduction

AbsolutVodkaismadeof100%naturalingredients,withthemajorcompositionsbeingdeep
springandwinterwheat,resultinginminimaleffectsofpesticides.AbsolutVodkaiscompletely
differentfromotherflavoursofVodkabecausethereisnosugar.Itisapurevodka:thetasteis
richandfullwiththemellowoffreshwheat,andthispuretasteofAbsolutVodkabecomesa
uniquefeature,andisclassifiedasaluxury.Absolutisthethirdlargestbrandofalcoholicspirits
intheworld,afterBacardiandSmirnoff,andissoldin126countries.Toincreasesales,the
AbsolutVodkabottleisshapedtoembodyauniquedesign,whichalsomakesitthemost
recognizableproductsintheworld,thebottleistransparent,whichrepresentsthepuretasteof
AbsolutVodka,andalsohasclearliquorwithin,itlookssimple,elegantandverySwedish(UK
Essays2013).Thewebsiteprovidesinformationsuchastheproductsyield,compositions,taste
andpossibledrinkingideas.
AbsolutVodkaconsumersfitintoanattitudinalsegmentationthatishighlyinvolvedinthe
clubbinglifestyleandtheamateurmixologyculture.(2016)Absolutsfastmovingconsumer
good(FMCG)AbsolutVodkaisaconveniencegoodthatinvolvesbothlowandhighlevelsof
involvementwiththeproduct.Theproductisnotboughtviathewebsite,butratherissoldtoa
thirdpartyanddistributedbyliquorstoresonaglobalscale.Thetargetmarketviewstheproduct
aseasilyaccessible,andahabitualproducttoconsumers.Absoluthasanextremelyhighbrand
presence,andasuccessfulandloyalbrandcommunity.Absoluthassegmentedtheirtarget
market,associatingtheirbrandwithyoungbusinessprofessionalsbetweentheagebracketof
2535,whoenjoytrendysocialgatherings.TheseconsumersofAbsolutareheavilyinvestedin
theirsocialstatus,havingasimilardynamiclifestyletothepersonalityofAbsolutVodka.The
AustralianAbsolutFacebookpagecurrentlyhas6.2millionlikes,whichsuggeststhatits
strategyhascreatedaglobalculture.AbsolutstargetmarketexpectsAbsolutsevent
informationandaservice,whichincludescocktailrecipesthatuseAbsolutVodka.Thisplatform
allowsconsumerstointeract,like,commentandsharecontentthatinfluences,andprovides
recommendationstootherusersabouttheproductandpromotion,whichresultsinearnedand
ownedmediaforAbsolut.(Akter2016)Absolut.comisabrandbuildingsitethatprovidesan
overallexperiencetosupportandpromotethebrand.Itincludesbreadthanddepthinformation

withinthewebsite,andisresponsive(compatibleacrossalldevices).Thisconveniencemixed
withanextensiveonlinecommunityforhighlyinvolvedconsumerscreatestheoverallhighly
engagingenvironment,withlowsocialandpsychologicalrisks.ThisresultsinAbsolutVodka
beingpositionedwithintheevokedsetofmillions,withconsistentrevenueandhighbrand
loyalty.(Chaffey&EllisChadwick2016)

Throughoutthemanyyearsofoperation,AbsolutVodkahasdevelopedaresilientstrategic
agilitythroughmonitoringchangesinthemicroenvironmentaswellasdevelopingprocessesfor
reviewingmarketplaceopportunitiesandthreats.Amongthemicroenvironmentalforces,
Absolutmustconsidertherangeofstakeholdersinvolvedwiththeirorganisation,including
competitors,consumers,distributionchannelsandsuppliers.Inthemindsofconsumers,Absolut
Vodkacanbeseenasapremiumbrandthatisconsideredreasonablyhighendincomparisonto
itscompetitors.CompetitionwithintheVodkamarketisfirmlyfought,withGreyGooseand
BelvedereVodkacapturingthatluxuriant,highendmarketofbusinessprofessionals,while
SmirnoffVodkaseizestheyoung,moneyconscioustargetaudience.AbsolutVodkahas
managedtosecureaspotbetweenthesecompetitors,beingidentifiedinoneoftheircampaigns
assmart,showy,sassy,sophisticatedandstylish.(UKEssays2013)

AbsolutVodkasassessmentoftheirmacroenvironmentcanbeproperlyinvestigatedusingthe
PESTELanalysis.Amongthisremoteenvironmentsocietal,ethicalandlegalforceshavetobe
consideredasahighpriorityofscrutiny,havingmajorinfluencesonthewaytheorganisation
canberun.Withtheregulationonthesaleofalcoholdramaticallyincreasing,AbsolutVodka
mustmonitormanylegalfactorsofthecompany'soperation.Theselegalfactorsinclude:abiding
bydrinkingagelawsonaglobalscale,dateofbirthentryfortheirwebsiteandthestrictnesson
thesaleofalcoholonline.EthicsinsellingalcoholicbeveragesiscarefullyaddressedbyAbsolut
Vodka.Asaproducerofanalcoholicsubstance,Absoluthastheresponsibilitywithinsocietyto
limitexposureoftheirproducttocertaingroups(Cobb,M2012).Societalforcesarealsohighly
consideredinregardtoAbsolutsplanningprocess.Withtheincreaseofbingedrinking,Absolut
mustconsidertheadvertisementoftheirVodka,ensuringthatitdoesntglamorisebinge
drinking,promoteunderagedrinkingorcondonedrinkdriving.

ThebodyofthisreportwillfocusontherangeofmarketingstrategiescurrentlyusedbyAbsolut
Vodkainordertosecureandsatisfytheirtargetaudience.Athoroughdocumentationwillbe
presented,analysingAbsolutsonlinestrategiesthroughtheapplicationofChaffey&
EllisChadwick5sofInternetMarketing,incombinationwithAbsolutsuseofthevarious
marketingmixtools.Additionally,thereportwillexplorehowAbsolut.comfacilitatesanonline
relationshipwithitsconsumers,aswellasprovidesapositivecustomerexperience.In
concludingthisreport,recommendationsforimprovementswillbepresented.

2.0.

OnlineStrategyoftheOrganisation5s

ThefollowingsectionentailsAbsolutVodkasonlinestrategiesinrelationtoChaffey&
EllisChadwick5sofInternetMarketing.Thissegmentofthereportwillexaminethecurrent
strategiesthatAbsolutVodkahasincorporatedwiththeirwebsitetoenhancetheonlinecustomer
experience.
2.1.

Speak

Establishingrelationshipswithcustomersisjustasvitalonline,thanitisoffline.TheSpeak
benefitofemarketingisfocusedaroundsuchrelationshipsandgettingclosertocustomers.It
involvescreatingatwowaydialoguethroughwebinteractionslikeforumsandsurveysaswell
asconductingonlinemarketresearch(Chaffey&EllisChadwick2012,p16).Thisisachieved
throughformalsurveysorinformallymonitoringconversationsinordertolearnaboutthe
consumer.ForAbsolut,thistwowaydialoguesystemisofferedontheirwebpageintheshape
ofinteractionbetweenthemselvesandtheirconsumers.

TheuseofFacebook,twitterandyoutubemediachannels

AbsolutofferinteractionbetweenthemselvesandtheircustomersthroughlinksofFacebook,
twitterandYouTubethatarefoundontheirpage.Theselinkssendthecustomersthroughtothe
individualpagesofsocialmediathattheychoosewheretheycanmakeacommentonfacebook,
tweetaboutthecompanyontwitterandcommentonvideosthatareuploadedtoYoutubeby

Absolut.Hereinteractionisencouragedandcanbemadethroughtwowaydialoguewhere
Absolutcantakeonboardanycommentsandtaketheappropriatemeasurestoaddressany
matters.

Signup/register

TwowaycommunicationsarealsoinducedbyAbsolutthroughtheabilityofcustomersto
registeranaccountwiththewebsite.MembersoftheAbsolutwebsiteareincentivizedwiththe
notionofweeklydrinkrecipes.Inreturnforthis,consumersmustsubmittheiremailaswellas
otherpersonalinformation.Itisthisemailexchangehoweverthatfacilitatesthetwoway
dialogue.Asthewebsitestates,Wemaycontactyouusinganyofthecontactdetailswhichyou
providetous.

ContactUs

AbsolutalsosupplyaquestionandfeedbacksectionthatisfoundintheContactussectionof
thepagethatentailsalistofemployeelinkssuchasthesocialmediamanager,thepublicrelation
managersandmore,sothatanyproblems,issueorfeedbackcanbemadedirectlytothe
governingboardoftheAbsolutpage.Onthiscontactuspagethereisalsomanyotheruseful
linkssuchascommonquestions,popularsuggestions,commonproblems,praiseandtop
discussionsthatareopenforviewingandinvolvementsothatAbsolutcanensurethatall
consumerexpectationsaremet.

2.2Sell
Thesellbenefitofinternetmarketingisfocusedaroundincreasingsalesfigures.Thisincludes
directonlinesalesandsalesfromofflinechannelsinfluencedonline.Themainwayinwhich
Absolutintendstogrowsalesisthroughtheirwebsite,whichallowsthemtoachieveawider
distributionofcustomersbutcurrentlyAbsolutdoesnotofferabuyingchannelthroughtheir
websitebutratherfocussestheuseofthewebsitethroughcreatingconsumerawarenessoftheir
products.Thisisduetotheimplicationsthatarisewiththelawsandregulationsofbuying
alcoholandtheregulatingissuesthatcanoccurforunderagepurchasersoftheproduct.For
thesereasonsAbsolutcurrentlydoesnothaveabuyingchannelavailableontheirwebsitebutis
susceptibleforfurthergrowthandsalesifthecurrentmattersofregulationsofsalescanbemet.

2.3

Serve

Servereferstoaddingvaluethroughprovidingextrabenefitsonlineorinformingproduct
developmentthroughfeedback.Aservestrategyshouldseektoincreasecustomerinteraction
withsitecontent,increasedwelltimeduration,andactiveuseoftheonlineservices(Chaffey&
EllisChadwick2012,p16).Absolut.com/aupromotesinteraction,dwelltimeandactiveuse
quiteeffectivelythroughtheirwiderangeofrecipes,newsandinformationalcontentdisplayed
throughthewebsite.Absolutoffersanoptinsubscriptionservicewhereconsumersareableto
improvetheirbartendingskillsbasedonaweeklynewsletterinvolvingnewcocktailrecipesand
insidersecretsofbartending.Theinformationbasedonbartendingandcocktailsinthedrinks
sectioncontainsoverthreethousandfivehundredstepbysteprecipesandembeddedYouTube

tutorials.Thisisanexampleofhowtheorganisationprovidestheiruserswithaunique
experienceduringtheirbrowsetimebyallowingthemtoengageacrosssocialmediachannels
(Chittyetal2012,p173).Furthermore,byofferingknowledgeasanintangiblebenefituniqueto
thewebsiteexperience,itislikelythatthesetutorialswillbewatchednumeroustimeswhichwill
increasedwelltime(Forrester,2011).
ThebrandinformationanddescriptionsforproductsofferedbyAbsolutarefoundover
numerouspagesonthewebsite.Thisincludesexplanationsofthedifferentsponsorshipsand
collaborationsbetweenAbsolutanditsusers.However,itisevidentthatAbsolut.com/auneeds
toimprovethenavigationofthecontentbycategorisingtheinformationonoffer.Uponfurther
inspection,itwasfoundthatAbsolutredirectstheusertoentirelydifferentwebsitessuchas
AbsolutArt.comorAbsolutDrinks.comwhichprovidefurtherinformationforcustomers.
Addingnecessarymenuoptionsandimprovenavigationwillprovideaneasiertransitionto
relevantinformation,andwillalsogeneratemoreclickdataregardingthepercentageof
customersthataccessthedifferentcategoricalinformation.Asaresult,itwillenhancetheflow
ofthesite,andincreasetheinteractionandactivitywithdifferentwebsitecontent.

2.4.

Save

Save play a role that help the company to achieve cost saving through online email
communication,salesandservicetransactiontoreducestaff,printandpostagecosts.
Savings also accrue through web self service where customers answer queries through online
content.As a Services orientated relationship building website, Absolut Vokda provide a
platform not only to update theircustomerthelastestproductsbutalsotostimulatepurchaseand
build relationship with the customers. Since Absolut Vokda rely heavily on media direct
marketing, for example campaign would be put in print ads, billboards, TV commercials, video
clips as well as online ads (at absolut.com), and event marketing. Absolut turned itswebsiteact
as a promoting tools into an onlinecommunitywherevisitorscan shareanddiscusstheirvisions
of an "Absolut World", create and upload images, films, worlds, and sounds, create personal
profiles browse, comment, and develop the visions of others.(ukessays).This will thus to save
the company cost indirectly without having physical encounter with the customers but still

maintaining their relationship. Besides, Absoult.com also help the company tosavetheirbudget
on heavy advertising by informing the customers the latest products or campaign through their
websiteexampleinfacebook,twitter,youtubechannel.

2.5.

Sizzle

SizzleencompasesamajorpartofAbsolutsonlinestrategy.Sizzlerepresentsthebuildingofthe
brandonline,throughenhancingandbroadeningcustomerexperienceandonlinepresenceofthe
brand.Sizzleisusedbyavarietyoforganisationstobuildawareness,increasebrandfavorability
andpurchaseintent(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick,F2016).AsapartofAbsolutssizzle
strategy,thebrandhasdevelopedapersonalisedonlineanddigitalexperience.Studieshave
foundthatpersonalisedwebsiteexperienceshaveresultedinanaverageof19%increaseinsales
(RetailPerspective,2014).AwayinwhichAbsoluthaspersonalisedtheirwebsiteexperienceis
throughomnichannels.Marketersidentifyomnichannelstodeliverseamlessandconsistent
customerexperiencesthroughanychannel,online,mobile,andoffline(RetailPerspective,
2014).Absolutcanbeseentouseomnichannels,withmobileandtabletexperiencesbeingeasy
andaccessibletoallconsumers,reflectingthesameresponsivedesignasthewebsiteusingweb
browser.AnotherpersonalisedwebsiteexperienceisAbsolutscontentmarketing.Thewebsite
containsmanycontentsourcesthatareregularlyupdatedtoinformandenhancethebrandinits
consumerminds.Aprominentsegmentofcontentfeedisthewebsite'snewstab.Thisnewstab
providesrelevantinformationblogsonAbsolutproducts,recipes,events,Appsandpromotions.
Thispersonalisedcontentofthewebsitecreatesausefulresourceforconsumers,building
awarenessofthebrandandgeneratingareasonforcustomerstorevisitandreuseAbsoluts
webpageandapp.ChaffeyandEllisChadwick(2016)identifythatbuildingonlinecommunities
aroundthebrandisimportantforachievingsizzle.AwayinwhichAbsolutachievesthisis
throughitswebsiteslinktoallofthebrand'ssocialmediaprofiles.Absoluthasdevelopeda
strongsocialmediapresenceovertheyearsonFacebook,Twitter&YouTube,actingasaforum
fortwowayconversationbetweenthebrandandconsumers.Thesesocialmediaprofilesenhance
communityengagement,aswellasbuildcustomersatisfactionthroughregularpostsand
responsestoconsumerquestionsandqueries.

3.0.

MarketingMix

Themarketingmixisastrategicframeworkusedasanessentialpartofformulatingand
implementingmarketingstrategies(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick,F2016).Thissegmentofthe
reportidentifiesthecurrentmarketingmixvariablesAbsolutusesinordertogaincompetitive
marketshare.

3.1.

Product

Theproductvariableofthemarketingmixreferstocharacteristicsofaproduct,serviceorbrand.
Productdecisionsshouldbeinformedbymarketresearchwherecustomersneedsareassessed
andthefeedbackisusedtomodifyexistingproductsordevelopnewproduct.(Chaffey,D&
EllisChadwick,F2016,pg255)
TherearedifferentwaysthatAbsolutcanvarytheproductintheonlinecontextwhentheyare
developingtheironlinestrategy.Internetrelatedproductdecisionscanbeusefullydividedinto
decisionsaffectingthecoreproductandtheextendedproduct.(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick)
Thecoreproductreferstothemainproductpurchasedbytheconsumerswhichisthewellknown
andrecognizedplainAbsolutVodkabluelabel.Hereconsumerscancomparethecontrast
betweenthecoreproductanddifferentproductsavailablewhichcontributestothefinal
purchasingdecisioninstores.Theextendedoraugmentedproductreferstotheadditional
servicesandbenefitsthatarebuiltaroundthecoreoftheproduct.(Chaffey,D&
EllisChadwick)InAbsolutVodka'scasetheseaugmentedproductsaretheproductline
extensionsoftheoriginalAbsolutVodkathatcomeintheformofmanydifferentvarying
flavours,eachwithindividuallabellingsothattheycanbeeasilyidentified.Theadvertisement
oftheseextendedproductswillincreasethebrandawarenessandwillstrengthentheproduct
image.

3.2.

Place

ThePlacevariableofthemarketingmixreferstohowtheproductisdistributedtocustomers.
Typically,forofflinechannels,theaimofPlaceistomaximizethereachofdistributionto
achievewidespreadavailabilityofproductswhileminimizingthecostsofinventory,transport

andstorage.(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick,F2016,pg277).Absolutvodkacurrentlyputstouse
theEvansandWurster(1999)threeaspectsofnavigationadvantagewhichrelatetoachieving
thekeycompetitiveadvantagesonline.

Reach
Ishowmanycustomersabusinesscanconnectwithandhowmanyproductsitcanoffer
tothosecustomerssayEvansandWurster(1999).HerereachisutilizedbyAbsolutas
theyofferawideproductrangeofdifferentflavoursthroughalargechannelof
connectionfoundontheirwebpage.
FacebookOver16millionlikesonwebpage
TwitterOver25thousandtwitterfollowers
YoutubeOver17.5thousandsubscribers

Absolutgainalargereachtotheirtargetaudiencebyadvertisingandpositioningthemselvesina
positivemannerinretrospectoftheircompetitorsthroughthesereachchannelsthataddstothe
profitsandsuccessofthebrand.

Richness
Isthedepthordetailofinformationwhichisbothcollectedaboutthecustomerand
providedtothecustomer.Thelatterisrelatedtorichnessofproductinformationand
howwellitcanbepersonalizedtoberelevanttotheindividualneeds.(Chaffey,D&
EllisChadwick,F2016,pg278).AsmentionedinthestrategyofSpeakthatAbsolut
implementalsoisthesourceofthepersonalisedproductinformationthatthecompany
hastooffer.ThisrichnessofinformationisfoundwithintheContactUslinkofthe
webpagewherethecustomerscanvoicetheirideasorquestionsabouttheproduct.This
createsapersonalizedonlineinteractionwithrealliferesponsesfromthesocialmedia
managerswhichtakeonboardanysuggestionsthatcouldincreasethebrandvalueand
increaseconsumersatisfaction.

Affiliation
Referstowhoseinterestthesellingorganisationrepresentsconsumersorsuppliersand
stressestheimportanceofformingtherightpartnerships.HereitisnotedthatAbsolutareboth
verysupplierandcustomerfocused.AsofMay21,2015ToolsGroupannouncedthatitsNordic
partnerOptilonhassuccessfullytakenTheAbsolutCompany,partofthePernodRicardgroupof
companies,livewithToolsGroup's'PowerfullySimple'supplychainplanningsoftware.Running
atAbsolut'sproductionsiteinAhus,Sweden,supportsdemandmanagement,fulfillmentand
replenishmentforthecompany'sentirerangeofworldfamousplainandflavoredvodkasthatare
exportedtomorethan150globalmarkets.(ToolsGroup,2015)Withthisstrongpartnershipof
distributionAbsolutpositionsitselfasaformidableforceamongstit'scompetitorsand
consequentlycreatesamultifacetedbasisfortheconsumertoaccesstheproduct.Withthis
beingsaid,Absolutalsoconcentratesitsinterestsintothecustomerasitisputsalargeemphasis
oncustomersatisfaction.Thisgratificationfromthecustomercomesfromtheimplemented
strategyoflocalizationthatisthetailoringofwebsiteinformationforindividualcountriesor
regions.(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick,F2016,pg280)ThisisseenthroughAbsolutindividual
socialmediasitessuchasAbsolutsAustralianfacebookpagewheredifferentcultural
perceptions,advertising,languagedifferencescanallbealteredtocatertothelocalfollowersof
thewebpage.

3.3.

Promotion

Thepromotionvariableofthemarketingmixreferstohowmarketingcommunicationsareused
toinformcustomersandotherstakeholdersaboutanorganisationanditsproducts(Chaffey,D&
EllisChadwick,F2016).Digitaltechnologyadvanceshavechangedthewayindividualsand
businessescommunicate,thechannelsthroughwhichtheycommunicateandthenumberof
touchpointsencountered(Chaffey,D&EllisChadwick,F2016).Thismarketingadvancehas

expandedpromotioncommunicationtoolsavailablefororganisations,includingadvertising,
personalselling,salespromotion,publicrelationsandsponsorship.Aprominenttoolusedby
Absolut.comispublicrelations,whichcanbeseenontheirwebsiteintheformofablognews
feed.Thenewsfeedcontainsvariousinformationblogsonevents,mixers,Absolutdevelopment,
productsanddeals.Theseblogsaresupportedbyanumberofdifferentmultimediafeaturesthat
furtherengagetheconsumers.ThisPRblogisacosteffectivewayofeducatingonline
prospectiveconsumersonaspectsofthebrand,furtherbuildingbrandawarenessandimage.The
blogpostsuseaparticularcasualandunfilteredvoiceofthebrandthatcreatestheimageof
Absolutbeingrelatableandhavinghighinterestinsatisfyingitsconsumers.Another
promotionaltoolAbsolut.comuseswellistheiroptinsignupstotheirweeklydrinkrecipes.
ThissignupprovidesAbsolutsconsumerswithdirect,personalisedemailscontainingweekly
drinkrecipesandnewslettersonAbsolutproducts.Thispromotionaltooliseffectiveinengaging
prospectivecustomersthroughpersonaliseddirectmail,leavingalastingpositiveexperience.
Finally,advertisingisahighlyconsideredpromotionaltoolusedbyAbsolut.com.Asapartof
thebrandsadvertisingstrategy,searchengineoptimisation(SEO)isthoroughlyandregularly
conducted.SEOistheprocessofimprovingtraffictowebsitesfromthefree,organic,editorial
andnaturalsearchresultsonsearchengines(SearchEngineLand2016).Inordertomaintain
highstatusonsearchengines,Absolut.comareconstantlymakingmodificationstoitswebsite
thathavenoticeableimpactonthesitesuserexperienceandsuccessinorganicsearchresults.By
extendingkeywordphrasesandengaginginoptimisationonaregularbasis,Absolutcan
continuetosecuretraffictotheirwebsite,leadingtoimprovedbrandawarenessandincreased
purchaseintent.

3.4.Process,peopleandphysicalevidence
Theprocesselementofthemarketingmixreferstotheelementofserviceprovidedbythe
organisation(Chaffey&EllisChadwick2012).Theservicesincludethepromotion,the
developmentofnewproductandcustomerservices.AbsolutVodkaisalowinvolvement
productandcustomerscannotbuyitontheinternet,thecompanyprovidesomeconcise
informationonthewebsite,atthesametime,italsoguideaudiencestothesocialmedialinks

suchasFacebookandTwittertoachievethecustomerservicesanddecreasetheriskifitisnot
theproductthatthecustomersneed.Intheseplatforms,customerscanfindmoreinformationor
solvedoubtsandthesecanhelpthemtomakepurchasedecision.Inaddition,thecustomerscan
leavetheirissuesoradvicesthroughthesocialmedia,baseonthemthecompanycanpromote
theproductandcustomerservices.
Thepeopleelementofthemarketingmixreferstohowstaffmembersinteractwiththeir
customersandotherstakeholders(Chaffey&EllisChadwick2012).Foranycompany,owning
therightpersontosupportthecompany'sproductsandservicesisveryimportant.ForAbsolut
company,itusethesocialmediasuchasFacebookandTwitteronthewebsitetoconnectwith
servicestaffsandcustomers.Theseservicestaffscankeentocapturethepsychologicalreactions
ofcustomers,understandtheirneeds,andtheyarealsogoodtoestablishagoodconversation
atmosphere,quicklynarrowthedistancebetweenthecustomer,andsolvepuzzlesandtroubles
forthem.
Physicalevidenceistheelementofthemarketingmixthatreferstotangibleexpressionofthe
product,itmeanstheleveloftheproductevaluation(Chaffey&EllisChadwick2012).Inthese
Absolutewebsite,physicalevidencereferstotheexperiencesofthecustomersaftertheybuyand
useAbsoluteVodkaandtheservicesevaluationofthestaffsupport.Inthesocialmediaof
Absolutewebsite,thecustomersusuallyleavetheirownexperiencesaftertheybuyandusethe
productandthesewillbecomethecompany'sreputationandsigns,manycustomerswillbe
basedonthesecommentstodecidewhethertobuythecompany'sproducts.Inaddition,good
servicesevaluationsuchasniceconversationandsolvepuzzlesortroublesquicklyalsoan
importantfactorinpromotingcustomertobuyproducts.

3.5.

Price

Price has the most significant impact on consumer purchasing decision, as price value for
Absolut shouldberemainedoncurrentpositionwhichisnotover priceyetnotseemstobereally
cheap as well. Cheaper price tend to impact consumer perception towards the brand quality.
Comparing the prices between others vodka brands such as Smirnoff and Grey Goose in the
same litres,AbsolutVodkaispositioninthemiddlerangeofpriceUS$23.99whichcheaperthan

Grey Goose Vodka US$32.99 and more expensive than Smirnoff US$19.49(Price List). Its
better for Absolut vodka to put on their price on the website to increase the informationally as
well as to remind if there are any deals or price discount in the country. Furthermore, Absolut
can also added price comparison function into their website to increase flexibility so that
consumerknowwhatisthebestoptiontopurchase.

4.0.

OnlineRelationshipsandCustomerExperience

AbsolutVodkaisalowinvolvementandrelationshiporientatedproduct.ThisFMCGfocuseson
anemotionalappealanddevelopsstrategiesthatassistwithmaintainingconsumers.Duetothe
productbeingunavailabletobuythroughthewebsite,developingstrategiesthatassistAbsoluts
onlinecommunitydevelopmentisessential,asconsumersneedtofeelpartofabrand
community,andfeelapositiveconnectionwiththebrand.
Manybusinessestodayarefocusingonefficiencyandprofitabilitymanagement,basedon
economicsandstatistics,butnotenoughareconductingresearchforanswersastowhy
consumersformrelationshipswithbrands.Thesequestionsshouldbeconsiderednotonlyfor
longtermconsumers,butalsotheshortterm.
Establishingtwowaycommunicationbetweenthebrandandconsumerisakeyvariableinbeing
abletomaintainrelationships.Itisimportantthatorganisationsunderstandthatspamming
consumerswithquantitativeinformationanddataisnotaneffectiverelationshipbuilding
method,butrather,brandsshouldfocusoncustomercentricmarketing.Dialogueisimportant
withinthisaspect,becausejustlikerealliferelationships,consumerrelationshipsmustbe
twosided.
ConsumerengagementplaysahugeroleinthesuccessofAbsolutanditsproducts.Brand
communitiesencourageconsumerengagementthroughcommunicationchannelssuchas
Facebook,Instagram,YouTube,TwitterandBlogs.Thesechannelscreatecontentthatfurther
expressesthebrandvaluesandbrandpersonality,whichoverallbuildstrustwithconsumersand
tightensthebrandcommunity.
Permissionmarketingallowsconsumerstooptin,andbecomeinvolvedinanorganisations
marketingactivities,usuallyafterbeingofferedanincentive.Absoluttakesadvantageofthis

conceptwiththeiroptinprogramWeeklyDrinkRecipes.Thisinteractiveaspectoftheirwebsite,
alignedwithemailcommunicationsprovidesaneffectiveenvironmenttoadvancerelationships
withconsumers,andcreatesadatabasewheredatacanbestoredabouttherelationship,whichis
thenusedtocreateanevenmorepersonalisedservice.Absolutnowhavetheopportunitytonot
onlysendWeeklyDrinkRecipesasanincentivetomaintaintherelationship,butcanshare
contentandinformationaboutotheraspectsofthebrandwithitsconsumerbase,suchas
nightlife,promotions,competitionsetc.,whichwillstrengthencommunityengagement.
AbsolutnowhavetheopportunitytonotonlysendWeeklyDrinkRecipesasanincentiveto
maintainrelationships,butcansharecontentandinformationwithconsumersaboutotheraspects
ofthebrandwithitsconsumerbase,suchasnightlife,promotions,competitionsetc.,which
willstrengthencommunityengagement.
DuetotheproductbeingaFMCGandrelationshiporientatedbrand,consumerrelationshipmust
becontinuallymonitoredandmeasuredtomaintainthestrongdigitalpresencethatAbsoluthas
created.Bydoingthis,loyaltywithformandfurtherrelationshipswithconsumerswillestablish.

DePaulUniversitydevelopedamodernstudywhichconcludedthatonly50%ofcompaniesof
whichsalesreachedmorethanonemilliondollarsstatedthattheypracticeCRM.Italsostated
that81%ofthecompanieswhomachievedsalesoflessthan100milliondollarswhomhad
adaptedCRMprogramsadmittedthatitwasuseful,and75%mentionedthattheyhadhelpedto
establishrelationshipswithconsumers.(Soliman2011)
Digitalmarketingstrategiesarenotthesolefocusfororganisations.Offlinestrategiesarealso
essentialinachievingeffectiveCRM.Thejugglingofthetwoplatformsensuresthatthebrand
reachesadiversemarket.
LyerandBejoudiscusstheimportanceofofflinecommunicationstrategiesandCRMstrategies
mustbebasedondetailedevaluationoftheloyaltyprofitabilitylinkaswellastherealnature
bondbetweenthefirmandconsumer.Giventhattheprimaryobjectiveistoenablealongterm
relationshipwithconsumers,itfollowsthattherelationaldimensionofrelationshipbuildingand
maintenancewouldrequiretheuseofmorepersonal,humancontacts.(Lyer&Bejou2003)

AbsolutparticipateinofflineCRMwiththefacetofacetastetestingofproductswithconsumers
nationwideatliquorstoresthatstocktheirproduct.Thispromotionisoflowcosttothe
organisation,andalsoprovidesanincentivefortheinitialinteraction(beingafreebeverage).
Thisstrategyleadsthepathforpositivewordofmouth,brandrecognitionandevenbrand
loyaltytoAbsolutsproducts,particularlysowhenhighlytrainedstaffarehired.

4.2.

WebsiteFunctionalityandConsumerRelationships

Absolut.comisaguidetoallaspectsofthebrand,andattemptstoobtainallpossible
informationthatconsumersseek,tosatisfytheirneedsandwants.Thefunctionalityof
Absolutsofficialwebsiteisakeyplayerinallowingthemtobecompetitiveintodays
technologicalandcompetitivemarket.Theprimarystrengthsandweaknessesofthe
websiteinclude:

Strengths:
Thewebsiteiseasytonavigate,withadropandiscompatibleonalldevicesincluding:
smartphone,tablet,desktopandlaptop.Itisalsocompatiblewithlanguagepreference,
whichincreasesCRM.
TheURLiseasytoremember(absolut.com.au)andeasytosearchthroughsearch
engines,suchasGoogle,duetohighSearchEngineOptimisation.Thisisimportantto
maintainloyalconsumers.
Thewebsiteisaestheticallypleasingwithbrightcoloursandvideocontent,whichboth,
havebeenproventoincreaseattentionandinterestforwebsites.
Weaknesses:
Blogcontentdoesnotprovidedates,soitcanbeasetbackforindividualswhomare
searchingforupdated,relevantinformationaboutproducts.
Itcanbedifficulttofindwherehigherendproductsarelocated,anditcouldbebeneficial
forAbsoluttousenavigationplatforms,suchasGoogleMaps,toshowconsumerswhere
theproductsaredistributed.

 Thelayoutsofsectionsdifferfromoneanother,whichcanoccasionallybeunorganised
anddistracting.

5.0.

Conclusion

Inconclusion,AbsolutVodkahavebeensuccessfulinimplementingarangeofonlinemarketing
strategiesinordertosecureandsatisfythebrand'stargetaudience.However,through
examinationofthebrandsstrategies,severalrecommendationscanbemadeinordertoimprove
thecompany'sonlinepresence.
Thefirstrecommendationistoenhancetheirbrandrelationshipandpreferencesbyusingonline
platforms.Forexample,anonlinecontestcouldbeheld,offeringpromotionalcouponsand
discountsofAbsolutproductstothewinners.Thiswillincreaseinteractionwithcustomers,
leadingtoanimprovedbrandattitude.
Absolutcouldalsolookintotransitioningfrombeingarelationshipbuildingwebsitetoa
transactionalwebsite,throughthesaleoftheirproductsonline.Thistransitioncouldbe
supportedbythesloganEveryonecanAbsolutOnline,increasingbrandawarenessoftheir
onlinestore.
AnothersuggestiontoAbsolut.comwouldbetolinkthebrandsintermediariesontheirwebsite.
AlcoholaggregatorssuchasDanMurphy's,FirstChoiceandBWShavewebsitesthatprovide
pricecomparisonsforalcohol,thatallfeatureAbsolutVodkaproducts.Absolutshouldcreatea
tabontheirwebsitethatlinksalltheseintermediariessellingthebrandsproducts.Inthistab,
Absolutcouldprovidevariousweeklyupdatesonvodkadealsandpromotionswithinthese
stores.Incombinationwiththelinkstothewebsites,Absolutcoulduseasearchbarpurposedat
findingneareststoressellingAbsolutVodka.Thiswouldfurtherincreasebrandawarenessand
purchaseintentionthroughthepersonalisationofgeolocation.

6.0.

References

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Chitty,W,Barker,N,Valos,M&Shimp,T2012,IntegratedMarketingCommunications,3rd
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