In an effort to overcome the competition, Microsoft is in a high-stake race gains Google and other search engines for the next new thing in Internet advertising. Advertisers are expected to do business with the first company that can step into a new form of advertising online, an investment that can put the $600 billion global ad business in either Microsoft or Google’s hands. Both Microsoft and Google have showed interest in two major advertising companies that seem to have the solution: aQuantive, Inc. and DoubleClick. aQuantive, Inc. is associated with one of the most successful families of digital marketing companies in the world and is sought after by Microsoft for $6 billion. DoubleClick, “…enables agencies, marketers and publishers to work together successfully and profit from their digital marketing investments,” and it seems to be leaning towards Google as the battleground balances out for the competition.
Write a Business or MBA marketing plan and/or research paper on Microsoft’s current or future marketing strategy for customers wanting to do online advertisement. It should reflect on the latest advertising approach mentioned above.
An excellent marketing strategy research paper will include:
• Summary of Microsoft’s marketing plan
• Strategic focus and plan: Mission, goals, core competency and sustainable competitive advantage
• Situation analysis: SWOT, Industry, competitive, company, and customer analysis
• Market-product focus: marketing objective, target market, positioning
• Marketing program: product strategy, price strategy, promotion strategy, place strategy
• Financial data and projections
• Plan to implement the strategy
• Plan to evaluate and control the strategies
• And sources: annual reports, journal articles, newspaper articles, Internet articles, etc.
