Running head: ASSIGNMENT 1 1 Faculty of Applied Communication KMC6203 MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Section: FAC1 Assignment 1 (40%) Local business: ELIANTO Trimester 1: 2023/ 2024 (T2410) Lecturer: Dr. Nurafiq Inani Man STUDENT NAME ID NUMBER Ainul Hayat Najidah Binti Rosdi 1211307110 Chen Kar Men 1211306848 Nasrul Nabil Bin Khairul Nizam 1211307558 Wan Nur Ain Fatimah Binti Wan Ahmad Kamil 1211306744
ASSIGNMENT 1 2 Introduction Of Elianto and Digital Platform Elianto, a cosmetics company is a well-known local cosmetics brand that offers a broad selection of skincare, makeup, and fragrance goods (Elianto, 2024). In Italian, Elianto translates to sunflower. The company was founded to offer its clients high-quality cosmetics at reasonable prices, as described by its brand name Elianto which brings sunlight and amazing possibilities. Its business has grown to over 100 locations throughout Malaysia, Cambodia, the Maldives, Fiji Island, and Indonesia. The headquarters of the Elianto brand is located at Northpoint, Mid Valley City, one of the largest malls in Kuala Lumpur that attracts large crowds with a high traffic flow of shoppers (Emerging Markets Group Company, 2024). Elianto's business model focuses on offline retail shops, having retail stores in different malls such as Aeon, IOI Putrajaya, Berjaya Times Square, Sunway Pyramid, and many others. Not only that, but the company also focuses on online shopping platforms where the consumer can purchase their products not only from their official website but also from Tiktok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada (Elianto, 2024). In terms of marketing promotion, they promote their products on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where content such as makeup tutorials, unboxing, and reviewing of makeup products related content will be posted daily to attract their target consumers.
ASSIGNMENT 1 3 The Company Marketing Strategy Elianto is a striving company that is starting to gain recognition in the local markets. There are different types of marketing strategy that can be seen nowadays, however Elianto marketing strategy falls under two types which are Social Media Marketing (SMM), and Digital Marketing. According to Evans, et al., (2010), as cited by Dubbelink, et al., (2021), As SMM is aimed at the creation of interactions with consumers in the digital settings where they already spend time, businesses can enhance their customer experience by analyzing customers and their conversations. Based on our observation, Elianto does have few social media accounts for them to market virtually such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and an official e-commerce website. Other than that, Elianto does fall under Content Marketing as the brand actively involves in content creation through their TikTok page. Content marketing is a well-known marketing method whose popularity is steadily rising with technological advancement and Internet development over the last few years (Poradova, 2020). Thus, according to Paradova (2020), As the outdated marketing forms on the Internet became unattractive and dazed, a new way of marketing come, using content to help, enjoy and educate Internet users.
ASSIGNMENT 1 4 The Marketing Mix The 4 P’s marketing mix concept (later known as the 7 Ps of marketing) was introduced by Jerome McCarthy in his book: "Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach" (Mailchimp, n.d.). The marketing mix describes the overarching business approach to influence profitable customer action by selling a single product or service (Ellering, 2022). As stated by Darmawan and Grenier (2021), the service marketing mix, consisting of seven components, is a crucial tool for organizations to create value and satisfy customer expectations while achieving competitive advantage in a competitive environment. Below are the definitions of 7 Ps in Marketing Mix based on Ellering (2022): 1. Product - Your product may be anything sold for profit, whether that means a physical good or a service. 2. Price - In simplest terms, the monetary value charged in exchange for a good or service. Prices must be set competitively against market rates, taking profit margins and other factors into consideration. 3. Place - In this context, place refers to the geographical area where a product or service is shipped or made available. 4. Promotion - Once a product or service is on the market, it needs to be promoted. 5. People - This refers to anyone involved in the business, whether via sales, product design, management, or any other field that will affect the business’s success. 6. Positioning - Establishing brand identity to advertise towards the right target market. 7. People - Recruiting and training, customer service. As for Elianto, the brand emphasised on utilising product, price, place, and promotion. Place determines where the good or service will be sold based on the target audience’s location or search for the product (Ellering, 2022). The products fall under the healthcare and beauty category and are available in local shopping malls. The customer may get direct experience of testing the products at their physical booths and stores. Ellering (2022) also mentions that price is the second P in the marketing mix, referring to how much the business charges for its goods or services. It’s convenient for consumers to view the product’s price instantly, either physically or virtually. Additionally, the price range and promotions are affordable for locals and the brand consistently showcases its promotions. For example, their recent sale is ‘buy 2 @ RM70’.
ASSIGNMENT 1 5 The Marketing Communication Strategies via Situational Analysis Elianto is a Malaysian cosmetics brand that has developed a reputation for providing high-quality beauty products at an affordable price. Elianto has more than 100 physical stores around Southeast Asia, and they also have a thriving online presence on their website and other e-commerce platforms. One of the ways they promote themselves is via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Strengths and weaknesses are internal variables. These attributes set a company apart from its competitors and provide a relative advantage or disadvantage (Peterdy, 2023). On the other hand, opportunities and threats come from external factors. Management can take advantage of opportunities found in the external environment to boost company performance. Threats are aspects of outside influences that have the potential to jeopardize a company's competitive edge (Peterdy, 2023). Strengths: • Brand Recognition: Elianto is one of the brands that has established itself in the local market. Brand awareness helps to establish consumer loyalty, provide a competitive advantage, and influence purchasing decisions (Hanna, 2023). Brand awareness helps
ASSIGNMENT 1 6 to establish consumer loyalty, provide a competitive advantage, and influence purchasing decisions. In addition to facilitating communication efforts, this brand recognition serves as a foundation of trust for potential customers. Messages from a brand that people already know, and respect are likely to be received more favourably by the public. • Multi-Channel Presence: One of their strengths is that they have both platforms, an online store, and a physical store, compared to another brand, which may have only an online store. Customers who prefer to test their product can come to Elianto’s physical store, and customers who prefer to shop online can just buy it through various platforms like their TikTok account or their website, which can have more benefits. This produces a smooth shopping experience while accommodating various customer preferences. • Content Marketing: Elianto usually posts its content on TikTok, which consists of makeup tutorials, unboxing videos, and reviews. This shows that they are engaging with their target customer. They also regularly conduct live product sales almost every night on TikTok. They also receive a good number of views, with 7.7 million being the most popular one. Furthermore, they also gain 216.8k of followers and 438.6k of likes on TikTok. Weakness: • Limited influencer marketing: Even though Elianto has establish themselves in social media they need to use influencer marketing wisely. By selecting the right influencer or artist they want to collab, they can improve their brand reputation and improve their trust with their target audience. According to Taslaud (2024) Influencers like Sally (@sallywhoo) and Sofea Shra (@sfeashraa) who are very good at promoting product can boost the company sales and revenue and they can bring in new customer. • Personalized Communication: There is a way to improve consumer engagement which are by implementing a specialization communication tactics. Personalization in email can lead to an increase of 14% in Click-Through Rates (CTR) and boost conversion rates by 6 times (Balkhi, 2023). According to the statistics Elianto should perform personalized email marketing campaigns that make product recommendations based on past purchases or browsing behaviour. What this prove is that Elianto takes a good care of their customer preference. Next, loyal customer of Elianto will have a
ASSIGNMENT 1 7 specialize loyalty plans which have various advantage. This encourages continued participation and builds a sense of community. • Data Utilization Challenges: Elianto may be gathering data from a variety of sources (websites, social media accounts, e-commerce platforms), but they may find it difficult to handle the sheer amount of data. Elianto also might not have the tools or knowledge necessary to examine intricate data sets and draw insightful conclusions. Lastly, Elianto may have difficulty turning data collection and analysis into useful insights that guide strategies for communication. Opportunities: • YouTube Expansion: Elianto will need to make a detailed YouTube cosmetics tutorials that demonstrate the functionality of their products. As a result, customers can view the outcome of the products and learn more about how to use them. Elianto can also make a video describing the goals of their business, the ideas behind the products, or the production process. One of the most famous ways is collaborating with influencers or YouTubers who have a large following because they have more influence and ideas on how to make great content. • Public Relations and Brand Awareness: Public Relation (PR) can be an effective technique to produce important word-of-mouth advertising, sometimes due to the enhanced reliability and accessibility of information supplied in editorial articles and interviews (Nelson, 2021). Elianto should collaborate with pertinent media platforms or beauty periodicals to obtain editorial articles, sponsored material, or product placements. This expands the brand's audience and raises its profile. Elianto needs to choose a social cause that their target market is interested in, then create a marketing campaign to support it. Elianto's dedication to social responsibility is demonstrated by this, which may enhance favorable brand recognition. • Building Brand Advocacy: Elianto can send all its new products to various beauty influencers so that they can review them and so that more people will know or recognize its product. This has the potential to expand the audience and create natural publicity. Establish a program wherein current customers receive prizes for referring friends and family to their business. According to Dublino (2024) when some people who have a very positive experience with a particular brand become so enthusiastic and satisfied that they become brand advocates, actively promoting it to others.
ASSIGNMENT 1 8 Threats: • Competition: The beauty market is fiercely competitive, with new local and international brands constantly emerging. These competitors may offer similar products at lower prices or leverage innovative marketing strategies. L'Oréal, L'Occitane, and AmorePacific are the example of competitor for Elianto. Elianto needs to create content that highlights its Unique Selling Proposition (USP). • Shifting Trends: Social media trends and customer preferences are ever evolving. What is fashionable now may be out of date tomorrow. An inability to modify communication tactics in response to these changes may result in an issue with the intended audience. What Elianto can do is create a flexible content schedule that is flexible and has the flexibility to adapt and produce content that follows the latest trends quickly. • Negative Reviews and Brand Perception: Negative internet reviews and problems with brand perception can seriously harm Elianto's reputation and drive away potential customers. One thing that Elianto can do is be open and honest about its products' ingredients, the way they are made, and itssustainability initiatives. Confront any issues brought up in critical evaluations and show that you are willing to grow and improve as well.
ASSIGNMENT 1 9 Major Competitors of Elianto To be known as a brand of beauty and personal care, mainly founded in Malaysia, while competing with other international brands that provide beauty and personal care can be one of the major challenges for Elianto to gain its name in the market. Big brands like L'Oréal, L'Occitane, and AmorePacific have had their own names, identity, publicity, and loyalty from its customers as they are brands of international and have already well-established in the market. These international brands would have been few of the biggest competitors for Elianto. Few of the reasons are to be explained further as to look thoroughly why L'Oréal, L'Occitane, and AmorePacific are considered to be few of Elianto’s major competitors. 1. Brand Recognition Firstly, competing with big international brands means there will be big gaps between the local brands and the international brands. The gaps of in terms of brand recognition. L'Oréal, L'Occitane, and AmorePacific are brands that have been in the market since the 1900s, compared to Elianto, who’s in the market since the 2000s. International brands are known to have better brand recognition due to their extensive marketing initiatives and market presence in the cosmetic, makeup, and perfume industries. Sannino (2023) explained that having a better presence in the market leads the customer to be familiar with their offerings, which enhances their sense of reliability and trustworthiness as well as encourages the customers’ loyalty and
ASSIGNMENT 1 10 purchase decisions with the brands. Apart from that, customers of the big brands not only come locally but also comes internationally all across the globe. This is due to the big brands having broader audiences through established networks, channels, and resources. 2. Established Marketing Platforms Elianto focuses more on digital marketing, such as through TikTok Shop, Shopee, Instagram, and Facebook, as one of their main marketing strategies due to the high demand on social media. Other than that, Elianto also focuses on doing content such as makeup tutorials, reviewing makeup products and unboxing content that is believed to reach their targeted audience, be it locally or internationally. However, in order to compete with big brands like L'Oréal, L'Occitane, and AmorePacific, Elianto needs to enhance its marketing efforts in order to compete with major international brands and attain a comparable level of market presence and recognition. Brand visibility is broadening for international brands as they have resources, distribution channels, and networks that are already in place that is well-established as a brand of personal care and beauty brands. This has enabled the big brands to raise awareness among larger audiences in multiple countries (Sannino, 2023). However, being a local brand should not stop Elianto to rise and do better in the market as it has a name by being a local brand with authenticity and its own value. Emphasizing local identity as Malaysia’s brand while keeping its authenticity can be applied by Elianto as it helps to keep the identity of the brand as a Malaysia’s origin while keeping it roots and heritage that the consumers would have feel connected with the brand itself. Aside from that, this could also help promote Malaysia's culture to the outside world as Elianto is not only operating its business in Malaysia, but also in Cambodia, the Maldives, Fiji Island, and Indonesia. Utilizing localism in a brand is one of the best ways to promote the brand and their nationality; this helps in bringing local communities together while creating a sense of belonging within the community (Idle, 2023).
ASSIGNMENT 1 11 The Effectiveness of a Marketing Communication Strategy Implemented by Elianto Marketing communication is essential for every business to succeed as it is a step and strategy to promote the business and make it known to the public. Biyani (2024) explained that a marketing communication strategy is valuable for a business to utilise for them to inform about the products and services offered to their potential customers, and it will help encourage the customers to purchase their products or services provided. On the other hand, it helps the business or brand to present not only their products but also their brand image and identity to the audiences. There is few effectiveness of a marketing communication strategy implemented by Elianto that helps to be well-known and purchased by the public: 1. Building brand awareness: Brand awareness is defined as how recognisable the brand is to its target audience (Kopp, 2022). Through various marketing strategies done by Elianto, be it through digital marketing such as TikTok Live, Shopee Live, or Instagram Content, it has helped Elianto to be well recognised through the public eyes as they can expand their business and brand not only across Malaysia, but also in other countries such as Indonesia, and Cambodia. “Advertising and promotion strategies are formulated to reach as many potential customers as possible and tell them what the company has to offer” (Hill, 2019).
ASSIGNMENT 1 12 2. Creating loyalty between the stakeholders and the brand: Effectiveness of a marketing communication strategy helps to create a better relationship between the stakeholders and the brand. Stakeholders are one of the most important people that a brand needs to have for them to reach a better success. Stakeholders are people who majorly affected by a project positively or negatively, they are people who has interest and invested in an organization (Institute Project Management, 2023). With an effective marketing communication strategy that helps Elianto to be one of the well-known brands that offers perfumes, beauty care, and body care will get them to create a better relationship and loyalty with their stakeholders, especially the Elianto’s customers as they are one of the bigger stakeholders that involved in the business. An effective marketing communication strategy is a success for Elianto by viewing at the product review done by their customers: “Elianto is a local retail makeup brand that comes at very affordable prices. I collected these eyeshadows over a period of time.” (Elianto’s customer review by Harivain) 3. Reaching a good Return on Investment (ROI): Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial measure employed to assess the profitability of an investment (Lenglet, 2023). It is crucial for every business to have the return of ROI as to measure the success of the business and to carefully allocate the investment into a profitable resource. With the effectiveness of marketing communication strategy done by Elianto, ROI would easily be reached. This can be proved by one statement on Elianto’s net sales where in 2022, Elianto Make Up Sdn. Bhd.’s net sales revenue increase to 61.67%, while the total assets grew by 40.85% over the same period. It is concluded that the net profit margin of Elianto Make Up Sdn. Bhd. increased up until 2.57% in 2022 (Emis, 2024). The increasing of net profit margins is a prove that the marketing communications done by Elianto was a success and in which it has able to reach a good ROI.
ASSIGNMENT 1 13 Conclusion In conclusion, Elianto's strategic approach and adaptability make the brand to stand firmly in the competitive market landscape. Through its diverse marketing channels, including traditional retail and online platforms, Elianto has effectively reached a broad audience across Malaysia and beyond. Following the current trend, promoting the products on multiple social media platforms through content marketing and personalised communication helps Elianto build brand awareness and rapport with the company. Despite stiff competition from international giants, Elianto thrives by emphasising its local identity and heritage, resonating with customers and communities. By following deep to the root of their company’s mission, providing high-quality products at affordable prices, and using an effective marketing communication strategy, Elianto has established a strong brand presence in Southeast Asia and continues to thrive in their business in the long run.
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