SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
YSP524 INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
CAPSTONE PROFESIONAL PROJECT
TITLE
UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY TO IMPROVE
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: A CASE OF SEMUDA INDUSTRIES
NAME
ALIESA NUR AMIERATUL BT KAMARUDIN
P-KOM0146/21
SUPERVISOR
DR. SHARIFAH NADIAH SYED MUKHIAR
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENT........................................................................................................3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................4
BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................5
PROBLEM DEFINITION .....................................................................................................8
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ..............................................................................................11
RESEARCH METHOD & DESIGN ...................................................................................12
DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................19
STRATEGIES & TACTICAL PLAN..................................................................................23
Target Audience.......................................................................................................................25
To increase brand visibility and awareness .........................................................................26
→ Website .................................................................................................................................................... 26
→ Facebook Ads ......................................................................................................................................... 28
→ Direct Mail Marketing ............................................................................................................................. 30
→ Google Display ads ................................................................................................................................ 33
To enhance customer loyalty .................................................................................................36
→ Expand Semuda Industries staff .......................................................................................................... 36
→ Email Marketing...................................................................................................................................... 36
→ Content Marketing via Social Media.................................................................................................... 38
→ Thank You Card & Business Card Marketing .................................................................................... 41
TIMELINE & BUDGET ......................................................................................................43
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................44
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................45
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First I pay my gratitude to the almighty Allah for giving me the ability to complete
this Capstone project successfully. Words could never be enough to express my gratitude,
but here I am.
I would like to express my gratitude & respect to my honourable Capstone
Supervisor Dr. Sharifah Nadiah Syed Mukhiar for her constant guidance, advice,
encouragement & every possible help in the overall preparation of this Capstone project
from the beginning till the end. Her knowledge in qualitative research has allow me to
complete this project. Also, a special appreciation to Dr Hasrina Mustafa for her tips and
constant reminder of dateline in producing this Capstone project that has awoken me to
finish this Capstone project.
Moreover, I am grateful to Mr Kamarudin as the manager in Semuda Industries for
his to constant guidance, support, and information during my research project and
completing my Capstone.
Finally, I would like to thank my loved one which includes my parents for their never
ending support, my family members that never gave up on me, and my friends who
supported me till the end.
It has been a wonderful and special pleasure for me to have the opportunity to
thank a large number of people for their assistance and support in making this industrial
training a success.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The services industry has emerged as one of the most important drivers of global
economic growth. To provide a great customer experience, company has to provide a
smooth customer journey for the customer. The customer experience has become the
subject of management study because providing a meaningful customer experience leads
to customer satisfaction, which is necessary for gaining a competitive advantage. Thus,
this research has chosen Semuda Industries - an SME company, to identify the
touchpoints that affects from the customer journey, and to provide a solution for Semuda
industries in order for them to create a better customer experience for their own client.
There were a total of 8 respondents that were interviewed to understand their journey as
a customer from pre-service, during-service, and post-service. From the collected
interviews, all of the respondent pain points were found during their pre-service journey.
Respondents said that they have not received any advertising from Semuda Industries
which makes it hard for them to know any about Semuda Industries’ information or
services that they are providing in the future. Thus, an integrated marketing plan is
developed that focuses on generating brand visibility & awareness and to increase brand
loyalty toward Semuda Industries. In order to do so, both traditional and digital media will
be used to reach to the customer as it could enhance their experience during their journey
with Semuda Industries.
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BACKGROUND
A service is an act or activity performed by one person for the benefit of another.
Although the process may be linked to a physical product, the performance is largely
intangible and does not typically result in ownership of any of the manufacturing variables.
Services are economic activities that add value and give advantages to customers at
certain times and locations by effecting a desired change in - or on behalf of - the
beneficiary of the service. In other words, service is defined as any individually identifiable,
primarily intangible activity that provides wants-satisfaction to the customers (B. Balaji,
2002).
According to Fornell et al. (2006), providing exceptional experiences to customers
has been shown to be a long-term competitive advantage with a demonstrable financial
impact for businesses. With the advent of the service economy, service providers'
success is now dependent on their ability to provide customer-centric services
(Gustafsson and Johnson, 2003). It is commonly recognised that perceived service
quality (Edvardsson, 1998, 2005) and customer experience are important (Halvorsrud et
al., 2016). Furthermore, the customer experience has become a management research
topic since offering a meaningful customer experience leads to client satisfaction, which
is required for acquiring a competitive advantage. Simultaneously, for enterprises
operating in industrial markets, services are becoming increasingly vital (Bueno et al.,
2019).
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Furthermore, in the service sector, the processual and experience aspects of
services are seen as particularly important (Edvardsson et al., 2005). Consumer
experience, identified as a customer's cognitive, affective, emotional, social, and physical
responses to a company (Verhoef et al., 2009), is a significant competitive advantage in
a wide range of service sectors (Meyer and Schwager, 2007). The concept of customer
experience has spurred a lot of study on the determinants of customer experience
(Carreira et al., 2013; Verhoef et al., 2009) and how customer experience keeps changing
(Berry et al., 2002, 2006). (Baron and Harris, 2010; Følstad and Kvale, 2018) Customers'
interpretations of interactions construct experiences (Hume et al. 2006), implying that the
corporation cannot entirely control the experience. However, companies can develop and
arrange requirements and stimuli that enable customers to have the desired experiences
rather than producing them (Gupta and Vajic 2000).
Moreover, to have a great customer experience, company has to provide a smooth
customer journey for the customer. The phrase "customer journey" has become
frequently used in practical service management and design in this context (Rawson et
al., 2013). From the customer's perspective, the word refers to the processual and
experiential components of service procedures. It's been called "repeated contacts"
between a service provider and a consumer (Meroni and Sangiorgi, 2011)
or an "engaging story" about a consumer process of dealing with a service (Stickdorn and
Schneider, 2010). The customer journey viewpoint is crucial for incorporating customers
in strategy work and business model creation, according to acknowledged service design
organizations (Kimbell, 2011; Norton and Pine, 2013) In short, the customer journey is
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defined as the customer decision process from awareness of a product through
completion of the purchase, with multiple touch points in between (Foelstad & Kvale,
2018). Thus, by understanding customer journeys is beneficial to businesses since it
provides insights and a diverse tool for managing the customer experience. The customer
journey is recognized as a tool for comprehending, giving value to, and designing the
customer experience (Bolinder and Bostrom, 2019). As a result, service providers
should aiming to improve their services by considering to replicate customer journey from
the customer's perspective themselves (Tseng et al., 1999; Teixeira et al., 2012) to result
in greater customer experience.
For this market research, the researcher has chosen Semuda Industries to provide
the company with a better understanding of how to create a better customer experience
by exploring and identifying gaps in customer journey. Semuda Industries is a small
media enterprise which provides to both b2b and b2c. This company was founded in 2014
by Mr Kamarudin and his partner Mrs Rozilawati where the company office is located at
Cheras. Semuda Industries mission is to provide solutions and to solve electrical problem
faced by locals within Klang Valley and Hulu Langat. Their vision is to give client pleasure
with the services they provide, as well as to be respected by others. The goals that
Semuda wants to achieve is to be a well-known electrical company that could help locals
within Klang Valley. Therefore, he and his partner Mrs Rozilawati has come up with this
company called Semuda Industries to provide electrical services for locals within Klang
Valley in Malaysia.
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The services provided by Semuda Industries are mostly related to electrical. Thus,
the services that they provide for their customer are Si Security system which includes
CCTV, alarm and access, Si audio visual system for pa system at any event or place, Si
business network solution such as the internet setting, router and so on, to install, repair
and service any electrical appliances, an energy saving consultant to audit energy saving,
affordable air-conditioner service and wiring, food waste disposer installer, and UVC light
disinfectant installer.
PROBLEM DEFINITION
Creating a great client experience has risen to the top of the list of managerial
priorities. When executives were asked about their top goals for the next twelve months,
improving the customer experience garnered the most number one rankings, according
to a survey by Accenture (2015). Schmitt (1999) was among the first scholars to underline
the significance of customer experience, while Pine and Gilmore (1998) especially
addressed the significance of experiences in today's culture and the opportunity for
enterprises to benefit from producing good and meaningful customer experiences.
The Marketing Science Institute (2014, 2016) views customer experience as one
of its most critical research challenges in the coming years, owing to the increasing
number and complexity of customer touchpoints, as well as the belief that creating strong,
positive experiences throughout the customer journey will result in bottom-line
improvements through increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth (Lemon &
Verhoef, 2016).
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Moreover, according to Schmitt, Joko, and Zarantonello (2015), researchers
generally agree that the most significant customer journey components are social,
cognitive, behavioural, emotional, and sensory. Additionally, factors such as a distinct
brand or improved technology are critical and impact the consumer journey (Lemon &
Verhoef, 2016). All of these elements and facets are present at multiple touchpoints
throughout the consumer experience (Temkin & Bliss, 2011)
Consequently, the outcome is an ever-increasing number of touch points for
customers to interact with enterprises, resulting in ever more complex customer journeys.
As media and distribution channels become more diverse, businesses must learn to
manage across all of these channels. Furthermore, customer-to-customer interactions via
social media and WOM present substantial problems and potential for businesses.
Customer experiences are becoming more social, with peer customers also affecting
them. Firms also have far less full authority over the client experience and journey, which
leads to activities such as "showrooming". As a result, it has now become extremely
difficult for businesses to design, manage, and seek to control every customer's
experience and journey. (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016).
Looking at past research, the area of customer path selection during the customer
journey is relatively unstudied. A research in this field that examines the customer journey
would contribute to enhanced understanding in this area. Exploring the customer journey
entails determining how various customers behave during the journey and why they
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behave that way. By examining the customer journey, knowledge about how to produce
a pleasant customer experience may be gained. A positive customer experience results
in a more accommodating engagement for both the business and the consumer.
Additionally, a great customer experience may imply that the customer has a more
sincere relationship with the business. Additionally, what impacts customers should be
explored for the mutual benefit of businesses and customers. If a business understands
how to influence customer journeys, it will benefit the business with a higher profits in the
future (Temkin & Bliss, 2011).
As for Semuda Industries, looking into now with the digitalization of this new era,
Semuda Industries is nowhere to be near into current era. According to Rebekah Carter
on Zoovu, accessibility is the most vital part in achieving a great customer experience.
The reason for this is that the organisation needs to ensure that customers can identify
and access products and services on their preferred channel quickly and easily, with no
hurdles or frustration. Like Semuda Industries, although they have their Facebook and
Instagram page, however their pages are not updated and there are no admin who
manage their pages. Thus, leading it to be hard for consumer to ask for information and
finding products and services available online. Moreover, Semuda Industries lack one of
the most important part of a business which is a physical store for consumer to come and
survey their likings. Without this brick and mortar, they are creating a frustration for
possible consumer or consumer to have a great consumer experience because they do
not know where to assess the information needed. Thus, this research are able to help
Semuda Industries by studying and evaluating the customer journey to give Semuda
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Industries with a better understanding of how to improve the company's customer
experience.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
In a few words, a research aim summarises the outcome of a research project
once it has been implemented. The research purpose directs how the investigation is
carried out. Objectively and succinctly explain what the research is seeking to accomplish.
They describe the accomplishments that a researcher must attain and provide the best
decision for the research endeavour. Thus, this study is undertaken to explore customer
journey of Semuda Industries, identify the touchpoints that affects customer journey, and
to provide an understanding for Semuda industries in order for them to create a better
customer experience for their own client. Therefore, written down below are the research
question and research objectives for this study.
Research questions:
RQ1: What are the touchpoints that affects Semuda Industries customer journey?
RQ2: What are the solutions to improve Semuda Industries customer journey?
The objectives of the study are:
RO1: To identify the touchpoints that affects from Semuda Industries customer journey.
RO2: To provide Semuda Industries solutions to improve their customer journey.
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RESEARCH METHOD & DESIGN
The research design is the overall method utilized to ensure that the data obtained
in the research can be used to effectively address the research topic. (De Vaus, 2001).
This study will be using the exploratory design. In the research, Semuda Industries
existing consumers are used as the subject of the study. As the aim of the study is to
explore the customer journey from the customer themselves, and to provide Semuda
Industries with a better understanding of how to create a better customer experience by
exploring and analyzing the customer journey. According to Wimmer and Dominick (2011),
exploratory research is used to look for data indicators and to figure out "what is going
on" in a phenomenon.
The method of exploratory design that will achieve as mentioned objectives is in
depth interview. An in-depth interview is an open-ended, discovery-oriented method to
obtain detailed information about a topic from a stakeholder. In-depth interviews are a
qualitative research method; their goal is to explore in depth a respondent’s point of view,
experiences, feelings, and perspectives (Wallacefoundation, n.d.). Hence, the interview
will be conducted in this research with the subjects which is Semuda Industries existing
consumers. Through the interview, with Semuda's consumers, are expected to provide
an overview of their experiences before, during, and after purchase with Semuda
Industries services to provide a clear journey from the consumer perspective.
Interviews in research can be classified as structured, semi-structured and
unstructured. When it comes to structured interviews, researchers describe them as
"research instruments that are extremely strict in their operations and provide little or no
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room for participants to be prompted to collect and analyse results." Semi-structured
interviews, on the other hand, give the researcher a lot of latitude in probing the
respondents while still adhering to the core interview structure. Unstructured interviews,
on the other hand, are typically described as casual chats with the goal of gathering
information for a research project. As a result, this study will be conducted using a semi-
structured interview. This interview approach is used because semi-structured interview
questions are created ahead of time, giving the researcher time to prepare and analyse
the questions while still following to the study criteria. In addition, unlike a structured
interview, researchers can ask interview questions in any way they like. (Questionpro,
2021) The most crucial thing is that semi-structured interviews are less formal, non-
directive, and conversational, which make the subject interview will have more area for
discussion and responses will be expanded (Mann, 2016).
Interview guidelines are important for making the most of interview time by
studying a large number of responders in a more methodical and comprehensive manner,
as well as for keeping the interview focused on the planned course of action. (DiCicco-
Bloom B, Crabtree BF, 2006) In order to have the interview data captured more effectively,
recording of the interviews is considered an appropriate choice, because the recording of
the interview makes it easier for the researcher to focus on the interview content and the
verbal prompts and thus enables the transcriptionist to generate “verbatim transcript” of
the interview. (Jamshed, Shazia, 2014)
The list of question guide is drafted below as according to the customer journey process
in regard to before purchase, during purchase, and after purchase.
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Aspects Context
Pre-service • To find out the need recognition when a
During-service customer determine a need and
Post-service immediately associates a brand with being
able to meet that need.
• To determine whether the consumer is
looking for internal or external information.
• To identify the touchpoint encounter from
the consumer before their purchase.
• To examine the purchase decision that
leads them to buy SI services.
• To identify the touchpoint encounter from
the consumer when during purchase with SI
services.
• To identify the touchpoint encounter from
the consumer after the purchase has done
with SI services.
• To identify the after-purchase behaviour
whether customer is satisfied or dissatisfied
with the purchase with SI.
• To analyse if consumer has the intention to
buy with SI in the future.
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When conducting qualitative research, it is necessary to identify an appropriate
sample size in order to assure accuracy and consistency. Despite the fact that some
qualitative research specialists prefer to avoid the question of "how many" interviews "are
enough," there is some variation in the number of interviews that are recommended as a
bare minimum. An incredibly large number of articles, book chapters, and books offer
guiding and propose anywhere from 5 to 50 people as an appropriate number of
participants (Dworkin, S.L., 2012). Thus, the sample size for this study will be 8
participants that the researcher herself will be conducting and in depth one-to-one
interview.
Sampling is a technique for picking individuals or a subset of the population in
order to derive statistical conclusions and estimate the characteristics of the entire
population. Thus, in this study, researcher will conduct a non-probability sampling
technique. Individuals are selected for inclusion in a non-probability sample based on
non-random criteria, and not every participant has an equal chance of being selected.
Non-probability sampling procedures are often employed in exploratory and qualitative
research, particularly in exploratory and qualitative research. The purpose of this type of
study is to get an early understanding of a small or understudied community, rather than
to test a theory about a vast population, as is the case with other types of research.
(Scribbr, 2019)
One of the non-probability samplings is purposive sampling. Qualitative research
frequently employs a strategy known as "purposeful sampling" to identify and choose
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information-rich examples for the best use of limited resources (Patton, 2002). It's a
process of locating and interviewing individuals or groups who have specific expertise or
first-hand experience with a certain topic of interest (Cresswell and Plano Clark, 2011).
Bernard (2002) and Spradley (1979) both emphasize the importance of knowledge and
experience, as well as the capacity to transmit experiences and opinions in an eloquent,
expressive, and reflective manner. Consequently, the researcher is using a non-
probability-purposive sampling to conduct this study.
Since its a purposive sampling and the researcher wanted to know about the
customer journey from Semuda Industries. Thus, to determine the effectiveness of the
research, the researcher decided to do an in-depth interview with the existing customer
and those who had purchase services with Semuda Industries before because they have
the information that needed for this research. The respondent chosen where based on
their loyalty towards Semuda Industries. Some respondent has been with Semuda
Industries for more than 1 year. From these respondents, the researcher could collect a
rich empirical material to comprehend the customer journey and enhance the future
experience of Semuda Industries customers. A total of 8 respondents customer journey
were investigated and 8 customer journey were obtain. Furthermore, below is a table of
an overview of the interview respondents.
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At the start of the interview, the informants were asked about their demographic
such as their age and occupation to break the ice among the researcher and the
respondent. The informants were asked to provide the problems that occurred before
purchasing with Semuda Industries. From here, the respondents were asked if they had
compare with other similar brands to Semuda Industries. This is to find out the need
recognition when a customer determine a need and immediately associates a brand with
being able to meet that need. Later on, any advertising that the respondents came across
from Semuda Industries were asked to determine on whether or not the respondent look
for external or internal information.
Consequently, respondents were asked on how and why exactly they have chosen
Semuda Industries. Next, to determine the customer journey process, the respondents
were asked on the communication tools that were used during-purchasing with Semuda
Industries to determine the touchpoints occurred. Also, at this stage, respondents were
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asked on to whether or not they asked for product details, price, and so on to Semuda
Industries, and was Semuda Industries took a long time to provide the respondents all
the details asked. Subsequently, respondents were asked on the duration of the services,
and any follow up such as receipts, invoices and such that provided by Semuda Industries.
This aim to analyse their after-purchase behaviour to whether or not they satisfied or vice
versa on their purchase with Semuda Industries. Which later on they were asked on if
they wanted to buy from Semuda Industries in the future and would recommend Semuda
Industries to their friends and family.
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DISCUSSION
Through an inductive qualitative research approach, the researcher built a holistic
understanding of customer journey to determine the user interaction, touchpoints, pain
points, and the solutions for Semuda Industries. Thus, from the pain points that found in
each of the respective customer journey, we can fill in the gaps to help improve Semuda
Industries customer's experience. To discuss, we will be looking at the objective of the
study to examine whether or not the research has achieved the objective.
To identify the touchpoints that affects from Semuda Industries customer journey
From the collected interview session with all eight respondents, the customer
journey has been identified. During the pre-service, every each of the respondent
occurred a need recognition. The need recognition step was the primary focus of attention
since it holds the key to understanding why the customer has progressed to the pre-
purchase stage of the journey. During the stage of the customer journey known as pre-
purchase, the consumer does informational searches in an effort to locate a product that
meets their needs (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016).
3 respondents from the interview session said that prior to choosing Semuda
Industries, they had a problem whereby their house and shops were broken into.
Therefore, this possessed as their need recognition to find security system to prevent the
same thing happen again in the future. Also, same goes with one of the respondents said
that they needed to find an outsource to team up to work together. Once they found their
problem, they do their research and compare various brands to find the one that suit their
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liking the best. In this case, Semuda has achieved their likings. Through this customer
journey, the researcher found that all of the respondents have knowledge about Semuda
Industries through word-of-mouth. Every respondent said that they knew Semuda
Industries from their friends and colleague. Thus, this customer journey emphasizes that
the word-of-mouth plays an important role for Semuda Industries especially when it came
from trusted sources such as friends, family, and colleague. This creates a journey for the
respondent to find Semuda Industries.
During-service is when respondent had decided that they want to use the services
from Semuda Industries for their needs. Among the brands that they had previously
compared, some respondents chose Semuda Industries because, according to them,
Semuda Industries had the most expertise in electrical and electronic products. In addition,
some respondents indicated that Semuda Industries' prices are among the most
reasonable. In addition, several have picked Semuda Industries due to their positive and
trustworthy relationship. Once the services are up and running, some of the touchpoints
that the respondent will encounter during service are phoning, texting, and physical
consultation to ensure that the service is performed according to the customer's
specifications.
Post-service is once the services is done. From the customer's perspective, all
Semuda Industries customers interviewed by the researcher are satisfied with the
services Semuda Industries has provided. They have nothing but praise for Semuda
Industries. When asked if they would like to purchase from Semuda Industries again in
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the future, all of them said that they would most likely do so. Also, when asked if they
would suggest Semuda Industries to their friends and family, some responded
affirmatively, while others have already done so. This demonstrated that their experience
as a customer of Semuda Industries was positive.
To provide Semuda Industries solutions to improve their customer journey
To determine the user pain point, we have to look at their pain points, from there
we can provide the appropriate solutions for Semuda Industries. From the customer
journey we could find the user action, touchpoints, pain points, and the solutions for
Semuda Industries. Thus, from the pain points that found in each of the respective
customer journey, we can fill in the gaps to help improve Semuda Industries customer's
experience.
If we were to look at their pain points, all of the pain points that were found were
during on their pre-service journey. All of the respondents said that they have not received
any advertising from Semuda Industries which makes it hard for them to know the
Semuda Industries’ information. One of the respondent said that it would be better if
Semuda Industries could have an online presence so that prior to that, they could
compare prices among other brands efficiently without having to contact with Semuda
Industries directly. Also, one respondent emphasises that if there were website of
Semuda Industries, they could know what other services or product that Semuda
Industries could are selling. Thus, these are the pain point that were found during
customer journey.
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As a result, the researcher would recommend to Semuda Industries that the
company begin enhancing their online presence by creating Facebook and Instagram
advertising to raise awareness among their target customers. In order for them to begin
talking about the brand, this is intended to establish at least some awareness of the brand.
In addition, Semuda Industries could implement a website for its consumers or potential
consumers to save time and improve customer service. Numerous businesses receive
calls from prospective or current customers with simple inquiries regarding location and
business hours. When a call is missed, the customer is left dissatisfied. Calls might also
prevent employees from concentrating on the most vital aspects of the organisation. A
website can decrease these calls and boost internal efficiency. In addition, it enables
users to find relevant information without having to call, resulting in an enhanced user
experience overall. People may mistrust the credibility of a business that lacks a website.
Having a website is an opportunity to generate a positive first impression and reassure
visitors that the business is legitimate. Introducing the brand to potential clients is one of
the most essential things a brand can do.
Furthermore, the researcher would suggest a direct mail advertising to Semuda
Industries to in hope of direct mail marketing could gaining their patronage. One of the
biggest benefits of getting direct mail marketing is that it does not have much competition
unlike digital marketing because there are fewer companies functioning in the direct mail
industry these days, thus it is easier to stand out. Moreover, direct mail is interactive. Due
to the fact that clients physically handle and examine mail before deciding whether or not
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to keep it, direct mail can assist to attract more eyes to the campaign. Customers are
more likely to keep a mailer if it contains a promotional offer, coupon, or call to action that
forces them to do something with it, such as bring it to a business or eatery.
STRATEGIES & TACTICAL PLAN
Based on the findings, the insights that was found from the pain points that occurred
during their customer journey with Semuda Industries are:
Pre-service During-service Post-service
• Customer was • Customer showed a • Customer has to
unavailable to look little frustration follow up to get
and search for extra when wanting to receipts or invoices.
information request for a • There are no
• Low online quotation from indication of
presence Semuda Industries. platform to provide
• Social Media is feedback.
outdated • Customer would
• Customer has yet to love to have the
seen any services to be done
advertising from as quick as
Semuda Industries possible.
• Customer could not
access to any extra
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• There was no information on
product & services Semuda Industries
catalogues services for future
use.
• Some customer are
unaware of Semuda
Industries social
media platform
Thus, the strategies that come along with the tactics will be recommended to
address the pain points that occurred during the customer journey of Semuda Industries
to improve their experience is as below:
To increase brand visibility and To enhance customer loyalty
awareness
• Expand Semuda Industries staff
• Optimizing a website • Email marketing
• Facebook ads • Content Marketing via Social Media
• Direct mail marketing • Thank You Card & Business Card
• Google ads
Marketing
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Target Audience
By looking at Semuda Industries expertise in electrical engineering and the research
respondents, Semuda Industries target audience is divided into 2 different group which are
homeowners, and businesses. Thus, their target audience is summarised in the table below:
Segmentation Primary (House Owner) Secondary (Business Owner)
Demographic → Age range: 30-50 years old → Age range: 40-60 years old
→ Monthly Income: RM3000 → Monthly Income: RM5000
and above and above
→ Household Income group: → Occupation: Business Owner
In between B40 & M40
→ Occupation: Employed,
Housewife, & Retired
people
Psychographic → Values efficiency → Values efficiency
Geographic → Smartphone user → Smartphone user
→ Have a fondness of → Have a fondness of affordable
affordable price price
→ Loyal to a brand → Love to compare brand
→ Hulu Langat → Klang Valley
→ Urbanity: Urban & Sub- → Urbanity: Urban & Sub-
Urban Urban
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To increase brand visibility and awareness
→ Website
Regardless of the sector in which a company operates, its internet presence can
have a significant bearing on the company's overall success. Even in this day and age,
there are still some companies who are ignorant to the fact that the vast majority of their
clients will check out their website before making a purchase from them. Having a good
online presence, in particular a website, can be the difference between success and
failure. The brand itself, credibility of the business, the number of leads generated, the
amount of traffic, and the level of service provided to customers are all affected by the
quality of the website.
Therefore, if Semuda Industries have their own website, people will feel more at
ease knowing that it is a legitimate enterprise if they have a website because it provides
additional information about the company. And in terms of brand on website, it is one of
the most essential things that a company can do is present itself in a positive light to those
who might one day become clients. Customers are more likely to make purchases from
a company if it is made abundantly apparent who they are, what they stand for, and what
they represent in the marketplace. Like Semuda Industries, they should stand on what
their mission and vision to let their audience know deeper about the company. Let people
know who you actually are. Most important part that I would like to suggest to Semuda
Industries is that website could save their time and have an organic customer service by
creating a website. Many companies receive phone calls from potential or present clients
who have straightforward queries regarding the location of the business, the hours during
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which it is open, and the price of the services. If Semuda don't answer the call when it
comes in, the client will be disappointed. In addition, calls have the potential to divert
employees' attention away from the aspects of the company's operations that are of the
utmost importance. Having a website can cut down on these phone calls and boost the
organization's overall efficiency. At the same time, it assists clients in locating helpful
information without the necessity of making a phone call, which eventually results in an
improved user experience in its whole.
Layout Symmetrical, clear and organised. Most importantly, the best
layouts make it crystal apparent to visitors exactly what is
Slogan expected of them once they have landed.
Tone
Call-to-Action Your one stop technical solution
Authority Rational Tone of voice
Our services / Client testimonial / Location
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Website Mock-up
→ Facebook Ads
Since most of Semuda Industries customer are unaware of their social media
presence which includes their Facebook and Instagram. From the findings it tells that the
awareness of the brand is weak. Therefore, the researcher would suggest Facebook ads.
Considering that the objective is to make Semuda Industries the first company that comes
to people's minds whenever they have a requirement for one of the services that Semuda
Industries provides. People who have already been exposed to advertisements for brand
recognition have a greater chance of becoming paying customers in the future when they
are shown advertisements for prospecting and remarketing.
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Also, once customer has seen a brand's Facebook ads, somehow some will
convert into the brands follower. And when a brand's Facebook fan base is larger, any
organic postings made by the brand will receive increased visibility, and the larger the fan
base, the better it is. The brand may further advance their business by making use of
organic Facebook marketing in addition to the paid efforts that they are running. Hence,
if Semuda Industries opted Facebook ads, in within the next few months, Semuda
Industries will expand its own following on the social media platform with the help of
advertisements on Facebook while some could convert into possible consumer in the
future.
Thus, the type of Facebook ads that suggested is the Image ads. Using these basic
advertisements is an excellent way to get started with paid advertising on Facebook. By
enhancing an existing post on Facebook Page with an image from their own collection, it
can generate one with just a few mouse clicks. Even while image advertisements are
quite straightforward, this does not imply that they are uninteresting.
Tactical plan Problem Solving Strategy
Message We provide electrical solutions to your door step!
Headline Need an electrician?
Link description Discover all of our services that we can provide to you!
Link caption Your one stop technical solution!
Visual Facebook size poster on Semuda Industries services
CTA Learn more
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Facebook Ads Mock-up
→ Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail marketing is a traditional method of advertising that consists of sending
printed materials to a prospect's mailbox in person. Examples of direct mail marketing
that are seen frequently include postcards, flyers, and catalogues. Despite this, the
majority of marketing done nowadays is done through digital channels. However, I feel
that if it is done correctly, direct mail marketing may work in conjunction with other
channels to help make a firm like Semuda Industries stand out among their other
competitors. One survey conducted by Mailchimp revealed that direct mail marketing
actually had a higher return on investment (ROI) than paid search and web display
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advertising combined. In point of fact, direct mail was just behind social media by one
percentage point, making it the medium with the second best ROI. Other recent research
has shown that the response rate for direct mail, which is 5.3 percent, is far greater than
the response rate for email, which is 0.6 percent.
Also, when compared to electronic advertising, direct mail has the potential to
reach a larger demographic, particularly if the group you are trying to attract is less
inclined to utilise social media or email. As for Semuda Industries, since it is a service
based business, they should use this direct mail marketing to target geographically. This
style of conventional marketing can convert some people into potential consumers while
other types of ads, such as those that are exclusively electronic, would not have reached
them at all.
Since Semuda Industries has many customer in within Hulu Langat, they should
target houses in within Hulu Langat area as starters. This is to generate awareness for
the primary target audiences. Although the main objective is to create awareness, this
strategy could also lead to conversion of purchase. Once the mail has been successfully
delivered, direct mail can increase the number of eyes on your marketing because clients
physically hold and look at it before deciding whether or not to keep it. In order to keep
the mailer, clients will be more inclined to bring it to a store or use it while the service is
in progress if Semuda Industries includes a promotion, coupon, or CTA that mandates
that they do anything with it. Plus, when it comes to physical marketing, companies are
cutting back on their efforts in favour of online marketing. When compared to traditional
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methods, digital is less harmful to the environment and provides quicker gratification.
Direct mail, on the other hand, has less competitors these days, making it easier to stand
out from the crowd.
Tactical plan Problem Solving Strategy
Headline Need an electrician?
Sub-Headline SiSoluzions has your back!
Body copy We provide services of
Visual → Installation
CTA → Maintenance
→ Repairs
→ Electricals
→ Upgrade
Directly to your location!
Electrician with electrical tools
CALL US NOW @ 0192290871
QR Code to direct audience to their
Website/Facebook/Instagram
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Direct Mail Mock-up
→ Google Display ads
According to Christina Perricone on Hubspot, Google Ads is an efficient method
for driving qualified visitors, also known as clients who are a good fit for the company's
products and services, and also those who are searching online for goods and services
similar to those that you provide. A brand can get more people to visit their website and
more people to call for their business by using Google Ads.
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It is strongly recommended that Semuda Industries optimise their Google display
advertisements to attract the attention of their target audience in order to achieve brand
awareness and visibility for their business. Since the objective is to increase brand
awareness and visibility, it is suggested to use the display ads rather than other Google
ads. Semuda Industries can be known to the target audiences on what exactly that
Semuda Industries is. This could also lead to audience to recall the brand name for future
purchase. For an example, when people are experiencing some kind of issue in terms of
electricity, audiences will try to recall any brands that could help them solve the problems
that they are having, and some might typically turn to Google to find solutions. Because
of this, Semuda Industries recommends placing Google Display advertisements at the
top of the list. This provides Semuda Industries with the opportunity to increase their brand
awareness and visibility, which may result in customers choosing them over the
competitors.
Tactical plan Push Strategy
Demographic Targeting → Gender (Male/Female)
→ Age (30-50 years old)
→ Parental
Keyword Targeting → Electrician/Electrical
→ Install plug, socket, aircon, lamp, CCTV
→ Cabling job
→ Network maintenance
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Placement Targeting https://www.recommend.my/professionals/electrical/kl-
selangor/semenyih
Topic Targeting
→ Electrical services
Headline 1 → Computers and electronics
Headline 2 → Security system
Headline 3 SiSoluzion
Product Features Your one stop technical solutions
We solve your electrical solution at your location!
Visual Any electrical installation, maintenance, repairs, and
upgrade, we can do it!
Electrician with electrical tools
Google Display Visual Mock-up
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To enhance customer loyalty
→ Expand Semuda Industries staff
Looking at the findings, it seems some of the customers were a little frustrate when
Semuda Industries unable to provide the service that the customer asked for on time.
Despite the fact that they were pleased with the services provided, Semuda Industries
should consider the long term implications of maintaining the status quo because doing
so could damage the loyalty of customers toward the brand. This showed that inadequate
staffing levels can lead to consumers being overlooked or the loss of potential customers
whose enquiries are not acknowledged, both of which can result in a loss of business.
Thus, it is recommended the brand to increase a one or two staff to help the brand and
ease the job for each of the people that work in the company.
→ Email Marketing
Email marketing has been increasingly popular in higher education as a result of
the shift toward a more digital environment in the education sector. This has allowed
brand to more effectively target and communicate with specific audiences. Email
marketing has the highest return on investment (ROI) of all the digital marketing channels,
with a mean ROI of $42 for every $1 spent on it. This type of marketing also helps to
sustain enrolment and produce genuine outcomes by often communicating with alumni.
(Emma, n.d)
Hence, Semuda Industries is recommended to use email marketing to enhance
customer loyalty by optimizing support email (online survey) for them to give feedback.
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Since brands are able to personalise their marketing efforts and produce content that is
specific to their audience through the use of email marketing. It may also build
personalised content based on the segments of the audience, allowing to send the
appropriate emails to the appropriate consumers which is one of the benefits. If a
brand want customers to continue to interact with, engage with, and purchase from
the business, it is incredibly valuable to keep an eye on the customer experience at all
times. It can be accomplish with the help of email marketing. For instance, Semuda
Industries could send a feedback survey email to customers who have just finished
with the services like one-to-one basis. Not only that, email marketing allow Semuda
Industries to promote themselves organically.
Tactical plan Pull Strategy
Subject Your feedback is important to us!
Target Customer who recently purchase with Semuda Industries.
Input Dear _______,
How did we do?
Based on your recent purchase with Si Soluzions, rate our
service and write a review so that we can improve on your
next purchase with us!
[Insert built in 10 point scale]
[Write a review button]
Warmest regard,
Kamarudin from SiSoluzions
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Feedback Email Marketing Mock-up
→ Content Marketing via Social Media
One of the ways for Semuda Industries can enhance customer loyalty is with
Owned media that consists of a company's social media accounts and branded website,
both of which fall under the category of digital marketing channels that the corporation
maintains full control over. It has been recommended that Semuda Industries maintain
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an active presence on their social media platforms, namely Facebook and Instagram. It
is clear that their social media platform has not been updated in some time, and while it
focuses mostly on the company's products and services, there is no evidence of audience
engagement. YouTube is one other social media site that is suggested for use in content
marketing. This would allow Semuda Industries to provide a video tutorial on how to fix
straightforward electrical issues. From these platforms, it is possible to participate in
conversation between the brand and the customer. In the comment box, customers could
promote Semuda Industries to their friends and family members. Alternatively, the post
itself should be entertaining so that customers feel compelled to remark and interact with
Semuda Industries. When there is engagement going on, it helps Semuda Industries to
improve the amount of consumer loyalty that they have for the brand. And even if it is not
directed toward their own target audience, it still has the potential to boost the amount of
leads as well as the pace at which they convert those leads. The following table provides
an overview of some of the organic post concepts that Semuda Industries may choose to
implement. As a result, Semuda Industries ought to make the most of this chance to put
it to good use because both current and potential customers are present.
Tactical plan Content Marketing Pull Strategy comprising 3 social media
Content Strategy platform including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
→ Infographics
→ Local electrical safety news updates
→ Quick tips on saving energy
→ Photos of high-end electrical projects
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→ How-to videos
→ Company culture photos
Content Marketing Examples
40
→ Thank You Card & Business Card Marketing
Semuda Industries is recommended to do a Thank-You card and integrate it with
a business card. There are many excellent reasons to send thank-you cards to one's
customers in the form of thank-you notes. Even though it can't be scaled, it may
nevertheless impress clients with its level of service and its ability to create unforgettable
experiences. There are times when karma is messy and disorganised. The return on
investment will not be quick. It is going to be a confusing and chaotic situation. However,
the consumers will take notice. They will keep the brand in mind and have the experience
of being acknowledged. It only need a mind, some paper, and a writing implement. Also,
by integrating the thank you card with the business card, it could generate a quick CTA
for the client and have them recall the brand. It motivates customers to take the desired
action, such as following or subscribing to the services social media platform, which is a
win-win situation. Thus, it is recommended to create a custom size fridge magnet that
integrate both thank you card & business card into the custom fridge magnet. Once a
customer had bought Semuda Industries services, later on Semuda Industries will provide
them this custom magnet for them to keep on their fridge just in case if there are
emergency needed in their house. This is because it allow customer to recall, generate
brand awareness for new audience, and increase brand loyalty from the customer.
Tactical plan Integrating Thank-You card with Business card
Headline THANK YOU
Sub-head - for your recent purchase with SiSoluzions.
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CTA Need emergency help?
0131902462 Karim
Call or visit us online today!
Email & Website &
Qr code to linktree that connect all social media platform,
website, and call button in one single code.
Custom Thank you card & Business card fridge magnet
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TIMELINE & BUDGET
IMC Plan - Timeline & Budget
The estimated strategies on the tactical plan is about RM8500 for the execution in
during the first 3 months of every year since most of the strategies are about to spread
awareness of the brand by generating more impressions. According to Semuda Industries,
they are hoping to have as little budget as possible for their marketing campaign. Because
of this, the reason why email marketing and content marketing has no budget is because
these strategies can be done without having to use any external cost.
This campaign will be executed on the very first 3 months of every year with
different objectives. For an example, for the year after this campaign could change the
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awareness from their objective into generating leads and conversion. However, it is
suggested that the enhancing customer loyalty objective should executed on each year
without fail. This is because looking at the mission and vision of the company, the
company would want to retain their current customer more rather than getting a new one.
Thus, it is suggested that the objective two to be implement every year to help them
remain as a loyal customer.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, many people who operate their own businesses are aware that they
should devote more time and energy to marketing, but they are at a loss as to how to get
started in the field. This usually results in them either putting it off completely or taking a
chance by engaging in marketing initiatives that they believe have a chance of being
successful. With fierce competition rising, the company's name and offerings are spread
to more people thanks to marketing. It makes it possible to contact with prospective clients
and inform them of all of the services that a business has to offer. It helps people
recognise brands and encourages healthy rivalry between different companies. It drives
up sales, contributes to the formation of a reliable customer base, and assists the
company in making their own unique imprint around the market. Without proper marketing
communication, audience know nothing about you. Therefore, an integrated marketing
communication plan is outlined to help the Semuda Industries to address the pain points
that the customer had to go through their customer journey. The plan is structured from
the empirical research findings of their customer journey. In order to have generate more
reach, both traditional and digital presence were used. Hence, the plans mentioned above
are the one that is suggested to Semuda Industries to target to their audience.
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