Market Research Analyst vs. Data Analyst: Key Differences Explained

 The optimum business model for many providers of digital content is likely to depend on achieving a balance between their portfolios delivered through different channels. There is however a general agreement that both in the online news sector and in the online music sector that there is a high level of uncertainty about future business models, although in the music industry at least there is some evidence of a high level of optimism that new business models will emerge (Swatman et al. 2006) Convergence in the online content 

sector is an important process, with former media, telecommunication and technology companies moving into the online content business. Research into the marketplace for and the marketing of digital content is then, limited, and primarily restricted to concerns about two types of content, online music and online news and magazines. Further, although a couple of research projects have investigated both of these sectors in one project, there are limited 

attempts to generalise and to understand the extent to which the fundamental characteristics of digital content impact in all digital content marketplaces. Finally, the focus is on business models, or, in other words, on how businesses can generate revenue, with little mention of the customer and customer needs and expectations. Where customers do feature, as in the music sector, the focus tends to be on regulating and controlling customer behaviour through digital rights management technologies and regulation, rather than understanding it and 

Working with it As is evident from

the analysis that follows, one of the key issues in the marketing of digital content is getting the customer to pay: The Internet consumer is accustomed to free information (Swatman et al. 2006, p.64) Customer perceptions of the value of digital and information content are inherently volatile. The concept of “customer value” which is related in turn to the “value chain” is pivotal to present day notions of marketing. One very important signal of the wide 

acceptance of the value concept is its incorporation into a revised version of the American Marketing Association’s definition of marketing: Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefi t the organisation and its stakeholders (Gronroos 2006, p.397) Several marketing strategists emphasise that the creation of superior 

customer value is a key element for ensuring companies’ success (Cravens et al. 1997; Higgins 1998; Huber 2001; Porter 1996; Reichheld et al. 2000). In much of the literature on business models there is also reference to value and the value chain; here the term is often particularly loosely used, and the stakeholders who create and participate in the value chain often ill-defined. However there are two important challenges in embracing the concept of 

Customer value in research or practice

First and foremost, as Khalifa (2004) and Gronroos (2006), from different perspectives, both ably demonstrate there are several notions of the nature of customer value, and the concept is overused and misused (Khalifa 2004). Further although there is a general agreement that value is “not what the producer puts in, but ‘what the customer gets out” (Doyle 1989, p.78), because “what the customer gets out” is difficult for the business to understand or manage 

marketing perceptions of customer value too often tend to slip back into “what the producer puts in” mode. The other issue is that inelectronic journals, e-books, virtual pets, online health advice, databases, online directories, mobile micro movies, games, music downloads, and software package updates. Kosio-Kantilla (2004) suggests that the terms “electronic information products” and “information goods” are alternative terms to those of digital content 

and digital product. Others have conceptualised e-service as information service (Rust and Lemon, 2001), since the primary value exchanged between the two parties is information, and there is evidence to suggest that the common perception of the Internet is that it is used mainly to gratify the need for information (Ducoffe 1996; Eighmey 1997; Korgaonkar and Wolin 1999; Molesworth and Jenkins 2002; Schlosser et al. 1999). On this basis we propose that digital content and digital information products are synonymous terms. Information 

Products have been defined 

by Rowley (2002) as: An information product is any product (either good or service) whose core or primary product is information or knowledge. It is important to note that not all information products are digital, and not all information products are goods. Digital content therefore relates to the category of information products that are goods (rather than services) and that are electronic (rather than print). Nevertheless, this alignment between digital 

content and digital information products suggests that in understanding the essential nature of digital content it may be useful to draw on the literature on the nature of information and information products. Further, the literature on information marketing may provide some conceptual insights that might usefully inform consideration of digital content marketing. Another important relationship is that between digital content marketing and emarketing, 

Internet marketing, web marketing, and related disciplines. Given that much digital content marketing is through online channels it is reasonable to suppose that there is a good degree of overlap between digital content marketing and emarketing. On the other hand, digital content marketing is not strictly a sub-field of e-marketing because digital content is not only marketed through e-channels. From a taxonomic perspective, e-marketing is a branch of marketing communication, and complements other marketing communication mix elements, 

Conclusion

such as public relations, advertising, and sponsorship. (Although as we shall see, later this might be a little simplistic, because marketing communication, customer relations, consumer behavior and marketing research tend to merge in e-environments). Digital content marketing, on the other hand, in common with services marketing, or the marketing of other specific categories of products, (such as financial services marketing, or fast-moving consumer goods marketing) focuses on the nature of the product that is being marketed, and the 

consequences of this for marketing opportunities and approaches. Incorporating these reflections and building on the CIM’s definition of marketing, we define digital content marketing thus Information is integral to marketing. Marketing research and consumer behavior is concerned with collecting information about customers and potential customers with a view to enhancing the value of the market exchange for the customer, and thereby the 

organisation. Marketing communication is concerned with conveying information or messages to customers that might influence their behavior. Products also embed information. Virtually all “actual” goods include information. Simple everyday products, such as a loaf of bread, have ingredients, branding and contact details on their packaging. More complex goods, such as televisions, white goods or PCs may be accompanied by complex handbooks.