As Seen On Screen! ASOS has pioneered online social shopping andis one of the most successful online fashion retailers in the UK.ASOS offers tens of thousands of branded and own-label fashionitems to millions of twenty-something men and women around theglobe. Product choice is at the core of the ASOS proposition: tensof thousands of branded and own-label products available, withhundreds introduced each week. On pricing, ASOS is pricecompetitive with its Price Promise (a price match offer): if yousee a branded (non-ASOS) product cheaper on another website, thecompany will match that price. ASOS describes its website as‘evolving constantly as we find better ways of presenting ourproducts’. The essence of the brand communicated in its annualreport is ‘restless innovation for our customers’. The mainelements that ASOS aspires to are: ‘Inspire and power your fashiondiscovery’. For ASOS, speed and accuracy of deliveries to customersis a critical success factor. By offering same-day deliveries thecompany has increased sales by 23 per cent in the UK and even morein the EU. Underpinning these improvements in sales is aninnovative ethos that is evident across the company. ASOS investedin a customer contact management system that enables staff torespond to customer care emails more quickly and efficiently.Working with Clipper Logistics, they have introduced an innovativereverse logistics system called Boomerang, which provides quickturnaround on inventory when products are returned. EXAMINERS: DR.SHEENA L. BOATENG 2 OF 2 A primary strategic objective is tocontinually innovate to add convenience and choice for ASOSshoppers. ASOS brand magazine has a circulation of nearly 500,000and reportedly is the ‘most widely read quarterly fashionmagazine’. The magazine reaches more than 700,000 when includingFrance, Germany and the US in the circulation figures and thiscommunication vehicle is used to reach out to new markets byexpanding the readership. Electronic word of mouth is a powerfultool of this brand and able to leverage advantage through links tocelebrities and fashion using the ASOS Insider Community, which isa marketing initiative that uses individuals and their fashionsinsights to build digital content. The ‘authenticity’ of thecontent generated by the Insiders makes this a very powerfulapproach to digital communications and also links to their ownsocial media accounts in order to extend the reach and impact ofthe communications network. These digital influencers not onlyshare their fashion favourites but also have an ‘Outfit of theDay’, which helps drive sales of specific products.

QUESTION

As an electronic marketing consultant, use your knowledgeof electronic marketing and copious evidence from the caseprovided, in answering the following questions:

1. Identify and explain five (5) ways in which the onlineretailer is changing the augmented product for users on theirwebsite, using specific evidence from the case and examples fromthe ASOS retail website. (40 marks)

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 Product Choice ASOS offers tens of thousands of branded and ownlabel fashion items to millions of ... View the full answer