The confusion about what is digital marketing is huge. For me, it means operating the marketing planning process in the digital environment. What matters is always 3Cs (Consumer, Competitor, Company), STP (segmentation, targeting, and positioning), and 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). While it is important to learn how these components of the marketing planning process have changed in the digital marketing environment, the way of approaching a marketing problem is always the same.

The recent failure of NYPD’s social media campaign is a perfect example of how social media can be easily misused without much thought about some basic but important strategic questions: (1) What is the strategic goal of this campaign? Creating brand awareness, building brand image, or enhancing brand value? (2) What is the target market? Is tweeter the best communication channel to reach with the target market?