After bagging online and Internet shopping as a dud, Harvey Norman is now is set to eat humble pie and embrace social networking and online marketing as a key part of its marketing in 2010.Speaking at the Australian launch of Intel’s new processor, Harvey Norman executive Gary Wheelhouse, Manager Social Networking, said that Twitter was now a key part of Harvey Norman marketing.
“We are getting consumers who twitter us before, after and during a store visit, it is wonderful,” he said.
The retailer is also looking to appoint an online marketer as part of its drive to bolster spend in the online medium. The retailer, historically a big spender in TV advertising, is hunting for an online marketing manager to join its senior management team, according to industry sources.
The successful applicant will help formulate new and existing marketing campaigns into “effective online selling propositions”, claims marketing web site MuMbrella. The marketer will be responsible for identifying new markets and developing new business cases.
The marketing manager’s core accountabilities will be to integrate offline and online marketing initiatives for internal and external advertisements; implement a cross-channel media buying and placement strategy and tactical plan; provide customer and market information to feed into the overall marketing mix; and be the driving force for opening new online and digital advertising channels.
