Just another channel? Marketing communications in e‐business

In the digital world, marketing communications is concerned with creating presence, creating relationships, and creating mutual value. The Internet as a marketing channel is interactive, accessible, ubiquitous, and integrates marketing communication with commercial transactions and service delivery. As a channel, the Internet both sends content to an audience, and acts as a route to a group of customers. In order to build presence, e‐merchants enter a world of new marketing concepts such as banner ads, click through, affiliate networks, URL's and portals. The role and value of brands takes on new dimensions. The potential for building relationships is inherent in every transaction and dialog. No longer does the marketer need to speculate about customer needs; they actually know customer‐purchasing profiles. Customer service, customer profiles and customisation present important marketing opportunities. Value creation both requires and strengthens mutual dependence. Communities, including customer communities and virtual business communities are important contexts through which mutual value can be created. By drawing a broad picture of marketing communication in an Internet world, this article seeks to establish a context for innovation, development and research.