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1. Introduction
From the word go, Opal is known to be a multicultural agency that is involved in active advertising fashioned to make the brands of various businesses marketable and attractive to the consumers. In Australia, Opal develops strategic marketing strategies that have become very helpful to the businesses in the whole country. As a matter of fact, all business empires that are thriving in the Australian market owe their allegiance to Opal, due to their impeccable and well organized strategies fashioned to ensure what a business sells reaches its destined and targeted market and consumers at large (Sherri., 2015). For dealers in multicultural businesses, they have advantages and privileges to share since Opal is mainly and actively involved in multicultural market and the field of communication. This text is an in-depth analysis into the marketing strategies answering questions that may be posed by those who wonder what gives them an edge over their fellow competitors and hence makes them success in as far as the marketing strategy is concerned.
2. Project Objectives
The primary objectives of this paper is to carry out a literature review analysis of marketing strategies as adopted by Australian Opal. The project will also identify the research gaps in marketing strategies with an aim of making a detailed proposal later.
3. Project scope
The project will be carried out using a case study of the Australian Opal marketing. It will involve a detailed and comprehensive study of various works of literature related to the marketing industry. The project will push further into identifying the existing research gaps on marketing strategies as adopted by the Australian Opal.

4. Literature Review
4.0. Marketing Strategies
4.1. Use of Social Media
In the days of this century, there is hardly any individual that does not own a social media account, be it Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and the like (Tuten, 2017). With that knowledge, a serious marketing strategist knows how to go about it. As such, Opal has established its social media marketing strategies by posting hundreds of advertisements in almost all social media platforms. By so doing, everyone that spends his or her precious time scrolling through any social media platform gets to see what Opal is advertising according to (Sherri., 2015). Whoever is interested in any of the products that are being advertised has the liberty to click and follow links that would direct him or her to whichever place they desire, and have a golden opportunity to view whatever it is they so wish to see (Felzensztein, C., Stringer, C., Benson-Rea, M., & Freeman, S. , 2014).
As if not enough, Opal marketing strategies have gone a notch higher by the use of the popular video site commonly known and used by almost everybody, YouTube. Opal has made the bold step to liaise with celebrities and other channel owners who command a large number of viewers and subscribers to help each other by scratching each other’s backs (Tuten, 2017). Before one can watch the desired video on YouTube, there is an advertisement that plays in what seems like a ‘curtain raiser’ to the actual desired video. For example, if one were to watch a newly-released music video, an advertisement would play before it as it buffers to prevent unwanted interruptions caused by lack of buffering. Opal has taken this to its advantage by posting videos of advertisements of multicultural products among many others that people watch as they expand their market (Ryan, 2016). A video with over three million views means that at least three million people must have viewed the advertisement and that those interested might have made follow-ups. Opal has hired social media managers to help in this and is continuously monitoring the progress of the impact their adverts have on social media.
4.2. Use of Blogs
Away from social media, Opal has employed the use of blogs to ensure what they sell reaches every one they intend to. Hired bloggers have been recruited and paid to conduct research on write blogs about the products intended to reach the market. Most people may find blogs mundane as they lack visibility due to poor blogging skills. This is one factor Opal is not taking lying down (Ryan, 2016). As such, Opal has developed blog posts that are attractive to the eye, in a manner that draws the attention of any reader into it, no matter how many blogs there might be to choose from. The blogs have been designed in such a way that they appear in an answer and question format, in a bid to satisfy the curiosity of any consumer seeking to find an answer to a bugging question concerning any product (Felzensztein, C., Stringer, C., Benson-Rea, M., ; Freeman, S. , 2014).
Effective blogging, as per what has been shown by Opal, has acted as a pace setter to the many others. There is hardly any thin content in any marketing advertisement related to Opal. There is so much value with business secrets exposed to the extent that opal has become an authority in the eyes of the consumers according to (Sherri., 2015). It is a very powerful strategy of marketing that would not go unmentioned, and is highly lauded as gives an edge over other competitors but maintains healthy competition in the market. Much to everyone’s amusement the marketing strategist has broken into the Australian market and won the heart of many if not all.
4.3. Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization is one are many marketing strategies are frightened of, and are reluctant to venture into. Opal has created its contents for human consumption while at the same time paying homage to search engines according to (Sherri., 2015). The kind of messages Opal conveys are rather insightful in a good way, engaging and attention-grabbing. It is unique and adds an amount of value that cannot be ignored by the business at the end of the day. Opal has gone out of its way to maximize the number of people visiting its website in Australia and the world on a larger field of thought. The website usually appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine say Google, in an even that a consumer interested in a commodity decides to search it on the internet (Felzensztein, C., Stringer, C., Benson-Rea, M., & Freeman, S. , 2014).
Optimization of search engines gives rise to what would be referred to as the monopoly of trade. This is because for example if a consumer were to use Google to search about multicultural products, the Opal website would appear in the whole of the first page of Google (Ryan, 2016). Since most people hardly care to check what is usually on the second or third page, a majority would click on the results on the first page, leading to Opal’s website. Opal, therefore, commands a large consumer base as almost all attention is focused on it. This is a marketing strategy that is yet to be tapped by many, giving Opal an added advantage over whoever may be seeking to create competition in the market.
4.4. Use of Leverage Influencers
Another creative marketing strategy that Opal has employed much to the amusement of the market is the use of leverage influencers. The use of such influencers boosts the visibility of a product on social media without necessarily building an audience. Opal has taken advantage of its huge financial muscles to deploy the use of celebrities with high numbers of followers to play the roles of brand ambassadors (Felzensztein, C., Stringer, C., Benson-Rea, M., ; Freeman, S. , 2014). When celebrities identify with a particular brand, the influence they have on their followers usually drives the fans to do as their celebrity does. As such, if a celebrity were to be seen in a recorded video drinking a specific brand of a drink is it hard or soft, there is every possibility that a good number of his followers would highly regard it. This attracts them to the brand and makes the number of purchases get on the rise.
Economists say that the trick is not even using an influencer with a high number of followers, but the right individual with the right audience who is the consumer being targeted (Ryan, 2016). Even a public figure that does not enjoy an enormous number of followers can do the job provided the products being intended to reach the public reaches the right person. If sales the sales system and the products being advertised are in the right place, the profit rakes can be something worth bragging about. This could be the right marketing strategy if offers are clearly converting, as it is more about visibility in the market than anything else according to (Sherri., 2015).
4.5. Use of Affiliate Programs
The Marketing strategies adopted by Opal do not just stop at leverage influencers. To become a recognizable marketer in Australia, the agency has gone a notch higher to adopt affiliate programs to aid in its well-orchestrated marketing plan (Felzensztein, C., Stringer, C., Benson-Rea, M., ; Freeman, S. , 2014). The agency has liaised with other smaller companies and individuals who are being paid a little commission to help in marketing Opal’s products and ensure their message reaches the intended market and consumers. Affiliates have largely contributed to fuel the growth of the marketing agency, and this has since seen it rise above the ranks to become one of the top marketing strategists in Australia (Ryan, 2016).
Many marketers outside have under estimated the power of affiliate programs. The right thing to do is always make sure that the right partner is approached, a partner that has a great ability to influence buyers and sway them into believing what the y have in hand is the best. Once the right affiliate is identified, then every other thing falls into place, and business should be growing at a steady rate. Navigation through the affiliate field might be tricky, and there is a need to tread carefully. Opal has got all these into consideration, no wonder their untold success in business is speaking for itself (Felzensztein et al. 2014).
4.6. Challenges facing Marketing in Australia
Every coin has two sides, and as such the marketing efforts that Opal applies could not have come short of challenges. Just like any other business, there are obstacles that if are overcome, great success is imminent.
Securing the required Budget
To be able to reach the market and get the consumers to give a marketer any audience, there is a budget to reckon with and money to part with in the same breath. Financial constraints are among the key factors that have an impeding effect on the marketing strategies of any agency, not just Opal (William, T., James, P. and Arora, K. , 2015). Opal has had to incur the expenses of paying for advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook, and paying public figures who act as the brand ambassadors of their product. Also, there are YouTube channel owners who need to be paid for a video advertisement to play in their videos. Affiliate programs also add to the financial expenses that Opal has had to incur in the form of commissions needed to be paid for their brands to be felt outside. These are some of the financial constraints that would drain the accounts of any business, and Opal is not to be spared at all (William, T., James, P. and Arora, K. , 2015).