BRE810 S217 Research Report Assignment Sample
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EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA OVER MARKETING OF PRODUCTS
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background of the Study
Social media plays an important role in marketing various products and also influencing consumer choice. In recent years, social media plays an active role in marketing and promotion of several brands and products. With easy access to internet and social media, consumers are becoming aware of different brands and products available in the market. Comparing different choices of products and prices has not only become easy, but also less time consuming. The marketing of the products on social media attracts the attention of the consumers which further influences them to buy those products. In Fact, marketing through social media involves less amount of investment, which further helps new brands to launch and promote their products through social media. A lot of research has not been carried out on this topic. As a result of which this research is being carried out to understand the impact of social media on marketing of products (Kohli et al. 2015).
Research Rationale
The issue of this research is to evaluate the impact social media has on marketing of products. Social media like Facebook plays an important role in promotion and marketing of different brands. This has a certain impact on the marketing and also consumer choice. It is one of the major advertising tools. Social media has both positive and negative impact. In a way, social media increases awareness among consumers about different products and brands available in the market. Regarding each and every product used by a consumer, there are several brand options to choose from. Many times, consumer focuses on the way a product is being promoted in social media rather than the actual value of the goods (Kohli et al. 2015). This can be misleading the consumers. Marketing is entailed through social media but it can be a disaster sometimes. This will allow figuring out the importance of social media considering its negative and positive impact on the choice and selection of the consumer regarding the market.
Research Aim
Social media has become an important tool for the people regarding their marketing practices. It is influencing both the buyers and the sellers. This has both negative and positive impacts. Thus, the aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of social media on marketing of the predicts.
Research Objectives
- To identify the importance of social media on marketing
- To figure out the role of social media in consumer choice
- To critically evaluate the impact of social media on consumer choice in the marketing of products
Research Questions
What is the importance of social media in marketing?
What is the role of the social media on consumer choice?
What is the impact of social media on consumer choice in the marketing of products?
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
Literature review represents the review works on the literatures done depending on the research done before on a certain topic. These days there are several research work done on the impact on the social media on the consumer choice. There are several theorems and models which have direct and indirect link to the new marketing policy using the social media. This literature will review on those theories, literatures and the models (Zhang and Benyoucef, 2016).
Theories and models on impact of social media on marketing
There are several theories that help to relate the working process of the social media as the marketing process which are Social Exchange Theory, McLuhan’s Media Theory, An Integrated Meta-Framework,
Social Exchange Theory: This theory is based on the sociology studies. All the social media are dependent on the user provided data. This theory relates the psychology of dependence of the human nature. It is observed that people easily depends on the view on the person he / she believes or have the trust on. The companies started to take the advantage of the mentality of the people as they easily can get moved by the words from the known persons. The companies have started the online review systems and the feedback forms which are transparent to the all customers. A positive or a negative review can easily move the thought of a person (Kannan et al. 2017).
- McLuhan’s Media Theory: McLuhan who is a Canadian philosopher gave his statement on the philosophy that works on the social media and influences the mentality of the people. The companies while using the media takes control on the content which transform the thinking and the mentality of the industry and the society.
An Integrated Meta-Framework: This theory is the integrated form of the social psychologies and the marketing theory. It shows the dependence of the marketing on the social media. Multidimensional social sites are increasing the attachment of the people over time and it is becoming easier for the organizations to promote the products through this place and reach every people. This framework includes contributor, analysis and customers from the social sites (Alalwan et al. 2017).
Factors of social media and its impact on consumer choice
Social media marketing is fully dependent on the psychology of the people engaged to the social media. There are several factors that are leaving the effect on the mind of the consumers which are as followed (Alalwan et al. 2017).
Social Influencers and the reviews: main target for any organization in order to do the marketing is to hit the mind of the consumers. Psychology part of the concepts of the sociology it is notices that most of the human gets moved by the others decision and tries to follow what the others do (Bai et al. 2015). The influencers are the key factor for the companies to do the marketing for the company and take control over the mentality of people. The most common way for the influencers is the review section. The influencers act like the other consumers and makes positive and attractive comments highlighting the key things of the products which influences the mind of the other as the other people takes those comment and the reviews as the trustable source or reviews.
Reviews from friend and family: Reviews from the family and the friends act like the true source of reviews on a certain product or service. In the social media there are several systems where people can share their views on anything. The feedbacks or the experience shearing might be positive or may be negative but it acts like the true source in the most of the cases and helps the consumers to take certain decisions (Jones et al. 2015).
Activity of the stores on the social media: the number of active users over the social media is increasing day by day. As suggested by Godey et al. (2016), the stores choose the social media sites in order to reach the maximum number of people and the organizations and the stores are observed to be so active over the social media in order to share the storylines of the product and reach the information in between the people.
Effects of implication of social media on consumer choice
There are several effects if implication of the social sites as the medium of marketing. the positive sides are the distance reduction, availability of information at a single place and the negative side is the misleading (Stephen, 2016).
Distance reduction: The positive part of the social media marketing is, it has shortened distance for the connection between the buyers and the sellers. As mentioned by Barger, et al. (2016), it was a tough job before to reach people in the maximum quantity. But in the advancement in the technology availability of the electronic devices such as computer, mobiles have increased in number. With the gadgets and devices, the internet facility to every individual has made the path easier for the marketing through social media. These days it is observed that social Medias like Face book, Instagram, Twitter has become the main priority for every individual in context to get socialized and get connected to the people they want. The advertisement of the stores and the organizations over these sites have made easier for the people to have knowledge on the products depending on the needs of the consumers (Godey et al. 2016).
Availability of information at a single place: Social media marketing has made people easier to get access to the products without visiting the stores and the organizations. The advancement of technology has reached the store at home via social media and the e-commerce sites. It has become easier to get access to the information and reviews on the things which might help to take decisions (De Veirman et al. 2017).
Conceptual framework:
Summary
This chapter has evaluated on how the social media became the medium for marketing. This chapter has made discussion on the theories that has impact on the social media and the marketing done over the virtual sites. This study has included a discussion on the reasons why it has become for the stores and the organizations. This chapter has elaborately discussed on the positive sides and the negative sides of this type of marketing. This chapter has shown the challenges of this system and the possible measures also.
Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
The term research methodology empowers the researcher to keep up and gadget an activity plan which would direct him through various phases of his research. It is like constructing a structure wherein the engineer needs to discover the purposes behind utilizing the specific shape and size of the entryways and windows. Subsequently, research methodology adds numerous measurements to the research which backs out information gathering and examination so as to coax ends out of it This section presents the goals of the examination and research strategies adjusted, reveals insight into the Hypotheses and criteria for the determination of Company’s Facebook pages, testing and information accumulation techniques, the review instrument and the statistical analysis process (Christensen et al., 2011).
Research philosophy
As put sent by (Pierre, 2012), it is huge to separate an immense piece of data for portraying sensible measurements to the study which can be achieved through fitting research philosophy. In connection to the extent of the study, the researcher has used positivism approach for directing the study because of its essentialness. In light of positivism approach, the researcher has considered secondary data also for upgrading the nature of the study. Moreover, through the materialness of positivism philosophy, the researcher has accumulated suitable secondary data with noteworthy consistency (Flick, 2015).
Research Design
The survey of the relevant writing exhibited in Review of Literature Chapter 2 and brief presentation in the chapter 1 shapes the base for the research design and methodology displayed in this chapter. Research design considered for this investigation is overview. Study research is a standout amongst the most contributing territories of estimation in sociologies for the most part through thorough inspecting strategies, the usage of the design, the detail of the research issue, the examination and translation of the information. A research design is “a vital system for activity that fills in as an extension between research questions and the execution or usage of the research”. Research design are of three kind: Exploratory, Descriptive Explanatory (Hakim, 2012).
Justification
In this study the researcher will utilized Descriptive sort of research design as it discovers the extent of the populace having certain qualities and finds relationship among factors (Robson, 2011). This strategy can likewise be utilized for making explicit forecasts. Another normal for descriptive investigation is that it could contain speculation that are defined amid the investigation stage which are to be tried.
Research Approach
Exploratory research approach is a methodical, target strategy for disclosure with experimental proof under thorough control. The control is accomplished by holding steady every one of the conditions aside from the wonder under examination for both the trial gathering and the control gathering. Research approach and research configuration is the blue print of the techniques that empower the researcher to test hypotheses (Hussain et al., 2013).
Justification
A deductive sort of research approach will be utilized for this examination, The deductive approach start with the social reasoning that find convincing just as then check its belongings with information. The researcher looks at what different has finished, states ebb and flow hypotheses and after that checks speculations that create from those hypotheses for the preparation and improvement and execution of the business group . According to Nardi (2018), the deductive approach perceives the complete focus to gather the essential information the researcher uses this kind of research approach. Likewise, the quantitative research procedure is misused as the segment of this deductive approach by the specific genuine destinations to gather the information dimension of the researchers.
Data Collection Method
The researcher gathered secondary data with the end goal of the study and the secondary data gathered from the past research, PR inspected diaries, site, and books encourages the researcher to manufacture a viable result. The data collection aggregates the key data for the examination focus to hop on to a completion of the business decisions. There are essentially two sorts of data that are required by an examination consider (Kumar, 2019).
Justification
The researcher will assemble secondary data to lead this research venture by gathering secondary data. So as the researcher needs to gather secondary data through different assets for lead a suitable research venture. With the assistance of secondary data collection process, the researcher can arrange a beneficial research.
Data Analysis Method
Data analysis is a significant piece of the strategy. There are two kind of data: primary and secondary. Secondary data is moreover comparatively basic for this progressing examination as it would make usage of changed sorts of earlier diaries and articles. These are used to check the results with those of earlier convictions said in the articles and diaries. In this study researcher will apply the Case study analysis technique. Past research in regards with the impact of internet based life over promoting of items will comprehend the idea and researcher will discover an outcome by doing this (Meyers et al., 21016).
Limitations of the study
It is predictable with highlight that each research has its own limitations whether it is being coordinated in any area of studies including human sciences. Emotional case contemplates are limited, also, by the affectability and trustworthiness of the inspector. The pro is the fundamental instrument of data aggregation and examination. It can’t quick finishes concerning causality. The individual mulled over may be atypical of the greater people. Pros endeavor to ensure that their examinations are generalizable; that is, important to equivalent conditions because of the foreseen consequences of repeated tests. Further constrainments incorporate the issues of steady quality, authenticity, and generalizability. A Hamel (1993, p. 23) watches, “the case study has basically been accused for its nonappearance of representativeness and its nonattendance of painstaking quality in the amassing, advancement, and examination of the observational materials that offer rising to this study (Nardi, 2018).
Chapter 4: Findings
Case study Analysis
Stephen, A.T., 2016. The role of digital and social media marketing in consumer behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, pp.17-21.
There are several cases of misleading were the organizations use influencers to move the mind and the decisions of the buyers. The organizations and the store generally are seen to influencers to use positive reviews on the social sites which can catch the eye of the viewers and can influence mind and decision of the consumers. The only challenge which is faced commonly in the domain of social media marketing is misleading and data interrupting. In is observed that most of the company uses influencers as the marketing man. Actually the work of those influencers is to take control on the mind and the decisions of the consumers. The human psychology says in order to take decisions people take the other’s recommendation as the priority and a review might help those people to take decision. The organizations take the advantages of this psychology and do the misleading as most of the comments in the social Medias are found not to be genuine. Restricted access of the influencers is the only way to keep only the authentic reviews. But it is seen that the influencers commonly appear as the normal people as it becomes tougher to identify an influencer. The only way to get authentic knowledge is to do more research and not taking decision on the basis of single data. Random collection of data can help to gain a perfect knowledge and that can help to take right decision.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations
CONCLUSION
The examination fundamentally expects to investigate client conduct towards social media and does social media impacts buy aims and WOM conduct of clients. Youthful understudies and administrators frames larger part segment of social media populace, habituated to utilize social media a few times each day through their cell phones. Sharing criticism or check surveys, stimulation, socializing and systems administration are key thought processes behind the utilization of social media (Alalwan et al., 2017). Frame of mind towards social media advertising, discernment towards social media as a learning instrument to think about brands/items are noteworthy indicators to think about buy aims just as informal conduct through social media. Three gatherings have been shaped through group examination which has been named as social media devotees, social media neutrals, and social media doubters.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The statistic profile of various clients and their social media use conduct will be hugely useful to the advertisers of organizations for profiling and target distinctive portion of people. Information identified with the view of people towards social media as a learning apparatus to think about brands/items, just as frame of mind of individuals towards social media showcasing, will be useful to organizations in planning viable social media battle for their brands/items (Castronovo and Huang 2012).
The Research likewise features the impression of respondents about the capability of various social media stages to impact their buy aims which will be useful to organizations in picking fitting social media stage for the advancement of their battle and may help in effective designation of the assets from their social media advertising spending plan. Government organizations, NGOs, different educational foundations can design their social media promoting arrangements to make mindfulness about different activities or projects to the colossal mass accessible on social media (Burton and Soboleva, 2011).
References
Alalwan, A.A., Rana, N.P., Dwivedi, Y.K. and Algharabat, R., 2017. Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), pp.1177-1190.
Alalwan, A.A., Rana, N.P., Dwivedi, Y.K. and Algharabat, R., 2017. Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), pp.1177-1190.
Bai, Y., Yao, Z. and Dou, Y.F., 2015. Effect of social commerce factors on user purchase behavior: An empirical investigation from renren. com. International Journal of Information Management, 35(5), pp.538-550.
Burton, S. and Soboleva, A., 2011. Interactive or reactive? Marketing with Twitter. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28(7), pp.491-499.
Castronovo, C. and Huang, L., 2012. Social media in an alternative marketing communication model. Journal of marketing development and competitiveness, 6(1), pp.117-134.
De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V. and Hudders, L., 2017. Marketing through Instagram influencers: the impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), pp.798-828.
Godey, B., Manthiou, A., Pederzoli, D., Rokka, J., Aiello, G., Donvito, R. and Singh, R., 2016. Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior. Journal of business research, 69(12), pp.5833-5841.
Jones, N., Borgman, R. and Ulusoy, E., 2015. Impact of social media on small businesses. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 22(4), pp.611-632.
Kohli, C., Suri, R. and Kapoor, A., 2015. Will social media kill branding?. Business Horizons, 58(1), pp.35-44.
Stephen, A.T., 2016. The role of digital and social media marketing in consumer behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, pp.17-21.
Zhang, K.Z. and Benyoucef, M., 2016. Consumer behavior in social commerce: A literature review. Decision Support Systems, 86, pp.95-108.
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