Impact of Social Media on Marketing Communications Planning

Communications models have become the focus of much comment and research in the face of rising consumer connectivity fuelled by digital technologies (Muniz and Schau, 2007; Schultz, 2008). New ‘web’ models have been presented (Smith and Taylor, 2004) to accommodate ‘multi-phase’ communication coming both directly from the mass media and indirectly via ‘opinion leaders, innovators, early adopters and opinion formers who are capable of influencing others through word of mouth’ However as Mile (2007) notes, these, and other web models, remain essentially marketer-centric and lacking true integration between traditional and the ‘new concepts of interactivity’ resulting in a “two-tier approach to advertising communication modelling”. Smith et al (2007) concur that “today's media and marketing models underestimate the great potential in most consumers” This paper aims to add insight into this area to identify whether it is a change in model that is needed or a wholesale change in philosophy. Case studies and online observation supplemented in-depth interviews with agency communication planning directors, digital agency directors and client side marketing directors. It has been concluded that an approach, as underpinned by current models, is no longer appropriate and social media require require a new approach as brand advocates are now partners in ownership with the brand and its value

Spillover Effects of Management Companies in the Vtuber Market

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 경영대학 경영학과, 2021.8. 윤혜리.Increasing usage of social media has given subsequent birth to micro-celebrities, or social media influencers (SMIs). Despite the fact that SMIs function as key opinion-leaders in society and the market, little is known about what traits make an SMI popular in the first place. While SMIs are generally considered to gain popularity from rock-bottom through individual endeavors alone, we find an exceptional media sector consisting of virtual YouTubers (vtubers). A vtuber, unlike the usual human YouTuber, is an artificially created figure strictly managed by sponsoring companies from the beginning of his/her debut. Finding a similarity between sponsor-vtuber relationships and parent-child relationships within brand extensions, we ran a random effects model against 560 company-owned vtubers to check whether similar spillover effects can be observed in a social media context as well. Our research yielded positive results, suggesting the existence of persistent spillover effects based on parent-brand popularity. An additional time series analysis was conducted against the weekly changes in the size of management agency influence on their affiliated vtubers. An ARIMA(1,2,0) model demonstrates a high fit with our data, and we find that the model confirms a constantly decreasing size of influence along with the passage of time.소셜미디어의 확산은 마이크로셀레브리티와 소셜미디어 인플루언서(SMI)의 등장을 초래했다. 이미 사회적, 경제적으로 SMI들이 오피니언 리더로서 큰 영향력을 행사하고 있음에도 불구하고 이들이 정확히 어떤 근본적 요인으로 인해 대중적 인기를 얻게 되었는지에 대해 알려진 바는 많지 않다. 많은 경우에 SMI들이 순수하게 자력으로만 팬덤을 구축하는 것으로 간주되는 것에 반해, 필자들은 버츄얼 유튜버(vtuber) 업계로부터 예외적인 상황을 목격했다. 일반적인 인간 유튜버와 달리, vtuber는 데뷔 이전부터 소속사로부터 엄격하게 관리당하고 통제 받는 가상의 디지털 캐릭터들이다. 본 연구에서는 소속사 대 vtuber의 관계가 브랜드 확장 상태의 모브랜드 대 신규 브랜드의 관계와 유사하다는 점에 착안하여, 후자의 경우에 관찰되는 스필오버 효과가 전자에서도 발현되는지 검증하기 위해 소속사와 계약을 맺고 있는 총 560 명의 vtuber에 대해 임의효과 모형을 적용시킨다. 그 결과, 소속사의 영향력이 vtuber의 인기에 대해 긍정적 스필오버 효과가 있음이 확인되었다. 또, 주차별 스필오버 효과 크기의 변화에 대한 시계열 분석을 통해 추세를 예측하는 데 적합한 모형으로 ARIMA(1,2,0) 모델을 특정해내어 시간이 지남에 따라 스필오버 효과가 감소하는 경향성을 지님을 검증했다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Literature Review 3 Chapter 3. Research Model and Hypotheses 14 Chapter 4. Data Analysis and Methodology 18 Chapter 5. Results 21 Chapter 6. Discussion and Conclusion 29 Bibliography 32 Abstract in Korean 41 Appendices 42석

Going Social: Tapping Into Social Media for Nonprofit Success

Designed for nonprofit professionals as a means to discover and deploy social media programs that further an organization's mission

Three Essays on the influence of company Facebook and traditional channel activities on recruitment success

The appearance of web and online media has created a substantial change in the manner by which employers and applicants interact. The development of web 1.0 applications with one-way communication and the advancement of web 2.0 technologies with interactive components have extended the spectrum of recruitment channels. The new recruitment media channels have led the selection and analysis of their impact out of interaction on each other to a new challenge within academical literature. This dissertation addresses these issues in three separate essays. Study 1 focuses on the impact of Facebook as a social media recruitment channel on recruitment success. Many companies embed Facebook into their recruitment strategy as an additional recruitment channel for reaching potential applicants and motivating them to apply for available positions. Study 1 analyzes these activities and addresses the question of whether different Facebook activities influence recruitment success above and beyond other undertakings on traditional and online media channels. Study 1 concludes that on Facebook, company posts with a general focus and posts containing work or recruitment information both have a positive impact on recruitment success. The results of Study 1 are validated by company interviews with human resources (HR) managers who are responsible for the overall HR strategy of the company. Study 1 is the first academic work within HR and marketing research, which analyzes the impact of a company’s Facebook activities. Study 2 examines the impact of traditional media recruitment channels on recruitment success. Many companies employ traditional media channels for their recruitment marketing actions with the aim of achieving recruitment success. Study 2 uses media richness theory as a basis for analyzing the impact of a company’s activities within traditional media channels on recruitment success. Study 2 concludes that exhibition fair and online marketing activities influence recruitment success. In connection with brand equity theory, Study 2 also verifies whether the addition of Facebook activities reinforces the impact of traditional media channels on recruitment success. The results indicate that general Facebook activities have a reinforcing impact on exhibition fair and print media recruitment practices. Finally, Study 3 focuses on both the literature overview of traditional and social media recruitment practices and social media influence from the marketing literature. It also summarizes and categorizes previous research on the influence of traditional, online, and social media recruitment practices; the effect of a multichannel mix; and the influence of social media and social networking sites on different business outcomes from the marketing literature. Additionally, Study 3 identifies the research gaps and provides recommendations for future studies. This dissertation uses vector autoregression modelling, including a validation with the help of company interviews and the employment of media richness, signaling, and brand equity theories, combined with a thorough analysis of the research need. The dissertation closes the research gap regarding the analysis of the impact of Facebook, online, and traditional media on recruitment success. It also adds new perspectives to the HR and marketing literature

Conceptualizing the Electronic Word-of-Mouth Process: What We Know and Need to Know About eWOM Creation, Exposure, and Evaluation

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a prevalent consumer practice that has undeniable effects on the company bottom line, yet it remains an over-labeled and under-theorized concept. Thus, marketers could benefit from a practical, science-based roadmap to maximize its business value. Building on the consumer motivation–opportunity–ability framework, this study conceptualizes three distinct stages in the eWOM process: eWOM creation, eWOM exposure, and eWOM evaluation. For each stage, we adopt a dual lens—from the perspective of the consumer (who sends and receives eWOM) and that of the marketer (who amplifies and manages eWOM for business results)—to synthesize key research insights and propose a research agenda based on a multidisciplinary systematic review of 1050 academic publications on eWOM published between 1996 and 2019. We conclude with a discussion of the future of eWOM research and practice

Approaching Future Customer using Technological Advance in Hotel Industry

The purpose of the paper is to draw attention to the technological advance and its impact on marketing strategies in the hospitality industry. It examines the development of the profile of future consumers and their relationship towards technology. In order to approach the new consumer a brand touch-point wheel framework was used as a filter which enabled to analyze the communication between hotels and their guests as a process. The role of the model is to identify and explore all situations where organizations have the opportunity to influence consumer decision-making through technological innovation. Moreover it aims to evaluate effectiveness and potential of each digital channel for hospitability establishments and highlights their impact on consumer behavior. The research results show that attracting today’s consumer requires using a wide range of online media, social networks and mobile applications that work in a relationship involving all brand touch-points. Most importantly, aligning the marketing strategy properly with the corporate brand strategy through an integrated multi-channel campaign creates a sustainable competitive advantage. Each hotel may have different digital marketing strategy, however when a compelling message is sent, engaging the customer throughout the communication process, as a result, customer will identify with the brand, create an emotional connection and become loyal in a long run

Managing brands in the social media environment

The dynamic, ubiquitous, and often real-time interaction enabled by social media significantly changes the landscape for brand management. A deep understanding of this change is critical since it may affect a brand's performance substantially. Literature about social media's impact on brands is evolving, but lacks a systematic identification of key challenges related to managing brands in this new environment. This paper reviews existing research and introduces a framework of social media's impact on brand management. It argues that consumers are becoming pivotal authors of brand stories due to new dynamic networks of consumers and brands formed through social media and the easy sharing of brand experiences in such networks. Firms need to pay attention to such consumer-generated brand stories to ensure a brand's success in the marketplace. The authors identify key research questions related to the phenomenon and the challenges in coordinating consumer- and firm-generated brand stories

Understanding country images of Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Mexico as perceived by American college students

The purpose of this thesis was to better understand current perceptions of selected Latin American countries, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, held by young people in the Unites States. Through a survey of U. S. college students in the southeastern region of the United States and social listening with Salesforce Marketing Social Studio, this thesis used current models of measurement of the country image construct (Buhmann & Ingenhoff, 2015; Ingenhoff et al., 2018) to understand the current country images of countries in Latin America. This study found that aesthetic and functional dimensions more strongly affect overall country image. This study also found traditional mass media continue to inform country images of Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and first hand experiences (i.e. travel to or knowing people from these countries) result in more positive country images overall. An important contribution of this thesis was affirming that social media listening and analysis alone is limited in its ability to understand and measure country image, and making recommendations for future public diplomacy efforts and research

Youth in Lebanon: Using collaborative and interdisciplinary communication design methods to improve social integration in post-conflict societies

In 1995, the World Summit for Social Development identified social integration as one of the three overriding objectives for social and economic development. This priority arose following a century that ended with the collapse of many states and the sharpening of strife around the world. Social integration was seen as a pathway to reinforcing common identities, supporting cooperation and lessening the likelihood of violence and conflict. For the past 20 years, governmental, academic and third sector organisations – with the United Nations at the forefront – sought to improve social integration. However their methods and interventions have commonly been restricted to policymaking and dialogue practices. Peacebuilding and reconciliation are affected by communication within and amongst different groups. Nonetheless, the potential for communication design to contribute towards social integration remains unexplored. This practice-led communication design research focuses on 18 to 30 year old youth in Lebanon – an extreme case of a politically, religiously, geographically, culturally and linguistically segregated post-conflict generation. The research adopts an innovative, interdisciplinary(1.) and collaborative(2.) approach, to explore the contribution of communication design methods towards social integration interventions. The interdisciplinary and collaborative case study process spans seven stages of practice: Discover, Delve, Define, Develop, Deliver, Determine Impact and Diverge. I developed this process with Darren Raven in 2010, and have been testing and refining it over the past five years through the socially-focused design projects of BA Design for Graphic Communication students and staff at the London College of Communication. This process builds on the Design Council’s Double Diamond design process by incorporating stages from the National Social Marketing Centre’s process. Through these stages, the research developed several innovative communication design methods: Explorations, a cultural probes toolkit exploring young people’s local context; Road Trip, an autoethnographic journey preparing the researcher; Connections, an effective method for recruiting stakeholders; Expressions Corner, a confidential diary room for understanding young people’s experiences, attitudes and behaviours; Imagination Studio, a collaborative workshop series for developing social integration interventions; Imagination Market, an efficient platform for piloting these interventions; and a Social Impact Framework; to evaluate the impact of the interventions and research. These methods enhanced candid input from young people, reduced ethical tensions, and improved their engagement with the research. The methods also involved youth and wider stakeholders in understanding and reframing the problem, invited them to generate and deliver solutions, strengthened their sense of ownership and therefore the sustainability of the research outputs, and finally, built their capabilities throughout the process. The social integration interventions developed and piloted through the case-study research ranged from a citizen journalism platform reducing media bias, to a youth-led internal tourism service encouraging geographic mobility. The evaluation of the 24-hour pilot interventions demonstrated a positive shift in young people’s willingness to integrate. The social impact and social value assessment suggests that effective social integration interventions – such as the ones developed and piloted in the case study research – have higher chances of delivering positive social and economic outcomes for the communities involved. This practice-led research presents a number of contributions, the most significant of which is a methodology, process and set of methods highly transferable across social integration challenges worldwide. The research also provides social integration theory and practice with a clear demonstration of the value and potential of communication design to advance interventions from replication to innovation. To communication design theory and practice, the research makes the case for the value of interdisciplinary and collaborative principles in enhancing rigour and social impact. Finally, to the Lebanese context, the research provides in-depth qualitative insights on social group dynamics, segments, and behaviours, which act as an evidence-base to underpin future local interventions. Beyond this thesis, the knowledge gained from this research will be disseminated to the various relevant communities of practice – including researchers, designers, policy makers, and community development workers – in the form of Creative Commons licensed design guidelines, as well as presentations, capacity building workshops, and academic publications. The dissemination of knowledge hopes to inspire and enable these communities to adopt, adapt and build on communication design methods when addressing social segregation challenges within their varying contexts. Notes in the text: (1.) Drawing on disciplines such as social, political, behavioural, and psychological sciences. (2.) Engaging multiple stakeholders including young people, civil society, institutions, topic experts and policy-makers

Evaluation and decision-making in social media marketing

Purpose - As organisations are increasing their investment in social media marketing (SMM), evaluation of such techniques is becoming increasingly important. This research seeks to contribute to knowledge regarding SMM strategy by developing a stage model of SMM evaluation and uncovering the challenges in this process. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with eighteen key informants working for specialist SMM agencies. Such informants are a particularly rich source, since they manage social media campaigns for a wide range of clients. An exploratory research was conducted and thematic analysis surfaced the key components of the SMM evaluation process and associated challenges. Findings – The Social Media Marketing Evaluation Framework is developed. This Framework has the following six stages: setting evaluation objectives, identifying KPI’s, identifying metrics, data collection and analysis, report generation, and management decision making. Challenges associated with each stage of the Framework are identified, and discussed with a view to better understanding decisionmaking associated with social media strategies. Two key challenges are the agencyclient relationship and the available social analytical tools. Originality/value – Despite an increasing body of research on social media objectives, KPI’s and metrics, no previous study has explored how these components are embedded in a marketing campaign planning process. The article also offers insights in the factors that make SMM evaluation complex and challenging. Recommendations for further research and practice are offered