Apple has released a revolutionary new vacuum cleaner the iVac. The product is designed to change the way you vacuum and revolutionise the entire home cleaning sector. The product features are: •The cleaner itself is made of anodized aluminium and a super hardened glass screen. •Touch and voice control interface •You can schedule your cleaning on the device and sync it to iCal. •Control it from your iOS device •Program automated cleaning routes around your home into the iVac •Download apps to add extra functionality •Sync it up with your iTunes so it plays music or movies as it cleans •If no music it is totally silent •Comes with wireless charging, so no plug is needed. •It also has an on/off button You have been asked to prepare a social media campaign to accompany the launch that raises awareness of the iVac resulting in website visitors and purchase. The target audience are 25 – 45 year olds. You can choose to use any social media channel that will reach this target audience. You have to present your plan as a business report using headings as set out in Table1.

1

C10DM Coursework 2019-20

Coursework Report that addressed the brief (2000words +/- 10%) and 15 pages and

5

pages of appendices MAX. Word count and page count excludes title page
tables, and references. Word count excludes appendices (however these
are limited to 5 pages).

Format Paper size A4.
Font: Times New Roman 12 point size. Single spacing.
Page margins: 2.54cm Top, Bottom, Left and Right.

Contribution to
overall mark

50%

Submission
Date:

Deadline is Wk 8 Tuesday 3rd March 4.00pm –all submissions after this
time and date will be late. Submissions more than 5 working days late
will not be marked.

Submission
Process

To be uploaded as a single document on TurnItin. There is no hard copy
hand in. Please include the course code C10DM and your matric number
and/or your name on the title page.

Feedback
Process

Your work will be graded according to the grading scheme at the end of
the brief
Feedback on your work and the mark you gain will be posted on
Grademark Wk11 Wednesday 25th March 9.30am.

This coursework is designed to give you experience of content planning. You are

encouraged to include the fact you have this experience in your CV and Linked In profile.

Content planning involves designing messages that will engage strategically important

customers and planning how these messages should be delivered over time in a way that

maximises their impact.

This assignment is not an academic essay but it still requires you to show an understanding

of digital marketing theory, be able to justify your suggestions through citation and engage

critical discussion of the pros and cons of the recommendations you are making (again using

citation of journal readings). In addition, you also being tested on your skills in data

handling (through adherence to word count) and presentation (through use of tables and

figures).

You are expected to locate and read at least 10 academic journal articles in addition to

accessing practitioner reports and a range of social media pages and websites; all of which

should be listed in the reference section using Harvard referencing. The content (lectures

and reading) being assessed in the coursework is covered in Wks 2 – 6 of the teaching

schedule.

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A LAST MINUTE ”WORK ALL NIGHT” PIECE OF WORK.

2

COURSEWORK BRIEF

Apple has released a revolutionary new vacuum cleaner the iVac. The product is designed
to change the way you vacuum and revolutionise the entire home cleaning sector. The
product features are:

•The cleaner itself is made of anodized aluminium and a super hardened glass screen.

•Touch and voice control interface

•You can schedule your cleaning on the device and sync it to iCal.

•Control it from your iOS device

•Program automated cleaning routes around your home into the iVac

•Download apps to add extra functionality

•Sync it up with your iTunes so it plays music or movies as it cleans

•If no music it is totally silent

•Comes with wireless charging, so no plug is needed.

•It also has an on/off button

You have been asked to prepare a social media campaign to accompany the launch that
raises awareness of the iVac resulting in website visitors and purchase. The target
audience are 25 – 45 year olds. You can choose to use any social media channel that will
reach this target audience.

You have to present your plan as a business report using headings as set out in Table1.

Please note that tables, references and headings are not included in the word count (2000

words +/- 10%). Please note the page limits for the main report and the appendices. There is

no need to provide an introduction or a contents page to the business report.

IMPORTANT CONSTRAINTS: Do not contact the client organisation or any other

organisation directly in connection with this project– if you do such activity it will lose you

marks! Do not conduct any student surveys or other primary research (to keep your

workload manageable).

Questions should be e-mailed to the the course co-ordinator and the answer will be

posted in the FAQ page (i.e. we act as a single point of contact and resource for the class).

You have a range of ways of accessing your course co-ordinator both online and offline.

Remember that we teach a range of courses not just C10DM so please be realistic in your

expectations of the interval between question and reply and bear in mind that we are not

working 24/7. You can e-mail your question and this will enable the population of the FAQ

3

page on VISION which previously students have found to be extremely useful, please

check this for answers to your questions. To meet the course co-ordinator face to face

then your best approach would be to use the office hours that have been posted. If you are

working off campus then you can also phone during office hours or at other times and we

will respond as soon as we can (remember to include your mobile number as sometimes it is

easiest to ring back).

FEEDBACK TO CLASS FROM LAST YEAR:

1. Make sure that you read and follow questions carefully. Some reports omitted sections,
and did not maintain relevance to the brief context throughout.

2. Be careful when you use any example answers placed on VISION that you do not deviate
from the question We do not set exactly the same question

3. Do make sure that you demonstrate evidence you have engaged with, and understand the
course content. Make sure you use the lecture slides/textbooks and reading list before
going off to do your own literature search. The reading list provided in this module is
extensive and readings are chosen each year to help with the coursework brief. Students
who did engage with this reading found content that allowed them to answer questions
fully.

4. Remember what you learned in your second/third year marketing modules i.e. second year
marketing modules introduced you to segmentation and targeting and this was recapped at
the start of this course. Remember to use these concepts in your marketing course
assignments.

5. Always proof read and check the logical flow of your work. In this coursework it is
important to pay particular attention to how different sections link together. Weaker essays
tend to treat each section as a separate question and did not think about the overall
argument that was being presented.

6. Ensure you stick to word and page count: After max word limit we will stop marking as it is
not fair on other students. It is quite clear to those marking if they are taking longer to read
one assignment compared to the other so do not be tempted to misrepresent the word
count. We have set a page limit this year to avoid students being sucked into doing this
work to the detriment of the dissertation (it is not meant to be a huge report). Please do not
overuse tables. To ensure that you are not wasting word count due to your writing style.
Visit this online resource http://writetodone.com/trouble-sticking-to-your-word-count-try-
these-editing-tricks/ Equally if your work is coming in way under the word count check to
see if you are fully addressing the question and backing up your points with illustration,
supporting and counter evidence. Visit this online resource
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z8ntqhv

7. Do not make this into an escape from the dissertation. This is NOT designed to be a
complex assignment. If you are finding it confusing please contact the course co-ordinator.
There is now a page limit as last year people were writing way too much and devoting time
here that could be put into the dissertation. In SOSS the overall degree classification is based
20% on the average of 4 best grades from third year, 20% from the dissertation mark and
10% for each the 6 x Yr 4 courses. Bottom line a 50% piece of Yr 4 coursework is worth 5
marks in the overall scheme of things (the difference between 70% and 50% is 1 mark!!).
However your dissertation is worth 20 marks (a difference between 70% and 50% of

4

marks). DO YOUR DISSERTATION PEOPLE!

4

TABLE 1: SET REPORT FORMAT – THESE ARE THE HEADINGS YOU HAVE TO USE

SECTION Suggested
word count
by section –
This is a guide
only

TITLE PAGE with Matric and/or name and course code C10DM and word count. If the
work is over the page limit there will be one mark deducted for every additional page. If
the format instructions are not followed 2 marks will be deducted.

1. Application of Adoption Theory (25 Marks)
Critically discuss how of the adoption theories that we covered in Wk3 can be used to
determine the appropriate messages about the i-vac. (you can focus on just one or
more of the theories)

550

2. Application of Social Impact Theory (25 Marks)
Critically evaluate how social impact theory might be used to decide the message
source, message immediacy and message numbers in order to create engagement
with the i-vac.

550

3. Example Post(s) (20 marks)
We would like to see an example (or examples) of a social media post or posts based
on your discussion in section 1 and 2. State which channel you are using and why.
Critically discuss how the post draws on SIT and adoption of technology theory
concepts with a particular focus on the trade-offs that you have made.

350

4. Customer Response Rate
4.1 Target Metrics (10 Marks)
Identification of your target metrics (i.e. how many potential customers do you want
to make aware, how many of these will then visit the website and how many will buy.
You should make your estimates based on your research into industry statistics.
4.2 Adjustments to Post (15 marks)
Use of Social Impact Theory to formulate possible adjustments in order to improve
performance if initial post fails to deliver. Critically discuss the pros and cons of making
any adjustment (it is OK to focus on one adjustment)

550

5. References
Provide 10 appropriate academic references as a minimum that are used clearly and
appropriately in the report using Harvard in-text referencing. References should be
listed in alphabetical order. No Bibliography is required. Make sure you show that
you have engaged in course reading. Higher marks may be achieved by using Google
Scholar and the Library Discovery tool to show you can meaningfully move beyond
set sources.

Not included
in word count

6. Appendices
You can put figures and graphs in the appendices but do not put in endless
screenshots or full print-outs of reports. It is good practice to refer to your appendix
in the main report. You are limited to 5 pages only.

Not included
in word count

MARK ALLOCATION

Section Possible
Marks

Structure: Use of report format, within word/page count we will deduct a mark for every page over the set limit. 0
1. Application of Adoption Theory Content/criticality, relevance, accuracy and use of citation (Academic and

Industry)

25

2. Application of Social Impact theory Content/criticality, relevance, accuracy and use of citation (Academic
and Industry)

25

3. Example Post: Relevance and Creativity 20
4. Customer Response Rate: Content (application of theory), Relevance and Accuracy 25
5. REFERENCES: Accurate Harvard style citation of MIN 10 appropriate academic references. No Bibliography

needed
5

6. APPENDIX : Misuse will result in a reduction of one mark for every additional page 0

5

CRITERIA FOR AWARDING GRADES

Grade Content/
Criticality

Relevance
and accuracy

Citation –
use of academic sources

Citation –
use of industry examples

Structure, spelling
and grammar

80-100 Outstanding answer
that shows detailed
knowledge of content.
Will take a critical
approach and present
a sophisticated
argument.

Fully addresses
the question and
100% accurate

Outstanding and accurate
use of appropriate citation
to support claims.
Extensive evidence of
students independent
research

Excellent evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Accurate and appropriate
application to question

Error free.
Very well
structured.

70-79 Excellent knowledge
of content.
A critical approach is
taken and a good
argument is
presented.

Fully addresses
the question but
not as
comprehensive
as 80+ answer.

Excellent and accurate use
of appropriate citation to
support claims
Some but not extensive
evidence of students
independent research

Very Good evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Accurate and appropriate
application to question

One or two minor
errors
Well-structured

60-69 Good knowledge.
A critical approach is
taken and some
argument is presented
but fails to fully
develop debate.

Address the
question but
some very small
gaps in
information
presented.

Supports claims by
reference to relevant
literature but could show
a deeper knowledge of
source material.
Limited evidence of
independent research

Good evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Good but limited
application to question

Several (3-5)
minor errors
Some problems
with structure

50-59 Solid attempt at
answer showing fair
knowledge
Tendency to
description but work is
accurate.

Broadly
addresses
question and
there are some
gaps in
information

Tendency to make claims
without adequate citation
and some inaccuracy and
inappropriate sources

Very limited evidence of
independent research

Solid evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Solid but descriptive
application to question

Widespread (5+)
minor errors.
Loose structure –
Relationships
between
statements are
hard to follow in
places

40-49 Basic knowledge with
clear gaps in
understanding
Tendency to
reproduce and
describe.

Does not fully
address the
question and
several sections
are inaccurate

Makes poor use of citation
and widespread
inaccuracy. References
from inappropriate
sources. No evidence of
independent research

Basic evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Basic and descriptive
application to question

Several errors –
and one or two
major
Weak structure –
lacks a clear
framework

35-39 Poor but some
knowledge
Widespread
reproduction and
description

Limited attempt
to answer the
question with
widespread
inaccuracy

Limited use of citation (3-
5 cites) and widespread
inaccuracy/irrelevance. No
evidence of independent
research

Limited evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
Poor application to
question

Widespread
errors
Very weak
structure –
statements tend
to repetition

0-34 Very poor or no
knowledge
No attempt at critical
discussion

Content is only
loosely
associated with
the question.

Very limited or no use of
citation and widespread
inaccuracy/irrelevance.
No evidence of
independent research

No evidence of
independent research into
industry practice
No attempt to link content
to practice in answer

Widespread
errors
No apparent
structure to
argument

1

Social Media Content Plan
Mountain

Warehouse

C10 DM

W or d c ount:

2 10 2

2

1. The Social Impact Theory

Latané (1981) introduced the “social impact theory” (SIT) which outlined the concept of “social

impact” as the variety of influences on a person’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. These influences

will be enforced by the imagined, implied or real actions and presences of other individuals (Latané,

1981).In this section, the SIT will be applied by the content plan in order to achieve the main ‘specific,

measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound’ (SMART) objective of doubling the existing 150

consumer referrals to the main website from the utilised social media platforms (Bjerke and Renger,

2016, p. 125). This objective will be achieved by increasing the level of “online consumer engagement”

(OCE). Valenzuela, Park and Kee (2009) claim that OCE, which consists of how the brand’s social media

posts’ ratings, comments and responses with user generated content (UGC), can stimulate sales and

other consumer behaviours which benefit the brand beyond the transactions. These manifested

behaviours include brand discussions as well as increased brand involvement, intimacy and influence

amongst its customers (Van Doorn et al, 2010).

Figure 1, the constituents of the Social Impact Theory (Perez-Vega,

Waite, O’Gorman, 2016).

The SIT suggests that the interaction of
these three components multiplies their
combined social impact (Latané, 1981).

3

1.1 Message Strength

As shown in figure 1, the SIT consists of three components which create social impact, the first

component which will be used to increase the number of referrals of Mountain Warehouse’s social

media posts will be the “strength” of the message. This type of influence can be broken down into

“trans-situational” or “situational” types of message strength.

1.1.1

Situational Strength

The situational strength derives influence from addressing the context in which the brand or its

consumers are present in a way which improves the brand’s reputation and identity. Perez-Vega,

Waite and O’Gorman (2016) found that situational strength could be derived from choosing

appropriate actors for the audience such as Mountain Warehouse employing prominent

mountaineers, skiers, hikers and other outdoor activists to promote their products with their credible

approvals and assurances of quality and value. For instance, Mountain Warehouse could use

successful or famous Winter Olympic Games athletes to endorse their products and ultimately

increase the situational strength of each message, see figure 2. However, some athletes can be

expensive to utilise especially when aiming to achieve a short-term objective which focuses on

increasing referrals through OCE.

Figure 2, an example of attaching a brand to an expert who holds situational power over skiers, in

this case an Olympic gold medal-winning skier (Svindal, 2019).

READ ABOUT AKSEL LUND SVINDAL’S STORY WITH

4

1.1.2 Trans-Situational Strength

Conversely however, this content plan will also propose the use of “trans-situational” message

strength. The content plan’s trans-situational messages will increase their salience through the

portrayal of models with appropriate physical and perceived characteristics such as appearance,

ethnicity, gender, age, and intelligence. As shown below in Figure 3, the models fulfill the role of

symbolizing style, success, maturity and youth while attaching such strong values to the products and

ultimately – their consumers.

Figure 3, an example of increased message strength through trans-situational aesthetic appeal

(eBay, 2019).

Here both models have confident

stances and facial expressions in

order to attach the values of

intelligence, success and style

with the advertised skiing base

layer products.

5

1.2 Message

Immediac

y

Another method of increasing the social impact and engagement of a message would be to increase

its presence or proximity towards its intended audience

(Perez-Vega, Waite and O’Gorman, 2016).

Immediacy can be further broken down into three categories which will be covered in the following

sections. The social media content plan for Mountain Warehouse can use these three types of

immediacy to increase the levels of online consumer engagement (OCE) in order to attract 150

referrals refer to figure 4 below for.

Figure 4, a diagram of how immediacy stimulates OCE for Facebook and Instagram (Perez-Vega,

Waite, O’Gorman, 2016).

Page

Following/Likin

Content Liking

Content

Commenting

Content

Sharing

Physical

Immediac

Temporal

Immediac

Social

Immediac

6

1.2.1

Physical Immediacy

Physical immediacy raises the engagement of the social media post by being more relatable to its

audience due to close geographic proximity (Trope and Liberman, 2010). Pedersen et al., (2008) as

well as Bourgeois and Bowen (2001) both respectively discovered the causality between proximity and

social impact. Their studies found that physically close students are more likely to succumb to peer-

pressure and the sharing of beliefs and values rather than to those students who are less close

physically (Pedersen et al., 2008; Bourgeois and Bowen, 2001). Hence, this content plan will utilize

physical proximity of content in order to appeal and engage with its audiences in the UK, refer to figure

5 below.

With many Mountain Warehouse outlets in the UK, a large concentration of which can be found here in

central London, this content plan launch promotions in close proximity to these stores which will

increase the social impact, OCE levels, as well as meet or exceed the referral target of the firm’s

messages.

Figure 5, a hotspot of Mountain Warehouse retail stores which all can simultaneously benefit from

“close proximity promotion”.

7

1.2.2

Temporal Immediacy

This type of immediacy utilizes time-related proximity between the message and its recipient, this

type of immediacy can be used by marketers to quickly stimulate desired responses such as OCE or

purchasing behaviour (Shen and Chiou, 2010). Perez-Vega, Waite and O’Gorman (2016) have also

found that increased temporal distance can also diminish social impact hence this content plan will

aim to avoid this potential limitation. The example of temporal immediacy shown in figure 6 below

can be replicated in the social media content plan for Mountain Warehouse.

Figure 6, a conceptual application of temporal immediacy in order to increase OCE and sales during a

“70% off “discount promotion (Mountain Warehouse, 2019).

1.2.3 Social immediacy

The third type of immediacy relates to the need for similarity with other members of the society

(Heider, 1958). Additionally consumers prefer to be surrounded by like-minded people with whom

they feel more socially connected (Miller, Downs and Prentice, 1998). Strong social immediacy (SI)

increases reciprocity and trust between consumers while weak SI disrupts communication and clarity

of messages between brand and consumer (Charness, Haruvy, and Sonsino, 2007; Rosette et al.,

2012). Hence, this content plan will aim to utilise the social awareness theory’s discovered

phenomenon of psychological closeness having a positive correlation with social awareness and a

negative correlation with encouraging a ‘self-centered behaviour’ (Perez-Vega, Waite, and O’Gorman,

2016, pp. 309). Social immediacy increases the levels of engagement in social media (Perez-Vega,

Waite, and O’Gorman, 2016), Mountain Warehouse reposts user generated content on their

Instagram feed in order to reduce psychological distance between them and their customers as shown

below in figure 7.

DON’T MISS OUT!

LAST CHANCE!

COUNTDOWN TILL OFFER ENDS:

2d:23h:59m:58s
SAVE WITH MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE!

8

Figure 7, examples of social immediacy through psychological closeness between the brand and its

consumers (Tesser, 1988; Instagram, 2019).

karimkovalenko good use of situational
message strength

karimkovalenkoI’d love for my winter
posts to get shared on this page too!
Fingers crossed! #socialimmediacy

Mountain Warehouse uses UGC to

become more psychologically

intimate with their consumers who

may both directly or indirectly

advocate the brand on social media.

If the brand chooses one of their

consumers to be featured on their

page they are then more likely to

become involved with the brand

and listen to its messages more

attentively and cooperatively.

This content plan will create social

immediacy by giving its followers

chances to win prizes, discounts and

publicity as a reward for being

involved with

Mountain

Warehouse’s Instagram and

Facebook pages.

The tone of the plan’s

communication style will aim to be

friendly and informal to avoid the

content feeling like pure promotion

and in-turn develop and maintain

the relationships MW has with its

customers.

9

1.3

Number of Sources

The third main component of SIT is the quantity of seen influential sources; increasing the number of

sources has a positive causal relationship with increases in social impact (Latané, 1981). However, the

effectiveness of social influence type has been debated to be limited, with more than three sources

having no increase in social impact (Asch, 1961). Additionally, this influence type has been found to

have varied optimal numbers of sources depending on the context and situation, while exceeding the

optimal amount is detrimental for creating social impact (Tanford and Penrod, 1984; Latané and Wolf,

1981).

Figure 8, the current post frequency of MW on its Facebook page is one post per two days.

This modest frequency of posts allows MW to communicate without forcing their
messages on to its audience to avoid negative engagement and lack of attention
given to the posts.

However, it also limits the amount of exposure they receive as it is only once per
two days, this means that people that do not browse their feeds frequently might
not see the posts at all.

The content calendar will propose a posting schedule which will aim to optimize
engagement through the amount of posts through the chosen week. It will aim for a
strong presence without forcing the message to the point of it producing a negative
effect.

10

2. Content Strategy for Engagement

This section will propose the week-long digital marketing strategy for Mountain Warehouse with the

use of the “Honeycomb of Social Media” and the “Ladder of Engagement and Segmentation” models.

2.1 Content Plan for Facebook and Instagram

Firstly, this strategy will utilise two ‘functional blocks of social media’ (Kietzmann et al., 2011, pp. 243),

in the framework shown in figure 9. The table in appendix 1 will analyse and critically evaluate the

chosen quadrants of this framework in order to outline and justify the chosen direction for this content

plan. The plan will focus on the two quadrants highlighted in yellow below, however the entire model

will be considered when formulating this strategy

(Kietzmann et

al., 2011).

Figure 9, ‘The Honeycomb of Social Media’ (Kietzmann et al., 2011).

Identity

Relationship
s

Presence

Sharing

Conversatio
ns

Reputation

Groups

11

2.1.1 Honeycomb Model:

Groups

As seen in figure 9’s “groups” quadrant, the content plan will communicate with new audiences

through partnerships with relevant social media communities which revolve around travel, hiking and

skiing. This decision utilizes situational strength and social immediacy as outlined in sections 1.1 and

1.2.3 (Perez-Vega, Waite and O’Gorman, 2016). Refer to appendix 2 for examples of relevant groups

and influencers for partnerships.

2.1.2 Honeycomb Model: Sharing

As shown in figure 12, the audiences will be continuously encouraged to share Mountain Warehouse’s

content through various rewards or by appealing to the aesthetic or lifestyle preferences of MW’s

followers. However, posts must have relevant characteristics in order to create enough engagement

which increases the probability of a post being shared.

2.1.3 The Ladder of Engagement and Segmentation

The ultimate target is to get as many as 150 individuals to the minimum engagement segment labeled

as “joiners” refer to figure 10 below. The plan recognizes the fact that increasing the engagement and

referrals of these passive users is a less time, resource, and cost-intensive process as opposed to the

“inactives”. The “inactive” segment requires the strongest forms of social impact to engage. This will

be achieved through a variety of posts which will be uploaded during peak-usage hours of

Facebook

and Instagram during the Christmas holidays. The calendar’s posts will begin to enter user-feeds on

the 19th of December and finally ending with a clearance sale on the 26th known as “Boxing Day”. The

content calendar can be seen in appendix 4.

12

2.2 Example Posts for Engagement

The initial stages of the plan will aim to encourage the potential customers of MW to share content

by giving them rewards for it as shown in figure 11 of section 2.2.

Figure 12, Instagram post which incentivises users to share content with their friends and family by

rewarding each referral.

These posts are aimed at engaging the audience through situational strength, temporal immediacy

and social immediacy if groups of people begin discussing and sharing this content in order to receive

a chance to win more than originally offered. The posts will be replicated across both Facebook and

Instagram as it is not efficient to host offers exclusive to a single platform. This content plan will utilise

integrated marketing communications.

Stay warmer together

with your

friends and

loved ones this

Christmas!

Receive -20% off all our winter

products purchased from our

website!

Refer your friends and get a free

£10 gift voucher added to your

online MW wallet for every person

who makes an

online purchase

through your unique referral link!

The registered consumers get a unique URL link through which new users can register and make purchases,
each referral that makes a purchase will grant the voucher to the original advocate.

13

Figure 13, a prize draw which increases its winnings if the number of participants reaches 150
registrations.

2.3 Critical Assessment of Content Strategy

2.3.1 Information Quality Theory (IQT)

This theory will be used to evaluate the content examples above in order to discern whether the

quality of the information is adequate for the context engagement and referral stimulation.

The first dimension of this theory refers to the credibility of the information source, as a web of stores

across the UK and other regions. Mountain Warehouse’s posts present no verifiability issues unless

the offers in the proposed content plan encounter operational issues and not meet the expectations

stated in the posts. However, the risk for this dimension is low (Grenn, Sarkani and Mazzuchi,

2015).

14

The second dimension of qualitative information quality refers to the ability to relay the message using

an appropriate sequence of information which is displayed rationally and concisely (Grenn, Sarkani

and Mazzuchi, 2015). The posts proposed in section 2.2 contain a large amount of situational

information which will take time and effort for the consumer to read. Thus, the weak coverage might

result in a reduction of the content’s overall engagement, this potentially hampers the plan’s ability

to achieve the SMART objective.

The third aspect of the IQT refers to the subjectivity and bias of the source. Even though the proposed

posts in section 2.2 have an informal tone, no concrete statements are made without the regard of

factual and honest information. Should the information regarding promotion not be objective, the

followers are likely to find out and being spreading negative word of mouth about the brand, which is

difficult to control and recover for the brand as social media is an enabler for conversations which

reach wide audiences and can have detailed criticisms which are trusted and associated with the brand

almost irreversibly. Invalid information is likely to detriment the credibility and engagement of the

brand’s social media content (Grenn, Sarkani and Mazzuchi, 2015).

The fourth criteria of information quality is whether the brand’s communication adheres towards

social norms, values and ethics. No harm is intended to any individuals in the posts proposed by this

plan. Henceforth, this risk is minimized.

The fifth dimension of this theory is the extent to which the information is unique (Grenn, Sarkani and

Mazzuchi, 2015). This is the most significant weakness of the proposed content as the competitors of

Mountain Warehouse also employ giveaways, UGC competitions, partnerships with influencers and

communities, discounts and referral rewards. The uniqueness of the proposed content is purely on

the bases of using unique visuals and semantics. This plan attempted to create unique promotions,

however with many marketing agencies and departments working on creating unique campaigns it

become difficult to achieve the same SMART objectives in a completely unique way. For the use of SI

T

in the evaluation, refer to figure 14.

15

2.3.2 Social Impact Theory (SIT)

Social Impact Evaluation

Situational Strength

The campaign uses the week leading up to Christmas and Boxing day to provide a

consistent theme which encourages purchasing gifts for family and friends. The

winter season also adds to the relevance of selling predominantly winter outdoor

apparel and equipment which adds to the contextual relevance of the campaign.

Trans-Situational
Strength

The people featured in the proposed content (excluding figure 3) do not have

exceptional physical features hence the strength of the message will not appeal to

people who prefer seeing products on professional models. On the other hand, the

people and images shown have aesthetically pleasing: backgrounds, colours, body

language and facial expressions, relatable appearances along with positive

connotations of travel, adventure, outdoor activities, cold weather, successful

lifestyles, happiness and family values.

Physical Immediacy

The content plan did not apply the physical immediacy of the SIT as the object of

the strategy was to stimulate referrals to the main website. Hence, the SMART

objective made the use of this type of immediacy less feasible. In order to negate

this lack of immediacy, the website could be used to receive vouchers exclusively in

the outlets outlined in figure 5.

Temporal Immediacy

The majority of posts in the content plan were used to create temporal immediacy

through limited timings of offers. However, having one limited offer replace

another reduces the temporal immediacy of the entire content plan put together

but improve the immediacy for those who do not engage consistently.

Social Immediacy

The posts encourage sharing and conversations about the offers, competitions and

giveaways. However no viral trends are created, and an attempt should be made

nonetheless

Number of Sources

The plan proposes 1 post per day with some intervals in order to avoid huge

amounts of information for the followers on Facebook and Instagram. However,

this has a downside as during this week the marketing activity of competitors will

ignore the common boundaries of how many of the same post are shown per day

to a single consumer.

Figure 14, the SIT evaluation of the content plan (Latane, 1981).

16

3. Digital Marketing Analytics

3.1 Key Analytics

This content plan will utilise web analytics tools in order to gather qualitative and quantitative data to

further develop this strategy. For instance, Google Analytics and bit.ly URLs can be used to monitor

the traffic on MW’s website, and where it comes from. With these tools QueryClick will be able to

monitor which platform is most effective at moving traffic towards the webpage (Bekavac and Garbin

Praničević, 2015). Additionally, the engagement and returnee behaviours of the consumers can be

monitored in order to determine whether the plan is performing adequately (Social, 2018). Refer to

figure 15 below for a critically evaluative list of analytics tools which can be applied to this plan. The

most appropriate tools for this plan will be Google Analytics and Bit.ly links.

Analytics Tool Strength Weaknesses
Crazy Egg Represents data using heat maps and

other useful features for tracking real-time

traffic

Does not explain conversion rates

Google Analytics Configurable UI, visual metrics for

conversions, flexible formatting, unique

STP mechanics

Does not account for why conversions and

referrals occur

Stuffed Tracker Can discern and show the contrast

between organic and inorganic growth

Requires IT expertise beyond that of a digital

marketer

Webtrends Rich data, heat maps similar to Crazy Egg,

live data

Does not justify its high cost in comparison to

rivals

IBM Unica

NetInsight

Fully configurable

eTracker Mouse-tracking, can gather qualitative

feedback from consumers

FireStats Ergonomic, console for logs and live

information feed

Does not run on regular PCs

Bit.ly Cost-effective, simple Does not have any advanced features, very

basic

Figure 15, Evaluation of various analytics tools for this content plan (Bekavac and Garbin Praničević,

2015).

17

3.2 Tweaks to Content Plan

As shown in figure 14 the situational strength of the plan is adequate, however it can be improved if

another aspect of it is added, such as the post in figure 2 which uses a famous professional skier to

endorse the products with his exclusive story posted on the website in order to boost referrals.

Additionally, the post from figure 3 negates the issue of not holding as much trans-situational message

power as possible, which is already adequate (Latane, 1981).

Figure 16. These original uses of SIT created a very comprehensively balanced array of
content, using these examples to also increase the number of sources during the very
competitive yet lucrative Christmas season will increase the chances of referrals

as the

number of active-consumers peaks during this time of year.

18

3.3 Risks of Content Tweaks

Increasing the number of sources can reduce their quality and reduce the engagement levels with

the consumers due to a cognitive overload due to a complicated week of endless need to engage,

the more casual consumers will be repelled by such strong efforts to traffic onto the webpage. Using

models and influencers could harm the existing relationships with the customers who enjoy having

their personal posts shared rather than being disconnected from participation in the community

(Perez-Vega, Waite and O’Gorman, 2016).

19

References

1. Asch, S.E. (1961). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of

judgments. In M. Henle (Ed.), Documents of Gestalt psychology (pp. 222-236). London,

England: Cambridge University Press

2. Bekavac, I. and Garbin Praničević, D. (2015). Web analytics tools and web metrics tools: An

overview and comparative analysis. Croatian Operational Research Review, 6(2), pp.373-386.

3. Bjerke, M. and Renger, R. (2017). Being smart about writing SMART objectives. Evaluation

and Program Planning, 61, pp.125-127.

4. Bourgeois, M. and Bowen, A. (2001). Self-organization of alcohol-related attitudes and

beliefs in a campus housing complex: An initial investigation. Health Psychology, 20(6),

pp.434-437.

5. Charness, G., Haruvy, E. and Sonsino, D. (2007). Social distance and reciprocity: An Internet

experiment. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 63(1), pp.88-103.

6. eBay. (2019). Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles, Coupons and More | eBay. [online]

Available at: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermal-Base-Layer-Mens-Women-Top-Bottom-

Ski-Shirt-Tights-Wool-Underwear-Set-/272410012467

[Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

7. Grenn, M., Sarkani, S. and Mazzuchi, T. (2015). A Theory of Information Quality and its

Implementation in Systems Engineering. IEEE Systems Journal, 9(4), pp.1129-1138.

8. Instagram.com. (2019). Mountain Warehouse (@mountainwarehouse) • Instagram photos

and videos. [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/mountainwarehouse/?hl=en

[Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

9. Instagram.com. (2019). SKIINGFREE – freeskiing (@skiingfree) • Instagram photos and videos.

[online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/skiingfree/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

10. Latané, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36(4), 343-356.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.36.4.343

11. Li, C. and Bernoff, J., 2007. Social technographics. Mapping Participation in Activities Forms

The Foundation Of A Social Strategy.

12. Miller, D., Downs, J. and Prentice, D. (1998). Minimal conditions for the creation of a unit

relationship: the social bond between birthday mates. European Journal of Social

Psychology, 28(3), pp.475-481.

13. Mountainwarehouse.com. (2019). Outdoor Clothing & Equipment | Mountain Warehouse

GB. [online] Available at: https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

20

14. Pedersen, E., LaBrie, J. and Lac, A. (2008). Assessment of perceived and actual alcohol norms

in varying contexts: Exploring Social Impact Theory among college students. Addictive

Behaviors, 33(4), pp.552-564.

15. Perez-Vega, R., Waite, K. and O’Gorman, K. (2016). Social impact theory: An examination of

how immediacy operates as an influence upon social media interaction in Facebook fan

pages. The Marketing Review, 16(3), pp.299-321.

16. Rosette, A., Brett, J., Barsness, Z. and Lytle, A. (2011). When Cultures Clash Electronically.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43(4), pp.628-643.

17. Svindal (2019). Aksel Lund Svindal. [online] Aksellundsvindal.com. Available at:

http://www.aksellundsvindal.com/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

18. Tesser, A. (1988). Toward a Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model of Social Behavior. Advances

in Experimental Social Psychology, pp.181-227.

19. Trope, Y. and Liberman, N. (2010). Construal-level theory of psychological distance.

20. Valenzuela, S., Park, N. and Kee, K. (2009). Is There Social Capital in a Social Network Site?:

Facebook Use and College Students’ Life Satisfaction, Trust, and Participation. Journal of

Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(4), pp.875-901.

21. van Doorn, J., Lemon, K., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P. and Verhoef, P. (2010).

Customer Engagement Behavior: Theoretical Foundations and Research Directions. Journal

of Service Research, 13(3), pp.253-266.

21

Appendices

Appendix 1, Honeycomb of Social Media Framework Analysis (Kietzmann et al., 2011)

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation

Identity

This quadrant constitutes to which extent consumers disclose their personal

information and identities within the context of social media.

Benefits

 Data mining this information is useful for brands when segmenting and

targeting their desired consumers (Kietzmann and Angell, 2010).

 Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) propose that interaction with social media

unintentionally provides brands with feedback through every type of OCE

such as liking, commenting, rating and responding to

content.

 Consumers can also utilise and self-promote their real or virtual identities

on social media; this can be seen on Mountain Warehouse’s Instagram

Page (Kietzmann and Angell, 2010).

Limitations

 However, the information which consumers reveal on social media is

protected by their privacy settings and breaching their trust by accessing

it without their consent could damage the trust they have with their social

media platforms and the third parties which are found to purchase such

information (Kietzmann and Angell, 2010).

 Kravets (2010) found that breaches of privacy can also lead to lawsuits.

Hence, precaution should be taken in the analytic and strategic sections

of this content plan.

Each social media platform provides its own unique style of data on its users; this

content plan will focus on the data provided by its Facebook and Instagram

followers and target segments in section 3.

22

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation

Conversations

This section of the model depicts the degree of communication between social

media users, these discussions can revolve purely around the brand and its

offerings. Hence, brands aim to monitor and control these conversations to act

accordingly with their corporate interests, brand reputation and brand identity

(Kietzmann et al., 2011).

Benefits:

 Conversations are easily facilitated by platforms such as Instagram and

Facebook (Kietzmann et al., 2011).

 Such discussions can promote the brand through positive “word of

mouth” of individuals on the basis of trust and conformity (Beirut, 2009).

 For instance, Unilever’s Dove 2004 campaign was successful at creating

positive conversations about the brand by engaging the community with

a live vote to describe whether or not the product produced a positive

result on its customers shown on Dove’s billboards.

 Positivist findings: thousands of social media conversations can be

effectively deciphered by brands through the use of specific filtering tools

to find strong and relevant trends amongst the attitudes of users.

 Interpretivist findings: Brands can also communicate directly with its

customers and view the interactions on their pages for a more detailed

but less connected or representative perspective on their reputation.

Limitations:

 Conversations are difficult to decipher because:

– They have subjective meanings, for instance they can have

sarcastic tones which filtering tools cannot identify.

– They can be prone to rapid changes in their direction, frequency

and content (McCarthy et al., 2010).

 Conversations are difficult to incite and control, the brand’s decisions

must be relevant to the context in order to avoid the risk of damaging its

image.

23

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation
Sharing

This quadrant represents the frequency of content exchange which occurs

between users. Social media networks create a conducive environment towards

the distribution and reception of content, the shared content acts as a powerful

tool to create and maintain social exchanges (Engelström, 2005).Brands are

required to determine new or existing social cues which can be used to bring users

together into social interactions and nourish their relationships.

Benefits:

 Brands can incentivise their customers to share their messages and

content by rewarding them with special offers.

For example, Groupon offered discounts to groups which were willing to

buy products and services which are part of those promotional offers.

 Shared content incites conversations between social media users, this can

be used to stimulate brand-related discussions.

 Sharing is one of the key drivers of social media, consumers can share their

brand experiences indefinitely which can create a multiplier effect which

raises awareness and improves brand image if the message is positive.

Limitations:

 Brands need to be able to provide socially relevant content which is

difficult to identify as its effectiveness is subjective and can easily be

unsuccessful in creating engagement

 It can be costly to create strong incentives to share content such as

worthwhile promotions.

 There is a lot of noise regarding offers and other incentives to share,

brands are required to stand out in their propositions.

 Shared content can contain negative connotations which can damage the

brand on a scale larger than it can be able to resolve, what consumers

share is a big risk for the public relations of a

brand.

24

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation
Presence

This component of the model represents how accessible other users are within

the social network. Such accessibility involves users maintaining awareness of

each other’s physical locations as well as their online availability.

Benefits:

 Facebook gives insight into the physical locations and online availability of

its users which facilitates their interactions while allowing brands to

profile and target them more effectively.

 Knowing the virtual and physical presence of the brand’s consumers will

help facilitate “real-time communication” which vastly improves the

quality of the interaction through higher levels of immediacy and intimacy

(Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010).

 This quadrant enhances the effectiveness of the “relationship” and the

“conversations” quadrants.

Limitations:

 The accessibility of users cannot be manipulated nor predicted on a large

scale. Hence, if it is low then this quadrant cannot be utilised effectively.

 Communication may not result in the intended impact the brand aimed

for, adequate skills are required to utilise real time communication.

 Focusing on this quadrant gives little choice when paring with quadrants

other than its relationship and conversation counterparts (Kietzmann et

al., 2011).

25

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation

Relationships

This honeycomb segment determines the level of connectedness between social

media users. This “connectedness” leads to the sharing of content, conversations,

real-life meets as well as a friend or follower status on social media.

Benefits:

 “Influencers” can utilise their social power in dense and large networks

to promote brands (Granovetter, 1973).

 Relationships can be created by displaying relevant content towards the

expectations of consumers (Borgatti and Foster, 2003).

 Once a brand creates a relationship with its customers, the customer is

more likely to engage with the content and loyally accept the majority of

offers provided by the brand.

 Relationships create a willingness to be more engaged with social media

content.
Limitations:

 Users have expectations from brands when brands attempt to create

relationships, these expectations are not overtly communicated hence

the brand risks not meeting them and producing a negative impression

on its audience.

 Relationships are complex to create and maintain, they require social

understanding which is both detailed and representative of the target

segment.

26

Honeycomb Quadrant Evaluation
Reputation

This quadrant represents how recognisable, trustworthy and respectable the

brand is. Facebook and Instagram evaluate the reputation of the page and its

content through likes and followers. This content plan will value indicators of how

engaged the consumers are with the social media posts in order to persuade them

into going to the main website.

Benefits:

 An accessible and simplistic indication of how popular a social media

page is on the bases of ratings, shares, comments and followers.

 Software can be used to filter UGC across multiple social media

platforms to find how many times a brand is mentioned by the entire

community and by each user, whether the mentions are positive or

negative as well as the conversations which result from this content.

Limitations:

 The indicators of engagement can be falsified or be subjectively

interpreted to be wrong

Groups

This social media block determines how many users form and join groups and

communities of like-minded individuals. Typically a single consumer can actively

engage with around 150 people in totality on social media (Dunbar, 1992),

however communities on Facebook and Instagram have actively-engaged

communities which have followings way beyond this limit.

Benefits:

 Groups are entities which can be used to communicate with a large

number of people by brands, these members can be influenced

efficiently and effectively.

 Members of communities share particular characteristics which can be

identified and targeted by brands.

 Groups are effective sources of feedback.

Limitations:

 Groups are difficult to manage and can be an influential source of

negative brand connotations.

27

Appendix 2, applying the “Groups Quadrant” from the “Honeycomb Model”: examples

of Social Media Community Partnerships (Instagram, 2019)

SKI APPAREL?

“Skiingfree” is a large community of passionate skiers around the world which is open to

negotiate partnerships with brands. They currently have ski gear on promotion however no

skiing apparel is being promoted leaving an opportunity to raise awareness with its

members. The proposed content would introduce the members to the MW brand in hopes

of persuading these consumers to browse the website for any promoted gear they might

need for their outdoor lifestyle.

28

Appendix 3, the “Ladder of Engagement and Segmentation” (Li and Bernoff, 2007)

EN
G

A
G

EM
EN

T

Creators

Conversationalists

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives

This content plan will aim to increase the online consumer engagement of MW’s followers and the targeted online

communities in order to ease communication. Once a relationship is established then the persuasive content will

stimulate: ratings; comments; conversations; sharing and mostly importantly – referrals to the website.

1. “Travel, camping or skiing” bloggers, influencers and UGC creators.

2. Opinion sharing individuals with many strong relationships.

3. Those who evaluate offerings through likes, comments and other responses.

4. Post savers, taggers, sharers.

5. Passive social media followers and visitors.

6. Passive browsers, readers, viewers of regular and critical content/feedback.

7. No significant engagement with social media content.

29

Appendix 4, the Content Calendar

Date Timing Channels Post Title Summary Source Planned Engagement

19/12/19 22:00 Instagram,

Facebook

Stay warmer

with your
loved ones this

Xmas

20% discount,

refer friend and

receive £10

voucher for online

purchases

Mountain
Warehouse

Sharing the link to the

discounts, visiting the

webpage to view

prices.

21/12/19 14:00 Instagram,

Facebook

Register on our

webpage to

get a chance to

win prizes!

Users enter a

random draw to

win prizes of their

choosing valued at

under £100

(clothing or

equipment)

Getting more

people in the draw

increases the

value of the prize

to £250

123rf.com Sharing, visiting and

registering,

involvement in the

draw and eagerness

to win.

23/12/19 11:00AM Instagram,

Facebook

Haven’t figured

out what to get

for your family

and friends this

Xmas?

Submit your best

winter photo for

a chance to win

an 80% discount

off your next

online purchase

at Mountain

Warehouse!

Gettyimages Participation in UGC

competition, sharing

of uploaded content

and conversation

starter, no concrete

reason to criticise the

brand.

30

Date Timing Channels Post Title Summary Source Planned engagement

24/12/19 22:00 Instagram,

Facebook

Winner of

the UGC

competition

post

See our top 25

best submitted

pictures at our

website as well

as the

upcoming

clearance sales

on Boxing Day!

Users Interest to see if the

uploaded picture was

featured on the website,

as well as interest to see

which items have

clearance sales, referral,

sharing if featured.

26/12/19 8:00AM Instagram,

Facebook

Boxing day

sale

List of items on

sale, with

discounts next

to each type

Pinterest Referral to the website,

sharing, conversations.

31

Appendix 5 Digital Marketing Analytics

Analytics Tool Strength Weaknesses
Crazy Egg Represents data using heat maps and
other useful features for tracking real-time
traffic
Does not explain conversion rates
Google Analytics Configurable UI, visual metrics for
conversions, flexible formatting, unique
STP mechanics
Does not account for why conversions and
referrals occur
Stuffed Tracker Can discern and show the contrast
between organic and inorganic growth
Requires IT expertise beyond that of a digital
marketer
Webtrends Rich data, heat maps similar to Crazy Egg,
live data
Does not justify its high cost in comparison to
rivals
IBM Unica
NetInsight
Fully configurable
eTracker Mouse-tracking, can gather qualitative
feedback from consumers
FireStats Ergonomic, console for logs and live
information feed
Does not run on regular PCs
Bit.ly Cost-effective, simple Does not have any advanced features, very
basic

C10DM Digital Marketing 2018_19 Feedback Sheet

Poss

Actual

Structure, Spelling and Grammar

5

5

1. Social Impact Theory

25

15

2.1 Proposed Content Plan

5

4

2.2 Example Post

5

5

2.3 Critical Assessment

20

13

3.1 Key Analytics

5

5

3.2 Tweaks

10

5

3.3 Risks of Tweaks

15

6

References

10

10

Overall

100

68

Student Name:

Structure, Spelling and Grammar:

You should have followed the report format. There should be a clear structure to your argument i.e. each section connects with the other. Sentences should make sense and frequent spelling/grammar mistakes have been avoided by proof-reading.

The report format was followed appropriately (content calendar would have been more effective included in the body of the report). There were no spelling/grammar issues, the writing in the report was of a high quality throughout.

1. Using Social Impact Theory:

This was an opportunity to clearly demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate and apply theory to a particular context. You should also demonstrate the ability to succinctly summarise theory and also to use relevant citation to support your argument. There should be clear evidence of reading course content and in better answers this will have been supplemented by additional reading.

This section offered good insight into SIT and was particularly effective at relating it to the needs of the client. There was scope to incorporate a broader range of literature sources to further support/develop the insights offered.

2.1 Proposed Content Plan

You should have completed the content plan template. There needs to be a clear indication of the time, the source, the content, the channel and the frequency of posts.

A content calendar is included meeting the require criteria. The engagement targets could have been conveyed more clearly to the reader.

2.2 Example Post(s)

This is an opportunity to show creativity and insight. The post or posts can either be original material or a competitor post could be used to indicate the nature of the post.

Example post is described and included in the body of the report. These are clearly related to the content calendar, and effectively related to the underpinning theory.

2.3 Critical Assessment of Content Strategy

The purpose of this section is to test logical thinking and ability to conduct independent research in order to support a position. This section should contain a content strategy to achieve the SMART goals of the client. The content strategy should show clear links with Section 1 and continue to draw on course theory. The critical evaluation should give the reasons given for the strategy (with citation from the literature) and also provide some discussion of the pros and cons of the strategy.

The critical evaluation of the content strategy demonstrated some mature thinking on the topic. Appropriately, information quality theory is called upon to inform and structure the analysis offered. A balanced analysis is offered however there is scope to utilize a broader range of academic sources to fully expand and develop points made. The extent to which the campaign addresses the principles of SIT is also considered, again, scope to develop this further through demonstration of deeper engagement with relevant literature. The assessment is well-balanced.

3.1 Key Analytics:

You should have suggested social media analytics related to the SMART goals and the intended engagement outcome.

A range of analytics related to the engagement objectives are outlined, with the tools deemed most appropriate highlighted for use in this content plan. Strengths and weaknesses of these are offered to provide a balanced justification for the decisions made.

3.2 Tweaks to Content Plan

The Tweaks should be justified with reference SIT (changing source, number of immediacy) or Information Quality (change to intrinsic, contextual or representational quality) and clearly relate to the content plan.

The tweaks suggested could be further expanded. Quite limited reference to SIT is offered, and tweak outlined would require quite significant resource inputs i.e. potential not feasible.

3.3. Risks of Content Tweaks

Risks need to be identified and also the reasons for them given with reference to the practitioner/academic literature.

This section is very limited. Some risks of adjustments to the content strategy are outlined in relation to the brief goals, however, these are under-developed and not strongly supported.

4. References:

The brief states that there should be at least 10 academic references that have been used within the report using Harvard referencing accurately. All references should be present in the main text. References should give clear show evidence of your reading of both course texts and evidence of locating and reading of additional relevant research.

Referencing requirements were met.

Appendices:
You have scope to use the appendices for example posts or preliminary analysis. All material in the appendices should be referred to in the main report.

Appendix was used for supplementary information, avoid including replica information that is in the body of the report – this seems to have been an oversight.

Overall a good attempt.

NB All marks are provisional until confirmed by the exam board.

Digital Marketing- C10DM – Dr. Ross Curran

Coursework – Social Media Campaign and Content Planning- iVac

Advaita Vinod
H00284485

Word Count: 2,196


Page � of �1 16

The iVac is a revolutionary vacuum cleaner released by Apple. It is designed to change the manner
in which audience vacuum and revolutionise entire home cleaning sector.

1. Adoption Theory
The adoption theory analyses the fact that there might be multiple factors which influences the
decision of a customer. (Straub, 2009) .These factors might incorporate the awareness and
knowledge of the consumer, their acceptance of the innovation and experience in buying such a
product. This report will analyse the classic theory: Technology Acceptance Model (Davies et al
1989) and compare it to the Uses and Gratification Theory. In order to progress towards each
model, it is important to understand the process of “Technology Adoption”.

Page � of �2 16

Figure 1: Technology Adoption Process

1.1 Technology Acceptance Model

Why do people use technology? one theory to explain this especially with the context of iVac is the
“Technology Acceptance Model” (TAM).
This is a model which conveys how users have
come to accept and use a technology, this is
usually because individuals find the technology
useful for the task as well as easy to use. The
theory was developed in the late 1980s when
we had technology such as email (Lee, 2003).
In this context, the old system vacuum cleaners
were manual ones wherein individuals had to
physically clean.

The theory in itself says very little about the technology itself and more about what we believe and
perceive this technology to be. In other words, whether technology is actually useful or easy to use
is not a matter of the technology but a
matter of our perception and this may
change.
There are various factors which acts as a
depending factor; how much experience
you have, how old your are and the
perceptions of a particular piece of
technology.
The traditional method of sweeping,
using a manual vacuum cleaner and now
an iVac changes not because the
technology or method by which the
cleaning is done is different but because
individuals are different.

1.1.1 Limitations of TAM
TAM assumes that people plan the behaviour and that they are rational in their actions, this means
that we evaluate the usefulness and the ease of use of a technology, however not everyone is
rational in their decision making and not entirely rational in their behaviour either. The theory
doesn’t account for this. For example, when the first iPhone had come out people had camped
outside the apple stores in order to get hold of the technology.
None of these people might have had the chance to try the new technology prior to the purchase and
hence couldn’t have known about the usefulness or ease of use of the iPhone. Hence, this can’t be
called the reasoned action based on an evaluation of the technology.
Another limitation when using this theory in context of the iVac is that it doesn’t give us any design
advice on how we should build better technology other than the general statement of “make sure it’s
useful” and “make sure it’s easy to use”. All technology is designed to that extent, however not all
technology’s are useful or easy to use which is why there are alternative theories which suggest why
people might adopt new technology. (Lee, 2003)

Page � of �3 16

1.1.2 Uses and Gratification Theory
One of the earliest research into media was how the audience and producers engage with each other
during the consumption of media. A very popular idea was the “Effects Model” which looked at
what the media did to the audience. It suggested that audiences are passive at the mercy of whatever
the media tells them. With regards to the iVac, the “Uses and Gratification Theory” (UGT) takes the
viewpoint of the audiences being active participants in the exchange of media, hence they use media
to gratify their needs such as social connection and self esteem. It details the primary needs the
audience’s are able to satisfy with the media; surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships.
(Roberts, 2005)

Page � of �4 16

Table 1: Strengths and Limitations of Uses and Gratification Theory

2. Social Impact Theory

Introduced and created by Bibb Latané, the concept of “Social Impact Theory” which portrayed the
variety of influences on an individuals beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, this translates to the simple
fact that every individual is influenced or gets influenced by someone else.
Latné states that the Social Impact Theory (SIT) consists of 3 components which takes into
consideration the extent to which individuals can be targets of social influence: Strength,
Immediacy and the Amount of sources which makes the impact.

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Figure 2: Social Impact Theory (Bibb Latané)

Strength depicts an individuals or groups of authority and power of persuading. While Immediacy
unfolds the understanding between people. And the number of sources states the amount or number
of people influencing a particular situation unfolds the understanding between people.

In the era wherein social media dominates, being influenced by what individuals see or hear via
social media is indispensable and thus the objective of this report will include methods by which
social media platforms can increase the level of “online consumer engagement”.
An increase in the number of comments, post ratings and responses can stimulate sales and
influence other individuals which ultimately benefits the firm as well as enhances brand awareness
and brand loyalty towards the product.

2.1 Message Strength
As mentioned above, the SIT incorporates 3 components which assists in creating a social impact.
The Message Strength will be used in order to increase the number of people connecting to the ivac
due to its message. Message Strength can be further broken down into “situational” or “trans-
situational” type of message strength.

2.1.1 Situational Strength
Situational strength is defined to provide cues in environmental forces depending the desirability of
potential behaviours. This is said to increase the psychological pressure on an individual to engage
in order to influence particular behaviours. Considering the fact that the product in hand is a
vacuum cleaner, having an expertise speak well of the product would be the first step in instigating
awareness. In 2016, Perez-Vega Waite and O’Gorman stated that with the use of appropriate actors
could increase the situational strength. This could result in the use of prominent actors, musicians,
activists and social media influencers to promote the product. Considering the fact that the target
market is between the ages of 25-45 years, it is important to use actors from various age groups, this
will enhance their credible approvals and assurance of the product. With the use of older citizens,
the fact of “connivance” is conveyed whereas younger social media influencers can highlight
convince by having the vacuum clear programmed with a click of a button on their smartphones,
also have it synced to iTunes whereby music can be played too.
Nonetheless, some customers might view the message highly frustrating and might misunderstand
whereas others may find it comforting and relaxing.

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Table 2: Strengths and Limitations of Social Impact Theory

2.1.2 Trans Situational Strength
This type of message strength aims at increasing the prominence via the depiction of models usually
with good physical appliance and perceived characteristics. Appearance is important as it conveys a
sense of confidence, maturity and youth which preach strong values of the product.
It is important to use both genders as well as various people from different age groups. This
enhances the fact that any one between the targeted age group can use the product.

2.2 Message Immediacy
In order to increase and improve the presence and proximity towards the target audience, it is
important to have the engagement and social impact of a message (Perez-Vega, Waite and
O’Gorman, 2016). This is further broken down into 3 categories; Physical, Temporal and Social
which will be analysed in the following section.

2.2.1 Physical Immediacy
This concept states that the closer in geographic proximity the audience is, the more relatable a
social media post is (Trope and Liberman, 2010). It has been analyzed and discovered that
physically closer target audience tend to bend to peer pressure and which enhances the beliefs and
values that they share (Pedersen et al., 2008; Bourgeois and Bowen, 2001).
Taking into example Dyson, a British based company manufacturing vacuum cleaners who have
model stores across the global, iVac could implement the same method.
There are few Apple stores in the UAE, the introduction to a few more in the major malls will
enhance the ability to view the product and have demonstrations. Including multichannel into the
content plan will improve the awareness given about the product as well as increases the trust
gained from the customers. This content plan will utilise the aspect of physical proximity as a form
of appeal and engagement with its audience as it might add as much value considering the product
involved.

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Figure 3: A comparison made; traditional versus current era. An example of the social media influencer
Kim Kardashian who holds situational power and is representing the brand.

2.2.2 Temporal Immediacy
This type of immediacy is with regards to time related immediacy between the message and the
audience. This tends to stimulate quick responses and purchases nonetheless this could affect the
social impact in a negative manner and hence this report aims to avoid this.
In 2016, Perez-Vega, Waite and O’Gorman found that an increase in temporal distance can
negatively affect the social impact , nevertheless this content plan will taken into consideration this
limitation.

2.2.3 Social Immediacy
This concept looks into how the purchase of an individual instigates another purchase of the same
product. This is usually due to the need for similar products within the same society (Heider, 1958).
When consumers are surrounded by like minded people it tends to positively affect their purchase
as it helps them socially connect as well as increases the trust between the consumers and hence
improves the clarity between the brand and consumers. Below are posts which have been reposted
by iVac of their audience. This reduces the distance between them and portrays a sense of
belonging. The posts aim to subtly suggest the product and the temporal immediacy in forms of
promotion. The posts are informal which enhances customer relations with iVac.

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Figure 4: A hypothetical application of the temporal immediacy in order to increase sales




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Figure 5: Examples of social immediacy portraying the firm and its customers

Figure 6: Examples of social immediacy via psychological closeness via a reward

2.3 Number of Sources
The last component under SIT is the number of sources which creates a positive impact on the
social impact. Nonetheless this is still being debated upon as more than 3-4 posts have no increase
in the social impact (Tanford and Penrod, 1984; Latané and Wolf, 1981).
This type of influence has been found to have various number of sources usually depending on the
context and situation while increasing the amount of content created to make a social impact
(Tanford and Penrod, 1984; Latané and Wolf, 1981).

3. Content Strategy for Engagement- Example Post(s)
This section will propose the marketing strategy (MS) for iVac with the use of social media
channels: Instagram and Facebook.
According to the Social Media Statistics 2019 by Infographics for the UAE, the Emirati population
spends approximately 2.56 hours n social media on a daily basis. Figure 7 provides the statistical
percentage. Closer analyses of the statistics depicts that “Facebook” and “Instagram” are amongst
the highest active social media and hence iVac hopes to use these social media platforms as a
method of marketing strategy.

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Figure 7: UAE Social Media Statistics 2019

Source: UAE Social Media Statistics 2019

Audiences are encouraged to share iVac’s posts via other platforms this will create awareness
towards the followers. Nonetheless, it is important that the posts are of relevance in order to create
engagement which enhances awareness as well as probability of the post being shared further.
The plan identifies the fact that when increasing the engagement there might be “inactive”
audiences as well. In order to touch base on the “inactive” users, iVac will post during peak hours
on Facebook and Instagram as well as go live in order to highlight the features that the iVac has as
well to demonstrate how the iVac is used.

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Table 3: Strengths and Limitations of using the social media with regards to iVac in the UAE

3.1 Example Posts for Engagement
In order to encourage prospective customers to use and buy the iVac and share content, as well as
rewarding them, the use of social media influencers will be used.

A post such as the one above aims at enhancing the audience engagement through situational
strength, temporal immediacy and social immediacy. Once the audience sees the post, with the use
of word of mouth people discuss the post and share this content in order to receive a reward. A post
like this will be shared via Facebook and Instagram as just one platform is not sufficient.

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Figure 8: The use of social media influencer – movlogs to portray situational strength, temporal
immediacy and social immediacy

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Table 4: Connection of SIT and Adoption Theory

4. Customer Response Rate

4.1 Target Metrics

Taking into consideration “Dysons” statistics, iVac hopes to attract atleast 700-1000 people every
month to view the website.

4.2 Adjustments to Posts

As shown in figure 5 the social immediacy of the content plan is sufficient, nonetheless it can be
tweaked to incorporate the lower generation as well. Creating a comparison of various age groups
and social groups to endorse the product could enhance the posts as well as the website.

In addition the content plan does not taken into account the trans-situational message as the iVac is
a home appliance. the portal of models with appropriate physic might not appeal to the audience.

Nevertheless, there are pros and cons of making adjustments to the posts.

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Table 5: Target Metrics for iVac

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