You have been assigned the task as Marketing Manager to scan social media web sites and try to mitigate the negative consumer postings from a recent crisis. Explain how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and evaluate how the negative comments were handled by the organizations. Assess a recommendation for better communication and explain why. The Social Media paper
· Must be two to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style.
· Must include a separate title page with the following:
o Title of paper
o Student’s name
o Course name and number
o Instructor’s name
o Date submitted
· Must use at least two scholarly sources in addition to the course text (highlighted in weekly lecture below).
· Must document all sources in APA style.
· Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style.
Weekly Lecture:
Online Marketing & Social Media
Social media has added a powerful online media that is designed to encourage user interaction. This format adds a powerful dimension to communications strategies. Social media sites such as Facebook, Google+ Social Service, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn are the major players in social media (Ogden & Ogden, 2014). Consumers may post messages by written messages, videos, podcasts, photographs, etc. Qualman (2013) states the 21st century has moved from “word of mouth” to “world of mouth” (p. 1), meaning the power of millions of consumers reading what has been posted online about a product or an organization is now read by consumers all over the world. Yet, Qualman states 70% of “big company CEOs have no presence on social networks” (p.) and suggests businesses embrace the social media in order to stay connected to consumers. Kabani (2013) agrees; however, the author suggests the marketing strategies used in traditional marketing venues will not be applied to the effective marketing strategies via social media. New strategies must be adapted for the social media marketing strategy because this media platform belongs to the consumer rather than to the marketer. New tactics must also be developed in order to assess the data extracted from social media. Kozinets (2002) has coined a new term, “netnography,” which is the process organizations can use to track patterns and other useful consumer information from the online postings. The postings on social media web sites will give the organizations an opportunity to right something if it is wrong. More importantly, reading what consumers are posting will give the organization an opportunity to identify emerging trends or an unmet demand and be first in the marketplace to fill that demand. While it is very important an organization have a presence within the Internet and social media, care must be taken to assess the ROI on such investment. Metrics such as those listed on page 292 (Ogden & Ogden) of our text give managers an idea of how activities on the social media sites could lead to eventual sales and market share. Most of the activities are easily tracked by looking at the posts on each web site. Metrics such as Google Analytics can help track the postings and response rates for a very large organization. The important point to remember is the social media activity should be monitored in order to confirm the activity is contributing to the organization’s overall mission and objectives. The power of social media and its influence in the integrated marketing communications strategy cannot be overlooked (Ogden & Ogden, 2014). Does this mean we should abandon the more traditional tactics and venues of the IMC? No, of course not. It depends upon the targeted market segment. For instance, if the organization is targeting older consumers, the traditional methods such as television and/or radio may still be effective for reaching this group of consumers. If, however, the organization is targeting tech savvy Baby Boomers, Generations X, Y, & the Millennials, then using social media is a must. People want to know what their colleagues and peers are thinking. If you were thinking about purchasing a specific model of auto, for example, are you more likely to believe the postings of your peers or the advertising claims of the organization?
References:
Kabani, S. (2013). The zen of social marketing. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.
Kozinets, R. V. (2002, February). The field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39, 61-72.
Ogden, J. R., & Ogden, D. T. (2014). Utilizing a strategic marketing approach to managing marketing communications. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. – (course text)
Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Grading Rubric
Total Possible Score: 10.00
Explains How Organizations Use Social Media to Communicate With Their Consumers Through a Crisis and Evaluates How the Negative Comments Were Handled by the Organizations
Total: 4.00
Distinguished – Comprehensively explains how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and thoroughly evaluates how the negative comments were handled by the organizations. Effectively uses examples to support position.
Proficient – Explains how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and evaluates how the negative comments were handled by the organizations. Uses examples to support position, but minor details are missing from the explanation or evaluation.
Basic – Vaguely explains how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and partially evaluates how the negative comments were handled by the organizations. Somewhat uses examples to support position and relevant details are missing from the explanation and/or evaluation.
Below Expectations – Attempts to explain how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and evaluate how the negative comments were handled by the organizations; however, does not use examples to support position and significant details are missing from the explanation and evaluation.
Non-Performance – The explanation of how organizations use social media to communicate with their consumers through a crisis and the evaluation of how the negative comments were handled by the organizations are either nonexistent or lack the components described in the assignment instructions.
Assesses a Recommendation for Better Communication and Explains Why
Total: 4.00
Distinguished – Thoroughly assesses a recommendation for better communication and comprehensively explains why. Effectively uses examples to support position.
Proficient – Assesses a recommendation for better communication and explains why. Uses examples to support position, but minor details are missing from the assessment or explanation.
Basic – Vaguely assesses a recommendation for better communication and partially explains why. Somewhat uses examples to support position and relevant details are missing from the assessment and/or explanation.
Below Expectations – Attempts to assess a recommendation for better communication and explain why; however, does not use examples to support position and significant details are missing from the assessment and explanation.
Non-Performance – The assessment of a recommendation for better communication and the explanation why are either nonexistent or lack the components described in the assignment instructions.
Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Total: 1.00
Distinguished – Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.
Proficient – Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.
Basic – Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.
Below Expectations – Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: APA Formatting
Total: 0.50
Distinguished – Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.
Proficient – Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors.
Basic – Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements.
Below Expectations – Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: Page Requirement
Total: 0.25
Distinguished – The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Proficient – The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Basic – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Below Expectations – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: Resource Requirement
Total: 0.25
Distinguished – Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
Proficient – Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
Basic – Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.
Below Expectations – Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
