https://research-methodology.net Necessary knowledge to conduct a business research Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:46:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://rm-15da4.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-logoBRM-32x32.jpg https://research-methodology.net 32 32 https://research-methodology.net/role-of-social-media-on-profitability-of-hospitality-organisations/ Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:04:05 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=6282 The 21st century has been dubbed as an information age (Bell and Blanchfower, 2011) and internet in general, and social media in particular are playing an instrumental role in facilitating the spread of information throughout the globe at a rapid speed. Moreover, increasing levels of interactivity of social media platforms is further contributing to the level of their popularity, and nowadays social media has been effectively adopted by many businesses along a wide range of industries as a highly effective marketing and communication platform. At the same time, the level of use of social media varies between various industries, as well as, individual organisations within a particular industry, and while some organisations are beginning to realise substantial opportunities offered by social media, others are already utilising these opportunities to a full extent. This essay contains a critical evaluation of the role of social media on the popularity of a tourism destination. The essay starts with discussions about increasing influence of social media on consumer behaviour. This is followed by critical analyses of potential benefits of social media to hospitality organisations. Moreover, issues related to negative impacts of social media on the performance of hospitality organisations are also addressed in this essay. Essay is concluded by providing a set of recommendations to strategic and marketing managers of hospitality organisations in terms of benefiting from opportunities offered by social media to a maximum extent. Introduction 1 Increasing influence of social media on consumer behaviour in service sector 2 Potential benefits of social media to hospitality organisations 5 Negative impacts of social media on the performance of hospitality organisations 8 Recommendations for managers of hospitality organisations in relation to social media 10 Conclusions 14 References 16 Cathay Pacific DoubleTree Club Hotel Facebook Hampton Hotels Twitter How do I receive the report? Once payment…]]> https://research-methodology.net/social-networking-service-branding/ Sun, 19 Jan 2014 04:49:12 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5365 Branding is one of the success factors in business and the segment of social networking services is not an exception. Branding can provide a number of advantages to products and services, including social networking services such as increasing the levels of product recognition, assisting with new products positioning, and formation of strong brand equity. Due to the highly intangible nature of social networking services, their brand value can be stated to be highly subjective. Specifically, when Facebook went public in May 2012, its share has been priced as USD38, causing the company to be valuated at USD104 billion, the highest valuation for a newly listed public company to date. However, its share price has been reduced to USD18 after only several months by August 2012 (Miller, 2013). Social networking service is a highly competitive area and the major players in this market include Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and others. Social networking site Estimated unique monthly visitors Alexa Rank Facebook 750,000,000 2 Twitter 250,000,000  9 LinkedIn 110,000,000 14 Pinterest 85,500,000 36 My Space 70,500,000 138 Google Plus+ 65,000,000 N/A Comparisons of various aspects of social networking sites as of July 2013 Source: eBizMBA  Interestingly, assessment of popularity of social networking sites is not a straightforward matter. For example, opening a Google Mail (Gmail) account automatically registers a new Google+ social networking profile, and for this reason Google has been subjected to criticism in terms of proving inaccurate data of the popularity of its social networking platform. All of the successful social networking service provides listed above target specific customer segment among population. For example, LinkedIn is mainly aimed at professional aiming to establish and sustain professional networks whereas Pinterest positions itself as an informal social networking site. However, a certain tendency can be observed in this regard in a…]]> https://research-methodology.net/uniqueness-of-design-elements-of-social-networking-service/ Sat, 18 Jan 2014 00:43:55 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5359 Key features of social networking service design elements are associated with high levels of intractability, high levels of personalisation to the user, at the same time when maintaining high levels of simplicity. Design elements can be specified as one of the most important critical success factors for social networking sites. Generally, design elements for social networking websites include personal profile, news feed, navigation features, advertisements and others. The majority of social networking sites offer customers the possibilities of customising design of their personal profiles to varying extents. Moreover, enabling an adequate extent of design customisation for users can be specified as one of the most important critical success factors for social networking services. This point can be illustrated by referring to the case studies of My Space and Facebook. Although, Facebook was launched more than one year after the launch of MySpace, the former social networking site has become more popular than the latter in a matter of few months due a range of reasons including an adequate balance between fixed service design and customisation. In other words, while MySpace offered an excessive level of design customisation to customers, creating a visual clutter, Facebook offered more simplistic and standard design features and offered more limited design customisation, and this difference has played certain role in higher level of popularity of Facebook compared to MySpace. Effectiveness of Facebook’s approach to design has been further confirmed when a similar design template has been followed by Google in its Google+ social networking site launched in 2011.   Relevance of Social Networking Service Key Features to Customer Needs The relevance of key features of social networking services to customer needs is not a straightforward issue. While social networking services aim to satisfy a set of customer needs such as communication, self-expression and recreation, innovations…]]> https://research-methodology.net/benefits-and-value-associated-with-social-networking-service/ Fri, 17 Jan 2014 00:22:23 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5354 Social networking service can be defined as “an online service, platform, or site that focuses on facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections” (Mashable, 2013). Social networking is a part of social media that can be explained as “any of many online tools that allow people with similar interests to share information, learn from others, or network in an open process” (Wilson, 2010, p.1). Customer benefits of social networking sites include staying in contact with friends and family members, making new friends, making important personal or corporate announcements, receiving regular news updates from selected portals, as well as, engaging in recreation through playing games, listening to music and watching videos and others. It has been noted that “one of the biggest benefits of an online social network is the explosive multiplication of an individual’s ability to find answers to questions” (Kraus and Friedel, 2009, p.9). In simple terms, while search engines such as Google and Bing find facts, social networking services can be used to find solutions to problems. This can be done through engaging in online interactions with other individuals who have faced similar problems in the past. Finding old school mates and re-establishing contacts with former colleagues and friends with the use of service of social networking sites can be a highly rewarding experience in personal levels and this is closely associated with emotional benefits offered by social networking services. Users of social networking services can also form new friendships on the basis of mutual interests. Communicating messages to friends and family members through status updates and video and photo sharing can also be mentioned as a substantial benefit offered by social networking services. Moreover, social networking sites can serve as an effective information…]]> https://research-methodology.net/viral-marketing-introduction/ Sat, 22 Jun 2013 00:05:51 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3720 The term of ‘viral marketing’ has been coined by Steve Jurvetson in 1997 and it can be defined as “any marketing activity that accelerates and amplifies word of mouth in the digital domain” (Kirby, 2012, p.8).       Alternatively, the following definitions of viral marketing have been proposed: “a marketing tactic relying upon the some aspects of the system to cause the promotion to propagate itself as initial targets pass the promotion onto others” (Investowords, 2013) “a process of encouraging honest communication among consumer networks” (Sickels, 2008, p.48) “any strategy that encourages subscribers to pass on marketing messages, thus creating the potential for exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence” (Frith and Mueller, 2010, p.237) “an idea that spreads, and an idea that while it is spreading actually helps market your business or cause” (Godin, 2008, online). The rationale behind the wording of the term ‘viral marketing’ has been explained in a way that “the effects of this form of marketing is like a virus – one person does it, then another and another until the word has spread across entire communities” (Frith and Mueller, 2010, p.237). Practical advantages offered by viral marketing have been found to include lower expenses compared to many other marketing initiatives, possibility of reaching large numbers of customers during a short period of time, effectiveness because of the trust among members of a social group, and durability of viral marketing campaigns. Viral marketing campaigns often attempt to make an appeal to emotional aspects of consumers. This appeal can be based on a set of themes such as humour, compassion, motivation, achievement, sex and others.   References Frith, K.T. & Mueller, B. (2010) “Advertising and Societies: Global Issues” Peter Lang Godin, S. (2008) “What is viral marketing?” Available at: www.sethgodin.typepad.com Kirby, J. (2012) “Viral…]]> https://research-methodology.net/viral-marketing-recommendations-a-literature-review/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:48:02 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3729 Recommendations are offered by a range of authors in terms of effective engagement in viral marketing. It has been stressed that “one of the major factors regarding viral adoption is that the consumers must be engaged in the message” (Beneke, 2010, p.195) According to Zarella (2010), utilisation of free products or services within viral marketing programs can enhance the efficiency of a marketing campaign through sparking additional interests from users. Specifically, Zarella (2010) recommends distributing for free inexpensive items such as mugs or t-shirts as an integral part of a viral marketing campaign. The quality of viral marketing content is specified as one of the decisive factors by Mueller (2010). This viewpoint is also shared by Beneke (2010), who argues that the content of a viral marketing campaign has to have an emotional appeal so that the campaign can be highly successful. Additional viewpoint proposed by Scott (2011) relates to exclusivity of viral marketing campaigns. Scott (2011) explains exclusivity in viral marketing as an invitation to join certain clubs, enjoying access to specific products or services prior to their official release dates etc. Addressing the same issue, Kirby (2012) warns that if such offers are introduced in great numbers the level of exclusivity may be compromised, at the same time compromising the effectiveness of the overall campaign. Letelier et al. (2002) propose a range of alternative viral strategies to be implemented by businesses depending on company’s chosen business strategy. Specifically, alternative strategies proposed by Letelier et al. (2002) include fostering allegiance, building excitement, increasing emulation, and creating dissemination. The following table illustrates details associated with each of these strategies: Brand as Authority Promoter as Authority         We-Focus Foster Allegiance Strategy Organise: Grassroots,shared meetingsCommunication approach: Solicit authentic voices, publish members’ experience with community Reward for members: Public recognition with…]]> https://research-methodology.net/viral-marketing-criticism/ Tue, 28 May 2013 03:47:56 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3727 Major points of viral marketing criticism include lack of control over the impact of a viral marketing campaign, vulnerabilities to manipulation and spamming, and limited level of accesability.       Lack of Control over the Impact One of the serious disadvantages associated with viral marketing relates to lack of control over the impact of viral marketing campaign. Unlike the majority of alternative marketing campaigns; in some cases it is not possible for businesses to stop a viral marketing campaign. The necessity to stop the marketing campaign may arise when the campaign is proving to be counter-productive, or the level of demand exceeds the company’s production capabilities.   Vulnerability to Manipulation and Spamming Disadvantages of viral marketing might include vulnerability to manipulation and spamming. This is especially true in occasions where incentives are provided for the spread of viral message, and in individuals might become motivated to send the message to other individuals that do not wish to receive the message. In this way, there can be a risk for a viral marketing campaign to be a counter-productive.   Limited Level of Accessibility Lilien and Grewall (2012) consider limited level of accessibility as a serious disadvantage of viral marketing. Specifically, Lilien and Grewall (2012) point to a wide range of media formats such as Flash Player, Firewall software etc. and argue that internet users need to be equipped with the relevant software in order to be impacted by a viral message.   References Lilien, G.L. & Grewal, R. (2012) “Handbook of Business-to-Business Marketing” Edward Elgar Publishing]]> https://research-methodology.net/social-media-as-effective-platform-for-viral-marketing/ Mon, 27 May 2013 03:47:52 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3725 The definition of social media can be formulated as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking” (Oxford Dictionaries, online, 2012). Social Networking Sites (SNS), on the other hand, can be defined as “sites built around the needs of like-minded individuals, and are built by those individuals” (Wertime and Fenwick, 2012, p.12).   Social media is perceived to be the primary platform for distribution of viral marketing messages. Increase in the numbers and types of social media can be interpreted as an indication of increasing significance of viral marketing in scope and depth. The following set of important features of social media can be specified: Firstly, users of social media add value to it by their participation. The numbers of users is considered to be one of the main indicators of popularity, and consequently the success of social media. Accordingly, engaging in viral marketing through the types of social media that has large numbers of participants can be considered as an effective approach to viral marketing. Secondly, social media reflects collective intelligence. According to its type and purpose, the database is regularly enriched by its members by the addition of texts, articles, video, pictures etc. Specific marketing messages are usually integrated with these elements with the intention for these messages to go viral. Thirdly, social media is associated with a high level of accessibility and usability. Increasing levels of accessibility and usability though mobile phones, tablets, and other devices have positive implications on the potentials of viral marketing on the platform of social media. Fourthly, social media is an effective platform for sharing information within a small niche. Each segment within various types of social media is usually built and maintained around the interest of specific group of individuals. This creates…]]> https://research-methodology.net/viral-marketing-as-a-marketing-strategy-a-brief-literature-review/ Sun, 26 May 2013 03:47:51 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3724 According to Reece et al. (2010), in order to be considered a viral marketing, marketing campaigns need to be associated with a value for sender and receiver, they need to be free and reproducible and marketing campaigns need to be spread exclusively via the internet. Zarella (2010) specifies the goals of viral marketing strategy as customer attraction, increasing the level of customer loyalty, and achieving a higher level of brand awareness. According to Waldow and Falls (2012) viral marketing is different from advertising in a way that it promotes products and services in an indirect manner. Carriers of viral marketing message have been specified by Middleton (2012) as satisfied customers, individuals that are aspiring to be customers, journalists, and experts in the field. These carriers can transmit the viral marketing message in active and passive ways. Active transmission of a viral marketing message involves carriers to be spreading the message in active ways, such as making direct recommendations via internet. Passive transmission of a viral marketing message, on the other hand, occurs in situations where a particular brand or product is promoted by carriers indirectly, such as through letting others know about the act of purchasing from a specific brand. Anjum (2011) divides the costs of engagement in viral marketing into three categories: free, indirect, and direct. Viral marketing can be automatically facilitated free of charge when the product is innovative or it offers competitive benefits that are appreciated by consumers. In such occasions innovative features of the product or its competitive benefits become a viral marketing message to be spread by internet users with no costs for the manufacturer. Wirtz (2012) mentions the promotion of Apple’s Iphone in online channels as a case study for free viral marketing. Indirect costs for viral marketing occur when marketing staff of a…]]> https://research-methodology.net/classification-of-viral-marketing/ Sat, 25 May 2013 03:47:49 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3722 Sweeney (2006) divides viral marketing into three categories: a) word of mouth; b) ‘pass it on’ concept; and c) product or service based viral marketing. An alternative classification of viral marketing according to the degree of requiring the customer’s activity in forwarding the viral marketing message is offered by Clarke and Flaherty (2010). Specifically, the authors divide viral marketing strategies into two categories: low and high integration strategies. An example for a viral marketing strategy with low integration include ‘send this to friend’ icons that might be used for a wide range of products and services such as greeting card services, newsgroup readers, calendars etc. High integration viral marketing strategies, on the other hand, requires the participation of customers in an active manner. Such participation may include downloading new programs, and discussing the advantages of products and services in an active manner. Mueller (2010) specifies four main forms of viral marketing as e-mails, facilitated viral, incentive-based viral marketing, and web-linked viral marketing. E-mails are perceived to be a basic platform for viral marketing, where e-mail contents or message in attachments may encourage the receiver to pass the message. Facilitated viral, on the other hand, is explained by Mueller (2010) as a technique that involves companies to place ‘e-mail your friend’ link I their web-site, so that e-mail addresses of additional perspective customers can be obtained. Incentive-based viral marketing, as the name suggests, is associated with the provision of certain incentives, either tangible or intangible, for individuals to share viral marketing messages. Lastly, web-linked viral marketing involves sharing viral marketing links in online publications, internet chartrooms, and social networking websites. Mueller (2010) notes the increasing popularity of this last form of viral marketing compared to others. More comprehensive study on various forms of viral marketing messages is conducted by Beneke (2010).…]]> https://research-methodology.net/evolution-of-viral-marketing/ Fri, 24 May 2013 03:47:47 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3721 The evolution of viral marketing as a separate discipline in the field of marketing has been discussed by Thorne (2008). It has been stated that while a word of mouth marketing has been practiced for as long as several thousands years (Thorne, 2008), viral marketing is a new concept enabled by internet.     Specifically, Thorne (2008) relates the evolution of viral marketing to a marketing move initially initiated by in internet company, Hotmail. According to Thorne (2008), viral marketing has been introduced in a way that an offer of opening a free Hotmail account had been placed within the footer area of e-mails sent from Hotmail accounts. In addition to the initial Hotmail viral marketing campaign, Linkoln (2009) states, the movie ‘The Blair Witch Project’ can also be credited for the development of viral marketing as an effective marketing strategy. The following the defining stages can be marked in development of viral marketing: Hotmail attracting 12 million users in 18 months in mid 1990’s with digital media coming into prominence. Although, after the introduction of social networking websites such as Facebook and Google+ these websites have been able to attract more numbers of users in less period of time, the fact that Hotmail enlisted 12 million users in 18 months in the mid 1990’s were considered to be a phenomenon at that stage of the development of internet. The recognition of marketing potential through dot.com mainly starting from 2000’s. The dot.com boom that has started at the beginning of the 21st century can be specified as a new era in the development of viral marketing, as rapidly increasing level of interest on internet at that period of time has had a positive correlation with the level of interest on viral marketing. Online advertising entering a new stage from the…]]>