Social Media versus Traditional Media as an effective marketing tool for creating Brand Awareness

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being currently submitted in candidature for any degree.

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Date…………………………………………

I hereby give consent for my work, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations.

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Date…………………………………………

ABSTRACT

The research aims at determining the extent to which social media, used as a marketing tool has been effective in increasing brand awareness. The study highlights various concepts related to marketing and brands, which include the concept of brand and branding, the strength and weakness of branding, etc. The research also identified various components of brand equity: Perceived Quality, Brand Loyalty, Brand Association, and Brand Awareness. Brand Awareness is one of the most important elements in the marketing tool, which is the ability of the consumers for remembering and recognizing a particular brand on priority (reference). It is the link between a brand and category needs (De Chernatony & McDonald, 2003, 12). A brand must position its marketing communication plan in such a way that it becomes a priority in the mind of the consumer when the need for the product arises. The research also analyses various social media tools that are used for interacting, developing and communicating, such as: Social Networks, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, Forums, Content Communities, and Micro-blogging. By using mixed method, which involves both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the research was conducted using survey and interviews. The survey was conducted from the consumers of Tesco and Virgin Media which helped to identify the importance and preference of social media by consumers over traditional media. The interviews were conducted in order to identify the importance and effectiveness of social media in creating brand awareness.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

1.1 Background of the Study1

1.2 Rationale for Research1

1.3 Research Questions and Objectives2

1.4 Research Aim and Objectives3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

2.1 Introduction4

2.2 Definition of Brand and Branding4

2.4 Concept of Brand Equity6

2.5 Components of Brand Equity7

2.5.1 Perceived Quality7

2.5.2 Brand Loyalty8

2.5.3 Brand Association9

2.5.4 Brand Awareness9

2.6 Concept of Brand Awareness10

2.7 Definition of Social Media11

2.8 Social Media Tools12

2.8.1 Social Networks12

2.8.2 Blogs13

2.8.3 Wikis13

2.8.4 Podcasts14

2.8.5 Forums14

2.8.6 Content Communities14

2.8.7 Micro-Blogging15

2.9 Social Media- a Marketing Tool15

2.10 Social media versus Traditional Media17

CHAPTER 3: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH19

3.1 Introduction19

3.1.1 Qualitative Research Method19

3.1.2 Quantitative Research method20

3.2 Data Collection Method20

3.2.1 Secondary Method20

3.2.2 Primary Method20

3.3 Sampling Method21

3.4 Data Analysis Method21

3.5 Participants22

3.6 Ethical Consideration22

3.7 Limitations23

3.8 Reliability and Validity24

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS25

4.1 Results25

4.2 Survey Analysis34

4.3 Interview Results and Analysis35

4.3.1 RQ135

4.3.2 RQ237

4.3.3 RQ338

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION41

5.1 Conclusion41

5.2 Recommendations43

CHAPTER 6: REFLECTION45

6.1 Introduction45

6.2 Reflection45

REFERENCES49

APPENDIX A55

APPENDIX B62

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The advent of social media has brought about a phenomenal change in interaction between consumers and brands. This argument is also supported by Hanna et al. (2011), through following statement; consumers are significantly playing ...