University of Wales

Title: An evaluation of the effectiveness of social media

Used as a marketing tool: case study Vodafone UK.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the award of MBA degree

Date: 10/07/2015

Abstract:
In the present digital age, social media channels are a commonplace and used by almost every business whether
small or large. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of social media channels like Facebook,
Twitter and Google Plus in marketing and building brands and driving sales of a business. The process of
building brand image and adaptive structuration theory is studies to understand about brand building and
marketing. A case study on Vodafone UK is presented, followed by an in-depth analysis of how Vodafone has
successfully used social media to build its brand equity and customer base.
The results of the case study reveal the different strategies Vodafone UK uses to build and maintain
relationships with consumers. The study concludes with a discussion of the lessons learned from the research:
networking and creating relationships with other businesses, increases brand exposure; focusing more on
relationships than sales, increases sales; interesting content promotes interaction.

Contents
Title:........................................................................................................................................................................0
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Abstract:...................................................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1. Introduction:.....................................................................................................................................4
1.1 History of social media:.................................................................................................................................5
1.2 Growth of applications:..................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Advertising history:........................................................................................................................................6
1.4 Arrival of novel social media:........................................................................................................................6
1.5 About Vodafone UK.......................................................................................................................................6
1.5.1 History of Vodafone................................................................................................................................6
1.5.2 Strengths..................................................................................................................................................8
1.5.3 Weaknesses..............................................................................................................................................8
1.5.4 Opportunities...........................................................................................................................................8
1.5.5 Threats.....................................................................................................................................................8
1.5.7 Social media methods adopted by Vodafone UK....................................................................................9
CHAPTER 2. Literature review............................................................................................................................10
2.1 Defining social media..................................................................................................................................10
2.2 History and development Of Social Media..................................................................................................11
2.3 Marketing Strategy of Vodafone UK:..........................................................................................................13
2.3.1 Relationship between corporate strategy and marketing scheme:.........................................................13
2.3.2 Acquiring a commercializing scheme:..................................................................................................14
2.3.3 Accesses to internal environmental analysis:........................................................................................14
2.3.4 Approaches to external environmental analysis:...................................................................................14
2.3.5 Integration of internal and external agents:...........................................................................................14
2.3.6 Best practice for social media in a crisis. Case study: Vodafone UK....................................................15
2.3.7 Case Study: Integrasco and Vodafone U.K...........................................................................................16
2.3.8 Examining decisions made at corporate level:......................................................................................20
2.3.9 Determination of actions in the marketing and operative stage:...........................................................21
2.3.10 ways to achieve competency:..............................................................................................................21
2.3.11schemes for acquiring competitive edge:.............................................................................................21
2.3.12 marketing communicating schemes:...................................................................................................22
2.3.13 Marketing schemes analysis, their application and execution:...........................................................22
2.3.14 Awards and recognitions......................................................................................................................22
2.4 Brand Equity and its Dimensions.................................................................................................................23
2.4.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................23
2.4.2 Conceptualization of Consumer-Based Brand Equity...........................................................................24
2.4.3 Conceptual Domain or Dimensions of Consumer-Based Brand Equity...............................................25
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2.4.4 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................26
2.5 Adaptive Structuration Theory.....................................................................................................................27
2.5.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................27
Chapter 3: Research Methodology........................................................................................................................32
3.1 Research Overview......................................................................................................................................32
3.2 Research Method..........................................................................................................................................32
3.3 Research Design...........................................................................................................................................33
3.4 Appropriateness of Design...........................................................................................................................33
3.5 Population....................................................................................................................................................33
3.6 Instrumentation............................................................................................................................................33
3.7 Data Collection............................................................................................................................................34
CHAPTER 4 Data Analysis...................................................................................................................................34
Communicating brands in social networking.................................................................................................34
Social connectivity.........................................................................................................................................34
Methods:.........................................................................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 5: Discussion......................................................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 6: Conclusion & Recommendations...................................................................................................37
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................................37
List of Figures........................................................................................................................................................38
Figure 1: elements believed in resource founded view......................................................................................38
Figure 2: VRIO.................................................................................................................................................39
Figure 3: SWOT Analysis..................................................................................................................................39
Figure 4: Complaint redressal platform.............................................................................................................40
Figure 5: Comparison of different social media platforms................................................................................40
Figure 6: Time committed for socializing..........................................................................................................41
Figure 7: aim for using social media platform...................................................................................................41
Figure 8: influence of social media in buying...................................................................................................42
List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................................44
Table 1 Profile of respondent.............................................................................................................................44
Table 2: Motivation behind following Vodafones social page.........................................................................44
References..............................................................................................................................................................45

CHAPTER 1. Introduction:
Social media is an important promotional and advertising method for firms to use in their business strategies. It
lets firms to be more connected with their customers and acts as another medium of information. Though it is
largely unregulated, so users can write good and bad whatever they wish about the firm. Social media is
growing fast and almost daily new platforms are getting launched, making it important for firms to be knowing
these platforms and using it to reach out to customers.
This paper explores the importance of social media and its usefulness in marketing with a case study of
Vodafone UK and its social media presence. Social media marketing helps a business firms to develop a
relationship and a social connect with its target customers. Various social networking sites like Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, and blogs are used to form this connect. It is a necessity to stay ahead of the
competition in the highly competitive business environments we have these days. Vodafone UKs competitors
include EE Limited, Telefnica UK Limited, Deutsche Telekom AG and others. All these companies have active
social media presence.
Vodafone Group Plc is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies providing a wide range of
services including voice, messaging, data and fixed broadband. It has 438 million mobile customers and 11
million fixed broad-band customers and employs around 93,000 people. It has launched several social media
campaigns which have been a huge hit and helped in driving sales.
Significance of the study
As many customers now a days using social media to get the latest updates about specific products. Vodafone
UK users tend to use social media for the same purpose. The research aim is to bring up the crucial role of using
social media as a marketing tool for the company. This study will display a large business firm using several
social media channels that can function as an example for future establishments.
Vodafone UK is a highly reputed brand in the telecom sector and is known for its unique social media marketing
skills and its exceptional customer service. The firm is actively associated in several social media platforms and
their involvement can facilitate in laying down the base for a social media advertising project. Analysing their
social media presence will reveal the schemes used by Vodafone UK and offer a model for realising the
importance and effectiveness of social media for brand building.
Research Aim and objectives

To determine the impact of using social media as a marketing tool for Vodafone UK to get ahead of

competitors.

To analyze how social media can play a major role for Vodafone UK advertising strategy
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To investigate how Vodafone UK is interacting with their customers through social media.

1.1 History of social media:

For decades, the conventional publicising was being applied efficaciously and is being utilised by most
of the flourishing firms. Their advertising instruments are employed to aim their subscribers, via various types
of marketing this comprises of television advertisements, newsprints, radio, hoardings, circulars, and so forth.
Marketing nowadays has switched towards social media marketing because it's barely a method of interacting
with a group of folks.
It had become a technique of contacting out for clients as all commercial enterprise functioning in the
marketplace, the engaging digital method of drawing in subscribers and making them to absorb to whats
materializing as getting reactions from social media users.
Brett Borders expressed that social media was not started with PCs it was start with phone phreaking,
because it already existed in the early 1950s when a group of folks were more probable data freaks dragged by
the willingness to know more about technology (phone technology), these type of folks were known as
technophiles (Borders, 2009).
In 1890, telephone was invented while the radio was first manufactured in 1891. Both the media
channels enabled the people to communicate with each other no matter whatever the places they live in. In fact,
both media channels are still in use today. In the 20th century, technology began to change rapidly. First super
computer was manufactured in 1940 and after that engineers and scientists began to create networks between
different computers and later these networks lead to the creation of internet and intranet (Hendricks, 2013).
CompuServe was the first earliest forms of the internet and it was developed in 1960s. At the same time,
emails (in primitive forms) were also developed. In 1979, internet users were permitted to communicate with
friends and family members through virtual newsletters. Fortunately, personal computers were developed in
1980s and they were famous among the people due to personal or home computers. IRCs (Internet relays chats)
were first started in 1988s. Six Degrees was the first social media website launched in 1997 and it allowed the
users to make friends and upload contents with other users (Hendricks, 2013).
1.2 Growth of applications:
In the late 80s specifically 1988 the applications utilised were contrasting and more evolved, e.g. the
tweeting existed but in a contrary figure of course. So it was noted at that time because IRC (Internet Relay
Chat) this program was utilised as an origin of news provider for the soviet takeover attempt in which the media
was overlooking it. It was utilised as a reference of news, folks used to remain online to share links and keep
linked up to the globe and get the newest news because it enabled them to be updated with recent events.
As technology developed by time, in 1996 a novel desktop computer program was made by 4 Israeli
technologists, the chatting program IM (Instant Messenger) enabled more folks to interact collectively. AOL
gave importance to this innovation and they acted rapidly in buying it, this program aided in producing of
emoticons which are called the emotions used to convey the state of affairs or the feeling of the user. (Borders,
2009).
Websites like LinkedIn and MySpace was launched in the early 2000s. Both websites gained prominence
among internet users. After that Flickr and Photo bucket came into the world of social media. YouTube is one of
the most prominent platforms since 2005. Users often use this platform to share and communicate with each
other across far distances. Internet users are using Twitter and Facebook to communicate and share their
feelings over the internet since 2006. Both sites are considered as the leader websites in the social media
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networks. Apart from Twitter and FB, there are some other websites like Pinterest, Foursquare, Spotify, and
Tumbler are also effective tools for companies to target their market on social media networks (Bennett, 2013).
1.3 Advertising history:
Leaving these age-old types of marketing and beginning by defining advertising in the current era as the link
between firms, making of merchandises or services and consumers. Advertising can also be outlined as the
message that the company is mailing out to subscribers to provide their merchandise or service (InfoWorld
Media Group, Inc., 2000). Marketing, the essence of any flourishing commercial enterprise due to the
important function it acts as, its accountable for helping the company with what the marketplace demands by
discovering the marketplace and the target audience though it can aid in expanding sales by understanding the
market and its needs and responding to it with products.
Advertising is just made up of various constituents that have to subsist in order for the method of
communication to happen. These constituents are the sender, message, and receiver. Though the medium where
the message will be sent via differs, according to the character of the advertisement but these are the primary
constituents for reaching out to subscribers (receiver).
As compared to traditional advertisement like TV, radio and newspaper ads, the meaning of today's
advertisement or marketing is entirely changed. We are living in the era of digital or global world. Now, people
tend to visit social media websites rather than reading or watching TV advertisements (Hausman, 2014). It's
been twenty years ago, when 1st online advertisement was sold over the internet and this online advertisement
was sold by GNN (Global Network Navigator). After that, multinational companies realized the significance of
social media that they can advertise their products on social media and can target their millions of users in all
over the world. This momentum kept rising up, but GNN was shut down and it was replaced by AOL in 1995
(Adams, 2013).
1.4 Arrival of novel social media:
Between the year 1997 and 2007 various websites of social media networking came out like six degrees,
Friendster, and the growth of Myspace in 2004. Succeeding it in 2007 the globe most favourite social network
Facebook (Borders, 2009).
These numbers are believed to be a graphical record demonstrating the high ratio of subscribers utilising
smartphones to access cyberspace and social media including the usage of mobile applications. The unique cell
phone users were 3.649 billion and 1.685 were believed to be active mobile social accounts. These numbers
point the change from the analogue and old types of getting at data into a more globalized network called the
modern digital world.
This development discovered in social media globally has been flaring from early 2014 as it continued
exploding to January 2015. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau United Kingdom, 2014 saw a big
change in the manner advertisements are being showed because the United Kingdom had been utilising the
digital marketing a lot than any other marketing methods.
1.5 About Vodafone UK
1.5.1 History of Vodafone
In the past 20 years, Vodafone has turned into a telecom giant in global Systems for cellular networks. Vodafone
offers advanced and latest communications offerings on the biggest radio communication network in the world.
Vodafone was conceived in 1983 as a business partnership between Rascal Electronics (a United Kingdom
electronic company) and Millicom (an American telecom firm), and was allotted the first cellular phone licenses
6

in the United Kingdom. The name Vodafone is derived from the company's aim to set up a voice (VO) and data
services (DA) over mobile networks. In 1985, Vodafone was established as a subsidiary of Racal Electronics
(TheOriginOf.com, 2009).
In October 1987, Vodafone founded Vodapage which, is a paging network encompassing over 80% of the
United Kingdom (TheOriginOf.com, 2009). In 1988, Vodafone became a public limited company as Rascal
Electronics sold its 20% stake to the public. In the early 1990s, Vodafone expanded beyond the United
Kingdom. By 1990, Vodafone had over 500,000 subscribers. In October 1992, Vodafone officially launched its
services. It was the 1st Portuguese business establishment to provide a dedicated Customer Care Service for 24
hours a day and 7 days a week. In 1992 Vodafone was nominated Company of the Year at Business Enterprise
Awards.
By 1993, Vodafone spread to Germany, South Africa, Fiji, Australia, and Greece (TheOriginOf.com, 2009). Its
game plan was to takeover rivals so as to throw out contention and get more competing than its competitors. In
1994, Vodafone teamed up with the Globalstar syndicate to produce and establish low orbit satellite capacity to
add-on to its territorial network coverage (TheOriginOf.com, 2009). In the same year Vodafone introduced
digital data facsimile and SMS (Short message services) service (TheOriginOf.com, 2009).
In 1995, Vodafone continued building up in The Netherlands, Republic of Uganda, Hong Kong, and France. In
November 1997, Vodafone established their digital Pay as You Talk' pre-paid service for their regular
customers. In 1998, Vodafone became the first Portuguese cellular operator providing cellular phone services in
the market utilising both 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies.
In 1999, Vodafone turned into an Internet Service Provider (ISP) as well as data supplier in Portugal. Vodafone
brought in two of the significant takeovers of D2 (Mannesmann; Germany) and Airtouch (United States). D2
was a preeminent telecom providers in Germany. It was a hostile acquisition which was never seen before in
Europe. The dealing was evaluated at $180 billion. The 2nd takeover was that of Airtouch communications in
the U.S.A. which established Vodafone's debut into American marketplace .The deal was worth $60 billion.
In May 2000, Vodafone introduced Verizon Wireless in association with Bell Atlantic. Vodafone launches
YORN (Young Original Network), first global and integrated communications network, a brand new concept of
content initiatives, events and offerings for the younger generation.
To advance their scheme in 2001, Vodafone acquired Ericell in Ireland, which is now Vodafone Ireland.
Vodafone also entered into an important partnership with China Mobile of Hong Kong. Vodafone introduced the
1st international communication advertorial in August of 2001. The advertorial utilises television, film, print,
cyberspace and outdoor media.
In 2002, Vodafone opened beta testing of its international cell phone payment scheme in the United Kingdom,
Italy, and Germany. The beta test allows users to buy tangible and digital products utilising their cell phone. In
October 2002, Vodafone released "Vodafone live!" which was a ground-breaking idea utilising the combination
of services and content in cell phone communications. In November 2002, Vodafone unveiled Remote Access
which would provide enterprise users a comfortable means to link up to their organisation's LAN to use e-mail,
calendar and other enterprise related applications anywhere.
In 2003 Vodafone provided live streaming of a football match on cell phones via "Vodafone live!" for the first
time in Portugal .Within 6 months of the introduction of "Vodafone live!, over 1 million users subscribed to it..
Vodafone was awarded the cellular industry's most esteemed honours for providing finest wireless service and
best TV advertisement for its international service, "Vodafone live!" At the GSM (Global Systems for Mobile
Networks) Association Awards Ceremony in Cannes, France.
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In 2004, Vodafone Portugal Foundation and the Ministry of Education revealed a unique idea, which allows
computer access to the blind using a sophisticated text-to-speech reader in Portuguese language. Vodafone also
began a new phase in the world of cellular technologies by introducing 3rd generation cellular services with
"Vodafone live!" using 3G network. 3G networks provides the power to transmit voice data and non-voice data
at the same time. In 2005, Vodafone took over MobiFon S.A. in Romania and Oskar Mobile in Czech Republic.
In 2006, Vodafone took over Telsim Mobil Telekomunikasyon Hizmetleri in Turkey and unveiled a fresh
international marketing advertorial called "Make the most of now". Also, in 2006 Vodafone set up mobile TV
services and Vodafone Radio DJ, which offers customised radio service streamed to 3G mobiles and computers.
By 2007 Vodafone had 200 million subscribers. Vodafone is presently figuring out on extending its 3G live, the
latest edition of its GSM network, to all marketplaces. Its aim is to go international within a couple of years.
Vodafone has developed mainly by all its takeovers. It has important partnerships for unique concepts to aid its
competitive scheme of rival takeover.
1.5.2 Strengths
The chief strength of Vodafone is in its brand popularity and identification. Vodafone has committed extremely
to marketing and by projecting a unique image it has an unmatched strength which, if utilised correctly, can
push it way ahead of its rivals. The existence of Vodafone in several countries boosts its brand image. It
provides subscribers to move around different countries and still get the services of their home country operator
comfortably. In a couple of nations where Vodafone does not exist it has important agreements which provide
great service.
1.5.3 Weaknesses
The growth of Vodafone has taken place at the cost of functioning of its rivals which have been taken over.
Vodafone has developed more via takeovers of rival telecom companies rather than by healthy growth.
Vodafone multiplied its customers rapidly due to direct accessions of subscribers of target companies. But it
enforced a UK-centred functional structure for the group which resulted in overlooking of domestic
marketplaces and gaining of its market share by small domestic rivals. The extremely competitive Western
European market has led to an increase in tariff wars.
1.5.4 Opportunities
The cellular network market has bright outlook due to the maturing and sophistication of the subscribers. It can
provide outstanding returns via detailed market segmentation and utilisation of specific rewarding segments.
Various schemes can be followed like marketing basic phones and simple tariff plans to the old generation and
advanced, modern solutions for younger people. The always growing boundaries of the marketplace can allow
for additional chances of expansion by allowing Vodafone to get into fixed line service and to let it reap the
benefits of its high investiture in 3G technology. Vodafone has tied up with companies to build up tailor-made
solutions for end users: Vodafone, of late declared 2 new alliances, one with supermarket group ASDA to launch
an ASDA branded cellular service in the United Kingdom, and another with electrical retail merchant DSG
International to cater to cell phone solutions to small-scale businesses. This can be additionally raised to avoid
being a late entrant in this novel process of distribution which provides access to an extended prospective
subscriber base.
1.5.5 Threats
The European marketplace has advanced levels of rivalry. Bigger brands like O2 and T-Mobile are tapping the
price sensitivity of subscribers and they are establishing a sounder image and existence in the marketplace.
Indirect rivalry is too flaring, via Skype and other associated (not just voice) Internet-based services. This can
confine further the tariffs for the network providers and even lead to additional requirement for tariff cuts which
could damage the bottom line profitability of the firm.
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Vodafone has affirmed the nomination of Oracles communications director Samuel Hall as head of social
media, replacing Jakub Hrabovsky following his exit in September last year. Hall will be working under
Vodafones director of communications, Christian Cull. A Vodafone spokesperson said that Halls function will
include growing Vodafones communications plan over all social media channels which would include:
recognition of referrals, participation and customer service. Halls nomination sets off a new development in
Vodafones social media communications plan and marks a significant stride in how the cell phone operator
uses social media like a structured communications instrument as reported by sources inside the firm.
Vodafone has won acclaims for its application of Twitter like a customer service product with analytics
company Social Bakers saying that Vodafone had the maximum response rate to subscriber queries through the
social network in Q4, 2012. A Vodafone spokesperson attributed its achievement to its plan to mainly utilise
Twitter as a customer service instead of an advertising channel.
The act from Vodafone comes after competitor O2 appointed Paul Fabretti as head of social media due to exit of
Alex Pearmain. Both firms are braced to unleash big advertising drives in the United Kingdom to boost sign-ups
to their 4G network services.
With each type of digital media obscuring, the function of the conventional public relations is quickly shifting
particularly because the digital fields of social media become progressively interlaced with search. Several
brands are consolidating their social media activities by getting it in-house so as to keep up a uniform voice
besides cost saving benefits.
Nevertheless, whats important is how Vodafones appointment will build up its head of social role and
incorporate it into its communications plan - alike to how it uses other channels including print and television.
1.5.7 Social media methods adopted by Vodafone UK
The image of the firm can be impacted by what is being discussed across the social media channels,
ranging from a plain telephonic conversation which is confined to small number of people, whereas the
utilisation of social media will be able to address this problem as it will be discovered by many folks.
Due to the rapidly changing market and novel technologies coming out on a regular basis, a probe was
launched to determine the scheme in which Vodafone UK is pursuing so as to maintain the communication
procedure more dynamic and to guide it towards the newest advertising methods which is believed to be social
media currently. While other marketing media are still being utilised as the principal advertising media for
Vodafone UK but gradually switching to social media as its current marketing medium.
According to a study conducted in association with Vodafone UK, it was expressed that the presence of
a fresh marketing medium is getting increasingly captivating towards Vodafone UK subscribers. A new
communication medium is turning to a requirement for better communication between the business and its
subscribers. Clients will forever look for the most comfortable and quickest method for getting assistance for
their enquiries to be served or to inquire anything about the service they are using. The manner by how
customer service is being implemented nowadays comprises of forever seeking at how to satisfy buyers to make
them faithful to the company and letting them speak for the company.

CHAPTER 2. Literature review

As modern technology is being used by most firms nowadays, it has also got across every section in
establishments. This signifies that the ways of advertising merchandise by marketer saw a shift in the marketing
method or in the advertising department. Each establishment has to keep abreast with what is occurring in the
marketplace and pay serious attention to how rivals are offering their subscribers with the service or otherwise
they will break down if it declines to modify itself according to the market (OGuinn, et al., 2014).
Business firms are utilising the most advanced advertising instruments, by marketing it on the cyberspace
and to provide a comfortable means to contact out for subscribers. As needs shift due to dynamic market forces
peoples expectations also begins to change. When the ways for customer satisfaction alters then they begin to
expect and inquire more from their service provider or product provider. It is up to the business firm to
accommodate to their requirements and reply to them. The clients will then look for the more comfortable
means of getting and acquiring the alert about a specific product or service they desire to learn or know about.
The past few years have altered the manner in which advertising is getting exhibited because it offers various
methods to offer subscribers with updates on certain products or services. One of the most recent marketing
ways on the cyberspace is the one utilising social media. The aim of social media is to function as the
promotional instrument for an establishment and/ or occasionally it is utilised as customer service to assist folks
with their questions and grievances aside from the common ways (telephone, emails, etc.).
Social media can be also utilised as a place of 2 ways communication, interaction and feedback. Marketing
is broken to various divisions but helping for the same purpose to market a product or service (Mller, et al.,
2011). Another definition of advertising (OGuinn, et al., 2014) is that it is a paid mass- mediated attempt to
persuade this can be concluded in the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action). This model
represents the message that is being sent to consumers to attract them to a product or service (Mller, et al.,
2011).
Social media is a marketing tool that is different than other tools used for advertisement. The marketing
strategy is the process of creating this customer value and the achievement of profitable customer relationships.
After these processes take place the market segmentation has to narrow down the groups of customer who share
similar needs and characteristics or behaviour. (Kotler & Armstrong, n.d.).
2.1 Defining social media
There are different definitions for social media, its believed that social media is not just a channel where
companies advertise for their products. Social media is most important for the present generations as it has
influence on most people using it (Smith, 2010).
Different websites are introduced for people to interact on it such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and
Twitter. There is a debate around how it affects the businesses positively and negatively rather than friends and
families interacting together (Smith, 2010).
Social media are digital platforms used for engagement and content delivery.
This definition can be easily understood by breaking down the phrase and knowing that the words can be used
interchangeably:
Web-based= online and digital
Tools = platforms and digital technologies
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Interaction = engagement
The social media is defined as a tool of advertising and communication between a brand and its customers. For
understanding why and when social media tools work, age has more informative value than factors like sex and
socioeconomic status. Thinking generationally can facilitate in understanding that why few cohorts will prefer
certain social media instruments and reject others.
For example, members of the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers are more likely to prefer blogs because this
social media tool involves reading and writing. While all social media platforms engage users in similar ways,
each will appeal to a slightly different audience. Finding a good fit for oneself involves thinking strategically
and then making strategic choices "We need to use social media because everyone else uses it" is not a strategy.
Social media in and of itself is not a strategy.
Chi (Chi, 2011) defines social media marketing as a connection between brands and consumers, [while]
offering a personal channel and currency for user centred networking and social interaction.
2.2 History and development Of Social Media
Social media is not actually new. Although it has just of late become component of mainstream culture and
the commercial enterprises, folks have been utilising digital media for networking, socialising and data
collecting - almost precisely like at present - for over thirty years:
The Phone Phreaking Era (1950's - Early 90's)
Social media did not commence with computers, it was conceived on line of the phone. Phone phreaking, or
the illegal exploration of the phone network, began to make momentum in the 1950's. Phone phreaks were not
driven by fraudulence, but instead, they represented technophiles and data freaks trapped in a
telecommunication monopoly ages before Skype like services were present.
These primitive social media adventurers assembled boxes which were homemade electronic devices that
could produce tones permitting them to do free calls and get access to the experimental backside of the phone
system. Phreaks dug out phone company test lines and conference circuits so as to host virtual seminars and
discussions.
The 1st genuine blogs / podcasts came about on hacked corporate voice mail arrangements known as
codelines, where phone phreaks would hack into inactive mailboxes and establish workshop until they were
found out and threw out. one would need to call a business 1-800 number, dial in a telephone extension and
listen taped sound bundled with social greetings and valuable phone phreaking message: hacked phone card
codes to dial free calls, bridges (audio conference call lines), and plugs for other codelines. You could provide
your comments and information as a voice mail, and the phreak would in all likelihood reply to in his next
update.

Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) - (1979 - 1995)

The 1st BBS or electronic Bulletin Board System was prepared and was made accessible to the public in 1979
by Ward Christensen. The 1st BBSes were small servers charged by personal computers connected to a phone
modem, where one person at once could dial in and obtain access. BBSes had social discussions on message
boards, community-contributed file downloads, and online games.
The early BBSes had no colours or artwork, but with the coming of MS-DOS 3.0, a predecessor of HTML
known as ANSI was utilised to get colours and underground online graphics.
11

In the 1980's, the social media situation was highly shady. There were a few authorised BBSes that provided
shareware only, but a reasonable share of them had hidden adult or pirate software boards in the rear.
Several were purely underground - devoted solely to niches such as warez (pirated software), H/P (explicit
hacking and phreaking information discussion), Anarchy (articles on fraudulence, bomb making, drug
chemistry), and Virus code for download. Handles or cyberspace pseudonyms were the norm. Actual names
were closely guarded and usually only displayed to real world acquaintances (or in the newsprint report when
someone got nabbed).
Commercial Online Services (1979 - 2001)
Prodigy provided a clean-shaven, moderated social networking environment in the early nineties. Internet
services, such as Prodigy and CompuServe, were the 1st big scale corporate efforts to get an interactive,
social internet experience to the people. Internet services jumped to fame at the same time as BBSes and
served to a more corporate and mainstream home user. They provided a secure, moderated environment for
social networking and discussions.
CompuServe was notorious for the high charge ($six per hour, additionally trunk call amounting to almost
$thirty/hr.) - but it put up the 1st online chat system known as CB simulator in 1980. The 1st real world
marriage of a couple who encountered through real-time online chat took place briefly thereafter and was shown
on the Phil Donahue show. Prodigy was established countrywide in 1990, developing rapidly in fame because of
its colour interface and cheaper price.
AOL got the social characteristics on the internet into the mainstream. Afterwards, America Online (AOL)
earned vital users due to pushy CD publicities and direct mail advertorials. AOL also managed one of the
biggest products positioning ever in the 1998 movie Youve Got Mail! starring Tom Hanks - getting social
online culture and romance into the Hollywood mainstream.
The emergence of the World Wide Web - 1991
The World Wide Web was present since the late 1960s, as a meshwork, but the internet got publicly accessible
on August sixth, 1991.
In the early 1990s, online access was accessible exclusively to those with authorised university / government /
armed forces connections (and to cyber-terrorists). But around 1994 or 1995, private internet service providers
(ISPs) commenced to crop up in nearly all major metropolitan cities in the U.S.A. This rendered millions of
household users the opportunity to relish unfiltered, limitless World Wide Web experiences. Usenet was the 1st
centre for nearly all of the meetings - though early cyberspace users were highly candid and opinionated
according to modern day's criteria. The 1st cyberspace social media etiquette criteria were suggested, and came
to be known as netiquette, as a reactionary to arrest the uncontrolled flaming and maintain matters reasonably
cultured.
By the late 1990's online message boards developed in fame and started substituting Usenet and BBSes as the
basic link for local discussions.
IRC, ICQ and Instant Messenger
IRC used to be a common means to chat and share links in the 1990s. Folks have been hooked to tweeting
their real-time status updates (utilising hash tags (#) and at-signs (@)) since more than twenty years. IRC, or
Internet Relay Chat, was made in August 1988 by Jarkko Oikarinen. It was famously applied to give away news
on the Soviet takeover effort during the media blackout and retain checks on the 1st Persian Gulf War. Several
folks remained logged into IRC perpetually utilising it to share links, files and stay in contact with their
12

worldwide network - the similar way Twitter is utilised nowadays. ICQ technology conjured up several crucial
doubts, like: What R U wearing?
IRC users were mainly UNIX-based. But in 1996, 4 Israeli engineers devised the instant messenger (IM) system
for personal computers known as ICQ. This was rapidly bought by AOL and it became a mainstream success.
IM technology facilitated development of the emotional lexicon of social media, with avatars (expressive icons
to symbolize yourself), abbreviations (A/S/L? = age, sex, location?) And emotion icons (or emoticons).
P2P - Bit Torrent - and Social Media Sharing
The Summer of Music in 1999 after Napsters entry was a stimulating time for music subscribers. Napster, a
peer-to-peer file sharing software service that became live in June 1999, ticked off a revolutionary change of
distribution might from record firms to the subscriber. Music began to freely run all over the cyberspace at an
amazing rate, deprived of hype and only based on the virtue of genuine peoples preferences and private
aggregations. The online music party stormed through 1999 and 2000 till it was announced unlawful and
Napster was pressured to separate out completely the copyrighted data.
Rival P2P applications such as Lime Wire acquired Napsters position - till Bit Torrent came and offered a rich,
concentrated method to share files without getting barred. The Swedish internet site The Pirate Bay turned into
a famous cyberspace address for social media distribution.
Social Networking & Social News Websites
The 1st social networking internet site was SixDegrees which allowed folks create profiles and get in touch with
acquaintances in 1997. This sort of interactive, social online application trend came to be called Web 2.0 and
it truly acquired momentum with Friendster around 2002-3 succeeded by MySpace (2004 - 2006) and then
Facebook (2007 ->).
Digg offers users a steady, community-filtered flow of efficacious & engrossing content.
Slashdot became notable for getting heaps of traffic and buzz around its editor-picked write ups, but the
advanced social news revolution set off once Digg pulled in many users in late 2006 and websites like
StumbleUpon and Reddit followed. Delicious got famous as a means to share bookmarks of static webpages.
The Real-Time Statusphere & Location-based Social Web (2008 - ???)
Twitter is a type of interaction that folks required, even though they did not ask for it. The major trend on the
internet is running away from static pages and into real-time stream of status updates on what is raging and
occurring right now.
The iPhone was the tipping point for hardware, an operational mobile web browser after years of postponed
hopes and fake assurances by other makers. Location-based social networking websites such as BrightKite let
folks to utilise their mobile phones to check in at public locations and be watched by other network users who
are geographically nearby, and allow users to surpass the embarrassing social taboos against communicating
with strangers in public places.
2.3 Marketing Strategy of Vodafone UK:
The strategically commercialising process of Vodafone is directed at the elaboration of market responsiveness
and help in advancing their brand equity. Business planning and analytic thinking in Vodafone is also focused
on evaluating rival strategies and the present state of affairs of the company. Therefore, strategically advertising
in some respects aids in analysing the strong point and failings of the firm and brings down the threats and
doubtfulnesss in the market.
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2.3.1 Relationship between corporate strategy and marketing scheme:

Corporate schemes of Vodafone allows for the strategically scheming and vision of the corporation. In the
words of (Reid, et al., 2005), the affiliation between the corporate system and the commercializing scheme is
based upon the organisational constructions and policies. In case of a customer centric business firm like Virgin,
the corporate and commercializing scheme is almost likewise because both are intended to achieve a basic
destination. But then, in an employee centric business firm alike Vodafone both corporate and commercializing
systems will disagree because the management to accomplish organizational excellence by agreement the
employee demands. However, (Ballantyne, 2006) debated that corporate scheme and commercializing strategy
come from the business firms and hence their proposal should also be parallel to one another.
2.3.2 Acquiring a commercializing scheme:
The primary prospect of Vodafones commercializing scheme is to form a translucent association with their
buyers. The buyers must treasure the benefits of the products and serves offered by Vodafone and take a firm
stand on for acquiring absorbed with the firm. However, some firms accept taken the contrary of this
conception. For instance, Apple Inc. Acquires their schemes attempting to keep an aura of mystery around their
buyers so that they are eager and more centralized on the firm (Ballantyne, 2006). The commercializing design
should also be capable to position the productions and services offered by the company to the fitting buyers.
2.3.3 Accesses to internal environmental analysis:
The inner surroundings of an establishment is framed on the base of organizational appraises and charge; this
aims the action of decision making for building the business schemes (Knights & Morgan, 1995). The internal
conclusion making action of a business firm is canvassed mainly by equating the confident and minus changes
in the world which is also known as the imagination founded view (Kolk & Van Tulder, 2010). The imagination
posted view of inside analysis focuses on accumulating data and enquires the alterations in the daily actions of
the firm and their share in acquiring a long term competitive edge.
A different action of domestic surroundings psychoanalysis is VRIO, VRIO intends evaluate, infrequency,
imitability and establishment (Brady & Cronin, 2001). VRIO model of a firm is addressed towards crescendo
the aggressive reward by advancing the rates of a company, constructing exclusive features that will separate the
organization in the market place. It also determines the admission of other firms to repeat their scheme and
bring off the imaginations of the firm in an aforethought style (Knights & Morgan, 1995).
SWOT is one of the most typically applied domestic analysis action. SWOT shows effectiveness, failings,
threats and chances (Gronroos, 2007). The SWOT scrutiny helps a business to acknowledge the strong points,
failings, chances and risks. The strengths and weak points of the firms allow them to develop their schemes
accordingly whereas the opportunities and risks break the future scope and activities (Kolk & Van Tulder,
2010).
2.3.4 Approaches to external environmental analysis:
The outside agents determine the act function of a business majorly. Business organizations such as Vodafone
aims their schemes in a manner that will assist them abide the business actions with the peripheral agents
(Brady & Cronin, 2001). Managerial creatures and methods such as porters five forces, PESTEL analysis,
perceptual representing, generic schemes, etc. assist in canvassing the outside agents. Some of the decisive
external environmental agents that affect the schemes of the firm are competitor, commercialize drives (ask and
supply), consumer conduct, scientific alterations, etc. (Gronroos, 2007). Apart from these, the alterations in the
international commercialize also act upon the managerial actions. In order to canvas these alterations, PESTLE
analysis is the most typically applied formula on the other hand, Porters Fiver Forces represent the position of
external agents that at once bear on the business activities like providers power, customer power, challenger in
the industry, etc. (Mooradian, et al., 2013). The perceptual map acts the situation of the corporation in
14

equivalence with the other challengers versus certain variables and helps the firm identify the most suitable
position for developing a sustainable competitive advantage.
2.3.5 Integration of internal and external agents:
Although the internal and outside agents impacting the business activities may disagree in their nature but they
can lead to a like forces. They are mutually depending on one another, the conclusion making process of a
business has to secure that the composite action of adjusting the internal and external agents are carried out
properly (Kolk & Van Tulder, 2010). For example the act culture of Vodafone is determined by the geographical
and ethnical conflicts of the worker base which is an external agent; again carrying off the work culture is an
inner scene (Gronroos, 2007). Thus, employee management action is straight associated with the managerial
determination making action in circumstance of carrying off internal and outside conflicts. SWOT analysis is
by and large applied for adjusting the outside force and aspects with the internal forces and failings of the firm
(Mooradian, et al., 2013). Some agents that act upon the action of alignment are labour commercializes,
organizational agents such as deciding and management, organizational structure and culture, demand and
supply effects, challenger in the industry, brand loyalty, buyer conduct, etc. (Brady & Cronin, 2001).
2.3.6 Best practice for social media in a crisis. Case study: Vodafone UK
In March 2010, a major Vodafone outage in the UK caused by a break-in by thieves at their Basingstoke facility
highlighted how social media can and should be applied in a crisis.
In the wee hours of 28th February 2010, one of Vodafones major switching centres was aimed by burglars who
broke into the site and sneaked some key equipment. Some reports advised it may have been one of their Home
Location Registers (HLR) which is a beautiful central part of any mobile network.
This caused hundreds of thousands of subscribers with brief or periodic service for voice, text and mobile
internet on the Vodafone network.
The vodafone.co.uk website did not mention of the major outage that had disabled their network.
Astonishingly, the twitter logo at the bottom of their home page is just applied for sharing data via twitter. In
fact nowhere on the front page is it comfortable to assure they have a twitter visibility which would have been
convenient to provide those who were not knowing of the @vodafoneuk account a comfortable way to stay
updated on the situation.
An authentic appearing Vodafone incident report boasted on ZDNet even suggested that Vodafone had struggled
their war room to deal with the incident. Distinctly as part of the checklist they did not believe to update (or
were not able to referable the outage) the companys front door to say there had been an incident and buyers
were being affected.
Alternatively, they paid the twitter tax - having to answer to hundreds of twitter users on an individual basis
because their internal actions did not allow a buyer across-the-board message to be posted on the front page of
their website.
Some advised that text content should have been sent to all buyers, but with a network wide outage, they may
never have been accepted and just put additional burden on the crippled network.
Lessons learned from the Gatwick airport closure December 2010
Vodafone should have alternatively taken a flick out of the Gatwick Airport crisis manual acted out during the
December 2010 snow conditions that closed the airport for two days, and placed some outstanding content on
the homepage of their website, directing buyers to their twitter page for frequent updates.
15

Key learnings for Vodafone

The power to rapidly update your home page and direct buyers to a committed twitter channel should be built
into the crisis management plan for next time. It means that only a small amount of code asks to be deployed in
the doomsday scenario, then the twitter platform takes over and admits actual time updates without having to
affect the main website any further.
Vodafone and other operators expend millions of pounds a year advancing their brand and their websites, yet
when they need to get a content out, they preferred other brands and channels rather than their own. In my
belief, this was a major fault. They should have advertised people from their brand to active channels such as
twitter and not banked on buyers attaining these channels for themselves.
The fact that their eForum, Facebook and Twitter channels are not normally advanced from their main website
further proves that buyers will not naturally agree these sites when they have no idea of how to find them in a
rush. The key acquiring here is that when there is scheme wide outage, it needs to use all channels available and
not subscribers to guess or ascertain the links by accident. Twitter would have been a higher-ranking procurator
for the Vodafone squad rectifying the mistake to fast gauge how widespread the issue was, and if it had been
rectified.
By advancing the twitter address on the front page, more people could have been updated in real time, as well as
sending back reports on what networks were affected and where. The @vodafoneuk squad could have better
answered handled the crisis by being early and displaying prominently in the website.
2.3.7 Case Study: Integrasco and Vodafone U.K.
Integrasco is the worlds biggest supplier of data-mining technology and analytical aids for the
telecommunications industry. Integrasco admits global buyers such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Vodafone with
the real-time distillation of consumer and business feedback from social media, CRM systems, and other key
sources that direct their business concern conclusion making in the fields of R&D, design, application growth,
early issue detection for products and services, communications and buyer service.
Integrasco AS was founded in 2004, with the head office based in Norway. The company has since acquired to a
manpower of almost 30 employees based in China, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Integrasco utilizes proprietary, progressive applied science and high-end analytic expertise adapted to the
telecommunications industry to allow handset makers, airtime opera- tors, developers, and retailers with
actionable insights that help businesses succeed. The firms source-independent data structure, advanced AIbased software creepers, and dedication to high-end analytics render an offering that is superior to the
commoditized search-and-retrieve arena.
The Client
Integrasco is Vodafone U.K.s online buzz monitoring, analytics, and strategical consultancy. Integrasco has
been working with the mobile carrier for over two years (at the time of this writing). Vodafones long-term
social media imagination is To authorise our buyers to interact with us and others in the way that they want, to
get more from their telecoms experience.
Vodafone U.K. Began its cultural media journey by calling for Integrasco to map out the social media landscape
within the mobile industry, study the findings, and articulate an appropriate scheme for competitive edge. In
addition, Vodafone took the step to prioritise the recognition and resolution of consumer enquiries and
complaints, as well as absorb with key influencers (buyers and noncustomers) in actual time, and has done so
with appreciable winner.
16

To help Vodafone accomplish its destinations, Integrasco asked to design and deliver a powerful, sector-specific
Web portal, and to coach and help Vodafones Web dealings team, now compiled of over 15 full-time
employees, to set up composite searches and algorithms. This admitted the squad to run real-time hunts over
specified sources and absorb with target audiences in real time. Since 2009, Integrasco services have added to,
and they now permeate almost every department in Vodafone U.K.
Origins of the Campaign
The project was animated by a actualisation that the U.K. mobile industry (along with a number of other
categories, such as banking and utilities) is notorious for low standards of customer service, leading to high
levels of customer churn, a major drag on profit- ability. Vodafone saw an opportunity to leverage a renewed
commitment to consumer service as a significant brand attribute in a highly competitive, but almost entirely
undifferentiated, category.
Jakub Hrabovsky, head of Web relations at Vodafone U.K., said that Measurement and supervising speculates
the need for them to hear to what is being said across the myriad of social media channels and to understand
what patterns, trends, and emerging issues are being talked over. Competent supervising and suitable answer
can help them pre-empt expected issues before they become major problems, can help direct their broader
commercializing deeds, and can even help them build up new products and avails.
The key objectives for the project were to Identify key influencers and engage with them around brand and
campaign topics, Bring forth affirmative opinion and humanize the brand, Reverse negative opinion online,
Accumulate news on the challenger and acquire buyer brainwaves to contribute the market in creation and
customer service, Identify and integrate finest exercises for engagement and Deliver a high buyer enquiry
declaration rate and a satisfaction rate in excess of 85 percent
However, there were also some more specific aims of the campaign, and these were to Exceed the closest
challenger in buzz volumes and opinion affect, Command the mobile handset discussion and be perceived as the
mobile authority online and Set up branded presences across the major social net- works (Facebook,
Foursquare, Twitter, and YouTube) and be present in more than 95 percent of all Vodafone- related online
conversations in the U.K.
Methodology
The methodology acquired for the project was established around four key principles of listening, examining,
acting and achieving.
Before embarking on the journey of social media appointment, Vodafone started by listening to find the
applicable online consumer discussions about Vodafone, and then set up a method to continuously supervise the
conversations.
In the U.K., buzz volumes and opinion are calculated over all social media channels in which users talk about
not only voice packages but also general leisure actions (such as sports and music). The absolute portion for
each brand is figured established on the total number of remarks remarking the brand, variations of the brand
name, or any of the products or services for the brand, which are specified by a circle of complex explore
enquiries that acquire over time and are qualitatively examined by Integrasco and the Vodafone squad. At the
centre of the plan was the destination of construing conversations and agreement the mentality of the consumer
through analytic thinking, to at last describe actionable insights.
A small Web relations squad at Vodafone (two employees) was taught procedure to and aimed to apply
Integrascos social media supervising program. Taxonomies or contextual hunts were acquired to ascertain that
17

the squad could discover all applicable social media conversations and react with the online environments need
for speed and truth. The squad was given direction about the nature of bases that deserved appointment, and was
consulted on issues that bring forth favourable opinion for the brand and drive brand affiliation with products
and services that would have differently been comprehended as generic in the mobile telecoms industry.
The Vodafone U.K. Web relations squad was extensively aimed by Integrasco in the utilisation of Integrascos
proprietorship portal, concerning technical advice and complaints declaration. Vodafone estimates that it
identifies across 95 percent of altogether brand-related conversations online, commonly within five minutes of
the conversations taking place.
The project focused on U.K. social media conversations. A key demand was to be able to describe over 95
percent of all brand-related conversations within social media and map all key influencers in U.K. social media
related to telecoms and mobile and airtime suppliers.
Stages of the Campaign
Integrasco carved up the Vodafone agitate into five levels, numbered 0 to 4, as shown below.
Stage 0: Industry Landscaping and Influencer Audit
The objectives at this overture degree were To gain agreement of the brand repute from a consumer point of
view (for example, what is in reality recognized for the brand and what is not), To identify and map out the
influencers and platforms where relevant conversations are taking place and To acquire agreement of buyers
association to a particular issue
Stage 1: scheme preparation
Scheme preparation consisted of Shops with key stakeholders, Sharing finest supplies, Acquiring destinations
and aims, Building up appointment schemes and appointment rules of thumb and Acquiring a cross-functional
squad that acted with several fields of Vodafones business operations in the U.K.
Stage 2: carrying out
The carrying out level included Arranging a supervising platform for listening, Acquiring seek taxonomies,
Arranging social media presences and acquiring a believable online identity and Training and workshops
Stage 3: Execution
The execution stage includes Supervising and early-issue sensing, Judgement and valuation, Testimonials and
advisories, Social media appointment and supervising program care.
Stage 4: Measurement and valuation
This stage includes Measuring word of mouth and opinion against destinations and core KPIs (Net Promoter
Score) and Gaining actionable insights
The first three stages (0, 1, and 2) were put in place over the course of three months, beginning in March 2009.
Degrees 3 and 4 are in progress actions that were started fully in July 2009 after the first pilot period in June
2009.
The Vodafone Web relations squad is in constant contact with Integrasco to make sure that buyer enquiries are
answered at once, and the highest measures of buyer service are accomplished. Weekly condition meetings
ascertain that best practice behaviour is used. To inform appointment schemes and antecedences, ongoing
supervising and analysis are done through a combining of the Integrasco proprietorship engineering platform
18

and human analysis. Integrascos methodology centres deporting qualitative, robust, analytical brainstorms
besides strictly quantitative data.
Data gathering
Integrasco does not employ third- company and legally accumulates all publicly acquirable data, modifies them
and stores them on Integrascos servers. While enquiry taxonomy is not the headiest issue for discourse, it is a
very authoritative one in the condition of truth. Any user of search-oriented aspects (SOE), even though a
desktop tool such as Google, will apprise that a word explore such as orange will render thousands of answers,
many having nothing to do with the mobile airtime supplier.
Integrasco acquires brand, product, and service taxonomies through a mixture of human and algorithmic actions
and tools. This assures an exact numerical dispersion of buzz to brands and classes. Taxonomies are acquired
and examined to attain the maximum potential containment and quality in output data sets.
Once fully quality-tested, brand taxonomies anatomy the basis for providing exact buzz masses and opinion
measurement.
Measurement and Analysis
Integrasco amounts buzz and opinion at both a brand and a class degree, outlined agreeing to Vodafones
demands, in dictate to conquer a complete competitive picture of consumer beliefs in social media
conversations. By exercising down into category peaks, the companys analysts distinguish coming out styles
and variations.
Acknowledging the events that are the ancestor cause of these fluctuations is decisive to Vodafones power to
come up to them. Early catching of events that cause courses frequently allows valuable unjust insights for the
customer.
All major courses were analysed and root cause analysis conducted to describe the buzz drivers, the issues
aiming the alterations for the accounting period, in the circumstance of Total period performance, Alterations to
buzz volumes, Alterations to opinion measure, Changes to product or class share, Industry or sector against
brand events, Early catching of consumer events, Alterations to the lead influencer and opinion, Alterations to
platform insight and The increase of new blogs, forums, and platforms
Supervising centres not just on listening and accounting statistics, but also on describing the styles and
interpreting what it means and who is acting upon the treatment in order to acquire insights that are
authentically unjust by Vodafone. Integrasco applied science is language autonomous, and the analytics squad is
made up of multilingual analysts. The Integrasco squad is globally ascendable so as to fulfil its customers
demands. The most important part of supervising is to render unjust insights: who is acquiring, who is falling
back, why, and what Vodafone can do about it.
It is deserving bearing in mind that the complexness of the mobile telecoms industry, on the one hand, and the
active footstep at which it is perpetually acquiring place another pressures on the Integrasco analytics squad to
ascertain that troubles are precisely appraised and an advantageous strategical answer is advocated.
Quality check
Integrasco is an amalgamated part of the brand, PR, marketing, brand communications, buyer service, and
product quality squads, within its key continued customers, for allowing social media supervising services and
creatures. The company applies a cooperative access with customers to acquire accounting criteria and
19

measurement systems that are amalgamated into their core business arrangements. Vodafone has accession to a
committed analytics squad during its convention business hours.
Quarterly customer gratification reviews ascertain that Integrasco returns accordant to the criteria that Vodafone
anticipates. Across the class of two years, Integrasco has systematically adjoined its accorded accounting
deadlines. One core demand for Vodafone was that Integrasco must address entirely crucial social media
conversations in the U.K., and that is warranted on an in progress basis, through internal source breakthrough
acts, customer resubmit, and data-delivery benchmarking. Aside from regular alimony, Integrasco Renders 24/7
access to its help, allowing the Vodafone Web relations team to respond to buyer enquiries in real time.
Disputes
To tailor the Integrasco platform to the acquiring needs of Vodafone as the company converted more
experienced and effective in its ways of absorbing with its aim audience was one centre of this project. An in
progress developing action was built in which Vodafone and the R&D and analytics teams at Integrasco work
collectively to delimit Work flow demands like Author and data demands and Accounting essentials.
The necessities were then mapped out into milestone projects and acquired agreeing to the set as precedence
from Vodafone. As social media acquires with tremendous speed, one of the greatest disputes is to ceaselessly
expand the author and data coverage to include the most crucial platforms and channels for online
communications in the United Kingdom. This was done by committing imaginations from the Integrasco
information direction squad to ascertain quality through outside tools and customer reviews. Newer platforms
have comprised admitted in the scheme as part of Integrascos ongoing development program.
The Results
Integrasco hadnt commenced with Vodafone U.K. as an online analytics provider, but alternatively as a social
media consultancy centring on online customer services and influencer assignment, as a buzz supervising
platform provider. The analytics and articles delivery offers adopted as the buyer calls for adopted to integrate
offline analytical account, along with buzz begot across social media channels.
Across the past two years, through active agent appointee across social media channels, Vodafone has been able
to add-on its online division of buzz by more than 6 percent while the portions of altogether another brands
have decreased. This makes Vodafone the second-most-talked-about operator in the United Kingdom.
After the first six months of assignment, Vodafone had successfully cut back detrimental belief, while at the
same time constant coming up its absolute huge volumes in U.K. social media.
By tapping into the consumer mind-set and coming up to with customer brings out in social media, Vodafone
has with success expanded its buyer expiation charge per unit to across 80 percentage in social media canalises.
Because of the winner of the project, Vodafone added to the team from two full-time employees to 15, and
expanded both buzz masses and belief bear on to retrieve the before position in the commercialise. Vodafone
has also achieved the peak NPS (Net booster account) for buyer service in social media channels in the U.K.
telecommunications market.
2.3.8 Examining decisions made at corporate level:
Vodafones decision making involves consideration of functional, tactical and strategical factors. Alterations in
carrying out and productivity assists in analysing the efficaciousness of the decision (Knights & Morgan, 1995).
(Reid, et al., 2005) Analysing the deciding action depends upon the organizational civilisation of the firms, in
case of an employee centric firm such as Vodafone, the administration will focus on noting the alterations in the
20

work scheme while a consumer centric firm such as Virgin will take into account the alterations in the buyer
conduct.
2.3.9 Determination of actions in the marketing and operative stage:
The functional degree workings of a firm are affiliated with the commercialising action. Vodafone ascertains
that their employee base is able to meet the buyer needs and anticipations and beget marketing achiever. The
marketing actions of the firm on the other hand aid appeal the market inputs that convey the organizational
actions (Knights & Morgan, 1995). The conclusion making action of a firm controls both marketing and
functional degree work action. In order to ascertain that the marketing aims are accomplished, the firm must
ascertain that the organizational deciding action belongs of effectual alter carrying out fabrics. For example,
Vodafone is centring advancing their brand with their corporate social duty casts and thus this has addressed
their marketing actions from their product line to the environmental and social workings of the firm
(Ballantyne, 2006).

2.3.10 ways to achieve competency:

The actions of the company influences the competitiveness of the company (Knights & Morgan, 1995). Kolk
and Van Tulder (2010) said that competitive aligning methods of a business depend on their needs and forces of
demand. In order to acquire an aggressive approach, Vodafone should note the schemes utilised by their rivals
and also describe the longevities and failings of their challengers such as BT, TalkTalk, Virgin, etc. The
competitive aligning schemes can be built upon the marketing function, functional action, product developing,
etc. To achieve a competitive vision a business house needs to analyse its internal and extraneous actions.

2.3.11schemes for acquiring competitive edge:

Strategic growth of a firm is based on its aims and the market condition (Mooradian, et al., 2013). Vodafone is
concentrating on generating consumer cognisance and accelerating their involvement with the brand for
developing brand equity (Brady & Cronin, 2001). Vodafone is seeking to make a price or service distinction
from its challengers to acquire a sustainable competitive edge. Vodafone CSR aids the firm in agreeing with
their buyer base and knows their expectations and demands (Kolk & Van Tulder, 2010). Social media
networking has emerged as one of the major ways of advancing the brand and staying in touch with
stakeholders of the firm. With the aid of their social media profile Vodafone has been able to inform the buyers
affecting their organisational centre.

2.3.12 marketing communicating schemes:

The aim consumer base, products and service base of a firm also determines the commercialising schemes of a
company. Marketing action for communication with business executives for a similar product will differ and the
product nature can also differ marginally (Brady & Cronin, 2001).

21

Technological ascendance has altered the function by marketing and communicating with the consumers, firms
can now accession to their buyer base 24*7 because of ICT development which has boiled down the
geographical barriers for buyer accumulating. The generally applied and effectual marketing communication
schemes are online article writing, image and video marketing and mobile marketing (Brady & Cronin, 2001).
The "Bunici de duminica" - or The Sunday Grannies was a social experiment by the Vodafone UK where it
created a Facebook app for old women to share their recipes on Facebook. The women were mostly widowed
and had no families to feed to so it was a welcome change for them which eliminated loneliness and led to
adoption of technology by the old women. The younger generation especially students missed homemade food
so this campaign became a hit instantaneously. This campaign led to a 20 percent increase in Facebook signups
from Romanian senior citizens. Also 4G mobile sales jumped 78 percent in Romania.
The #smartcookies and #getanimated promotions were launched in February 2015 on twitter. The
#smartcookies promotion required a participant to retweet any of the RT for a chance #smartcookies tweets
from @VodafoneUK.
1 winner was selected daily during the Promotional Period (except on a weekend) from all eligible participants
of that day. Participants from 09:00 to 09.00 of the next day were considered for the days contest.
The #getanimated promotion started at 09:00 on the 20th February and ended at 18:00 on the 31st March 2015.
Participants were required to describe what they would do with the saved money after using the SIM only
plan from Vodafone. Additionally, the participants were required to upload their photo on Instagram with the
hashtag #getanimated and tweet with #getanimated to @VodafoneUK on Twitter. Finally the participants were
required to fill in the entry forms on the #getanimated tab on Vodafone UK Facebook page and the Vodafone
Social Blog. Every week a winner was announced from the entries received.
2.3.13 Marketing schemes analysis, their application and execution:
Analysing the marketing communication action aids in describing the role of the marketing scheme in the firms
performance (Mooradian, et al., 2013). Aside from the analytical tools discussed before, marketing scheme can
be analysed by comparison of the position of the firm in the industry from its challengers and consumers
perspectives. Vodafone concentrates on sending a suitable message to its subscriber base to build a transparent
business structure that will also build its brand equity (Brady & Cronin, 2001). On the other hand, carrying out
of a marketing access is supported agents such as challengers schemes, commercialise condition and
accompany durability.

2.3.14 Awards and recognitions

Analytics company Socialbakers Socially Devoted Q4 report marked Vodafone UKs answer account ahead
of additional eminent profile brands such as Nike and American Airlines (ascertain top 10 below). It graded
brands supported the number of questions answered minus the number unanswered.
A Vodafone UK spokesman says its winner can be chased back to its scheme to mainly apply Twitter as a buyer
service besides marketing average. The companys social buyer service team is about a dozen secure, covering
Twitter, Facebook and Vodafones own and 3rd party forums applying a series of dashboards.
Jan Rezab, Socialbakers CEO, says Vodafone UK is well equipped to provide social customer service because it
equipped itself to the concept early on by structuring up its internal trained squads to handle enquiries. Rezab
22

says: Brands should apply themselves, its more authentic when its a trained employee of the administration
answering your enquiries. Companies have to be ready - and its actually cheaper to answer to questions via
Twitter than it is a phone call.
General, about 32 per cent of the doubts asked on Twitter by consumers are answered by brands - up from 31
per cent in the former quarter. The average latency to buyer questions asked on Twitter expanded from 5.1 hours
in the third quarter to 6 hour, evoking answering on time is becoming more challenging as consumers actualise
the power they wield when questioning brands on social media and have commenced to anticipate digital
besides conventional buyer service channels.
2.4 Brand Equity and its Dimensions
The issue of brand fairness continues to be of great importance to firms for the conception and developing of
both product and company brand strategy. The conclusion states that brand equity has been especially quoted as
consumer based brand equity of Aaker model. It is said that brand equity has four dimensions like perceived
quality, brand associations/image, brand awareness and brand loyalty. Brand managers and marketing planners
should consider the relative importance of brand equity in their overall brand equity evaluation.
2.4.1 Introduction
Many companies develop marketing strategies in order to improve their sales and to make their brands stand out
among competitive ones. For most firms, the ultimate goal of marketing success is to generate a brand, which
can differentiate their companies from others. A brand is - A name, a term, a symbol, or any other unique
element of a product that identifies one firms products and sets them apart from the competition (Solomon &
Stuart, 1999).
A brand has also been defined as an identifying name and symbol (such as a logo, trademark, or package
design) intended to describe the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to distinguish
those goods or services from those of competitors (Aaker, 1991).
The term, brand equity became one of the most important marketing concepts since 1980s and it has been
defined as, a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand, its name and symbol, that add to or subtract
from the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or to that firms customers (Aaker, 1991).
Aaker (1991) defined brand equity as a set of five categories of brand assets (liabilities) linked to a brands
name or symbol that add to (subtract from) the value provided by a product or service (Aaker, 1991). He
described five brand fairness builds: brand awareness; brand perceived quality; brand connections; brand
loyalty; and other proprietary brands assets, such as patents, trademarks, and channel relationships.
This definition has been applied in various brand equity empirical studies (Yoo, et al., 2000) (Washburn &
Plank, 2002) (Baldauf, et al., 2003) (Kim & Kim, 2004) (Yoo & Donthu, n.d.). Further, Keller (1993) defined
Customer-based brand equity (CBBE) as the derivative effect of brand cognition about consumer response to
the marketing of the brand (Keller, 2001). Agreeing to Keller (1993), the distinction effect is ascertained by
comparing consumers reactions to the marketing of a brand with their reactions to same marketing of an
unnamed version of the product (Keller, 1993). Keller highlighted two brand equity constructs: brand
knowledge and brand response (Keller, 1993). Brand knowledge has been defined in terms of brand awareness
and image, while brand response to marketing has been conceptualized in terms of consumer perceptions,
preferences, and behaviour arising from marketing mix activities. Aaker (1996) introduced a new model for
measuring brand equity: the Brand Equity Ten (Aaker, 1996). This model included customer-based brand
equity constructs, such as awareness, associations, perceived quality, perceived value, loyalty, and satisfaction,
as well as market behaviour measures, such as market share, market price and distribution coverage. This study
adds to above- mentioned research by identifying the constructs to be included in a customer-based brand equity
model, linking them to brand market performance, and empirically testing this relationship on the US
automotive industry.
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Solomon and Stuart (2002), for instance, explained brand equity as the value that a brand has for a particular
organization or company. As they put it, for a firm, brand equity provides a competitive advantage because it
gives the brand the power to capture and hold onto a larger share of the market and to sell at prices with higher
profit margins (Solomon & Stuart, 2002).
Keller (1993) noted that consumer-based brand equity is the differential marketing effect of brand knowledge
on consumer response to the marketing of the brand, and it arises from a brand that is familiar to customers and
is associated in their memories (Keller, 1993).
The fact that different outcomes result from the marketing of a product or service because of its brand name or
some other brand elements, as compared to outcomes if that same product or service did not have that brand
identification (Keller, 1998).
Brand equity has been studied for two reasons. The first reason is to evaluate a brand, especially to estimate the
value of a brand for financial purposes or business arrangements (e.g. mergers, acquisitions). The second reason
is to enhance marketing output by understanding consumers the knowledge about the brand and to develop
appropriate brand strategies.
Another model brand identity prism (Kapferer, 2004) raises the issue of why brand strategy and brand
management are so important. He discusses how connections with brands are in every part of our society and
penetrate all spheres of life, including, economic, social, and cultural, sports and even religion. According to
Kapferer (2004), in order to form a brand to stay strong it must be true to its identity and to avail the
brands innermost substance (Kapferer, 2004). The six facets of brand identity are stated by Kapferer as brand
physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection and image (Kapferer, 2004).

2.4.2 Conceptualization of Consumer-Based Brand Equity

Different conceptualisations of brand equity have been measured by various researchers. Aaker (1991) viewed
brand equity as a multidimensional concept which is made up of perceived qualities, brand loyalty, brand
awareness, brand association and other propriety assets (Aaker, 1991). He further explained that brand loyalty
has to do with the level of devotion a consumer has to a brand. Brand awareness has to do with the ability of a
potential buyer to identify a brand among a product category. Perceived quality deals with the consumers
perception of the brands total quality or superiority. Brand association is anything that is connected in a
consumers memory of a brand. The other proprietary brand asset has to do with patents and trademarks.
A similar conceptualization was proposed by Keller. According to Keller (1993), consumer based brand equity
consist of two dimensions, brand knowledge and brand awareness (Keller, 1993).
Cobb-Walgreen et al. (1995) based their study on customer based perceptual measure of brand equity. Their
study adopted three of Aaker (1991) perceptual component of brand equity i.e. brand awareness, brand
association and perceived quality. They tested whether brand equity has an effect on brand perception, intention
and attitude. The result of their study found out that brand equity has effect on perception, intention and attitude.
Aaker (1991) equates brand equity with the following elements: brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived
quality, brand association, and other proprietary brand assets (Aaker, 1991). According to Yoo and Donthu
(2001), and Washburn and Plank (2002), however, brand equity, specifically consumer-based brand equity, can
be measured according to four elements: brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand
association. According to Washburn and Plank (2002), the element of other proprietary brand assets is not
appropriate to measure consumer-based brand equity. Here, consumer-based means that cognitive and
behavioural brand equity at the individual consumer level through a consumer survey (Yoo & Donthu, n.d.). It
is important to examine which of the brand equity elements is important for consumers to recognize brand value
and also, to make a purchase decision. Low and Lamb Jr. (2000) and Prasad and Dev (2000) have also adopted
four of Aaker (1991) component i.e. brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty and brand association
(Aaker, 1991).
Yoo et al. (2000) adopted three of Aaker (1991) component i.e. perceived quality, brand association and brand
loyalty. Their study has suggested and has tested a model and the result revealed that these dimensions
contribute to brand equity. Yoo and Donthu (2001) has employed four of Aakers component of brand equity i.e.
24

brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand association excluding proprietary assets dimension
as it is not important in the measurement of customer based brand equity (Yoo & Donthu, n.d.).

2.4.3 Conceptual Domain or Dimensions of Consumer-Based Brand Equity

Perceived Quality
Aaker (1996) and Keller (1993,1998) stated that perceived quality is a core dimension of customers based brand
equity as it relates to the willingness to pay a price premium, brand choice and brand purchase intention (Keller,
1993) (Aaker, 1996).
Low and Lamb Jr. (2000) referred to perceived quality as the perception of the superiority of a brand when
compared to alternative brand. Zeithamal (2000) defined perceived quality as consumers judgment about the
whole product superiority or excellence. Szymanski and Henard (2001) argued that one of the antecedents of
satisfaction is perceived quality. Like brand association, perceived quality provide consumers with value and
give them reason to differentiate a brand from another.
Justified by Researchers such as Carmen (1990), Parasuraman et al. (1988), perceived quality can said to have a
positive effect on customers purchase intention. Although there are inconsistencies on the available empirical
evidence for example, Boulding et al. (1993) considered service quality as one of the factors leading to purchase
intention. In Cronin and Taylor (1992) direct effect was not significant whereas there was an indirect effect
which rose from satisfaction. Taylor and Baker (1994) speculated that perceived quality liked with satisfaction
has an effect on consumers purchase intention.
Brand Awareness
Brand awareness can be referred to as the degree of consumers familiarity with a brand. Aaker (1991) and
Keller (1993) stated that brand awareness is a vital element of brand equity (Keller, 1993) (Aaker, 1991).
According to Rossiter and Percy (1987), brand awareness is the ability of consumers to distinguish a brand
amongst other brand. Keller (1993) conceptualized brand awareness as comprising of brand recall and brand
recognition (Keller, 1993). He went further to say that brand recall is the ability of consumers to remember a
brand from their mind when the product class is made know. Keller (1993) argued that brand recognition may
be more important to the extent that product decisions are made in the store (Keller, 1993). Rossiter and Percy
(1987) noted that brand attitude and intention to purchase a product can only be developed through brand
awareness.
Aaker (1991) suggested that there are three levels of brand awareness: brand recognition, brand recall and top of
mind (Aaker, 1991).
Many researchers have seen brand awareness as an element that plays a vital role in consumers choice of
brand. In Lin and Chang (2003), the result of their study established that brand awareness had the most
powerful influence on consumers purchase decision.
Hoyer and Brown (1990 as cited in Lin and Chang 2003) study examined the importance of brand awareness in
consumer's decision making process and they found out that brand awareness was a primary factor.
Brand Association/Image
Blackwell et al. (2001) referred to brand image as the combined effect of brand association or consumers
perception of the brands tangible and intangible association. Keller (1993) argues brand image as a perception
or association consumers form as a result of their memory concerning a product (Keller, 1993). According to
Low and Lamb Jr. (2000) opined that brand image can also be referred to as the emotional perception or reason
that consumers place to a particular brand.
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Thus, brand image does not exist in the features, technology or the actual product itself, it is sometimes brought
out by advertisement, promotion or users. Brand image enables a consumer to recognize a product, lower
purchase risks, evaluate the quality and obtain certain experience and satisfaction out of product differentiation.
Marketing researchers such as Keller (1993) has proposed that brand image is an important element of brand
equity (Keller, 1993). Krishnan (1996) found out that brands with high brand equity are prone to more positive
brand associations than those with low brand equity. Similarly, Lassar et al. (1995) has found out that brand
with high brand image rating always have higher brand equity and premium price. Likewise, Kwon (1990)
reported that positive brand image is most likely associated with preferred brands.
Researchers have proposed that brand equity is to an extent driven by the brand association composition of the
image. According to Keller (1993), favourable, unique and strong associations are assumed to provide a positive
brand image which will create a bias in the mind of consumers thereby increasing the brand equity (Keller,
1993). Pitta and Lea (1995) also stated that a unique, favourable and strong brand image allows the brand to be
easily differentiated and positioned in the consumers mind, thereby adding to the possibility of increased brand
equity.
Conclusively, brand image can be said to be the brand association or consumers perception about a particular
brand as a result of their association with the brand.
Brand Loyalty
According to Aaker (1991), brand loyalty is the attachment that a customer has to a brand (Aaker, 1991). Yoo
and Donthu (2001) also referred to brand loyalty as the tendency to be loyal to a brand and this can be shown by
the intention of the consumer to buy the brand as a foremost choice.
Oliver (1999) also defined brand loyalty as deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred
product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetition of same-brand or same brand set
purchasing, despite situational influence and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching
behaviours. Odin et al. (2001) stated that brand loyalty can either be behavioural or attitudinal. Behavioural
loyalty comprises of repeated purchases of the brand. Dekimpe et al. (1997) presented that one advantage of this
is that it measures observable behaviours rather than self-reported deposition or intention. It is easier and
cheaper to measure.
Chaudhuri and Holbrooks (2001) stated that attitudinal loyalty can be referred to as the extent of dispositional
promises with respect to some particular advantages connected with the brand while behavioural loyalty has to
do with the intention to repeat a purchase.
Although, the definition of behavioural brand loyalty deals with consumers sincere loyalty to a brand as shown
in purchase choice, the definition based on attitudinal perspective stresses on consumers intention to be loyal to
the brand. It is presumed that consumers understanding of quality will be associated with their brand loyalty. As
the more loyal a consumer to a brand, the more he/she is presumed to see the brand as a superior quality and
vice versa. Also, the more favourable associations consumers have towards a brand, the more their loyalty and
vice versa.
Aaker (1991) classified loyalty as non-customer, price switcher, passive loyal, fence sitters and committed
(Aaker, 1991). Kotler (2002) also classified loyalty to include switchers, soft-core, hard-core loyal and shifting
loyal.
Thus, consumers perceptions about the quality of a brand are presumed to be high when they have strong
association with the brand and vice versa.

2.4.4 Conclusion
Since the development of brand equity in 1980s, there have been rapid developments in the subject. This is due
to the fact that branding has been recognized as an important factor for the success of a firm especially in a very
competitive business environment. The dimensions of brand equity reflect each, at individual levels, certain sets
26

of advantages for the company, thus generating a long-term increase in marketing efforts efficiency, as well as
an increase in profitability. Any marketing strategy must be designed so as to gain more value for the brand.
This goal can only be achieved by taking into consideration and cleverly managing the descriptive dimensions
of brand equity as well as by drawing up an individual development plan for each of these dimensions.
It is also noticed that most researches (Aaker 1991; Keller 1993; Cobb-Walgreen et al., 1995; Lasser et al.,
1995; Yoo et al., 2000; Yoo & Donthu, 2001; and Lin & Chang, 2003) have been surveyed these four
dimensions of customer based-brand equity (brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty and brand
associations) have suggested that they all have influence on consumer.
Aakers brand equity model (1991) is the mother of many following researchers findings and results (Aaker,
1991). The model has become the standard template for researchers such as Kapferer (1997) and Mela et al.
(1997), yet their models are built upon similar factors that Aaker (1991) stresses (Kapferer, 1997) (Aaker,
1991). Consequently, it is felt that this model has been provided the whole spectra within the field of brand
equity. Cobb-Walgreen et al. (1995) studies have used customer based perceptual measure of brand equity. Their
study adopted Aaker (1991) conceptualization as adopted by Keller (1993) i.e. brand awareness, brand
association and perceived quality (Aaker, 1991) (Keller, 1993).
2.5 Adaptive Structuration Theory
The adaptive structuration theory was proposed by Geradine DeSanctis and Scott Poole in 1992. It is an
extension of Anthony Giddens Structuration Theory. The Adaptive Structuration Theory is based upon the
interrelation between the various factors influencing the technology used by an organisation which involves
human interaction and use of technology in organised social groups. Adaptive Structuration focuses on the
structure that is created and recreated through the generative and adaptive rules and resources of the group
members.
The past decade has brought advanced information technologies, which include electronic messaging systems,
executive information systems, collaborative systems, group decision support systems, and other technologies
that use sophisticated information management to enable multiparty participation in organization activities.
Developers and users of these systems hold high hopes for their potential to change organizations for the better,
but actual changes often do not occur, or occur inconsistently. We propose adaptive structuration theory (AST)
as a viable approach for studying the role of advanced information technologies in organization change. AST
examines the change process from two vantage points: (1) the types of structures that are provided by advanced
technologies, and (2) the structures that actually emerge in human action as people interact with these
technologies. To illustrate the principles of AST, we consider the small group meeting and the use of a group
decision support system (GDSS). A GDSS is an interesting technology for study because it can be structured in
a myriad of ways, and social interaction unfolds as the GDSS is used. Both the structure of the technology and
the emergent structure of social action can be studied.
We begin by positioning AST among competing theoretical perspectives of technology and change. Next, we
describe the theoretical roots and scope of the theory as it is applied to GDSS use and state the essential
assumptions, concepts, and propositions of AST. We outline an analytic strategy for applying AST principles
and provide an illustration of how our analytic approach can shed light on the impacts of advanced technologies
on organizations. A major strength of AST is that it expounds the nature of social structures within advanced
information technologies and the key interaction processes that figure in their use. By capturing these processes
and tracing their impacts, we can reveal the complexity of technology-organization relationships. We can attain
a better understanding of how to implement technologies, and we may also be able to develop improved designs
or educational programs that promote productive adaptations.

27

2.5.1 Introduction
There are many kinds of communication theories, each of which focuses on a specific approach to
organizational or interpersonal communication. However, all theories can be placed on a critique scale to
determine their outcome in relation with people. Pooles Introduction There are many kinds of communication
theories, each of which focuses on a specific approach to organizational or interpersonal communication.
However, all theories can be placed on a critique scale to determine their outcome in relation with people.
Pooles Adaptive Structuration theory is among theories worthy of acceptation. Its focus is on the creation of
structure through adaptive rules to utilize resources in relation to group members. For the matter of fact, no
organization succeeds without a set structure to govern it. Structure, in essence, implies having a system. And,
with an obvious perception, a system serves as a signpost for every individual and group. Without it, there
would eventually be chaos, disunity and eventually, divergence in a group.
Theorists Affirmation to Structuration Theory
According to Robert Zmud, in Organization Science, Marshall Scott Poole and DeSanctis are among theorists
whose contributions are seen widely in scope of the theory. He affirms their initial contribution to the theory in
the following way: DeSanctis and Poole contribute to the organization sciences in two distinct ways. First, they
insightfully probe and characterize the deep structures that exist within both the technological artefacts and the
work environments within which these artefacts are applied (within the context of a given technology-group
decision support systems). Second, they describe and illustrate innovative strategies for collecting data on these
structures foundation for future scholarship exploring the evolution-in-use as well as the organizational
(1994, 121). Postmodernism is attempting to influence every sector of life in this generation-the home, school,
government, and organization. Orchestrated by globalization, the behaviour of people in this era is obliterating
the formerly dignified value systems of societies and cultures in every nation. Should organization and group
continue to engage their audiences through the ancient or conservative pattern? This is among several questions
posed by adaptive structuration theorist, as they endeavour to cope with todays contemporary problems such as
postmodernism. Mentioned earlier in this paper, there are increasing theorists including students of universities
who support the work of Pooles and his colleagues adaptive structuration theory. In affirmation to the theory,
Gerardine DeSantis together with other renowned theorists joined Marshall Scott Poole in addressing the
numerals global issues of our time by affirming to the theory under scrutiny, and give reasons to their action.
Many researchers believe that the effects of advanced technologies are less a function of the technologies
themselves than of how they are used by people. For this reason, actual behaviour in the context of advanced
technologies frequently differs from the intended impacts (Kiesler 1986, Markus and Robey 1988, Siegel,
Dubrovsky, Kiesler and McGuire 1986). People adapt systems to their particular work needs, or they resist them
or fail to use them at all; and there are wide variances in the patterns of computer use and, consequently, their
effects on decision making and other outcomes. We propose adaptive structuration theory (AST) as a framework
for studying variations in organization change that occurs as advanced technologies are used (Organization
Science, 1994, 122). In addition to Gerardine DeSantis partnership with Poole in terms of adaptive
structuration theory, McGrath and McPhee are in support of the theory. They affirm with Poole accordingly that
Advanced information technologies are but one source of structure for groups. The content and constraints of a
given work task are another major source structure (Organization Science, 1994, 128).
Challenging material
As Scott Poole himself admits, this theory is slow going for undergraduates. Even in this highly accessible
form, therefore, the material presented here may present a significant pedagogical challenge. We recommend
emphasizing the element of empowerment. At its heart, the theory pushes individual agency, an awareness that
groups create themselves (271), democratic decision making and power sharing. These are concrete
28

concepts/values that should be important to students. In addition, its important to stress that although Pooles
research program is very high-tech, the basic tenets of the theory apply in low-tech environments as well.
Ultimately, this is not a theory about advanced computer programs and electronic devices but about effective
talk in a group setting.
The definition of structuration is production and reproduction of the social systems through the members use
of rules and resources in interaction. Here, the key terms include interaction, production and reproduction, and
rules and resources. Interaction focuses on the persons ability to be an active participant in shaping the social
structures within which they live and work. Part of that activeness is derived from the duality of structure-the
ability to produce and reproduce structures through use (or disuse). Taking a course of action, such as a play for
power against a domineering co-worker or reassuring a tentative colleague of their value, essentially serves two
purposes. They institute that course of action and produce the structure, while also restating how things are
done, thereby reproducing a structure. Finally, one might want to tackle the concept of rules and resources as
something that the individual has and can pull on during an interaction

DeSanctis and Poole found that adaptive structuration theory over time led to changes in the rules, processes
and procedures that were used within group decision support system social interact ions. In their study,
DeSanctis and Poole defined adaptive structuration theory as "an approach for studying the role of advanced
information technologies in organization change" (DeSanctis & Poole, 1994). Their research, however, focused
upon a "snapshot' of a meeting in which group decision support systems were being used to study interaction at
the micro or individual level of the organization rather than at the institutional level. In light of their definition,
adaptive structuration theory could best be applied from a longitudinal perspective rather than just an instance in
time.
Structuration theory has been approached from three different schools of thought: institutional, decision-making
and socio-technical. The institutional school of thought viewed technology as an opportunity for change rather
than as a causal agent of change (Kling.1980: Barley &Tolbert, 1997; Rouge& Wcbb, 2004). Under this
perspective, technology did not determine behaviour. Instead, people generated social constructions of
technology (Orlikowski, 1992: DeSanctis & Poole, 1994; Thatcher, Brower & Mason, 2006).
The literature focusing on the decision-making school of thought emphasized the cognitive processes associated
with rational decision-making and adopted a psychological approach to the study of technology and change
(DeSanctis & Poole, 1994). The socio-technical school of thought combined the institutional and decisionmaking perspectives by incorporating the power of existing social practices with the influence of advanced
technologies for shaping interaction. This, in turn was thought to bring about organizational change (DeSanctis
& Poole, 1994; Bardhan, 2007).
DeSanctis and Poole continued along the socio-technical line of thought with adaptive structuration theory. This
theory accounted for the structural potential of technology while maintaining focus upon the use of technology
as a primary determinant of technological impacts. Their study examined the effects that occurred when
advanced technologies were brought into social interaction to affect behavioural change (DeSanctis & Poole.
1994).
Metatheoretical Assumptions:
Ontological Assumptions: This theory is very deterministic in that groups follow a structure or guidelines, yet
they are willing to adapt through many different structures. Rules are always being created for the group.

29

Epistemological Assumptions: This theory is based on one truth that groups are constantly changing rules and
guidelines. The theory focusses on the fact that groups will always be able to adjust to these changes.
Axiological Assumptions: This theory is value-laden, taking into account the fact that groups often times need
to make changes to better themselves or due to certain circumstances. If the group considers the values of their
members, they will adapt well to these changes.
Critique: This theory is useful in examining the role that power plays in the development of groups. Yet, it is
difficult to understand how groups can be broken down into separate parts for studying. This theory can also be
difficult to understand because there are so many parts to it.
The Ideas and Implications are that Groups should not view the particular structures they must work through as
being barriers to their work, yet as being necessities to help them get the job done and that there is an inputprocess- output model followed with this theory.
Example: The particular structure of the space that a group has to work in and the structure or amount of time
that they have for decision-making can greatly affect the ways in which groups can adapt to working well
together. For instance, groups who are stuck in a cramped meeting room, with only an hour to decide on
something probably will not be as effective as a group who could have several hours and meet at a local
restaurant.
The formation of group structures and their influence on communication and decision making is the domain of
Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST). This broad and highly complex theory in the field of communication
examines the process by which groups or organizations establish rules, utilize resources, achieve cohesiveness,
accomplish goals, and adapt or evolve over time. AST asserts that group structures are created from the social,
cultural or historical assumptions each group member brings to the table, and that such assumptions determine
how members communicate, the types of resources they use, and how their rules and resources evolve with
continued communication. At its most basic level, AST seeks to illuminate the relationship between group
inputs (rules and resources) and outputs (decisions or feedback).
AST views organizations as systems of communication. When individuals desire to create a group, they begin
by communicating. The individuals express their expectations for the group, and soon a set of rules, or structure,
begins to emerge. The individuals establish the group by accepting the rules. As group members continue to
communicate in the course of making decisions, weaknesses or limitations in the structure become apparent.
Group members then modify the rules to better suit their needs. As members change, draw upon new resources
to solve problems or experience shifts in environment, the group attempts to maintain stability by altering its
structure. In this way, AST shows how communication allows groups to evolve while remaining stable. Indeed,
without communication, organizations would cease to exist.
The complexity of AST results partly from its academic demands. Researchers wishing to accurately describe a
groups creation or evolution cannot begin with any generalizations or assumptions; they must study every
group on an individual basis. This approach requires breaking groups down into their most fundamental parts
and understanding all of the dynamics present in each groups structure and function. These dynamics not only
include the characteristics of the groups members, but also factors like environment, social or organizational
power, time constraints and use of technology. An all-male meeting of busy CEOs in a corporate conference
room, for instance, would have a very different structure than a mixed group of artists discussing a collaborative
30

project in a crowded, noisy cafe. According to AST, every organization and group is unique and should be
treated as such.
However, AST has proven useful for understanding nearly every kind of organizational structure, from Redbook
Magazine and Apple, Inc. to the U.S. Congress and the Vatican. The theory has been most successful in
analysing organizational communication and group decision making. It has also been used to examine the
structures advanced technologies have introduced to groups, as well as the structures that have emerged from
people interacting with such technologies. Experts say the theory can even help people realize and expand the
scope of their influence as group members.
Organizations and groups are a central part of our lives. Consider the number of groups and organizations to
which you currently belong. It has been estimated that those employed in organizations may spend as much as
85 percent of their time in groups or team meetings. Adaptive Structuration Theory is useful in providing an
understanding of how the structures that are created in groups influence communication and decisions. Further,
it is useful in examining the role that power plays in the development of groups and in the accomplishment of
their goals. Scholars who have studied structuration in groups and organizations have emphasized the
importance of understanding the relationship between the inputs into groups (resources and rules) and the
outputs (feedback). However, it is important not only to understand the existence of resources but also to
examine how these resources evolve and change as a result of the communication activity that takes place
within the group in making decisions.
Adaptive Structuration Theory can be applied to virtually all social settings and virtually all communication
interactions. The areas of communication that have applied the theory with the most success are organizational
communication and group decision making. A vast amount of research has examined structuration's impact on
the atmosphere of an organization (e.g., Scott, Corman, & Cheney, 1998; Sherblom, Keranen, & Withers, 2002;
Kirby & Krone, 2002) and its effects on small groups (Seyfarth, 2000). The theory, therefore, has heuristic
value. The Research Note features an analysis of group decision making as viewed through the lens of Adaptive
Structuration Theory.
Stephen Banks and Patricia Riley (1993) point out that some communication scholars are frustrated by Adaptive
Structuration Theory because it is difficult to read and understand; in addition, some claim that the theory lacks
parsimony. Banks and Riley (1993) present many concepts as they examine the intricate process of how
organizations and groups structure their communication and arrive at decisions. Their advice to those who are
researching this theory in an attempt to understand organizations and groups is to "begin at the beginning" (p.
181). Thus, they recommend that we break down a group into its various parts in order to completely
understand the dynamics that influence communication and decision making. This requires insight and
understanding of the historical rules that are brought into the group by each of the members-an extremely
difficult task to accomplish. Further, Banks and Riley suggest that scholars resist the temptation to apply preestablished categories in explaining how organizations and groups are developed and how they experience
change. The reason for this suggestion lies in the evolutionary nature of the resources and rules that guide the
organization, making the system unique.
The challenge for researchers is to continue their study on the dynamics of Adaptive Structuration Theory to
describe its applicability in real-life situations. Although Adaptive Structuration Theory is intimidating due to
the vast number of elements that must be considered in order to understand the group or organizational
communication process, it is useful in exploring the complexities involved in the evolution of groups and
organizations.

31

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.1 Research Overview

Social media is the latest trend in marketing these days and businesses are increasingly realising this and its
importance in effective marketing. There are numerous cases of successful employment of social media for
marketing of a brand or product/service by businesses. One such case is of Vodafone UK which has used social
media innovatively to boost its brand image as well as sales. It has received many awards and recognitions for
this. In this study, the aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of social media for marketing in the case of Vodafone
UK.
Chapter 3 contains a detailed explanation of the research methodology and how it will address the research
question, the design appropriateness, the population rationale, and a discussion of the purposeful sampling
strategy. The chapter also contains a detailed explanation of data collection strategies and instruments. The
approach to data analysis is also explored.
32

3.2 Research Method

The study is based on descriptive research design. A questionnaire has been configured, to acknowledge the
viewpoint of answerer regarding the extent of social media that assists consumers in buying deciding. First part
of the questionnaire bears data affecting demographics and various usage patterns of social media avenues by
the responder. Second part contains a series of close-ended indirect questions which are based on the
contribution of social media in getting a consumer buy a product and his or her expectations from such media.
The survey was carried out online through social networking sites and answers of 150 social networkers were
gathered. The questionnaire was built on Google docs and the link was sent to users to fill the instrument
through various social networking sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. The answerers and other people
on another social networking sites were also asked to post the link from their social site accounts. So the
sampling technique used was non-probability convenience sampling. Regression analysis was used for testing
of hypothesis. For visual representation of finding and results bar charts, pie charts and tables etc. has been
used.
Qualitative research is appropriate for the proposed study because the researcher seeks to understand rather than
measure the outcome of the study. Quantitative researchers use data collection methods to measure data,
whereas qualitative data collection methods provide an understanding of data through the use of themes and
categories (Yin, 2009). According to Yin (2009), the purpose of the qualitative method is to assist an
investigator in gathering data accurately to support the research question and objectives. According to Simmons
(2009) and Creswell (2011), a qualitative study involves documenting an understanding of a human problem
based on building a complex, holistic picture with words capturing perspectives of the teacher. Qualitative
research will provide the researcher with data in context-specific setting without manipulation (Patton, 2002).
According to Neuman (2003), qualitative data give rich information about social processes in specific settings.
Qualitative research is the approach of inquiry, which is dependent on words rather than numbers (Neuman,
2003; Yin, 2009). Research questions in qualitative studies involve searching for rich emerging themes
(Neuman, 2003). Qualitative research involves an attempt to identify reasoning behind specific situations,
contrary to a quantitative approach, which attempts to measure specific situations using numerical data
(Creswell, 2011; Merriam, 2009).

3.3 Research Design

The selected research design is a Case Study Research Design. The focus of this study is to determine the
efficacy of social media in marketing in the case of Vodafone UK.
Questionnaires were available online on the social networking accounts of Vodafone UK in Facebook, Twitter
and Google Plus. The questionnaires were built using Google docs and shared to people active on Vodafone
UKs social media accounts. This took place from September 2014 to November 2014. The replies to the
questions in the questionnaires were stored online. The questionnaires included First part of the questionnaire
bears data affecting demographics and various usage patterns of social media avenues by the responder. Second
part contains a series of close-ended indirect questions which are based on the contribution of social media in
getting a consumer buy a product and his or her expectations from such media.
3.4 Appropriateness of Design
The study will use a qualitative case study research design to understand the efficacy of social media in
marketing and brand building of Vodafone UK.
33

Using the case study research design allows the research to answer questions on goals and outcomes of the
social media marketing. The research questions explore a program by seeking detailed information through
probing questions. The program evaluation design is appropriate as the design permits investigation into reallife scenarios.
3.5 Population
The general population for the study comprised of social media site users active on Vodafone UKs social
accounts. Data was collected through questionnaires. The focus of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness
of social media as a marketing tool from September 2014 to November 2014. Individual users were requested
to participate in the questionnaire. The invitation included the purpose of the study, the time frame for data
collection, and the intended benefits to leaders and administrators after the research study was completed.

3.6 Instrumentation
Data collection can take place through various sources (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). To develop an in-depth
understanding of the effectiveness of social media in marketing, data was collected using questionnaires from
social networking sites users active on Vodafone UKs pages. The structured questions permitted participants
the opportunity to convey responses specific to the question.
The responses were logged remotely and stored online and backed up to local computer.
The population for the study comprised of social media users active on Vodafone UKs social media pages. The
chosen sample for this study will be 150 social networkers. The social media sites used were Facebook, Twitter
and Google Plus.

3.7 Data Collection

Data collection for the research study required filled questionnaires of volunteers from the social networking
sites. Each questionnaire had 8 questions.
Data collected from questionnaires was organized and categorized according to age, social media platform, and
gender.

CHAPTER 4 Data Analysis

According to Cooper and Schindler (2003), data analysis is the reduction of data to a manageable size
permitting the researcher to organize information. Triangulation permits the researcher to provide validity and
reliability of results (Posavac, 2010). The researcher will use corroboration of research studies to validate
interviews and perspectives of the teachers.
Facebook is the most popular social networking site for the respondents. Twitter and google plus have got the
second and third positions respectively.

34

Communicating brands in social networking

Social media provides an effective platform for brand marketing communication, where marketers play a
significant role to advertise their products and services. According to Henning Thurau et al. (2004), brands are
social currency for marketers. Mulhern (2009) argued for shifting the marketing communications into real
practices in order to connect brands and consumers in the context of social media networking. The role of social
media in marketing communication transforms from the execution of message to the expansion of customer
understanding. Social media plays a major role in influencing the buying behaviours of consumers for the
shopping of goods and services while SNS acts as a bridge that combines emotional involvement, social
interaction and hedonic experience (Cha, 2009). The motivational agent for folks joining a brand page on social
networking platforms vary from person to person. The main reason fans come to join a brand page or brand
following is through brand invitation/ advertising followed by a friend invitation. The search factor (personal
Research) plays an important role, thus it is crucial for brands to be found if consumers search for them. Brand
loyalty also plays a role in motivation towards brand following on the social networking platforms. Brand
loyalists are consumers who will market a certain brand and talk positively about it among their friends/ peers.
This is free word-of-mouth marketing for the brands and is often very effective.
Social connectivity
According to Shih (2009), online social networking and social media websites give social graphs that show
social networked interactions. These graphs are social relations and interpersonal connections that depict who a
consumer is? It is considered that the successes of branding on social media sites are due to the social
interactions of customer - networked relations. The main contents of marketing communication should be
customized and permits for consumer brand connectivity and engagement and showing how communities,
groups, or individuals and brand relate. Social networking sites are a new CRM (to receive exclusive deals and
offers, exclusive content) tool where the consumer wants to feel exclusive. The attachment to brand is a key
motivator to advocate the brands. Demonstrating appreciation for the brand, showing what you like, and
supporting the Brands values play an active role in generating advocacy. The desire to engage with the brand
either through dialog with the brands representatives or with other consumers reaches an interesting level.
Social networking is now an authoritative expression of the day. With about people disbursal more than hour
online! The higher up chart depicts identical distinctly that how a good deal it is authoritative for the venders to
deed the berth by arriving at executable marketing schemes.
Social media aided people associate with long lost acquaintances. This is apparent with 58% answerer in the
appraise applying so much platform to associate with acquaintances. While 24% respondents conceive in
changing their aspects and feels on assorted products/Services and others aside from barely acting games and
active in competitions (16%). So, here sellers accept plenty of opportunity to communicate with their aims and
offer them their products/service to persuade them to transact and convert loyal buyer for them. It is a fast
growing platform for brands in altogether the spheres. It acts an effectual creature as it is the best way to extend
market section without finding huge cost.
It is apparent from the higher up bar chart that most of the answerers are applying social media electronic
network are believing social media before beginning of buying deciding action. More than two third of users are
always believing social media networks at the time of assuming buy conclusion. So, it is of tremendous
grandness for the sellers to arrange data on the social sites where there is immense chance to inherit the eyes of
consumers and if achievers into acting on the buyers then confident word of mouths will mechanically get
started. This will at length gives rise to aggregate affects and conversation will get started on the web.

35

Methods:
Regression Analysis was performed where in Buying Decision - the motivation factor why individuals joined
brand page or followed a brand was taken a dependent variable and the suggestions that explain why individuals
follow a brand on social networking sites were taken as independent variables. In a regression line, y = a + bx, b
represents the slope of the regression equation, y represents the independent variable and x is the dependent
variable. Only two factors are showing a positive slope. It shows that the independent variable To get
information about product/Service. Shows 0.62 variations on the dependent variable Buying Decision .
Hence it indicates the more the companies should instigate individuals to talk about their brands/ products the
more the chances that consumer will get persuaded towards the products/brands and will make purchase
decision accordingly.
It is pretty evident from the figure 4 that Social Media Networks are not a very good grievance redressal
platform. It means that consumers do not get what exactly they perceive about Social Media Networks. At the
same time it has been found during surveys that they (consumers) are not getting the response of the questions
they post on the brand page. In some of the cases very inappropriate and implicit information are being
provided.

CHAPTER 5: Discussion
There is almost no variability among the social media network users on the basis of gender. It has been found
that younger people are adopting social media like anything and with a pace that was never before in the past. It
has also been found that almost every social media users who were respondent in this case use to go to brand
pages to learn more about the product/services, to learn about the exclusive offers, to find the reaction of their
friends and peer on the selected brands. The effectivity of social media as a marketing tool will only be possible
when organisation having their presence on social media provide the concrete and timely information needed by
the consumers. The main way fans come to join/ follow a brand page/ brand on social networking sites is
through advertising followed by a friend invitation.
In this exploratory research, the responses of users were gathered and then analyzed in the context of online
social networking. In short, findings of this research show that the responses of participants to advertising differ
from their answers to brand communities. At the same time, pair comparison depicts that social media users are
more attracting toward the virtual brand communities than of FB advertising. However, social media users are
more interested in FB's brand communities and they are willing to participate in the brand community. Online
social media networking is the major reason to keep the users engaged and also to spend more time on social
media such as FB, Twitter or LinkedIn etc. Therefore, users respond and perceive to marketing venues (brand
communities and advertising) in a separate way than they respond to traditional marketing venues. This paper
has explored the impact of users responses to social media marketing. The outcomes also indicate that the
motivation of users develop complex effects for responses to Vodafone social media marketing, differing across
virtual brand communities and social media advertising.
Buying Decision also plays an important role in motivation towards brand following on the social networking
platforms. In this research, we also find that there are four major types of factors that influence the consumers
buying behaviour on social media such as cultural factors, psychological factors, personal factors and social
factors. Cultures and societal environment are crucial when it comes to understand the behaviours and needs of
an individuals. It might be possible that user will be influenced by his friends, family, his society or cultural
environment that will teach him preferences, values as well as common behaviours to their regional cultures.
For brands like Vodafone, they must take into account and understand the cultural factors inherent to each
situation or to each market to adapt its marketing strategies especially via social media. As these factors will
36

play a significant role in the making the habits, buying behaviours, expectations, or habits of the consumers. In
Cultural factors, sub cultural (gender, age groups, ethnic groups, religions and nationalities), social classes
(upper, middle and lower class) and cultural trends also affect the shopping habits and buying behaviours of the
consumers. Physiological factors also influence on the buying behaviours of consumers. In order to analyze the
influence of psychological factors on consumer's buying behaviours, these factors are categorized into four
categories such as attitudes, learning, perception and motivation. The needs and demands of social media users
motivate them to search the brands or to follow the brands on social media like FB and Twitter. Social media
users have different perceptions about the brands and these perceptions often depend on personal characteristics,
beliefs and their experiences. If the consumers have positive experience with brands then they learn positive
experience and they often buy these products or services as compared to inexperienced consumers. Attitudes or
beliefs of consumers are difficult to change. The beliefs of users have great impact on their buying behaviours.
Likewise cultural and physiological factors, social factors are also categorized into three sub categories such
family, reference groups and roles and status. Marketers must understand the specific features of each group
(such as lifestyle, values and mindset) because it allows the brands to target their market in a better way. At the
same time, family, social roles and status also reflects the importance and the rank of this role in social groups
and society. The social status and role profoundly influences the users buying behaviour and purchasing
decisions. Likewise other factors, its obvious that buying and decision behaviour are also influenced by the
personal characteristics of each consumer. In personal factors, revenue and purchasing power, lifestyle, age, self
concepts and personality factors play a significant role in changing the behaviour of consumers when they
interact with brands on social media networks. In this research, we've found that Vodafone is trying to attract
their customers via brand image and personality. They are trying to convey the values and traits (desired or real)
of consumers they are targeting. The more brand or product of Vodafone can convey its favourable and positive
self image to the consumers; the sales volumes will be increase and also appreciated by the purchasers. Many
other characteristics, specificities and factors are identified in this research that influence the individual's
decision making process, purchasing behaviour and online shopping habits in the perspective of Vodafone.
The desire to engage with the brand either through dialog with the brands representatives or with other
consumers (business to consumer + consumer to consumer communication) leads to advocacy and loyalty
towards the brand and such consumer starts working as a brand ambassador of the product/service. The brand
following over the social networking sites is converted into brand purchase either through offline or online
buying channel if the marketing strategies would be designed by keeping in mind the perception and
expectations of the consumers.
Consumer does research with search engines to locate their product/service and brand of interest. With more
networks are more likely to gather opinions through their online network, read blogs and query the Twitter
channel as early steps in the decision making process.
There is a gap between consumer expectations and actual delivery at social networking websites; Consumers
donot get the information timely and adequately. The questions are not being answered by the brand pages in
the speculative time frame of consumer. The consumers also do not perceive social media networks in general
and brand pages in particular as a grievance redressal platform. Because the brands are not promptly respond to
the issues raised by the consumers.

CHAPTER 6: Conclusion & Recommendations

In conclusion, business today is being transformed from a transactional relationship to a social relationship. It is
now more critical than ever that successful businesses use Engagement Marketing principles to plan for
successfully engaging their prospects and customers before, during and after their purchase cycle, and that the
37

basis for this engagement is high-quality and relevant information. Information which are demanded by target
market at a time and place of their choice (24/7 and 365 days/year). Marketers job is to provide this
information in such a manner that you are viewed in a positive light, create a positive brand and product
reputation, and are selected as their brand of choice. With the present growth and scale of social networking, we
would even be able to buy products and services through the social medium. Therefore Vodafone needs to
continue making effective strategies and execute them to win larger share of business through this revolutionary
medium and become the most innovative firm of coming future.
The above study accepts thought over action of strategical marketing and its grandness in the business scenario
for arising a competitive attitude and a long term competitive edge. The investigator has chosen Vodafone as the
company for this study. The strategical marketing action bonds the buyers and other stakeholders of Vodafone
by foregrounding the benefits of the products and services acquainted by the company. Additional essential
characteristics such as internal and external environs of the business also act upon the marketing and functional
actions of Vodafone. In order to blow up the brand fairness and make sure sustainable business intensification,
the firm has to categorise the adventures and doubtfulnesss along with the scopes and chances that may be
acquaint in the market.
Recommendations
Social media sites have great potential to grab the attentions of the customers with brief statements, and they
can lead the Vodafone customers to important content which is located the Vodafone official site. Apart from
that, their website can also encourage the customers to engage with the Vodafone by liking or following the
official pages of company on social media networks. In order to achieve these goals important
recommendations and suggestions are mentioned below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Identify the priorities and preferences of the Vodafone customers

Customize the website by integrating the social media links
Implement the conversation
Publish helping content that can assist the customers
Develop and maintain effective communication style on social media
Send advertisements and invitations
Encourage the customers to express their opinions on all social media networks i.e. what they are
looking for? Their responses will be very helpful for the managers to evaluate the priorities and
preferences of the potential customers.
8. Proper develop the context of the messages or posts on social media networks
9. Post proper content that can engage and it must be developed in accordance with the needs and demands
of Vodafone customers
10. Ensure you follow you
11. Provide a sample offering
12. Request they share
13. For Vodafone marketers, they need to keep in mind about the cultural factors of each target market and
then they need to develop their social media marketing strategies in accordance with the each target
market.
14. For a Vodafone brand, it may be interesting to understand, analyze, measure and identify what are the
factors and criteria that influence the shopping behaviour of Vodafone customers to adapt.
15. To increase the volume of sales and also to encourage the Vodafone customers to purchase, they need to
try to make conscious a need in the mind of the customer so that they develop purchase motivation.
16. Customers often ignore the banner ads on the internet intentionally or unconsciously because their needs
and demands are different. Attention level can be increased by targeting the needs and demands of the
customer like what they are looking for or what they want?
38

List of Figures
Figure 1: elements believed in resource founded view
Source: (Kolk & Van Tulder, 2010)

Figure 2: VRIO
Source: (Ballantyne, 2006)

39

Figure 3: SWOT Analysis

Source: (Ballantyne, 2006)

Figure 4: Complaint redressal platform

Complaint Redressal

Twice

Often

Once

Never

40

Figure 5: Comparison of different social media platforms

Number of users
Number of users
68
54

30

Facebook

Twitter

Google Plus

Figure 6: Time committed for socializing

The trend of socializing is increasing day by day. Today, social media is an important part of life. 46% people
spend more than one hour on social media websites. The given picture is showing the latest trend of social
media networking. Marketers can take advantage from this situation and target their customers according to
their time dedication for socializing.

41

Figure 7: aim for using social media platform

Social media platforms especially FB assist the users to connect with family members and friends. In the
survey, more 58% users have expressed that they are using social media especially FB because they want to
connect and communicate with their family members and friends. At the same time, 24% participants
responded that they are using online social media networks in order to exchange their views about commodities
while 16% participants responded that they would like to play online games and they also participate in the
contests.

Figure 8: influence of social media in buying

It can clearly be seen in the above chart that the social media play a significant role in changing the buying
behaviour of customers. More the 42% users responded that their buying decisions are often influenced by
social media advertisements. However, marketers can exploit this situation and they should use these platforms
more effectively in order to target their customers. Social media marketing managers need to put all the relevant
information on the social media sites, more views can increase the sales volume.

42

Figure 9: Regression Analysis

In the given graph, regression analysis is used to analyze the buying behaviors of the customers.
y=a + b x

43

In graph, there are two variables such as y (independent) variable and x (dependent) variable. B is representing
the
slop
of
the
regression
equation.

List of Tables
Table 1 Profile of respondent

Total N
Variable Classificatio (%)
Gender
Male
71
Female
79
Age
Less than0
18-24
68
25-39
72
40-60
10
44

*at 95% the two variables are significantly different

Table 2: Motivation behind following Vodafones social page
In the given table, percentage of brand advertising and invitation is high as compared to other variables.
Marketers need to invite their subscribers as well as potential customers via newsletters. They need to enhance
the SEO (Search engine optimization) so that everyone can easily find the brands on the internet. They also
need to increase the brand loyalty and brand image.

Variable
Motivatio
n to follow Brand
a Brand or invitation/Advertisi
Join
a
Friends invitation
Brand
page
Personal research
Loyalty towards
the brand

Total N

68
52
32

44

45

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