Question

1. Select, evaluate and apply critical management thinking to an organisational
issue or problem.
2 Critically evaluate the techniques and processes used to investigate an
important organisational issue or problem.
3 Synthesise information to arrive at a coherent conclusion.
4 Critically evaluate the implications for the recommendations presented.
5 Critically reflect on his or her development of knowledge, skills and techniques
used during the preparation of the dissertation.

Solution

MSc Strategic Project Management

Role of Social Media in Building Brand Awareness

Task: Research Methods

Word Count: 2993

Executive Summary

The following research proposal has been done with the aim of evaluating the role of social media in the realm of building brand awareness. The study has been categorised in three distinct chapters, the first being introduction that includes the research background, the research rationale, the hypothesis, aims, objectives and research questions. The second chapter deals with the literature review where opinions of different authors have been taken into consideration in order to support the topic selected. The last chapter deals with the research methodology and explains the research design, approach, philosophy, data collection methods and sampling method adhered to. A Gantt chart has been included for identifying the period required for the entire study.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

1.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

1.1 Research Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

1.2 Research Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

1.3 Research Aims and Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

1.4 Research Question……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5

1.5 Research Hypothesis………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Chapter 2: Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

2.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

2.1 Increase of Brand Awareness………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

2.2 Engagement and Generation of Leads………………………………………………………………………….. 9

2.3 Role of social media in e – commerce…………………………………………………………………………. 10

2.4 Rapid growth of social media……………………………………………………………………………………. 10

2.5 Limitations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11

Chapter 3: Research Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………… 12

3.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12

3.1 Research Onion……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12

3.2 Research Philosophy…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

3.3 Research Approach…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13

3.4 Research Design………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

3.5 Research Sampling Method……………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

3.6 Research Sample Size……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

3.7 Method of Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………………….. 15

3.8 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15

3.9 Research Ethics……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15

3.10 Research Time Horizon: Gantt chart…………………………………………………………………………. 16

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.0 Introduction

The significance of creating brand awareness is not unknown. Brand awareness is the initial step in the iteration of the funnel of sales. A customer would not purchase anything without knowing about the brand. Webinars, blogs, and social media are exploited to spread awareness of brands (Armbruster 2012). Tools of social media are engaged in spreading awareness and may have a direct impact in the boosting of the brand image of a company.

1.1 Research Background

In current times, the advent of social media is huge. The businesses seek newer avenues to build mass awareness of their business, products and services for reach out to a larger segment of the customers. Irrespective of what product or service a business has to offer, it is beneficial to harness the versatility and power that is associated with social media (Calefato, Lanubile and Novielli, 2015). While the building of brand image is obtained by such means, this is also a potential platform to reach out to a huge buyer base and subsequently promote the products too.

Social media has certain significant benefits associated with it that include the scope of online connectivity with people based all over the world. Secondly, it aids in the generation of higher traffic to the website which results in more revenue for the business. Thirdly, required insights are offered to the target potential buyers pertaining to the brand as well as the services and products that are being offered. Fourthly, there is an opportunity for strengthening and developing a strong relation to the brand with the customers (Alderson 2005).

In order to enhance the brand image, social media provides adequate means for attracting buyers, provide content that is balanced, extent focus on the appropriate channels, include interaction with clients and their involvement, has mass appeal and other related benefits.

1.2 Research Rationale

Engagement of social media is all about the high level of reach. An initiative might be taken to build awareness, but to what extent it penetrates, the target audience is significant. The higher the reach, the higher is the awareness building among the audience. Engaging tools of social media implies higher frequency and visibility (Falcidieno 2015). Communication is no longer restricted to a one-sided conversation. Social media makes it possible to analyse and optimise. Deeper conversations are possible by engaging such tools. Social media also makes it possible to monitor the buzz that has been created about a brand and if people are talking about it (Damnjanovic, Matovic, Cicvaric Kostic and Okanovic 2012).

1.3 Research Aims and Objectives

The aim of the researcher would be the evaluation of the role played by social media in the building of brand awareness in order to appropriately meet the research objectives.

The research objectives include the following:

To evaluate the reach of social media
To identify how businesses can utilise social media for branding their products and services
To study the reaction of target customers on such branding measures
To evaluate how the role of social media may be enhanced for branding

1.4 Research Question

How significant is the role of social media in building brand awareness for the business in current times?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The Null Hypothesis will be:

H0: Social media plays a positive role in building brand awareness.

Alternatively, hypothesis will be:

H1: Social media plays a negative role in the building of brand awareness.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.0 Introduction

Social media marketing helps in gaining traffic on the company website or attracts attention by means of social media observed (Weinberg 2009). The programs associated with social media marketing are concentrated on the efforts that are applied to the creation of content which would, in turn, attract attention and provide encouragement to the readers for sharing the information across the social networks they are associated with (Schawbel 2013). This is the electronic word of mouth propagation shared by the consumers over the internet. When such information spreads from one user to another, it is perceived that the source is trustworthy and represents earned media and not paid media.

Figure: Impact of social Media in the Process of Purchase

[Source: Romer, Jamieson and Pasek, 2009]

2.1 Increase of Brand Awareness

(Shojaee and Bin Azman 2013) were of the opinion that…………………………………….Please click the paypal icon below to receive this research proposal sample for only $20