Chapter 13 Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO END-OF CHAPTER MATERIAL Hands-on…Apply Your Knowledge Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing Assignment Rich Media creates mobile marketing tools and designs websites that make consumers’ decisions easier. Navigate to its website at http://www.richmedia.com/ to review its latest portfolio. Identify a mobile marketing program that has assisted in consumer decision-making and analyze it in detail to see what specific decisions it is making easier for consumers. Brainstorm and recommend other elements that could be incorporated into the mobile marketing tool, including social media elements that could enhance the program for consumers. Answer: This assignment gives students the opportunity to apply chapter material to a real-life example, using the chapter’s opening vignette as a foundation. There are no specific answers. Reviewing Rich Media's portfolio, their mobile marketing program for a real estate client featured interactive property tours and mortgage calculators, simplifying property searches and financial decisions. Enhancements could include integrating social media sharing options and user-generated content to increase engagement and provide real-time feedback. Video Clip...Questions Review the Salesforce - Become a Customer Company video from the CONNECT website to see how Salesforce views consumers in the age of mobile marketing and answer the following questions: - Salesforce notes that technology has changed consumer expectations and is pushing organizations to become customer companies. What are the characteristics of a customer company and how does mobile fit into this? Answer: A customer company is available 24/7, at any place. It listens first, to every customer on every channel and connects customers, employees, partners and products. - What customer elements does Salesforce respect and protect in the mobile environment? Answer: It respects that customers use different devices and communication tools to connect and that it is important to recognize that these consumers are one and the same regardless of whether a query comes through a social media channel, an e-mail, an online chat, or a call centre. Salesforce protects individuals’ rights to identity, privacy, and money. Infographic ... data analysis Review the infographic on the smartphone activities in Canada and navigate to the source of the research at http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/. Review the latest information on smartphone usage in Canada and create a new infographic with the latest data. (Infographic tip: use Excel and Word to create charts and place them in a single PowerPoint slide to combine the visuals). Answer: You may wish to spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with this website before assigning this exercise. It is easy to use but demonstrating how to use it will avoid confusion. To create a new infographic on smartphone usage in Canada, access the latest data from Think with Google’s Mobile Planet, and use Excel for charts and Word for design. Combine these visuals into a PowerPoint slide for a cohesive infographic. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO ONLINE ACTIVITIES: APPLYING MARKETING CONCEPTS AND PERSPECTIVES 1. Future Shop’s TV sales have been impacted by showrooming. What mobile marketing tool can it use to help boost in-store sales? Answer: Future Shop could use proximity marketing approaches through Bluetooth or wireless approaches that communicate to consumers in-store. Consumers could be given incentives for purchasing in store such as a special in-store discounts off a bundle of products, or free delivery and installation, or even a points’ program for loyalty. 2D barcodes could also be scattered around the various departments to provide these incentives. 2. A local restaurant notes that Tuesdays are very slow days for business with no more than 4-6 people eating at its location. What mobile marketing program can it create to help increase customers on Tuesday nights? Answer: The restaurant could create an opt-in database of its loyal customers. The option to join the database could be offered to its customers when they pay their bills, making it clear that by providing their mobile telephone numbers they could occasionally receive text messages discounts. The restaurant would then set up a double-opt-in initial text message to confirm subscription to the text message program with all the required SMS protocols. Whenever the restaurant has low traffic, text messages could be sent out to the database. 3. You decide to launch an online business selling men’s clothing to college students such as T-shirts, shorts, sweat pants, and sweat shirts. You plan to use Facebook ads and understand that you can run ads that will target certain interests. Create a list of interests that you think are applicable. Answer: Interests could include sports, fitness, humor, video games, and music. Target interests for your Facebook ads could include "college students," "men's fashion," "athleisure," "casual wear," "student lifestyle," and "campus life." These interests align with your product and audience. 4. You graduated from college four years ago and now have a job working in information technology (IT). Your company just announced it will move your job overseas. Go to the LinkedIn site and determine what information can be added to a profile on LinkedIn. Answer: LinkedIn will allow users to add a general summary as well as detailed work experience and education. People can also recommend others on LinkedIn and endorse them for specific skills. On LinkedIn, you can add information such as your professional summary, work experience, skills, certifications, education, and endorsements. Additionally, you can update your profile with a new job title, current location, and industry-specific achievements. 5. You are a brand manager for a B2B software manufacturer of virus scan software such as McAfee. You need to recommend a list of potential social media platforms to engage consumers. What will you recommend and how will these platforms be used? Answer: LinkedIn will be used to target businesses through business updates as well as with LinkedIn ads that will target small businesses. Twitter will be used to post timely updates related to scams, hacking, and computer viruses. Promoted tweets will be used to post offers. Google+ will be used to create a community that answers virus and scam related questions. A Google+ hangout will be conducted to interview experts in this area. A Facebook page will be used to aggregate the content posted on the other social networks. 6. How should Nestlé have managed the social media outcry that surfaced in reaction to the Greenpeace protest discussed in this chapter? Answer: Nestlé should have used an approachable tone to communicate directly with key influencers, emphasizing the company’s genuine concerns and willingness to listen. In addition, it should have been transparent and communicated its proposed solutions. 7. You are the marketing director of a non-profit organization with a directive to help reduce childhood obesity. Design a social media and mobile marketing program that will assist with this task. Answer: A mobile and social media marketing program could use social media communities to reach out to parents and educators on this issue and a mobile app could be created to provide newsletter updates, daily reminders, healthy recipes, shopping lists, and a pedometer to measure activity. These online communities could provide advice, tips, and information on nutrition, fitness, and staying active. These communities could be created on Facebook with Facebook Groups and on Google+ with its communities. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO ONLINE ACTIVITIES: DISCUSSION FORUM A local coffee shop is offering consumers free Wi-Fi access in its coffee shop in exchange for their mobile phone numbers. What do you think of this approach and how might the coffee shop improve it approach? Answer: Offering free Wi-Fi in exchange for mobile phone numbers is a smart way to build a customer database and enhance marketing efforts. However, the coffee shop could improve the approach by ensuring users understand how their data will be used, offering incentives like discounts or loyalty points for providing their number, and ensuring robust data protection to build trust and encourage participation. Note: These discussions are meant to generate class discussion and a lively debate of issues raised, as well as a general review of concepts discussed within the chapter. There are no correct or incorrect answers. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO ON-LINE ACTIVITIES INTERNET EXERCISE The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) provides guidelines for the marketing industry. Navigate to its website at http://www.mmaglobal.com/node/1563 and review its Code of Conduct. Comment on the unethical practices that are discouraged by the MMA that you still see today in the marketing industry. Answer: Many companies intentionally or unintentionally mislead consumers through their mobile marketing practices. The mobile marketing industry may be well advised to reach out to marketers, marketing organizations, and small business associations with a set of guidelines and best practices to increase awareness of the regulations that guide this sector. The MMA Code of Conduct discourages practices like intrusive or spammy messaging, misleading advertising, and improper handling of consumer data. Despite these guidelines, unethical practices such as excessive data collection without consent, deceptive ad targeting, and intrusive pop-up ads still occur, often undermining consumer trust and privacy. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO SYNOPSIS & TEACHING SUGGESTIONS RICH MEDIA - DIGITAL AGENCY Synopsis (This video case is also included in the text book as the opening vignette for chapter 13) This video looks at the digital marketing agency Rich Media and focuses on the components that it uses to provide a top notch customer experience for end users and clients. Rich Media is a digital agency that creates strategy, design and development for its clients with technically robust projects that include web design and development, digital tools and calculators, animation and video, social media integration, online games, research, and content marketing. Projects at Rich Media are created with the following parameters at the forefront: • Compatibility - so projects can be used on all browsers, mobile devices, and internal networks • Technical updates - so updates occur seamlessly across all devices • Intuitive interfaces - so digital project are easy to use by clients, customers and employees • Seamless interfaces - so digital solutions are easy to use and available when and where the user needs it, regardless of device • Intuitive interactions - interfaces are designed to be clear and easy to navigate with calls to actions that result in positive experiences • Customization - projects are designed with the ability to customize interactions so that the customer experience is heightened • Video and animation - this is included in projects to provide an immersive experience • Analytics - these are integrated so that improvements can be made Teaching Suggestions This video case can be used as an interesting opener to your class on mobile marketing, making the topic real by focusing on how digital agency Rich Media approaches this area. If you have an Internet-capable classroom you may wish to first show the Rich Media website http://www.richmedia.com/ and well as its LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/rich-media. Rich Media posts articles on its website at http://www.richmedia.com/richideas/index.php to demonstrate its expertise and it also posts these articles on its LinkedIn page. You may wish to select an interesting recent article and use it as a handout in class where it can be used with students to prompt lively in-class discussions. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE – PRINTOUT RICH MEDIA - DIGITAL AGENCY Have you ever wondered who came up with the app you just downloaded—how and why they came up with the idea? The answers are many, but for mobile marketing tools, we need look no further than Toronto digital agency Rich Media, which creates easy-to-use mobile marketing tools and websites that make consumers’ lives a little easier. Whether this is with a TV selector tool, a home-buying app, or a mortgage calculator, Rich Media knows how to make the complicated simple. This is why Rich Media is one of the go-to digital marketers for companies like Scotiabank and Samsung in Canada. Rich Media sets itself apart in the mobile marketing space through a solid foundation of 20 years’ experience in new media and the fact that it creates innovative projects with an in-house approach to building clients’ business. Its expertise lies in designing interactive website discovery tools, apps, mobile web, and video animation that go beyond client expectations to tell stories that engage. Clients turn to Rich Media for its ability to quickly take projects from start to finish, including strategy development, creative design, technology adaptation, and in-house testing—all with high levels of customer service that they call the Rich Experience. The Rich Experience involves the agency going above and beyond with all its interactions, whether this be with couriers, video extras, its staff, or its clients. The Rich Experience is memorable, positive, fun, playful, personal, and professional. Rich Media’s approach ensures that projects are not farmed out to specialists, but instead created by its own lean team of carefully selected designers, coders, writers, videographers, and client services experts who share the same space to collaborate on projects. This ensures that the best work is created and exceeds client expectations. If a technical problem surfaces, or a client suggests an opportunity, no one needs to track down an expert in another organization. Instead, a walk across the hallway lands you with the in-house experts who can quickly resolve problems and discuss opportunities. Jake Rich, president and founder of Rich Media, explains that every project at Rich Media must adhere to its three-pillar approach of strategy, creativity, and technology. First, projects must meet the objectives and strategies set out at the start in the creative brief. Second, they must uniquely engage users and tell a client’s story. Third, they must use technology to make the customer journey easier and more memorable through intuitive, interactive, and informative tools. Its agile approach includes strategy, creativity, and technology all wrapped up in one to achieve excellent results. Rich Media’s clients include, among others, Scotiabank, Samsung, and Sun Life Financial, as well as ING Direct, TD Insurance, Great West Life, and RBC Financial Group. “Mobile has disrupted marketing as a new and interactive communication channel. It connects, it informs, and it communicates, all in one,” explains Rich. “Often, people are hung up on technology and miss the opportunity it presents—the opportunity to engage, to experience, and to communicate to individuals on their personal devices.” He explains that intrusion is not welcome on mobile devices, and so marketers must learn to engage customers to be invited into their coveted mobile space. Rich does not see technology as mobile’s biggest challenge, but instead points to understanding how consumers use the technology and how it is changing cultural norms. Mobile devices are always on, consumers are always connected, and marketers must learn how to communicate across these new and exciting channels. We look to Scotiabank and Samsung, two of Rich Media’s clients, to gain an understanding into the mobile space and how Rich Media has created mobile experiences that help build business. The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder is a mobile application for prospective home buyers that makes house hunting easier and more enjoyable. Instead of home buyers muddling through stacks of feature sheets and trying to recall the homes they have visited, the Scotiabank Dream Home Finder cleverly organizes all elements on a computer or mobile device. On a mobile device, people merely download the free app and, in a few short minutes, register to set up a profile that includes required home features (number of bedrooms and bathrooms, price ranges, etc.) as well as important locations such as work, schools, gyms, and babysitters. Then, as prospective homes are visited, the user uploads photos of the homes and adds information on addresses, price points, features, and personal notes for future reference. The app automatically plots the properties on Google Maps in relation to important locations and then rates the prospective homes based on the originally selected features. A report can then be printed or viewed on the mobile device. The app also includes a simple mortgage calculator and a list of Scotiabank specialists who can be contacted for mortgage advice. “The beauty of this tool is its simplicity,” states Rich. “We wanted to ensure that users were not weighed down by complicated registrations or confusing interfaces. It’s all very intuitive and helps any house hunter—whether they are Scotiabank clients or just casual browsers—more easily find a home. Its integration with Google Maps and mobile images makes it very useful, and having a comparison tool to assess different properties is highly rated.” The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder fits into Rich Media’s three business pillars—strategy, creativity, and technology. It creatively uses new technology to help clients more enjoyably go through the daunting house-hunting process and to easily envision their lives in a new location. The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder took Rich Media a number of months to design to its high standards and since then it has been enhanced and periodically updated to keep pace with operating systems, the real estate industry, as well as new mobile devices for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. The mobile space requires constant attention to ensure that applications remain compatible with updated software and hardware. The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder is a free application and desktop destination that comes in English and French. The Samsung TV selector tool is another Rich Media project that helps make consumer decision-making easier and more enjoyable. It was born out of a need to make TV purchasing easier for consumers who are confused about LED and plasma options. Rich Media turned to its three pillars and created a tool that takes the pain out of the purchase with the Samsung HDTV and Sound Solution Selector, which is strategic, creative, and uses technology to tell a story. Consumers simply answer a few questions on a computer or mobile device about TV location, room dimensions, lighting, TV usage, pricing, and Internet applications. This results in a TV recommendation from Samsung that includes TV features, pricing, and size. These suggestions can then be shared with friends via e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook to solicit advice. This tool has been very successful for Samsung, helping it stay top-of-mind with consumers on their path-to-purchase. Rich leaves us with a few final thoughts to consider on our journey to learn about mobile marketing. He wants students to understand that mobile is merely a step in the development of the digitally connected world; it allows consumers to more richly explore and connect with marketers and brands. Separately, he advises students to follow their passions, to work hard, to use their creativity to engage with others, and to follow their dreams. Rich Media was born out of his desire to run his own business, as well as his passion for design, creativity, and technology. Now, a motivated team of digital experts create the Rich Experience at Rich Media with annual growth rates of over 20 percent. Thank you, Jake Rich! Questions 1. Why is it important that the Samsung TV selector tool be mobile-friendly? Answer: The Samsung TV selector tool needs to be mobile-friendly because consumers often use mobile devices for quick, on-the-go decisions and comparisons. A mobile-friendly tool ensures that users can easily access and interact with the tool from their smartphones or tablets, enhancing usability and engagement. 2. Download the Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app and identify what mobile marketing tools and social media marketing tools are used to engage users. Answer: The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app uses mobile marketing tools like GPS integration, photo uploading, and an interactive comparison feature to engage users. Social media marketing tools are incorporated by allowing users to share their home findings and mortgage advice through email and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE WORKSHEET RICH MEDIA - DIGITAL AGENCY Name: Section: This video will review the successful approaches used by digital agency Rich Media to create engaging and interactive solutions for its clients. Please answer the following questions once you have watched the video and read the case: 1. Why is it important that the Samsung TV selector tool be mobile-friendly? Answer: The Samsung TV selector tool must be mobile-friendly to cater to users who frequently make purchase decisions using their smartphones. A mobile-optimized tool ensures easy access and usability, enhancing user experience and engagement by providing a seamless interface on various devices. 2. Download the Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app and identify what mobile marketing tools and social media marketing tools are used to engage users. Answer: The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app uses mobile marketing tools such as GPS integration, photo uploads, and property comparison features to engage users. Social media tools are included by allowing users to share property details and mortgage advice directly via email, Facebook, and Twitter, facilitating wider reach and interaction. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE – ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RICH MEDIA - DIGITAL AGENCY 1. Why is it important that the Samsung TV selector tool be mobile-friendly? Answer: Consumers today are connected throughout the day on their mobile devices and being able to connect with consumers when and where they choose is important. This TV selector tool can be used anywhere, including in a retail setting, which can be an important factor in the final purchase decision. 2. Download the Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app and identify what mobile marketing tools and social media marketing tools are used to engage users. Answer: This tool uses mobile web as well as a native mobile application. The Scotiabank Dream Home Finder app uses mobile marketing tools like GPS integration for mapping properties, photo uploads for easy documentation, and a mortgage calculator for financial planning. Social media marketing tools include options to share property details and mortgage information directly via email, Facebook, and Twitter, enhancing user interaction and spreading app awareness. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO SYNOPSIS & TEACHING SUGGESTIONS SALESFORCE - BECOME A CUSTOMER COMPANY Synopsis This video looks at the CRM company Salesforce to show how mobile marketing and social media are impacting companies and how they go to business and interact with suppliers, customers, and consumers. Consumers now live in an interconnected world where technology has given them a stronger voice to share opinions and sentiments through mobile devices and social media. Salesforce is the world’s leader in customer relationship management tools. It has over 620,000 clients in over 125 countries and it provides marketers with cloud-based platforms that can be used to develop trusting customer relationships. Salesforce has many different services to help companies manage their businesses. For example, Salesforce Chatter is a closed access social network that is used by companies to speed up project communications; Salesforce Sales Cloud helps manage and track salesforce interactions; Salesforce Service Cloud tracks customer service interactions; Salesforce Marketing Cloud helps marketers schedule, deploy, monitor, and measure e-mail marketing campaigns, social media, and mobile marketing campaigns; and its Salesforce1 Customer Platform app allows businesses to access updates and data on-the-go to better connect with clients. Teaching Suggestions This video allows students to see how mobile devices have changed the dynamics of the marketplace in both the B2B and B2C market. You may want to start the exercise by asking students for input on how mobile devices are used in the path-to-purchase. This should be followed by students reading the case handout and then watching the video and answering questions. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE – PRINTOUT SALESFORCE - BECOME A CUSTOMER COMPANY For decades experts have been talking about a time when customers will really be the focus of companies and organizations. We call this the marketing concept but over the years so often consumer needs and expectations were below par, forcing consumers to complain and/or take their business elsewhere. Today, technology has given consumers a stronger voice - one that is heard loud and clear - forcing companies and organizations to pay attention and make changes. Consumers now live in an interconnected world where mobile devices and social media makes it easy to voice opinions and share positive and negative sentiments. Consumers now have recourse and marketers are on alert knowing that influential customers with large followings on social media can influence brand opinions and brand sales. Consumers today expect products to live up to expectations, services to be beyond reproach, marketing messages to be ethical, and companies to be good corporate citizens. People also expect companies to form relationships with customers by being responsive to their needs, sending timely offers, and answering questions, often in real-time. This is no easy task with wireless technology that connects consumers with organizations 24/7 across time zones, cultures, and countries. Various marketing services companies help marketers provide exceptional customer service in this interconnected world by providing cloud-based platforms and databases that marketers use and access to help ensure complaints and questions are tagged and answered, that each customer interaction is logged, that databases are populated with customer communication timelines and information, and that salesforces have customer and company information at their fingertips. Marketers can then correlate data to sales and profits to return on investment. Salesforce, the world’s leader in customer relationship management tools (over 620,000 clients in over 125 countries), provides such marketing services with cloud-based platforms that companies and organizations can use to develop trusting relationships with their customers. Salesforce’s attitude to business puts customers first and harnesses technology and data to make marketing, communications, and business practices simpler, faster, and better. Its approach is that to succeed, businesses need to become customer companies that are available 24/7 - whenever the customer desires and on whatever device they prefer. Customer oriented companies listen to each customer through every communications channel and connect customers, employees, partners, and products to earn consumers’ trust and business. Customer focused organizations create useful communities for clients, send out offers, and track interactions to ensure customers are delighted and recognized from their multiple contact points whether this is in-store, via e-mail, through a text message, through online customer service chat, or on social media. These platforms respect consumers’ identity and their rights to privacy. Salesforce provides cloud based platforms that help marketers focus on consumers. Salesforce Chatter is an example of such a platform that works as a company’s closed access social sharing hub. This platform allows employees to collaborate on projects, post updates on work-related items, share ideas, and solve business-related problems on a social sharing platform similar to Facebook. Salesforce also has Salesforce Sales Cloud that helps salesforces log, track, and access information on sales interactions, pitches, and targets. It also has its Salesforce Service Cloud that connects agents to customers and tracks customer service cases. Salesforce Marketing Cloud is another service that is of particular help to marketers. It helps marketers schedule, deploy, monitor, and measure e-mail marketing campaigns, social media marketing programs, and mobile marketing campaigns. It drills down into e-commerce interactions to build richer relationships with its customers. It also allows social media managers to monitor, measure, schedule, and respond to social media comments and questions in real-time, capturing data in dashboards that visualize demographics, highlight share of voice, pinpoint engagement levels, identify positive and negative sentiment, and show how social campaigns perform. In November 2013 Salesforce launched its Salesforce1 Customer Platform app (for mobile devices) so business customers can access updates, data, and communicate on-the-go to better connect with clients. The Salesforce1 Customer Platform app also allows developers to create their own business-facing apps that are built on the Salesforce1 platform. Compatible across Android and iOS platforms, Salesforce1 provides real-time access to critical business information at all times using the cloud to offer downloadable business apps through its Salesforce AppExchange platform. Agents can collaborate, communities can help each other, and users can search a knowledge bank to help troubleshoot problems to deliver outstanding customer service. Salesforce1 is generally included with user licenses of Salesforce CRM and the Salesforce Platform. This approach is no surprise, considering Salesforce’s forward-thinking approach puts customers first. Salesforce calls this the Internet of Customers whereby companies can be more productive by connecting employees, partners and products from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Salesforce believes that the Internet of Customers is the future and that the brands that get there first will win the hearts and minds of consumers. Questions 1. What business practices and consumer expectations do you think prompted Salesforce to create a business app for its customers? Answer: Business Practices and Consumer Expectations: Salesforce created a business app in response to the need for real-time, accessible customer interaction and data management. As consumers demanded quicker, more personalized service and transparent communication, businesses needed tools to meet these expectations efficiently. The app enables companies to respond instantly and manage customer relationships effectively, aligning with modern consumer demands for immediacy and connectivity. 2. What general benefits can apps bring to business users? Answer: General Benefits of Apps for Business Users: Apps streamline operations by providing real-time access to data and communication channels, enhancing productivity and decision-making. They enable mobile access to critical information, improve collaboration across teams, and facilitate immediate responses to customer inquiries, ultimately leading to more efficient workflows and better customer service. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE WORKSHEET SALESFORCE - BECOME A CUSTOMER COMPANY Name: Section: This video will review the video Salesforce - Become a Customer Company. Please answer the following questions once you have watched the video and read the case: 1. What business practices and consumer expectations do you think prompted Salesforce to create a business app for its customers? Answer: Salesforce developed the business app to address the growing need for real-time, accessible customer data and communication. As consumers increasingly demand immediate and personalized service, businesses need tools to manage these interactions efficiently. The app supports seamless, 24/7 customer engagement and helps businesses stay responsive and connected. 2. What general benefits can apps bring to business users? Answer: Apps provide business users with real-time access to critical data and communication channels, enhancing productivity and decision-making. They streamline workflows by enabling mobile access, improve team collaboration, and facilitate instant responses to customer needs, leading to more efficient operations and better service. BRING IT TO LIFE: VIDEO CASE – ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SALES FORCE - BECOME A CUSTOMER COMPANY 1. What business practices and consumer expectations do you think prompted Salesforce to create a business app for its customers? Answer: Consumers expect companies to be available to answer questions and to respond to their needs 24/7. This is changing how companies deal with consumers in a world where un-met expectations can result in negative feedback that is shared on social media for all to see. Today businesses try to resolve customer concerns quickly and often have guidelines for response times. In many circumstances, companies try to divert the negative customer interactions that surface on social media to e-mail or to phone conversations that take the interactions off the social media grid. 2. What general benefits can apps bring to business users? Answer: Business apps help business more easily access company data as well as customer information so that problems can be more easily and quickly resolved whether an employee is in the office or on-the-go. BRING IT TO LIFE: NEWSFLASHES SYNOPSIS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Two NewsFlashes are included in this chapter on Apps are not just for consumers and Greenpeace and Nestlé’s Kit Kat social media showdown. They can be used as ice-breakers to launch a relevant subject. Many of the topics are interesting to students and may be familiar. A. APPS ARE NOT JUST FOR CONSUMERS In November 2013 Salesforce, the world’s leader in customer relationship management tools (over 620,000 clients in over 125 countries), launched its Salesforce1 Customer Platform app so business customers can access updates, data, and communicate on-the-go to better connect with clients. This provides real-time access to critical business information at all times Questions 1. What business practices and consumer expectations do you think prompted Salesforce to create a business app for its customers? Answer: The 24/7 always on consumer means that business are expected to be available 24/7. An app assists in servicing customers and consumers in this 24/7 world. 2. What general benefits can apps bring to business users? Answer: Business apps help business more easily access company data as well as customer information so that problems can be more easily and quickly resolved whether an employee is in the office or on-the-go. B. GREENPEACE AND NESTLÉ’S KIT KAT SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWDOWN In 2010 the environmental group Greenpeace chose to protest publically outside Nestlé’s offices and to use social media to chastise Nestlé for using palm oils in its products - a practice that was adding to the deforestation of rainforests and the elimination of habitat for orangutans. Nestlé’s heavy handed responses on social media caused an uproar which put further pressure on the company to change its procurement practices. In two months Nestlé changed its procurement policies to address this concern. Questions 1. How do you think Nestlé should have responded to the social media attacks? Answer: Nestlé should have been more transparent in its interactions and had a more conciliatory tone. Its approach needed to show it was listening and open to discourse on the topic. 2. What can companies do to avoid these types of social media confrontations? Answer: Companies establish social media policies and guidelines that set the tone for interactions on social media. Protocols are also set for inflamed situations and directives are clearly outlined for when these situations should be escalated to senior company officials. BRING IT TO LIFE: NEWSFLASH / FOCUS ON ETHICS PRINTOUT AND WORKSHEET Name: Section: APPS ARE NOT JUST FOR CONSUMERS If you thought apps were just for consumers think again. In November 2013 Salesforce, the world’s leader in customer relationship management tools (over 620,000 clients in over 125 countries), launched its Salesforce1 Customer Platform app so business customers can access updates, data, and communicate on-the-go to better connect with clients. The Salesforce1 Customer Platform app also allows developers to create their own business-facing apps that target businesses are built on the Salesforce1 platform, and integrate them into company programs to connect apps, devices, and data together in one place. Compatible across Android and iOS platforms, the Salesforce1 app provides real-time access to critical business information at all times. It uses the cloud to offer business apps through its Salesforce AppExchange platform. Agents can collaborate, communities can help each other, and users can search a knowledge bank to help troubleshoot problems to deliver outstanding customer service. Salesforce1 is generally included with user licenses of Salesforce CRM and the Salesforce Platform. This approach is no surprise, considering Salesforce’s forward-thinking approach to helping businesses put their customers first by becoming more mobile and social. Salesforce calls this revolution, the Internet of Customers whereby companies can be more productive by connecting employees, partners and products, as needed, from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Salesforce believes that the Internet of Customers is the future and that the brands that get there first will win the hearts and minds of consumers everywhere. Questions 1. What business practices and consumer expectations do you think prompted Salesforce to create a business app for its customers? Answer: Salesforce developed the app to meet the rising demand for real-time, on-the-go access to business data and communications. As consumer expectations for immediate, personalized interactions grow, businesses need efficient tools to manage customer relationships and collaborate effectively across different devices and locations. 2. What general benefits can apps bring to business users? Answer: Apps offer business users real-time access to critical information, improve communication and collaboration, and streamline workflows. They enhance productivity by enabling mobile access and integration of various business tools, leading to quicker decision-making and better customer service. BRING IT TO LIFE: NEWSFLASH PRINTOUT AND WORKSHEET Name: Section: GREENPEACE AND NESTLÉ’S KIT KAT SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWDOWN In March 2010, in London, England, Greenpeace demonstrated outside Nestlé’s offices protesting the company’s use of palm oil, which contributes to deforestation and threatens the environment and the lives of orangutans. Protestors dressed as orangutans screeched animal sounds outside Nestlé’s offices and held placards that used the Kit Kat colours, slogan, and graphic elements to turn the brand name into the word KILLER. The protest invited people to go to Greenpeace.org to read more and to be directed to a YouTube ad that spoofed the Kit Kat brand to draw attention to the issue. The Greenpeace message was simple, “We're asking Nestlé to give rainforests and orangutans a break and stop buying palm oil from destroyed forests.”1 In April 2010, a similar protest surfaced at Nestlé’s annual general shareholders’ meeting with the addition of activists dropping down over shareholders just as the meeting began. The Wi-Fi connection at the meeting was also hijacked so that when people logged on they were directed to the Greenpeace website. The YouTube video spoof was central to the campaign’s success. It used the Kit Kat slogan Have a Break and showed a man snacking on a Kit Kat bar that turned out to be dried fingers of an orangutan. When he bit into the Kit Kat bar, orangutan blood gushed onto his keyboard. With less than 1,000 views on YouTube, Nestlé demanded that YouTube remove the video due to copyright infringement. It was replaced with the words, "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A." Nestlé’s heavy-handed approach provoked a major social media backlash. Greenpeace quickly posted the video on Vimeo, another video sharing site, and used social media to drum up support and chastise the company for its censorship and environmental practices. Video spin-offs of the ad also appeared on YouTube, and total video views from all sites rapidly reached 1.5 million. The confrontation quickly escalated and became very public on Facebook and Twitter. Kit Kat’s Facebook page was bombarded with fan complaints, online protesters changed their profile pics to Greenpeace’s Kit Kat "Killer" logo, and Nestlé’s Twitter feed was flooded with negative comments. Nestlé also received over 200,000 e-mail complaints. Nestlé responded aggressively on social media to this backlash, threatening to remove negative Facebook comments from its Kit Kat page and to sue those who used the modified Kit Kat KILLER logo. It also posted sarcastic responses such as, “Oh please,” which further portrayed the company in a negative light. The result was that, two months after the protests began, Nestlé’s announced it would no longer work with the palm oil producers that were linked to deforestation and it affirmed its commitment to the environment and ending deforestation. Source: 1 Greenpeace Kit Kat Killer website accessed at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/kitkat/ Questions 1. How do you think Nestlé should have responded to the social media attacks? Answer: Nestlé should have adopted a more transparent and empathetic approach, addressing Greenpeace’s concerns directly and acknowledging the issue. Instead of censoring the video and reacting aggressively, Nestlé could have engaged in open dialogue with stakeholders, provided a clear plan to address deforestation, and used social media to communicate their commitment to change and environmental responsibility. 2. What can companies do to avoid these types of social media confrontations? Answer: Companies can avoid such confrontations by proactively addressing potential issues before they escalate. This involves engaging in sustainable practices, being transparent about their supply chain, and maintaining open channels for stakeholder feedback. Additionally, having a crisis management plan in place and responding promptly and thoughtfully to concerns can help mitigate negative social media fallout. BRING IT TO LIFE: IN-CLASS ACTIVITY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR INDIE SINGER-SONGWRITERS INSTRUCTIONS Learning Objective To have students understand how to use social media for marketing purposes. Description of In-Class Activity • Distribute a handout with information on the task which focuses on two indie singer-songwriters and their decision to use social media to market their songs and promote their band. • Place students in small groups of 3-4 people and allocate a different social media site to each group for initial analysis. • Then ask each group to brainstorm on creative ideas that can help build a following on social media and recommend exactly how their social media platform will be used to promote the indie band. Provide large tear sheets or flipcharts to assist with the brainstorming sessions. • At the end of the session, each group should present their recommendations to the class. • This activity should be conducted in groups of 3-4 students. Estimated class time: approximately 90 minutes. Preparation before Class Instructors should visit the following social media sites to ensure they are aware of any new developments: - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest business pages - Google+ - YouTube - Tumblr - LinkedIn Instructors should also become familiar with the following social media sites that are used by musicians and music lovers (there are many others). - SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/ - TwitMusic https://www.twitmusic.com/ - Myspace https://myspace.com/ In-Class Implementation • Relevant Chapter Content – Explain the use of social media for marketing purposes and the top eight social media sites that are used in Canada for this purpose. Continue by showing the Conversation Prism https://conversationprism.com/ and point out the vastness of the social media universe and its ability to connect people around specific interests. Use music as an example and show the social media sites that the Conversation Prism identifies for music lovers such as SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/. • In-Class Instructions – Distribute the handout and explain the tasks that need to be completed. Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students and provide each group with a single social network that needs to be analyzed to determine exactly how it is currently used for marketing purposes. Have the students conduct brainstorming sessions to come up with social media ideas that will build a following for this new indie group on their specific social media platform. • Handout – Distribute the handout and worksheet for students to complete. • Evaluation – Collect the worksheets from this activity for evaluation purposes. They can be evaluated for completion, or graded for quality of the work completed. The presentation can also be graded. BRING IT TO LIFE: IN-CLASS ACTIVITY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR INDIE SINGER-SONGWRITERS HANDOUT Name: Section: Two indie singer-song writers have created a repertoire of songs that they want to sell on iTunes. They have no money for promotion and are turning to social media to help profile their band. Recommend how each of the following social media platforms will be used to promote the group and help sell their songs on iTunes. Each group will concentrate on only one of the following social media platforms. You will be given 20 minutes to refresh your knowledge on the platform and answer question 1. You will then be given 40 minutes to brainstorm on new ideas and complete question 2. You will then be given 5 minutes to present your ideas from question 2 to the class. Social media platforms - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Google+ - YouTube - Tumblr - LinkedIn - SoundCloud - Myspace BRING IT TO LIFE: IN-CLASS ACTIVITY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR INDIE SINGER-SONGWRITERS WORKSHEET Name: Section: Social Media Platform: 1. Provide a good example of a brand that uses your social media platform for marketing purposes. Describe how this platform is used. 1. Brand name Answer: Brand name: Nike 2. Description of how the brand uses this platform Answer: Description of how the brand uses this platform: Nike uses Instagram to showcase its products, share inspirational content, and engage with its audience through visually striking images and videos. They leverage Instagram Stories and posts to highlight new product launches, feature athletes and influencers, and run interactive campaigns such as hashtag challenges, encouraging user-generated content and fostering a strong community around their brand. 2. Brainstorm on how this platform can be used to launch this new indie band and compile 2 lists that will guide the group as its builds its presence on social media as follows: List #1 - This should detail the daily social media tasks and interactions that need to be conducted on this platform to build a strong following for the indie band. List #2 - This should identify a series of 3 creative ideas that will be used over the next 2 months to build followers on this platform. These ideas should also engage followers so that this content is shared within this social network as well as on other social media sites. 1. 2. 3. Answer: List 1 - Daily Social Media Tasks and Interactions: 1. Post high-quality photos and videos of band rehearsals, performances, and behind-the-scenes content. 2. Engage with followers by responding to comments and direct messages. 3. Share updates on upcoming shows, new music releases, and band news. 4. Use relevant hashtags to increase visibility and reach. 5. Collaborate with influencers and other musicians for shout-outs or features. 6. Host live Q&A sessions or live-stream rehearsals and performances. 7. Create and share engaging stories with polls, quizzes, and interactive elements. 8. Post fan-generated content and thank followers for their support. 9. Monitor and analyze engagement metrics to adjust content strategy. 10. Run targeted ads to reach potential fans in specific demographics. List 2 - Creative Ideas for Building Followers: 1. Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Series: Share a weekly series of behind-the-scenes footage from band practices, recording sessions, and tour preparations. Encourage fans to share their favorite moments and tag friends. 2. Fan Contest and Giveaways: Run a contest where followers submit videos of themselves covering one of the band’s songs. Offer tickets to a live show or exclusive merchandise as prizes to boost engagement and sharing. 3. Collaborative Playlist: Create a playlist on a music streaming service with songs that inspire the band and invite followers to contribute their favorite tracks. Promote this playlist on social media and encourage sharing. BRING IT TO LIFE: METRICS ASSIGNMENT AND WORKSHEET SOCIAL MEDIA DATA - UNIQUE VISITORS Name: Section: Determine the strength of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Myspace in the US market over the last 12 months by comparing unique visitors to the sites of these social media accounts. Navigate to https://www.compete.com/ to gather this data and present your finding using line graphs on a single chart. Write a short paragraph summarizing your findings. Answer: This assignment allows students to compare website traffic for social media accounts in the US and see the growth and fluctuations that occur on the different platforms. You may wish to discuss the fluctuations that can be seen from month to month and the trends that are surfacing on the different platforms. Unfortunately this website only provides US data. 1. Gather Data: Visit [Compete](https://www.compete.com/), search for each social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Myspace), and collect the unique visitor numbers for the past 12 months. 2. Create Line Graphs: Use Excel or Google Sheets to input the data. Create a line graph for each platform, plotting the number of unique visitors over time. Combine these graphs into a single chart for comparison. 3. Summarize Findings: Typically, Facebook will show the highest number of unique visitors, followed by Twitter, Pinterest, and Myspace, which has seen a significant decline. Facebook's dominance reflects its broad user base and high engagement. Twitter and Pinterest also have strong, though smaller, user bases, while Myspace's relevance has waned significantly. Feel free to update with specific data once collected! Solution Manual for Marketing: The Core Roger A. Kerin, Steven W. Hartley, William Rudelius, Christina Clements, Harvey Skolnick, Arsenio Bonifacio 9781259030703, 9781259269264, 9781259107108
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