Social Media Marketing and its Impact on Brand Equity and Consumer Behavior

This article explores the relationship between social media marketing, brand equity, and consumer behavior. It discusses how luxury brands use social media platforms to connect with customers and increase customer loyalty.

Running head: DISCIPLINE AND LEARNING
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Social media marketing is the main promotional and marketing channel that is being used by
many luxury brands in order to increase their customer loyalty.As per the opinion of Godey et
al. (2016), the brand equity of the different brands has often received very low attention in the
field of social media marketing. This article throws light on the relationship between brand
equity and consumer behavior based on the usage of social media marketing
In the modern day scenario, social media marketing is playing a very significant role in
developing a close customer relationship by helping the customers to have a very easy and
convenient way of shopping from their favorite brands.Kaur (2016) has agreed to this context
saying that the social media marketing system has sufficiently helped to develop a personal touch
with the customers. The brands are capable of reaching out to different customers living in
different parts of the community. Louis Vuitton uses the social media marketing app for posting
the video clips of their catwalks on social media site like Facebook in order to give a real
experience of their products to the customers.
The social media applications like twitter, facebook and others are helping to give real-
time updates to the customers. The company Burberry has developed an online shopping app for
their Chinese customers who are able to shop from the app on a 24*7 hour basis.
Interaction is one of the main aspects that are being developed by the social media marketing
system. Customers are given a proper space or a platform where they can give their views,
feedbacks, opinions regarding any particular brand.

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Company Burburry has developed two websites Kaixn.001.com and also
douban.com. Weibo a microblogging service is used as an interaction and communication
platform where local celebrities can forward their comments about their experiences.
Context-based social media and profile based social media help in developing a smooth
customer interaction Ashley and Tuten (2015) have stated that the social media platform is very
useful in developing strong customer loyalty. The luxury brands, in particular, can use social
media platforms to get properly connected with their customers
Godey et al. (2016) have stated that social media marketing is really playing a very
strong role in making the customers get connected with the brands. The customer care
representatives also help in staying at the service of customers on a 24*7 basis. Customers can
get connected with the executives at any point in time. However () has argued that there can be a
breach of trust or fraudulent deduction of money if the gateways are not secured properly. Thus
it can be concluded that social media platforms are very beneficial for helping the customers to
stay connected with their brands at every point of time.
New media or digital technologies are helping for better promotions of the products like the food
items among their targeted customers.
Kelly et al. (2015) have suggested that food and beverage companies are usually
involved in the production of many different kinds of food for different age groups. Thus they
need to use the digital communication systems in order to convey their products to the target
customers. The advancement of the web from static sites to a social and participatory space has

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further provided opportunities to engage potential consumers with personal communications and
enabled the co-creation of brand messages through user-generated content. Panahi, Watson and
Partridge (2016) has also stated that the new media or the new digitalized tools are thus having a
very good impact on the marketing and sale of the food products.
Advertisements through online gaming sites often have a negative impact on the minds of
children. Kelly et al. (2015) has stated that the advisement links that appear on the gaming sites
are a good source for informing customers about any new product launch or discount offers but
at the same time, they keep the users (particularly the children) in front o their laptops or the
gaming devices for a very long time. This hampers the concentration level of children.
Monitoring and evaluation of the nature of food marketing through the online business
helps in carrying on the customer relationship building properly. Ashley and Tuten (2015) has
stated in this context that International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable
diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) initiative is very helpful in
keeping a proper check over the marketing and selling of the food products in the and the right
kind of the environment.
Thus it can be concluded that it is the duty of the Government to collaborate with all the
advertising channels in order to protect children from not only the unhealthy food but also
inappropriate content of digital advertisements.
Social media marketing is used by all the business brands in order to connect with their
customers in a very effective and time optimizing manner.

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As per the reports, about 74% of the adults are involved in the online transaction of
products as it appears to be a very easy and convenient way for them. Ngai et al. (2015) have
suggested that about 71% of this usage remain concentrated on facebook. This acts as one of the
major driving force for the customers. Kelly et al. (2015) have stated that about 74% of the adult
customers have said that they remember details that they have read online on different types of
shopping apps.
The main purpose behind the popularity in the online or the digital media platforms is the
increase in the standard of the lifestyle of people and the rate of increase in usage of consumable
goods.Thus it can be concluded that there is a sharp increase in the total sales volume of the
companies through special networking sites.
Social media marketing is a debatable topic. It works as both a boon and also a curse in
many different places.
Whiting and Deshpande (2014) are of the opinion that social media marketing sites are very
useful as they help in shifting the attention of their customers from one particular product to the
other. This helps the companies in selling multiple products at one single time. It is defined that
social media sites are used as the means of human interaction. The companies that are using
social media platforms cannot blindly draw the attention of the customers. Tuten and Solomon
(2017) have argued that customers have to know about the brand and also the product. Only then
it will be possible for the customers to use social media platforms for conducting their
transactions.
Improper social media content will be deriving away the customers. In other words, the
customers will not like the presence of too many irrelevant contents or images on the website.

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Thus it is the duty of the companies collaborate with appropriate SEO agencies who will be
helping in giving the right crisp, simple and yet informative content for attracting the attention of
the customers.
Thus it can be concluded that the companies have to make use of social media sites in a very
careful manner.
Social media marketing sites are very useful for entrepreneurs or self-employed people for their
work.
Genç and Öksüz (2015) are of the opinion that social media sites are very useful for
developing a proper connection with the customers. In particular, for the small scale industries, it
is really very useful as they do not have many resources of their own. They have to depend on
social sites for connecting with the customers.
Less qualified job seekers or threat of duplicate users affects the micro business sales in
particular and all other business in general
Leek, Canning, and Houghton (2016) have argued that though the social media marketing
sites help the business enterprises in developing their popularity, there are also some associated
threats along with it. This is because of the fact that social media marketing sites suffer from
overcrowding. There are usually a large number of stakeholders using the online platforms for
the sale of their products and also for customer interaction. However, there are many under
qualified and also fake or duplicate brands. They might try to misguide the customers or even try
to cheat the other authentic and by copying their ideas or their marketing tactics. Thus it can be

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concluded that social media marketing sites act as both a boon and a curse in the modern new
age digital medium. They have to be sure by using all the different security mediums like anti-
hacking technologies and others to keep their operations safe.
Social media sites have become useful for medical professionals over the years in order
to provide better health care services.
As per the opinion of the physicians who have been interviewed the social media
platforms have become very good for their business. They have been using many digital tools
and platforms that would be helping them for serving the patients in a better way (Panahi
Watson and Partridge 2016). Patients can get to know about any kinds of diseases and their
cure from the medical blogs that are written by the doctors (Alves, Fernandes and Raposo 2016).
Twitter is a very commonly used platform by the health care practitioners for helping the
patients to get all the necessary and relevant information.
The participants preferred Twitter primarily because of its popularity among the clinical
community and therefore, the attendance of a professional audience on the Twitter-sphere. It is
evident from the opinion of the doctors that a large number of patients have preferred using
twitter as it helps in connecting with the patients in a very cost-effective and less time-
consuming manner.
The third main category of the social media marketing site is Youtube, Vimeo and others
that help in connecting with the patients.It is evident from the opinion of doctors that patients
like to get updates about clinical skill demonstrations and other such aspects. Apart from this

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some of the doctors and patients have also used the wikis and social networking sites like
Facebook and Google+ regularly. However, patients might also face some difficulties in using
social networking sites as technical skills are not properly we all developed among all the
patients. Thus it can be said that doctors must maintain proper security in the social networking
sites so that there is no loss of the personal details of the patients.
Thus it can be concluded that social media marketing has become an incorrigible part in
the modern day scenario. It is being used for providing better services to the customers in many
service sectors like health and medical fields, hotel and hospitality sectors and also in the retail
sectors. However the advertisements are often causing dissatisfaction among customers they are
repetitive in nature and also make the children addicted. Many of the brands might use some
improper content in the advertisements which may not be good for the young children. Thus
efforts have to be made in order to develop proper safety measures so that social media
marketing can be carried on proreprly.

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