Impact of Social Media Advertising on Consumer Perception: A Case Study of Marks and Spencer

This research analyses the impact of social media advertising on consumer perception in the retail industry, with a case study of Marks and Spencer. It explores the effectiveness of social media marketing and advertising for the profitability of the company.

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Executive Summary
Social media advertising is a process in which organisation undertakes the use of different social
media platforms like Facebook, Instagram Twitter, etc to promote their product service or brand
to consumers. In today’s business world social media advertising is playing a crucial role as it
allows a business organization to conduct cost-effective marketing and reach a maximum number
of consumers without geographical restrictions. Present research analyses that with help of
making use of different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Marks and
Spencer can reach to a maximum number of consumers and can enhance their profitability at
greater scale.
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Table of Contents 1
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................5
Part 1: Analysis of the business environment ................................................................................8
An overview of the organisation / Business context at Marks and Spencer .........................8
Analysis of the external environment (PESTLE) .................................................................9
Analysis of the internal environment (SWOT analysis).......................................................11
Part 2: Critical analysis of the identified business problem ..........................................................12
Conclusion and Recommendations ...............................................................................................20
Part 3: Reflection on Academic and Professional competency skills ...........................................23
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................26
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INTRODUCTION
Social media advertising is defined as the process of promoting products on
social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. This is an important topic for
research because it helps determine the digital marketing influence on consumer
behaviour, which is a new phenomenon. Digital marketing has been adopted since 1990
by businesses across industries, specifically the retail sector, to influence consumer
behaviour and attain higher profitability (Bly, 2018). It is important for businesses
specifically in the retail industry to adopt digital marketing practices such as social media
advertising to attract consumers and remain competitive in the industry. This is one of
the most effective forms of technology that allow organizations to reach to a maximum
level of consumers in comparatively less cost than traditional marketing. These are
being adopted by the marketing department of an organisation in order to influence
maximum number of customers. This investigation is centred on the concept of social
media marketing. This research highlights the usage and effectiveness of social media
marketing for the profit of the company. This research will explore the social media
effectiveness. The current literature available on the topic of social media advertising
primarily focuses on the key metrics such as increase in profitability and more
associated with social media advertising (Colicev and et. al., 2018). How social media
advertising can be implemented by small businesses and multinational corporations to
attain profitability is also focus of present literature.
However, there is still no research conducted on the impact caused by social
media advertising and marketing on consumers and their behaviour in context of
specific industry. This introduces a specific research gap in present investigation as it is
important to determine how social media advertising affects consumers as these are
primary end-users of company services and products. These answers can help
businesses adopt suitable social media practices according to their industry to influence
consumer positively and gain competitive advantage. For instance, John Lewis is
undertaking use of social media to attract customers from different locations to increase
sales. It is an important to research this topic because it helps businesses further
advance their digital marketing practices. This research focuses on the retail industry,
specifically on Marks and Spencer, which is a company based in United Kingdom.
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Marks and Spencer are one of the largest retailers in United Kingdom and has
many outlets across the world. This company was formed in the year 1884 Marks and
Spencer have a huge history in United Kingdom retail industry and is considered a
quality retailer with renowned public image around the world (ABOUT US, 2022). In
context of the present investigation, the research focuses on understanding how social
media, marketing and advertising can help Marks and Spencer influence consumers to
buy products and services and their impact on consumers. This is an important area to
be covered in research as it helps the company understand the ways their social media
image and tools are helping them attract competitors and rise above competitors. In
addition to this, it has been underlined that main rivals of company is John Lewis, Tesco
and more. In the constantly changing retail industry.
Social media marketing is significant in bringing a high volume of consumers to
the retail industry. Social media advertising spend by retail brands in the UK stood at
US$332 million by end of 2015, accounting for 20.1% of total social media advertising.
During 2011-2015, social media advertising in this industry has increased at a CAGR of
36.7%. The change influencing the retail industry is the shift of consumers from physical
retail stores to digital retailing, as consumers are becoming more aware of digital
options, which can be used to purchase their retail products (Kostelijk and Alsem, 2020)
. It has been analysed that now a days younger generation are more inclined towards
social media which offer significant opportunity to organisation to influence their buying
behaviour. Another important area which will be a part of this investigation is the relation
of COVID-19 and social media marketing. One of the most important aspects of social
media marketing in the retail industry in the recent years is that social media marketing
has seen rise in popularity after the impact of COVID-19 as more consumers are shifting
towards digital retail than ever. As they are more concerned towards safe and secure
purchase. In the current environment, social media marketing has become an important
asset of retail businesses to attract consumers. Businesses who have failed to adopt
digital marketing strategies such as social media advertising have been unable to
survive the COVID-19 crisis. For example, Lush (Lush is quitting social media. The start
of a trend?. 2022.)
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The current retail industry in the United Kingdom is crowded with various digital
retail brands such as Amazon, who have been able to attract large number of
consumers from traditional retailers such as Marks and Spencer. The main reason
behind this is to attract customers from various locations around the globe. Primary
method of improving digital sales is to utilize social media advertising (Hastings and
Domegan, 2017). This showcases the importance of this research topic as social media
advertising is crucial for remaining competitive in the current retail industry. In addition to
this, social media marketing is also essential for businesses in the retail industry, as it
helps them survive from continuously changing external environment and make way for
a more digitized future.
Another reason for completing this research is personal interest in social media
marketing and digital advertising. The completion of this research will offer knowledge
related to social media advertising in context of the retail industry, which will help
improve marketing practices to enhance consumer retention. Social media marketing is
not only essential for attracting consumers but also supports improvement in consumer
loyalty (Deiss and Henneberry, 2020). This knowledge will support personal and
professional development because of the interest around social media, advertising, and
marketing. I want to make my career as a digital marketer. The objectives of this
investigation are to understand the meaning of social media advertising and assess the
impact of social media advertising on consumer perception. It has been underlined that
perception involves both recognizing environmental stimuli and actions in response to
these stimuli. means . In addition to this, another objective of this investigation is to
evaluate the relation between social media advertising on consumer buying behaviour.
To determine the impact of this platform of overall profitability of the company. These
objectives will help attain the research aim as they cover the concept of social media
marketing while focusing on the retail industry and its impact on consumer behaviour.
This investigation includes an environmental analysis by utilizing appropriate
tools to understand the internal as well as external environment of Marks and Spencer.
This analysis is used to understand the main problems impacting Marks and Spencer in
context of social media advertising. The problems identified in the environmental
analysis section are further critically evaluated. This involves completing a relevant
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debate on the topic of social media advertising in context of the retail industry, as well as
synthesizing material and arguments for different sources to accomplish the research
objectives. The critical analysis section of this report focuses on understanding the
impact of social media advertising on consumer behaviour by looking at relevant register
and analysing current debate on the topic. After this, recommendation and conclusion
section are also prepared, which concludes the main points argued in the investigation
and provides recommendations to Marks and Spencer through which the company can
effectively utilize social media marketing to attract large number of consumers. After this
inappropriate reflection section is provided in this report on skills developed during
delivery of the project.
Part 1: Analysis of the business environment
An overview of the organisation / Business context at Marks and Spencer
M&S (Marks and Spencer) is a well-known British retailer that sells food, clothing, and a
variety of home goods. The upwards of a century-old chain, which was originally
established in 1884, has lengthy been a trusted brand in the United Kingdom.
Research aim - To analyse the impact of social media advertising on customer
perception. A case study of Marks and Spencer
Research objectives -
To understand meaning of social media advertising in context of retail industry
To determine the impact of social media advertising on customer perception
towards retail brands
To evaluate relation between social media advertising and consumer behaviour in
context of influencing retail consumers
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Analysis of the external environment (PESTLE)
Political  Several nations have founded trade treaties, which is one of the
most positive aspects of modern elections. This benefits Marks and
Spencer, which is primarily located in the UK but also works in
other countries such as India, Canada, South Korea and more.
M&S can import foreign items for sale from many European
countries in their retail locations at reduced costs through cheap
labour, while still maintaining a healthy profit margin. For example,
M&S is doing business in Venezuela in which they are taking use
of low costs labour as compared to U.K. Many trade deals with
European resellers may be lost if the UK leaves the European
Union in this "Brexit," resulting in higher product costs for the final
consumers.
Economical  Price has always been an important concern in the retail industry,
but in the past decades, emergence of discount retailers in the
United Kingdom has affected pricing strategy of retail businesses.
This includes retailers such as Ocado, Asda and Aldi. In order to
encourage guests to experience similar products at much reduced
premiums, these competitors are stealing price competition from
more expensive products (like Marks and Spencer). For example,
John Lewis. In fact, it's likely that these discount competitors
affected Marks and Spencer's decision to use importers in 1999.
Technological  Marks and Spencer do indeed have a large following, with each of
their own brands, from clothing to foods to household goods,
accessible on the platform. M&S takes a traditional approach to
buying stuff with their own clothing, supplying products directly to
the consumer. Nonetheless, unlike the other large food stores in
the UK, Marks and Spencer does not appear to deliver the food.
This industry-wide trend aims to save retailers money on store
clerks while also providing consumers a faster shopping
experience. Social media advertising provides consumers faster
shopping experience by enabling them to reach online channels
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(Farris and et. al., 2017). Like most other UK supermarkets, Marks
and Spencer has indeed installed self-scan structures in its shops.
Also have app. With the help of offering mobile based application
services M&S is providing easy and flexible shopping experiences
to customers.
Social  Throughout the last decade, the use of convenience foods has
grown tremendously in societal structure. This could be due to the
fact that, thanks to advancements in functional foods, processed
foods are more appealing than ever. Inside any case, this large
new manufacturing can benefit immensely any grocery store. While
the amount of sales growth at M&s is unknown, it is one of the top
ten lunch manufacturers there in UK. The company also partners
with Hollywood celebrities to promote clothes such as Emma
Thompson and Rita Ora.
Legal  There are different legal rules and regulations which a company in
retail industry has to follow without any exception. Similarly, M&S
has to adopt different excise taxation laws, labour laws, inflation
cost, important export restrictions so that it can easily and smoothly
run its operations. This company has the ability to take labour from
Asian countries as there is availability of cheap labour.
Environmental  Fair trade, which again was created to better reimburse
landowners, has a negative effect on the natural. It’s because local
producers, who profit so much from a good bargain, are now more
likely than their competing firms to use environmentally sustainable
business practises. As an outcome, Marks and Spencer's move to
close goods is environmentally friendly. For example, company
M&S goal to become zero-wate business by 2025. Environmental
factors influencing meat, attire, and home furnishings purchases.
Plenty other UK retailers it has made positive pledges, so Marks
and Spencer's judgement to become a more commercially
sustainable seller is not unexpected. For example, British retail
consortium's climate action roadmap and WRAP's Textile.
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Analysis of the internal environment (SWOT analysis)
Strength The great quality of Marks and Spencer's products is well-known. It's a
greater store with several of the best in-store purchasing in the UK. In a
multitude of European, Middle Eastern, and Asian regions, Marks and
Spencer has retail locations and an online presence. It has more than 1500
locations worldwide. M&S own-brand garment and housewares can be found
in many entire store locations, channels, and on the M&S.com homepage.
Weakness One of the major weakness of Marks and Spencer is their inability to
penetrate in a successful manner in foreign markets. For example, in the
Middle East and Asia. The firm is not notably trendy and caters to the
elderly. As an outcome of this perspective, M&s has had quite a lot of issues.
While this assumption may have been harsh, it is true that such a huge
percentage of Marks and Spencer's customers are seniors. Click and collect,
which is famous among several other retailers, is less popular among M&S
customers, according to some forecasting models, since many of friends are
closer to retirement and less intrigued in the choice.
Threat Marks and Spencer faces stiff competition both domestically and
internationally. Marks and Spencer's main competitors include Tesco, ASDA,
Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Next, Gap, Sports Direct, Debenhams, John Lewis,
and Amazon. Marks and Spencer are in danger of losing customer base due
to fierce competition. This organisation is among top 10 rank in the list of
supermarkets. Due to increased competition and some other factors, it is
scaling back its global operations. In fact, it has already left China and
closed several stores in France and the United Kingdom. Company left
China in November 2016.
Possibilities/
Opportunities
Marks and Spencer maintains a website. It does, however, lag some of the
other major UK retail chains. It really should seize some good potential
online growth prospects. In fact, in order to transition to the future, it recently
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declared its intent to transfer a large portion of its clothing online stores. In
addition to this, it has been underlined that M&S is having opportunity to
make expansion of its business in many Asian markets such as India.
Part 2: Critical analysis of the identified business problem
Consumer perceptions of brands, as well as how responses are communicated, are all
part of the brand experience. Some brand experiences are conceptualised around
feelings, emotions, sensations, and behaviours, while others are conceptualised around
feelings, emotions, sensations, and behaviours. This, is having more impact on the
younger generation, as it is making them to buy products and services by touching their
emotional touch points. Brand-related stimuli have become an important part of the
brand information transfer process. The associations formed because of responding to
brand cued shape not only brand recognition but also increased brand. When applying
marketing programs to widely consumer interactions, brand equity is becoming a part of
the process. The introduction of some ways in which information about a product line
can influence customer way of responding to marketing methods can be defined as
brand equity. A positive response from consumers/customers is the ultimate goal of
branding. Companies do this by commercialising products to the customers and
emphasising distinguishing features. For example, John Lewis one of the rivals of M&S
is duly practising this strategy. While businesses see Facebook as a way to raise brand
awareness and attract customers, not all of the reactions to social media advertising are
positive. While brand-related content is being introduced to the Facebook platform at an
increasing rate, social media-based advertising is sometimes seen as an unwanted
element, and businesses must be aware of how consumers react to their ad campaigns
can affect the value of that brand-related content. This can be done with the help of
taking us of SEO. Companies must recognise that the process of incorporating branding
and logo content in social media necessitates a close examination of the substance and
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a focus on manufacturer community building. An example is social media branding of
new products or versions of products because the logo fro the specific product sets up
specific brand messages of the product on social media.
Potential customers can be found on every social media platform. Some, on the other
hand, are more conducive to sales than others. Facebook and Instagram, according to
Statista, are two of the best places to learn about, discover, and buy fashion apparel.
Because Facebook (now Meta) owns Instagram, creating an effective ad campaign for
both platforms from the Facebook Ads Manager isn't difficult. Facebook has over 48
million users in the United Kingdom. Approximately four out of ten Facebook users claim
to find fashion inspiration on the site. To put it another way, the opportunity to engage a
new audience and build brand loyalty on Facebook's platform is too great to pass up. It's
also worth noting that Facebook claims its platform is a key place to reach 18-34-year-
old fashion buyers. Influencers and celebrities on the platform, in particular, are said to
be a source of fashion inspiration for women.
There are several benefits for Marks and Spencer while engaging in social media
advertising. It boosts brand recognition and trustworthiness. The best platform for
showcasing their fashion studio is social media, which also serves as the best medium
for brand recognition. In this, it has been underlined that Facebook also get some extent
of the money for ad space. By showcasing all of their designer collections on social
media sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest, Marks and
Spencer can raise brand awareness and grow their following. Businesses can raise
awareness by hosting photo fashion shows and events on the social media platforms
mentioned. Fashion brands on social media can assist fashion-conscious people in
obtaining fashion trend information.
It boosts customer loyalty and engagement - Because people spend so much time on
social media. The average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide
amounted to 147 minutes per day. This states that attracting new customers via social
media is not difficult. Three factors make any visitor a loyal customer: content, quality,
and regular posts related to the fashion industry. Marks and Spencer can increase
customer engagement by showcasing various designer collections and offering
exclusive offers and deals with the help of Augmented reality, robotics and AI.
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Social media has an influence on the purchase decisions – Many people are only aware
of designing trends and latest fashions through social media. It works as a word-of-
mouth system, allowing any topic to spread in minutes at a time.
Retargeting and demographic targeting - It is one of the most important reasons why
social media can help a company succeed. Millennia is the fashion industry's target
customer from the age group of 12-60 and social media is a customised platform that
allows retailers to target audiences based on demographics such as gender, age,
location, hashtags, and more. Furthermore, tracking user behaviour patterns online is
very simple. Visitors can target specific and the right audience and market their
business using these signals. Fashion brands can also use retargeting to remarket their
collections.
Instagram has the highest conversion rates The 18-24 age group is the most active on
Instagram, this enhances the opportunity to attract maximum base of customers.
because it is a visual platform that is ideal for showcasing the most recent fashions and
collections. The use of appropriate hashtags, high-quality images, and attention-getting
content works well. Pinterest, like Instagram, is a highly visual medium where people
can discover the latest fashions and trends. Plan ahead of time to pin their collections
with the appropriate hashtags to increase the number of people who see their brand.
These marketing innovations needed to be released at the appropriate time. Marketing
departments had to re-evaluate their previous plans in order to adapt to this shift there in
media landscape. The industry is evolving and testing a new presidential campaign
model as a result of these changes. As a result of an increased focus on global
technology and the ubiquitous use of advertising, publicity, and promotion, companies'
consumer focus has shifted (Quelch & Jocz, 2008).
It has a low to non-existent overhead cost - In this digital age, there is no need for large
investments. Creating and implementing effective social media campaigns and
strategies can be done for free or at a low cost. Fashion retailers can benefit from the
availability of analytics to help them with their spending habits. It teaches them how to
spend their budget wisely and avoid losing money. As a result, they have a low to zero
overhead cost and double their revenue.
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It's a powerful marketing tool - social media low price as a marketing tool for the fashion
and apparel industry, and if Marks and Spencer want to increase traffic, loyalty, provide
better customer service, or bring more customers. With the help of social media, Marks
and Spencer can more efficiently expedite their process flow and marketing strategy.
However, in this company need to make modifications to change their demographics.
This needs to be done as per the trend and demand of customers.
It boosts conversion rates - The main benefit of social media marketing is that it helps
Marks and Spencer to get into the sales funnel faster. Fashion trends can boost
conversion rates via Facebook marketing, which includes Facebook ads that allow you
to target a custom or lookalike audience based on your preferences. Facebook
retargeting campaigns can also help company to grow profit and sales.
The perception of advertisements is crucial to Marks and Spencer’s success. Prior
research has attempted to determine the antecedents of consumers' perceptions of
online advertising, and it has been discovered that a rise in consumer perception is
linked to a rise in online advertising. It has been underlined that 89% of consumers are
influenced by online advertising. This indicated that consumer perception and online
advertising had a strong and positive relationship, if organisation conduct online
advertising with the help of influencer marketing then it helps in making greater impact
of perception of consumers. Furthermore, it was discovered that all sub-dimensions of
consumer perception positively and significantly influenced online advertising and its
dimensions (Haur et al., 2017). Advertising is essentially a persuasion art. To create an
effective ad on social media, you must first understand the factors of an ad that can
successfully persuade a user.
To summarise, Marks and Spencer should use and make social media marketing with
the help of Augmented reality shopping celebrity endorser in for their fashion industry
and use social media networks to effectively present their fashion trends and designer
archival to millions. Although creative features can attract a user's attention, they do not
always result in purchase intent. With the rise in people shopping online in recent years,
more people are aware of the vast array of products and services available as
compared to traditional marketing. With fierce competition between brands, a product's
quality of features and range improves. In this, the company by undertaking the use of
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local raw material suppliers can lower their operations costs. This could lead to a user
prioritising product price, relationship with the product, quality, and other product-
specific information over the ad's creative qualities. Ads may be creative and engaging
in and of themselves, but if the creativity lacks meaning that benefits the product as well,
the creative efforts may be in vain. Ad creativity has the potential to divert attention
away from the product itself. The findings of this study contradict previous research
(Reinartz & Saffert, 2013), which claims that creative messages gain more exposure
and contribute to positive attitudes toward the featured items. In their experimental
research, Smith et al. (2007) discovered that creativity increased motivation to process
the ad, improved attitude toward the ad, and that this positive impact was transferred to
the brand.
By generating consumer interactions, social networking sites like Facebook have
provided a new way of introducing brand-related content and creating exchanges with
consumers. The value of this approach is based on the changing nature of how people
use the Internet and how social venues are evolving. Pornography was the most popular
online activity a decade ago, but that has since shifted to social networking. As a result,
approximately 93 percent of businesses use social media for marketing and branding.
Consumer expectations are based on both brand correlations and branding strategies,
and brand denoting extends from social conventions related to the brand (Campelo, et
al., 2014). One of the most important aspects of how brand image shapes the focus of
marketing is the human aspect of branding. The messages used in marketing strategy
become the defence that consumers use to evaluate their buying decision, whether they
are looking at Nike products or electric vehicles. Branding is often influenced by social
perceptions, such as the value that organization places on the brand, and social
pressures, such as the subtle messages that many others place on brand ownership.
The link between the corporate identity and promotion was expressed in pioneering
study on lengthy ways of understanding branding (Keller, 1993). A brand is defined as
"a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify
and differentiate the commodities of one identify the goods and services from those of
competitors. Special brands can have a variety of different trademarks, all of which are
linked by central brand personality. Consumers frequently evaluate brands, compare
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similar brands, and purchase products based on brand associations. The internet and e-
technologies are now essential components in branding due to a shift in the format
through which people participate with products and product brands. Consumers are now
encouraged to engage with brands, exchange information with others, and create
content that reflects their buying habits on different social media platforms like
Facebook, Instagram and more. The more consumers who participate in this process,
the more probable they are to recommend specific brands to others. It's critical to
recognise businesses' perspectives on marketing and advertising processes, their urge
to create engagement with customers, and the effects of social networks on effecting
customers’ decision in order to comprehend the role of social networks in branding.
Marks and Spencer have introduced various changes in the way it manages its digital
marketing tactics because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been done to target
both young consumers as well as older consumers who have less experience with
digital technology and social media. One of the primary initiatives Marks and Spencer
has taken in order to increase consumers during the pandemic and after the pandemic
is investing in influencer marketing. This practice has been undertaken by M&S to
influence buying behaviour of customers. Marks and Spencer have been known as
reliable brand of clothing products and beauty products. These products are affected by
influencer marketing. Social media marketing trends impact the consumer behaviour in
context of clothing, beauty, and lifestyle items. M&S has collaborated with influencers to
enhance online sales (M&S Shuns TV Ads In Favour Of Influencer Marketing, 2020).
The decision taken by Marks and Spencer to invest in influential marketing as a social
media advertising strategy is genius because it helps the company attract young
consumers. This strategy is effective as it helps in enhancing awareness among
customers towards the company’s products and services. In addition to this the
company can influence social media trends so that their clothing lines and home ware
range provide higher sales. Sales rose by 8.6 per cent to £3.27billion over the 13 weeks
to January 1, compared with pre-pandemic levels, and M&S said it was now on track to
post a pre-tax profit of 'at least £500million' for the current financial year. The
disadvantage associated with investing in influencing marketing is that it requires high
cost and changes in popularity of the influencer can also affect the impact of the
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advertising campaign. This strategy for social media advertising has been adopted by
Marks and Spencer because the consumer likes social media advertising through
influencers. Consumers are deeply impacted when it comes to social media
advertisement through an influencer in comparison to generic advertisements.
Marks and Spencer have also invested in digitization its loyalty card, which is called
sparks. The company utilizes the loyalty scheme to attract older consumers so that they
are retained. Loyalty cards also help the company reduce any negative impact of the
increasing digitization of Marks and Spencer on older consumers. Recently, the
company has also invested in re launching sparks as a digital first loyalty scheme so
that it can also be used to attract and retain digital consumers (MARKS & SPENCER
TO RELAUNCH SPARKS, 2020). This is beneficial for Marks and Spencer as it'll help
connect both digital as well as traditional consumers to the company. The digitization of
loyalty scheme can be confusing for older consumers which is a major disadvantage of
this initiative.
Marks and Spencer have successfully improved its digital presence after the COVID-19.
Recently a campaign for the retailer’s Percy Pig product range using giphy gained 13.1
million views (How Marks and Spencer uses Instagram Stories, 2019). This is a good
comparison to opponents of Marks and Spencer, as the company has been able to
utilize social media platforms for attracting consumers.
In context of corporate social responsibility, the respective organisation has adopted
various sustainable business practices to attract consumers. The company aims to
attain net zero carbon emissions by the year 2035 and has implemented various
initiatives to attain this objective, such as making 87% of the packaging recyclable and
reducing emissions by 72% (PLAN A: OUR PLANET, 2022). The sustainability
initiatives help M&S complete their responsibility towards various stakeholders. Mangers
and employees benefit from the improved brand image of Marks and Spencer.
Sustainability initiatives of marks and Spencer help investors enhance their profit as the
brand image of the firm improves and sustainable audience also purchases i9ts
products. The government, environment and legal authorities are benefited by lower
carbon emission of M&S. In addition to this, community and consumers benefit because
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M&S introduces responsible shopping through environmental initiatives. This is related
to stakeholder theory of CSR as the company is able to cover the interests of each of its
stakeholder through CSR.
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Conclusion and Recommendations
This investigation adds to the body of knowledge in the field of social advertising by
showcasing statistics that prove that attention-getting details have a meaningful impact
on the buying intent and that there is a positive relationship between the two. According
to the results of this study, emotional plea has a considerable impact on the buying
intent. From the above research analysis it has been evaluated that in today’s
competitive business environment social media advertising proves to be an effective
marketing strategy to reach a maximum number of customers in cost-efficient way.
Finally, while artistic attributes are central to social media marketing, they do not always
lead in purchase decision, according to this survey. Since the internet's inception, old
marketing i.e. traditional form of marketing has taken a step back, and it is only have
become more meaningless with the passage of time. Social networking sites like
Facebook and YouTube grew in popularity since 2010 as the online shopping became
more widely available. Millions of people approximately 89% around the world now use
social media. When social media first gained ground 1990, it was largely used for
making friends and engaging with individuals around the globe, but as its user base
grew, impact the company to recognise its commercial potential. Social media marketing
appeared to be much handier and more cost-effective than traditional media marketing.
Marketers were quick to notice this (Alalwan et al., 2017). There were no classic safe
paths because this was a major platform. As Per the findings of this study, emotion has
an important impact on purchase aim. Emotional impact in advertisements can
frequently succeed in establishing a positive relation with a person. M&S (Marks and
Spencer) is a well-known British retailer that sells a variety of food, clothing, and home
goods. The more than a century-old chain, which was founded in 1884, has long been a
trusted brand in the UK along with the rest of the world. While it may appear that this
long-running retail behemoth will never slow down, it recently announced plans to close
more than 100 locations, raising questions about its long-term viability of high street
shops. Product information, such as the implementation of new product lines,
awareness of the brand, but instead methods to sway consumer behaviour, has evolved
into a hub on social media websites (Muntinga, Moorman & Smit, 2011). Social media
presents a unique opportunity to use word-of-mouth advertisements to a mass audience
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through a large-scale social network 24/7, supporting end user communications and
advancing brand equity. Enterprises may find it difficult to decide how consumer
knowledge and commitment affect the brand equity because Facebook is not an
advertising network in and of itself, unlike print or television advertising. In this company
is need to take use of AI, VI, robotics and augmented reality and wide-scale.
Constructive comments on social media can have a beneficial effect, but bad comments
are also a part of the brand talk and can be hard for businesses to manage. In the past,
brands often use topics like nativism and family love to great effect, with always positive
results. Emotional appeal, according to Petty and Cacioppo (1986), can more effective
manner persuade someone who lacks desire or the ability to interpret cognitively.
Scholars (Castellano and Zelaya, 2021 have identified that system has become a
critical element in developing markets, and entire business models have been built
around major technology access. All at the same, marketing and promotion frequently
emphasize the emotional, personal, and social influencing consumer behaviour, all of
which must be taken into account when using technology to manage a brand. Despite
the fact that many businesses have access to various of technologies that can boost
consumer interest, name recognition, as well as overall brand management, numerous
individuals fail to use technology as the framework for customer interaction. Swani et al.
(2013) discovered that ads with emotive content generated more word-of-mouth
marketing. Celebrity endorsement has a meaningful effect by 70% on the buying intent,
according to the findings of this study. Persons who are adored and glanced to by the
common person are known as celebrities. People frequently form social connections
with entertainers, which can contribute to a desire to purchase any good or service that
they promote. In this, company can undertake use of SEO and content writing to
increase visibility of business. Nelson and Deborah (2017) discovered that in the vast
majority of instances, celebrities in advertisements taken cognizance of companies'
advertising and products. Per the findings, consideration details have a positive
correlation with purchase intent and have a considerable impact on purchase intent. All
of that is demonstrated by the fact that, in the technological age, where users have
access to a vast number of products, details like special offers sets a product apart from
the contests across the year. Details with a high positive sensationalism can try and
20

convince a customer to skip several steps in the ruling methodology and form an
immediate purchase intention. Limited quantity correspondence, price drops, and other
such info are examples. People are usually cautious about how they allocate their
resources, particularly when it comes to whatever they see on media platforms. The
appearance of such face details has the tendency to destroy down the consumer-
product barrier. According to Della Bitta et al. (1981), as the proportion of total voucher
from a normal price increased, consumers' perspectives of offer value increased, their
intention to look for other options decreased, and their attention in the item enhanced. It
is suggested that Marks and Spencer invest. Furthermore, Marks and Spencer invests
20% of media spend in social media in improving its social media marketing by
constructing a team of social media influencers who promote the products of Marks and
Spencer in an organic manner. This is a suitable recommendation for Marks and
Spencer as it will help the company introduce its product to young age audience 18-35
through online influencers who have a loyal fan base. In addition to this, Marks and
Spencer will also be able to influence the social media trend cycle by collaborating with
large number of influencers. It is recommended that Marks and Spencer utilize creative
social media marketing tools such as animated videos and info graphics to connect with
consumers. This is a suitable recommendation for Marks and Spencer as it will help the
company differentiate its social media advertising from generic advertising and connect
consumers to the company.
21

Part 3: Reflection on Academic and Professional competency skills
Introduction
I gained knowledge about strategic management within a company in this module. I
believe that maintaining multiple pathways is critical for determining the best decisive
plan for the company. I've also learned that organisational development is an important
concept for identifying and describing the possible solutions that a business person can
use to boost profitability.
Main Body
COVID-19, in my opinion, had a significant impact on organisational strategies. During
the COVID-19 pandemic, business leaders are expecting more from the transformation
initiatives they must undertake. They've identified competitiveness and tenacious
resilience as two benefits of the company's digital transformation. Business leaders who
plan to begin digital transformation in their organisations have the best chance to grow
and develop, in my opinion. Several businesses have begun to move their offline
operations to the internet. It has aided them in keeping up with the pace of business
operations. I've come to the conclusion that reliance on tech platforms has increased,
and that these platforms, in conjunction with collaborative teams, are delivering results.
A company's best option for enhancing its growth and development in the market is to
conduct a competitor analysis. As a student, I realised that running a successful
business necessitates meticulous planning and strategy. I also believe that
competitiveness analysis provides a framework for gaining and maintaining a
competitive advantage in achieving the objectives. Performance thinking, as well as its
significance for a company's success, are critical for managing an organization's
operations. I've learned about several models, such as the PESTEL, Porter's Five
Forces Model, SWOT analysis, and strategic options that a company can pursue. I
learned that Pestel analysis is used to evaluate a company's competitive advantage in
different countries. This will give you an overview of how a company can operate
successfully in any country. Another type of analysis is swot analysis, from which I
learned that it is beneficial for a company to evaluate its own strengths and weaknesses
in order to function more efficiently in the business environment. A company can choose
from a variety of strategic options. I believe that evaluating all of the above-mentioned
22

models is the most prominent and effective approach that a company can take. These
strategic frameworks and models provide a foundation for a business to improve its
performance in a new country or market. I believe that managing strategic development
and enhancement is extremely important for the company. This will aid the
organization's planning and motivation of the growth and development sector's
operations. It has been determined that every company must operate in characteristics
such as high by properly evaluating the above frameworks. It is necessary to improve a
company's growth prospects by assessing all the vulnerabilities that it may face. I
believe that starting a business is only possible when a firm seems to have an effective
marketing strategy. I've concluded that business and strategy are inextricably linked. A
company must prepare and develop a prominent strategy that will aid in attracting a
larger number of customers. I discovered that the company employs the frameworks
and models mentioned above in order to make an accurate assessment of how a
company operates. There are also requirements for a company to manage its
employees properly so that goals and objectives are met in a shorter amount of time.
There are several methods by which a company can develop a good strategy and make
decisions that aid in the proper completion of goals and objectives. Any organisation, in
my opinion, should develop an effective strategy for maintaining a competitive
advantage in the market. For managing efficient working, there is a need to develop and
grow sustainability. Successful businesses can be managed in a variety of ways. In
order to achieve organisational goals, it is necessary to manage and implement the best
business strategy. It is also determined that business strategy aids in the coverage of
the entire market and the achievement of organisational goals. I've realised that running
a successful business necessitates a variety of strategies and the proper application of
resources. There is also a requirement for any organisation to have a significant impact
on resource utilisation because it provides a thorough examination of the company's
actual strategy. Different frameworks enable a company to obtain prior knowledge and
information about how it will benefit the company. During the delivery of the project, I
was able to learn about social media advertising and its importance in the retail industry.
This improved my knowledge in the field of digital marketing and the ways in which
digital technology is changing the traditional business format in the retail sector. I
23

researched on various competitors of Marks and Spencer and their strategies for
attracting consumers through digital marketing tactics such as social media marketing.
This increases my knowledge about various factors associated with social media
marketing, such as social media tools and social media metrics. I was also able to learn
about the Mythical role of social media advertising attracting consumers through digital
channels so that the online sales of the company can increase. I am now aware of the
fact that online sales are crucial for survival of a retail business in the current
environment and all the retail organizations, including small retailers, as well as
multinational retailers, are investing in improving their digital sales. Online sales are
important for retail businesses because they provide the company and ability to reach
larger number of consumers while investing little in physical outlets. In addition to this,
online channels require less maintenance in comparison to. Physical and traditional
channels for retail as they do not require expenditure include such as rent or electricity. I
also gained knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 in digitization of the retail industry
and how the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many businesses in the retail sector to
adopt digital way of selling and increasing their social media marketing including social
media advertisements.
Conclusion
In the post pandemic world, the sisters are investing in social media, advertising, and
marketing in context of the retail industry because it has helped businesses in the retail
sector attract larger number of consumers and remain competitive. This knowledge will
support my academic as well as professional development as I have gained
understanding of the social media marketing Concepts in relation to the retail industry
and its impact in helping businesses recover farm prices and maintain stable
profitability.
24

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