Impact of Social Media Marketing on Customer Satisfaction in UK Retail Sector: A Study on Morrison Plc

Dissertation

ABSTRACT
Social media marketing activities plays an important role in the business and that is why, it helps
the company to meet the wider range of people towards it. Further, through secondary research it
has been analysed that with the SMM assist to improve the brand image and by using different
platforms of SMM like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram company is able to reach wider
audience and sustain the brand image. However, there is a positive influence of using SMM
within a brand image because if company keep posting new products image and discount then it
affect the customer’s behaviour positively. Most of the companies also faces different challenges
which include lack of expertise, negative comment from the people affect the brand image.
Moreover, through research methodology, scholar able to derive better outcome because the
entire study is based upon qualitative and primary data collection methods that support the
business to understand the loophole of the company and then make effective decision. Social
media marketing allow the companies to gain a better level of customer experience in respective
target market. The role of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and many other is
to establish a proper communication between the people and the organisation.

ACKNOLWEDGEMENT
I would like to thank University who offer me an opportunity to perform research on this topic.
I would also show my gratitude towards the teachers who always support me to solve my query
and meet the objectives.
I would also thank my parents who support me economically and non-economically so that I can
perform the research in effectively manner.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my friends who always ready to help me in the
project and that is why, I am able to complete the entire dissertation effectually.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................2
ACKNOLWEDGEMENT...............................................................................................................3
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................6
Background to the research..........................................................................................................6
Organisational background..........................................................................................................6
Significance of the research.........................................................................................................7
Statement of the purpose..............................................................................................................8
Aim and objectives......................................................................................................................8
Research Questions......................................................................................................................8
Structure of the dissertation.........................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................11
Introduction................................................................................................................................11
Theme 1: concept of social media marketing (SMM)...............................................................11
Theme 2: Different SMM tools used by the retail sector to increase customer satisfaction.....13
Theme 3: influence of SMM on Morrison’s customer satisfaction level..................................15
Theme 4: challenges faced by marketers while using SMM into the business area..................16
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................18
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHDOLOGY..............................................................................19
Introduction................................................................................................................................19
Research type.............................................................................................................................19
Research approach.....................................................................................................................20
Research philosophy..................................................................................................................20
Data collection...........................................................................................................................21

Sampling....................................................................................................................................21
Data analysis..............................................................................................................................22
Ethical consideration..................................................................................................................22
Research limitation....................................................................................................................23
Research validity and reliability................................................................................................23
Summary....................................................................................................................................23
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS...................................................................24
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................36
Summary....................................................................................................................................36
Recommendations......................................................................................................................37
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................40
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................45
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................45

Title: An investigation to determine the impact of using social media marketing on the
customer satisfaction level within UK retail sector: A study on Morrison Plc.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background to the research
In this current era, UK retail sector is growing with a high pace that assist to raise
country’s economy and development. As the pandemic also affected the entire industry in
negative manner, so retailers find different ways that assist to promote the business product at
next level in order to improve the sales (Li, Larimo and Leonidou, 2021). It has been analysed
that with the rise in technological advancement, companies are already uses different
promotional strategies pertaining to social media which include Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc.
Thus, social media marketing can be defined as a strategy which help company to grab new
opportunity related to sales improvement and brand awareness. Like, companies spend billions
of digital ads per year in order to attract the customers (What Is Social Advertising & How Does
It Impact My Sales? 2022). So, it is reflected that with this help of this tool, company can also
back on their track that assist to improve the brand image in a market. However, some negative
or bad reviews also affected the customer choice and this in turn causes decreases in sales. This
entails that social media marketing plays an important role in the business performance and that
is why, business needs to adopt such marketing tools which in turn assist to sustain the brand
image and improve the overall financial performance as well.
In addition to this, it can be also stated that with the help of different marketing tools,
company increases the awareness and let them engage towards an existing customer (Wibowo
and et.al., 2021). Along with this, businesses also reach new ones that assist to promote the
culture and mission. That is why, the present dissertation also helps to create awareness related
to SMM and how this assist to raise the customer satisfaction level. For that, qualitative study
will be used which in turn assist to create a better outcome and meet the research aim and
objectives as well.
Organisational background
The entire study is based upon the Morrison that deals in retail sector and provide range
of products to their customers at reasonable rates. The company is considered as a fourth largest
chain in supermarket within UK which reflected that it has a strong customer base (Evans,

Bratton and McKee, 2021). The cited firm founded in 1899 by selling small products, but year
after year company keep added new products by analysing the need of customers that helps to
sustain the brand image at global level. In addition to this, company is already dealing with range
of marketing tools which include Social media marketing, digital marketing, SEO etc. The sales
of the company keep increases in further years except 2020 due to pandemic. Also, due to strong
financial base, company also uses acquisition strategy where in 2004, it acquired Safeway to
create a strong presence in Southern England. Though there were many issues faced by the
company during acquisition and this in turn causes loss to its financial performance.
With the rise in advance technology, it has been analysed that company keep promoting
its products by using advertisement, but pandemic change the entire sales strategy. It is so
because, Morrison now focuses upon different online marketing tools because 90% of the people
uses social media marketing and this in turn assist business to let other know about new offer
easily. Hence, with the help of this study, company understand up to what level, customers are
satisfied within the offered social media marketing tools so that further strategy can be
implemented accordingly.
Significance of the research
The present dissertation is beneficial to Morrison because by conducting primary
research, it will help to understand whether the customers are satisfied with marketing strategies
opted or not. Along with this, company also ascertain different challenges faced by customers
and then implement the strategies to overcome the same (Nyagadza, 2021). This in turn help the
business to create a brand image at global level and generate a strong customer base as well. On
the other side, another significance of this study is towards a retail sector because other
competitors also understand the importance of SMM and implement the same within a business
area so that company’s brand image can be sustained effectively.
In addition to this, the present research will be beneficial to other scholars who want to
conduct the study on similar topic because they can use the content and understand the concept
effectively. Moreover, they can also use the information as a secondary research so that they
develop a good understanding and able to meet the defined objectives as well. Therefore, it can
be stated that this research is beneficial to readers in order to ascertain the importance of SMM
on customer’s satisfaction level.

Statement of the purpose
The reason for conducting the research is such that scholar have their own interest and
with the help of this, the concept of SMM determined that will be beneficial for the future. As
per the current era, it has been analysed that marketing is the only tool which help the company
to reach new customers and generate sales. Also, with the study on this topic, investigator also
raise the knowledge which in turn contribute to future study as well as raise academic interest as
well. So, it can be stated that with the help of this study, scholar determine the ways through
which company can increases their brand image by implementing different SMM tools.
Moreover, the research also contribute to understand the customer satisfaction level by analysing
marketing techniques so that their decision making process might be affected in positive manner.
Aim and objectives
The aim of the research is to examine the impact of using different social media
marketing tools on Morrison customer satisfaction level.
Objectives:
 To develop understanding regarding the concept of social media marketing (SMM)
 To examine different SMM tools used by the retail sector to increase customer
satisfaction.
 To assess the influence of SMM on Morrison’s customer satisfaction level.
 To examine the challenges faced by marketers while using SMM into the business area.
 To recommend the best strategies pertaining to SMM that affect positively upon customer
satisfaction level.
Research Questions
 What is social media marketing?
 What are different SMM tools used by retail sector for customer satisfaction?
 What is the extent to which SMM tools influence Morrison’s customer satisfaction level?
 What are the challenges faced by the marketers while implementing SMM startegies?