Social Media Marketing and Consumer Behavior: A Case Study on Asos

This dissertation investigates the influence of social media marketing, specifically Instagram, on consumer buying behavior, with a case study focusing on the online retailer Asos. The study explores the factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions, the role of brand image, and how Instagram impacts consumer purchase intentions. The research methodology includes a literature review, primary and secondary research, qualitative research, and thematic analysis. The literature review covers topics like consumer behavior, social media marketing, and the impact of brand image. Data collection techniques include the use of primary data collection methods and secondary data from existing sources. The findings are analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes related to Instagram's influence on consumer behavior. The study aims to determine how Instagram stimulates consumers to purchase clothing from Asos, offering insights into the effectiveness of social media marketing strategies. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for Asos to enhance its marketing efforts and improve consumer engagement through Instagram.

DISSERTATION

ABSTRACT
Social media marketing is most essential tool for an organisation. With the help
of this tool, an organisation easily promote its products and services in marketplace.
Main purpose behind doing this investigation is to develop basic knowingness about the
meaning of social media marketing, especially Instagram. This research will also help
an investigator in identification of different types of consumer buying behaviour models.
Therefore, it is most essential topic which will support a researcher to complete each
activities or tasks of study within given time duration. Asos is chosen retailer for this
dissertation. In order to do this research, different number of activities have been
completed such as literature review, research methodology, data collection and data
analysis etc. Along with this, literature review have been completed via different opinion
of authors. Research methodology is also completed with the support of different
methods as well as approaches such as primary and secondary research, qualitative
research, probabilistic sampling etc. Apart from this, data analysis and interpretation
have been finished with the use of thematic analysis. In this technique, certain number
of themes have been created which will supported an investigator to complete full
dissertation in given time period. Conclusion and recommendation is also activity which
will assist an investigator to accomplish each objectives of investigation in systematic
manner.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................2
TITLE..............................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
Overview of study.................................................................................................................1
Rationale of study...................................................................................................................1
Aim of study..........................................................................................................................2
Objectives of study ................................................................................................................2
Questions of study..................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................2
Factors that influence customer buying behaviour.................................................................3
Role of social media marketing in increasing accessibility in business.................................4
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................11
Introduction..........................................................................................................................11
Research Philosophies..........................................................................................................11
Research Strategy.................................................................................................................12
Research Method and approaches........................................................................................12
Sampling Procedures............................................................................................................12
Data collection techniques....................................................................................................13
Data Analysis method...........................................................................................................13
Reliability.............................................................................................................................13
Ethical factors.......................................................................................................................14
Research Limitation..............................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

TITLE
“To identify the influence of social media marketing platform such as Instagram
on consumer buying behaviour. A case study on Asos.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of study
Social media marketing introduces as an optimum use of websites and different
number of social media platforms to advertise a product or service in market. It is a
powerful way for an organisation to reach customers and prospects easily. There are
different social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. All
these are important for an organisation to promote their products or services and attract
large number of customers easily (Bai, Yao and Dou, 2015). Consumer buying
behaviour introduces as a sum total of a consumer's preference, decisions, intentions
and attitudes about the consumer's behaviour in the market when buying a product or
service. Therefore, in order to enhance consumer's buying behaviour, Instagram is one
of the best platform of social media marketing. As it will help an organisation to attract
larger number of customers and increase their profitability within wasting any time. For
this study, Instagram is an useful medium of social network which is used by company
to influence customers to buy more products. For this dissertation, Asos is a given
British online cosmetic and fashion retailer. It was founded in 2000 by Nick Beightob,
Adam Crozier, Anders Holch Povlsem and headquartered in London, England, United
Kingdom.
Rationale of study
Main reason behind doing this investigation is to determine the significance of
social media marketing, especially Instagram on buying behaviour of consumer within
Amazon. This research is most essential and effective for researcher in personal as well
as academic way. Along with this, with the help of this study, an investigator is able to
enhance their literature review skills and data collection skill (Dagher and Itani, 2014).
These skills will also support them to complete each activities of study in
systematic manner. This study will also assist a researcher to identify affects of
Instagram on profitability of company. Thus, it is essential for a researcher to identify
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different ways for enhancing purchasing behaviour of consumer. Apart from this, in
academic manner, this research help those students whose have lack of knowledge
about the impact of social media marketing.
Aim of study
Main aim of this study is “To identify the influence of social media marketing
platform such as Instagram on consumer buying behaviour. A case study on Asos.
Objectives of study
 To determine what factors can influence consumer buying behaviour.
 To evaluate the power of brand image and how it can influence consumers
purchase intention.
 To analyse how Instagram influences consumers to buy from Asos.
Questions of study
 What are the factors that can influence consumer buying behaviour?
 How is the brand image created by Asos influencing consumer buying
behaviour?
 How can social media marketing influence consumers purchase intention?
 To what extent does Instagram stimulate consumers to purchase clothing?
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
A literature review refers as an effective and systematic method which is used by
researcher in order to identify in-depth information about the current study. It is a type of
review article which includes different current knowledge about substantive findings and
theoretical contributions to a specific topic (Pappas, 2016). In addition, it is a kind of
secondary source that not report original as well as new experimental work.
There are different elements in literature review such as locate major formative
works in the field, ascertain key investigators working on current topic, find main ideas,
conclusion and theories, identify gaps in existing research etc. All these are major
purpose of literature review which will help a researcher in identification of accurate and
in detailed information about the study. Literature review is most essential and
important part of dissertation which will support an investigator to accumulate in-depth
information regarding the study (Badgaiyan and Verma, 2015). Social media is most
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essential part for an organisation to advertise their products and services in marketplace
and to the customers. Social media marketing is important for an enterprise by
enhancing buying behaviour of consumer. It is also essential for an enterprise by
increasing its profitability and performance within given time duration. Along with this, in
literature review section, each objectives of study will be addressed in accurate and
systematic manner.
Factors that influence customer buying behaviour
As per the point of view of Hajli 2014), purchasing behaviour can be defined as a
combination of various factors like consumer's preference, attitudes, decisions and
intentions about their behaviour in marketplace when buying a particular product or
service. It may basically defined in two types that are social and personal where,
initiatives taken by organisation to create its positive brand image, considered as
socially focused behaviour. While self-realisation termed as personal behaviour that
influenced by demographic factors like age, occupation, economic condition and more.
According to opinion of Foxall (2014), it has been identified that social factors like
references group, role in society, friends, relatives and more affect most the customer
buying behaviour. Hereby, as every person is surrounded by many individuals so, they
can easily influence easily by them. It includes co-workers, family members, neighbours
and more. Similarly, status in society also influenced the same hereby, organisations
judge buying behaviour of customers as per society where they live and people around
them. It also reflects that people belong to upper class focus on purchasing luxurious
items, whilst individuals having less background or low status prefer commodities that
are available on less price. Thus, it shows that purchasing process are majorly
influenced by cultural and psychological variables. Along with this, when people buying
any product then they usually read reviews of others, their family members, friends and
relatives etc. who have previously experienced. It reflects the perception of others,
create a large impact on buying behaviour of people. So, it is essential for companies to
consider these factors while offering their commodities.
Role of social media marketing in increasing accessibility in business
According to Kanchanapibul & et. al. 2014), to reach targeted customers it
becomes essential for organisations to create and develop a website. This would help in
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bringing awareness among customers about services or products offered by them.
Hereby, social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more, aid in
maintaining the competitive edge as well. Social media marketing can be defined as an
effective tool to market the business's products and services. This tool of marketing
gives a number of opportunities for an organisation to reach new clients, engage with
present customers and encourage its desired mission and culture. In simple word,
social media marketing introduces as useful techniques or tools that target social
networks as well as applications to spread brand awareness and advertise specific
products or services. Social media websites or networks allow companies to utilize a
broad range of strategies as well as tactics to promote information and have customer
engage with it. One of the main key advantage of social media networking is that it
enable the organisations to interact with their targeted customers. This would give an
insight to companies in understanding actual need of consumers and develop effective
plans for formulating marketing strategies to cater wants of them as well. Therefore, all
these part of social media helps an organisation to promote their product and services
in marketplace. Social media is very inexpensive technique as compare to other forms
of marketing. It allow the company to engage the target customer and create interactive
or strong relationship with audience. Along with this, Instagram is more powerful
technique of marketing which must be used by Asos to advertise their clothing, shoes,
beauty, accessories and many other products in forms of photos, videos etc. Therefore,
it will help them by increasing customers base as well as maximising sales also.
The ways by which social media marketing helps ASOS and other organisations
in increasing their accessibility at marketplace can be analysed in following way –
 Improve Responsiveness: Social media network aid companies in making
proper interaction with their targeted audience. This would enable them in taking
timely feedbacks to customers for further improvement in business, to satisfy
their needs. Along with this, it also give convenient and accessible way to
customers to express views about experience that they have gained by using
certain products. So, this type of interaction also give opportunities to
organisations in making effective relationship with customers and cater their
needs as well.
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 Develop competitive advantage: As today, every organisation is concerned to
capitalise the benefits of social media for enhancing online presence. Therefore,
the main advantage of social media marketing is to provide information about
strategies used by competitors to engage customers with their businesses. This
would help ASOS and other retailers in formulating more effective strategies in
order to gain high competitive edge over them.
 Communication and Brand awareness: The social media has provided a
number of channels like LinkedIn and Instagram, to generate more interest more
interest among customers by overwhelming them through marketing campaigns.
Hereby, strategic advertisement techniques which are placed within informative
posts are taken as most effective way for spreading the awareness about brand
in targeted audience. Thus, branding awareness provides a greater chance to
ASOS in reaching towards customers. Interacting with customers through
effective way of communication at personal level, is another main benefits of
social media.
The impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour
According to Gulzar Asma, (2018), social media marketing is one of the powerful
mode for every business organisation as it provide support to reach out to target and
prospective customers. This is the main reason that companies highly use social media
marketing through which they easily easily established their competitive image by
inviting large number of customers. It also help them in attaining marketing and
branding objectives that contribute in making image of the company more popular and
competitive as well. Along with this, social media also provide the new opportunities to
business to engage with large number of customers by interacting with them through
internet platform. In addition of this, social media marketing consider as an effective
marketing tool through which company can influence their customers to consume its
products and services to satisfy their needs. Mainly, social media is a two way
communication that allow company to interact with large number of customers to
provide them information towards its products and services. It is consider as an online
applications or platform which aim is to interact, collaborate and also sharing the
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content about the products offering by company to its customers. By this, company
easily change the way of customers behaviour at the time of buying company products.
One of the main advantage of social media for company is to provide communication
ground with the consumers that help in building brand loyalty in customers mind.
Along with this, Asos also influence customers to buy its products by using its
brand image and popularity. In this regards, brand of the company is related with its
name and products served in customers mind that help them in differentiate the
particular brand from others brand in market place. Mainly, brand name of an
organisation play crucial role in assurance of value and efficacy for the customers. This
is the main reason that company can easily reach out to its large number of consumers
that support them in establishing its competitive and positive image at global market
place where in large number of companies are operate in same industry.
According to Godey and et. al., (2016), large number of companies implement
social media as it play an important part in promoting brand image at market place. As it
also influence customers and also change their behaviour at the time of purchasing
company products. This will increase the profitability level of the company and at the
same time also increase the customers base at market place. Apart from this, social
media can be defined as a consumers generated media that includes wider variety of
new sources of online information provided by the company to its customers in order to
encourage them to consume company products in order to improve their performance
level at competitive market place. In context of Asos, company use social media as a
marketing tool that help in accomplishing the brand image so that number of customers
get attracted towards its offerings. In this regards, there are different channels like
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more are the major platform through which
company promote its products in wider market area. By these channels, Asos can
promote its services and at the same time also invite large number of customers. With
the assistance of this, company easily capture market share from its rivals. In this
regards, there are some major impact of social media on consumer buying behaviour
are as follows:
 Increase trust: Social media marketing is consider as an two way communication
in which company interact with customers to establish trust in their mind towards
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the its products and services. As it includes online activities in which customers
provide their reviews and opinion about the company products that may help
them in improving their satisfaction. With the assistance of this, company can
easily change their mind set and keep their intention to buy company products
and services. This is beneficial for company in engaging customers with Asos.
 Intention to buy: It is important for business organisation to use social media
within their business activities as it help in inviting more and more customers
towards its offerings. By using social media, firm easily influence their customers
and also create their intention to buy company services. This is possible when
Asos provide all the necessary information about its services offering in the
market place. With the assistance of this, customers ready to buy company
products and make them competitive in market place.
According Schivinski and Dabrowski, (2016), social media marketing is also
includes in the business activities through which firm influence customers behaviour
towards its services. As it allow the creation and exchange of information that help in
inviting customers towards company services. It is web based tool that used to
transform and broadcast media. As it enables people to use various platform to share,
discuss as well create contents with each other through which company make
customers influenced to consume its services. This will contribute in creating values
which assist in making customers loyal towards the company and its services as well.
Social media platform are also influence customers behaviour to build trust that improve
overall performance of the company at market place. Consumers are highly influence by
the use of social media as it improve the base of customers by changing their behaviour
about its services offered by the company to its services.
Instagram influences consumers to buy from Asos
The purchasing behaviour of customers are being affected by the marketing
tactics that an organisation uses as it directly affect the mindset of consumers. In
addition to this the marketing activities also support in spreading the information
regarding particular product or services among the customers. As per the view point of
Leila Thabet, 2018, the global director of content and engagement at ASOS, the aim of
using Instagram for marketing activities is to create a video that are sympathetic to the
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platform. For promotional activities various footage look are being captured over a
mobile phone and these videos in vertical format and are then created with Instagram
stories in the mind. This includes models are pictured in sportswear as well as formal
wear along with jeans, dresses which highlights the diversity of product offering by
ASOS. The biggest advantage of using Instagram as a promotional tool for attracting
customers to buy product or services is that instead of pushing a particular product,
Instagram allows the ads to showcase the range of items along with promoting the
brand's key message. It is all about delivering the brand message so that awareness
about the product or services can be generates. The success of project is lies in
ASOS's willingness to experiment over several different formats such as stop motion
animation, behind the scene content from shoots whose clips are being shared over
Instagram stories. These stories campaign focuses over delivering the contents that are
stylish and engaging them to watch instead of pushing the specific item.
By extending this Thabet, 2018, further suggested that Don't be afraid to try new
formats just be sure about the delivering of right message on right platform so that it
would be easier to understand how, where and why people are using Instagram stories
so that represent the information accordingly. As per the view point of Aalto and
Valtanen, 2018, Instagram is basically an application which freely allow a person to
share videos as well as photos by assessing the information from some individuals,
favourite celebrity as well as brand. Instagram basically have two key features such as it
act as a photo sharing social media application and another one is that it allow alteration
of image for developing creative photos. In addition to this Instagram allow the users to
capture videos, pictures, filter the post, hashtag and add descriptions.
According to the view point of Ong and Chan, 2016, Instagram is a type of
networking site that help in connecting people that reside over several geographical
location which includes people of all age despite of their gender, financial status, social
belief etc. with other entity whether a person or business that belongs to another part of
world. The large organisations like ASOS uses this platform to enhance their customer
reach by sharing information regarding new fashion items which support in getting touch
with consumers for building long term relationship and taking regular feedbacks in
order to rectify them and provide products as per customer demand.
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According to the view point of Stein and Ramaseshan, 2016, Instagram is
consider to be the only intermediary between the ASOS and its potential customers as it
support in formulating a communication among them so that company become able to
reside much closer to consumer. ASOS is one among the big e-retailer which working
toward building the trust among customers that is of significant interest to the company
as it is consider as most crucial factor that support in manipulating the consumer buying
choices. Hence by sharing information over Instagram and getting interacted with its
customers, ASOS become able to identify the consumer's purchasing behaviour and
aim toward approaching a particular product which further help company in predicting
the need and expectation of customer that drive the decision of consumer toward
purchasing of a particular product.
As per the view point of Seema Nayak, 2019, the fashion brand and Instagram
team up as a jeans and white tees as consumer usually to prefer connected with their
favourite brands on Instagram in order to regularly access the information regarding
latest trends. ASOS uses Instagram which is a visual platform that support in
representing the beautiful online catalogues on the news feed as well as status of its
social media page. This act as a two way engagement that allow fashion brands to get
connected with customers by keep on communicating with them. In addition to this
Instagram also involve an option of hashtag that support in easy targetting of
fashionistas and those that are aligned or connected with the message which brand is
spreading throughout the world. In addition to this it also support in encouraging
purchases with the help of product tagging as with the help of this shopper would be
easily able to checkout the right platform from where they would be able to purchase
product that are as per their need and expectations.
According to the view point of Ellen Hammett, 2018, Instagram rolls out its posts
by featuring the product in a manner that attract customer by providing detailed
information about the company's offering for providing a seamless experience. But
despite of this ASOS keep on worrying about whether this would be a turbo-charge
regarding what it does or may threaten its business model. The Instagram's free
shopping feature allow the organisation that use it as a promotional tool to tag up to five
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