M&S: Analyzing Social Media Advertising's Influence on Consumers

This report investigates the impact of social media advertising on consumer perception, focusing on Marks and Spencer (M&S), a major UK retailer. The research aims to understand the influence of social media marketing on consumer behavior in the retail industry, particularly in the context of the shift from physical stores to digital retailing, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report includes an analysis of the business environment using PESTLE and SWOT frameworks to identify key challenges and opportunities for M&S in leveraging social media advertising. It critically evaluates the impact of social media on consumer perception and buying behavior, drawing from current literature and debates. The report concludes with recommendations for M&S to effectively utilize social media marketing to attract and retain consumers in the competitive retail landscape. Finally, the report includes a reflection section which details the skills developed during the delivery of the project.

Business research

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Part 1: Analysis of the business environment..................................................................................5
An overview of the organisation / Business context at Marks and Spencer................................5
Analysis of the external environment (PESTLE)........................................................................5
Analysis of the internal environment (SWOT analysis)..............................................................7
Part 2: Critical analysis of the identified business problem............................................................9
Conclusion and Recommendations................................................................................................14
Part 3: Reflection on Academic and Professional competency skills............................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20

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 recently been adopted 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 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. The current
literature available on the topic of social media advertising primarily focuses on the key metrics
associated with social media advertising and how it can be implemented by small businesses and
multinational corporations to attain profitability.
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. This answers can help businesses adopt suitable
social media practices according to their industry to influence consumer positively and gain
competitive advantage. It is an important research 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.
Marks and Spencer is one of the largest retailers in United Kingdom and has many outlets
across the world. Marks and Spencer has 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 and its impact on
consumers. This is an important area to be covered in a research as it helps the company
understand the ways their social media image and tools are helping them attract competitors and
rise above computers in the constantly changing retail industry.
Social media marketing is significant in bringing high volume of consumers in the retail
industry. 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). 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. 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.
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. 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 in
the area of social media, advertising and marketing. 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. In addition to this, another objective of this investigation is
to evaluate the relation between social media advertising on consumer buying behaviour. 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 in
order 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 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 is 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
To assess range of social media advertising on customer perception
To evaluate relation between social media advertising on consumer buying behaviour
Analysis of the external environment (PESTLE)
 Political - A number of 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. M&S can import foreign items for
sale in their retail locations at reduced costs through cheap labour, while still maintaining
a healthy profit margin. 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). 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 (Farris and et. al., 2017). Like most other UK
supermarkets, Marks and Spencer has indeed installed self-scan structures in its shops.
 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.
 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. 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.
Analysis of the internal environment (SWOT analysis)
Weakness - Many people think Marks and Spencer is unwilling to engage in children. 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.
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 also 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.
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. 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.
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 declared its intent to
transfer a large portion of its clothing online stores.

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. Brand-related stimuli have become an important part of the brand
information transfer process. Targeted customer comments in response to brand images can
result in feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that are unique to each brand, guess it depends on the
type of product or service. The associations formed as a result 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. 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. Companies must recognise that the process of
incorporating branding and logo content in social media necessitates a close examination of the
substance and a focus on manufacturer community building, according to researchers.
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. 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, 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.
Social media has an influence on the purchase decisions - The lots of folks 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. Likes, shares, comments, and other factors on
their main pages will influence and have a significant effect on consumers' choices.
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, 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 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.
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.
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
(Nasir et al., 2021). This indicated that consumer perception and online advertising had a strong
and positive relationship. 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 a celebrity
endorser 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. With
fierce competition between brands, a product's quality of features and range improves. 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 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. 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 has 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. Marks and
Spencer has 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. In addition to this the company is able to influence social media trends so that their
clothing lines and home ware range provide higher sales. 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 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 has 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 has 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 organization 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).
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. 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 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 as the online shopping became more widely available. Millions of
people around the world now use social media. When social media first gained ground, 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. 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 through a large-scale social network,
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.
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. Emotional appeal is frequently used by
companies that don't really believe about their product offers that at all unique in compared with
its competitors to persuade customers to buy the product. Scholars 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 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. Celebrities have an indirect impact on the buying intent by establishing waves
of Networking because they usually have a big proportion of followers. 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, including details like special offers sets a product apart from the
contests. Details with a high positive sensationalism can try and 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 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 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 utilizes 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.

.
Part 3: Reflection on Academic and Professional competency skills
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 businessperson can use to boost profitability. 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 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 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. 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.

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