Assessing Social Media Marketing's Impact on Brand Image

This report investigates the influence of social media marketing on a business's brand image, focusing on Hilton Hotels UK. It begins with a rationale highlighting the importance of social media in a competitive market, followed by the research aim and objectives. The literature review explores the benefits of social media for brand promotion, customer engagement, and competitive advantage. The research methodology includes the interpretivism philosophy, an inductive approach, and a descriptive research design. Survey is chosen as the main strategy for data collection. The report also outlines data collection techniques, sampling, ethical considerations, and a time plan. The study aims to analyze the effectiveness of social media in building relationships, determine its impact on brand image, and recommend ways to enhance brand image through improved social media practices.

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING ON BRAND IMAGE
OF BUSINESS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rationale of the study................................................................................................................1
Research Aim.............................................................................................................................1
Literature Review......................................................................................................................1
Research philosophy..................................................................................................................3
Research approach....................................................................................................................4
Research nature.........................................................................................................................4
Research strategies....................................................................................................................5
Research techniques..................................................................................................................5
Sampling.....................................................................................................................................6
Time frame.................................................................................................................................6
Ethical and accessibility issues.................................................................................................7
Implementation time plan.........................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................11

Rationale of the study
The main reason behind carrying out the present study will be “To assess the influence of
social media marketing on brand image of business”. Further, for conducting research Hilton
Hotel UK will be chosen as one of the organization where business is indulged into practices of
delivering various types of services in the hospitality sector (About us, 2016). Apart from this,
competition level is quite high in the market due to which businesses have to deal with large
number of challenges (UK hotels forecast, 2016). Moreover, the challenging business
environment prevents business from accomplishing its desired aim and objectives. With the
motive, to deal with the market issues social media is one of the most commonly adopted tools
(Tsimonis and Dimitriadis, 2014). Through this, technique it becomes easy to understand about
the taste and requirement of target market. Social media practices of Hilton hotels are quite
effective in the form of information sharing with the help of Facebook and twitter where crucial
information linked with products and services is shared by company with its target market. In
short, it has become one of the main reasons behind success of Hilton hotel in the market and in
turn business is able to deal with challenges in long term (Dragon, 2013). Social media has
allowed modifying services as per social trends of the customers and has enhanced profitability
level also.
Research Aim
The main aim behind carrying out the present study will be “To assess the influence of
social media marketing on brand image of business: A study on Hilton Hotels UK”.
Objectives: Following will be the objectives for the study which are as follows:
 To analyze the effectiveness of social media in building relationship with target market.
 To determine the impact on social media practices on brand image of Hilton Hotel UK
 To recommend the ways through which brand image of Hilton hotel can be enhanced
through better social media practices
Literature Review
In the modern era social media is one of the most commonly adopted tool in the market
for promotion of products (McFarland, 2015). Further, it is well known fact that companies are
operating in the market where competition level is quite high and large numbers of hurdles are
present. Apart from this, providing proper information to the customers in relation with the
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products is necessary for enterprise and this directly assists in accomplishment of long term aims
and objectives. As per view of Bowen and Ozuem (2014) social media as a tool is quite effective
where businesses operating in the market can better understand requirement of its customers. In
short, it allows company to gain competitive advantage and in turn it becomes easy to deal with
the challenges being present in the business environment (Bowen and Ozuem, 2014).
Hospitality companies provide information in relation with the services of the business
and other type of data such as service modification, discount and other offers. Through this it
becomes easy to retain customers for longer period of time. Further, it is well known fact that for
businesses satisfying need of target market is one of the toughest tasks and it is possible when
larger efforts are applied in promotion and marketing of products. However, Bravo, Montaner
and Pina (2012) argued that practices associated with social media allows business to
differentiate its products from those of customers in the market and in turn acts as development
tool for the organization (Bravo, Montaner and Pina, 2012). One of the key advantages of using
social media is wide coverage where information can be easily shared with large number of
customers. Moreover, before purchasing any type of product or service consumer search for
areas where information linked with product is easily available. Further, by using information
products are purchased which well suits with the requirement of the target market. According to
Hajli and Nick (2015), social media practices have encouraged businesses to survive in the
competitive market for longer period of time and have allowed companies to become leader also.
Social media marketing has direct impact on the brand image of business where entire
ranges of products are perceived positively by target market and this creates unique position of
product in their minds. Apart from this, it becomes possible for organization to boost sales
volume by highlighting all the key benefits of the product. In short all the desired goals along
with objectives of the business can be accomplished easily by focusing on social media tools
such as Facebook, twitter, etc. Further, by indulging into social media practices it becomes easy
for enterprise to take feedback from customers in relation with products and services. As per
view of Jeff and et.al., (2014), business can easily assess its market performance through social
media by knowing whether customers are satisfied with its products or not. Generally marketing
with the help of other tools such as advertisement through newspaper, television is not effective
and sometime it may not influence purchase behavior of customers (Jeff and et.al., 2014).
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Therefore, for effective marketing or promotion one of the best ways is to employ social media
tools where brand image of the business can be easily developed in the competitive market.
However, Luttrell (2014) argued that to engage with customers social media marketing
tools are considered to be best for business as it provides platform for the same. Further, it is well
known fact that every customer has some sort of expectations from the business and same can be
easily met if they are engaged into each and every practice of company. In case if any business
enterprise promotes product through advertisement and when images of services or products are
seen on social media then it has positive impact on brand image of business (Rajagopal., 2013).
Apart from this, it allows companies to know about the changing social trends of the customers
on the basis of which services can be offered to them. Apart from this, many organizations have
to face difficulties in the market such as lack of knowledge in relation with customer’s
preference. So, this issue can be tackled easily by offering them products keeping in view their
needs. As per view of Sasmita and Suki (2015) building healthy relationship with the target
market is necessary for every business in the modern era and this can only be possible through
presence on social media. Generally any organization builds its brand image by serving
customers above their expectation level (Städtler, 2011).
Research philosophy
It is based on the assumptions along with values and practices which supports in defining
the topic of research in effective manner. Further, in every research it is must to understand about
the topic in proper manner so that expected findings can be obtained easily (Sreedharan, 2007).
Further, different philosophies are present which are used in the research among which most
commonly used are interpretivism and positivism. By selecting appropriate philosophy it is
possible to accomplish aim of the research. Interpretivism as a philosophy allows researcher to
interpret the results and in turn it is possible to focus on the aim of the study. Further, positivism
as a philosophy allows highlighting the positive results and helps investigator to generalize the
data obtained in light of research objectives.
Considering the nature of the present research interpretivism as a philosophy will be used
where researcher will interpret the results so that other individuals can better understand it.
Further, main focus will be on determining the overall influence of social media marketing on
brand image of business. Therefore, this aim will be accomplished by undertaking this
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philosophy. Apart from this, one of the main reasons due to which positivism philosophy has not
been undertaken will be that it is not possible to highlight the positive facts.
Research approach
It is associated with gathering and analyzing the crucial information linked with the
research. Two types of approaches are present which are used in the study namely inductive and
deductive (Stake, 2005). In inductive approach results move from specific to general and in
deductive one it is vice versa. Selection of approach depends on the nature of the research and in
turn enhances validity of the study.
Considering the present research inductive approach will be used where entire research is
based on social media practices of Hilton hotel and on the basis of results recommendations can
be provided to other companies which are operating in hospitality industry. On the other hand,
deductive approach will not be beneficial for the research as study will not be carried out in
generalized form.
Research nature
In order to carry out the entire research in appropriate manner it is necessary to
understand its nature for obtaining expected results easily. Further, research nature is also
considered as design of the study which is of different types such as exploratory, descriptive,
explanatory etc (Tracy, 2012). Exploratory design focuses on exploring new ideas and same can
be applied in conducting research. Further, implementation of new ideas provides base to the
research which makes study more reliable. Moreover, descriptive design focuses on providing
description of the topic being selected for the study and through this in-depth analysis can be
easily carried out for the benefit of research. Apart from this, explanatory as design supports in
providing explanation of the topic selection and information regarding the same can be gathered
easily.
Considering the nature of present study, descriptive design will be used through that
description of the topic chosen will be provided. Further, through this it will become possible to
gain expected findings and research will be carried out in appropriate manner. Other designs
such as exploratory and explanatory will not be suitable for the present research as new ideas
cannot be explored in the research and this will be one of the main reasons behind not
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considering these designs. The nature of entire research will be descriptive through which
description of the topic chosen will be provided easily.
Research strategies
Research strategies help in knowing about the nature of the research and are associated
with the process of data collection. Different types of research strategies are present which are
used in the research and they are case studies, surveys, interviews and other type of strategies
(Manion, Cohen and Morrison, 2007). Case study strategies highlight descriptive studies where
information is collected with the help of observation. In surveys open ended questions are used
along with questionnaire with the motive to collect information in appropriate manner. Interview
is another type of strategy which is discussion with one or more people.
Considering the nature of present study survey is one of the main strategies that will be
undertaken where data would be collected by conducting survey. Main reason behind
undertaking survey is that through this, it will be possible to obtain the expected information.
Further, main focus will be on identifying social media practices of Hilton Hotel and its overall
impact on brand image of company. Therefore, this strategy will support in accomplishing this
aim and will generate fruitful results for the study.
Research techniques
Techniques in the research are associated with the process of data collection and analysis.
Further, in every type of study it is necessary to employ effective techniques so that aim of the
study can be accomplished easily. For collection of data two types of sources are present namely
primary and secondary. Primary information is collected for the main purpose of study and data
is not used in any other study (Fowler, 2009). Further, secondary information is already used in
various researches. Considering the nature of present study both sources will be obtained for data
collection. Primary information will be collected with the help of well designed questionnaire so
as to gain information in relation with the social media practices of company. On the other hand
secondary information will be obtained with the help of books, journals and online articles which
are associated with the topic selected.
On the other hand, in case of data analysis different techniques are present through which
crucial information obtained can be easily analyzed. Two techniques of data analysis are
presented namely qualitative and quantitative. In qualitative technique different themes are
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formed for analyzing information which is associated with the study. Apart from this, in
quantitative technique statistical tools are employed such as mean, mode and median for
analyzing information. In the present study, qualitative technique will be used for analyzing
information where themes will be formed on the basis of information obtained with the help of
respondents selected for the study. Therefore, in this way all these techniques will be employed
for conducting research as expected
Sampling
It is considered as one of the most important part of the study where sample size is
selected for conducting the research in appropriate manner. Respondents are selected from a
range of population so as to obtain information from them. In the present study data will be
obtained from marketing managers working in Hilton hotels. Further, they will provide
information in relation with the social media practices of the company on the basis of which aim
of the study will be accomplished. 5 marketing managers of company will be selected as sample
size and information will be obtained from them. With the help of questionnaire, information
from 5 managers will be obtained. Moreover, technique of purposive sampling will be
undertaken where data will be gathered keeping in view the main purpose of the study and it will
be beneficial for the entire research. Therefore, in this way the sample size adopted and sampling
technique undertaken will assist in accomplishment of aim of the study.
Time frame
It undertakes two types of studies which are cross sectional and longitudinal. Generally,
cross sectional studies are considered as the representative of population and it measures all the
factors which are outcome, exposure and cofounders (Saunders, 2003). In this type of study, data
on all the variables is only collected once and is beneficial in case of descriptive analysis. On the
other hand, in case of longitudinal study there is no interference in relation with the subject
matter. One of the key benefits of this study is that it is possible for investigator to detect
development in the attributes of target population both at group and individual level.
The present research will be longitudinal where researcher will focus on identifying the
changes in the characteristics of target population. Further, this will enhance reliability of the
research and in turn expected results will be obtained easily which is fruitful for the study.
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Ethical and accessibility issues
In every type of research it is necessary to consider ethical issues. Researcher will collect
information from the managers working in Hilton hotels and it may be possible that respondents
will not prefer to provide information as other parties may access it. Therefore, to deal with this
issue researcher will keep the information in secured place so that it is not accessible by others.
Apart from this, accessibility issue will also influence present study as managers of the study
may not be accessible due to which issues have to be faced during data collection. Therefore, in
this way these will be the issues faced by researcher.
Implementation time plan
Key Activities
Week
1
Week
2 & 3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Week
7
Week
8 & 9
Week
10
Preparing for
Introduction
Literature Review
Collecting secondary
information
Examining of collected
Data
Research Design
Research Methodology
Obtaining Primary Data
Analysis of primary and
secondary data
Conclusions and
Recommendations
Completion of
remaining work
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Revise and draft
Final Submission
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bowen, G. and Ozuem, W., 2014. Computer-Mediated Marketing Strategies: Social Media and
Online Brand Communities. IGI Global.
Bravo, R. Montaner, T. and Pina, M. J., 2012. Corporate brand image of financial institutions: a
consumer approach. Journal of Product & Brand Management. 21(4) .pp.232 – 245.
Fowler, J. F., 2009. Survey Research Methods. SAGE.
Hajli and Nick., 2015. Handbook of Research on Integrating Social Media into Strategic
Marketing. IGI Global.
Jeff, M. and et.al., 2014. Managing brand presence through social media: the case of UK
football clubs. Internet Research. 24(2) .pp.181 – 204.
Luttrell, R., 2014. Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect. Rowman & Littlefield.
Manion L., Cohen, L., and Morrison, K., 2007. Research methods in education. Routledge.
Rajagopal., 2013. Managing Social Media and Consumerism: The Grapevine Effect in
Competitive Markets. Springer.
Sasmita, J. and Suki, M. N., 2015. Young consumers’ insights on brand equity: Effects of brand
association, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand image. International Journal of
Retail & Distribution Management. 43(3) .pp.276 – 292.
Saunders, M., 2003. Research Methods for Business Students. Pearson Education India.
Sreedharan, 2007. A Manual of Historical Research Methodology. South Indian Studies.
Städtler, R., 2011. Celebrity Scandals and Their Impact on Brand Image: A Study Among Young
Consumers. GRIN Verlag.
Stake, R. E., 2005. Quantitative case studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Tracy, J. S., 2012. Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis,
Communicating Impact. John Wiley & Sons.
Tsimonis, G. and Dimitriadis, S., 2014. Brand strategies in social media. Marketing Intelligence
& Planning. 32(3). pp.328 – 344.
Online
About us. 2016. [Online]. Available through: <http://www3.hilton.com/en/index.html>.
[Accessed on 23rd March 2016].
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Dragon, R., 2013. Big Brand Theory: Hilton Hotels and Resorts. [Online]. Accessed through
<http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/big-brand-theory-hilton-hotels-and-resorts>.
[Accessed on 6th April 2016].
McFarland, J., 2015. Social Media Usage Nearly 10 Times Higher Than a Decade Ago. [Online].
Accessed through <http://smallbiztrends.com/2015/10/social-media-usage-statistics-
survey.html>. [Accessed on 6th April 2016].
UK hotels forecast., 2016. [PDF]. Accessed through <https://www.pwc.co.uk/assets/pdf/uk-
hotels-forecast-2016.pdf>. [Accessed on 6th April 2016].
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APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE
Name
Age
25-35 years
35-45 years
45 and above
Does your organization uses social media for sharing information with customers?
Yes
No
What kinds of benefits are obtained through social media practices?
Stronger customer base
Positive brand image
Higher profits
All of the above
Do social media practices allow you to keep customers updated in relation with product
information?
Yes
No
Social media tools supports in enhancing satisfaction level of the target market?
Strongly agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Research technique
Results of survey will be analyzed qualitatively where different themes will be formed on
the basis of information obtained and by keeping in view that all the research questions can be
answered easily.
Theme 1: Hilton hotel uses social media for sharing information with customers
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From the information gathered, it has been found that Hilton hotel strongly uses social
media for sharing information with its customers where 3 out of 5 managers of company are in
favor of this. They replied that through this source, it becomes easy to build a strong relationship
with the target market.
Theme 2: Strong customer base and positive brand image are the main benefit of social
media practices
From the collected data, it has been found that key benefits of social media practices are
positive brand image and strong customer base. Three managers are in favor of strong brand
image among which one is in favor of strong customer base. Through this information, it can be
easily said that social media has a direct impact on the brand image of business.
Theme 3: Social media has supported to keep customers updated in relation with product
information
From the composed information, it has been found that social media has allowed Hilton
hotel to keep its target market updated in relation with the product information. Further, four
managers are in favor of this and replied that social media has supported business in building a
strong relationship with its target market.
Theme 4: Social media has allowed in enhancing satisfaction level of target market
From the gathered data, it has been found that social media as a tool has assisted in
enhancing the satisfaction level of customers in the market. Further, 4 out of 5 managers are in
favor of this and replied that tools of social media have assisted in sharing information.
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