Analyzing Social Media's Influence on Consumer Buying at M&S

This report investigates the influence of social media on consumer buying preferences, focusing on Marks & Spencer (M&S) in the UK fashion industry. It begins by outlining the role of social media in modern marketing and its impact on consumer behavior, particularly within the fashion sector. The research delves into various social media platforms utilized by UK fashion brands to shape customer preferences, highlighting the specific strategies employed by M&S. Through quantitative research methods, including a questionnaire distributed to customers, the study identifies that social media significantly impacts consumer purchasing decisions by providing updated information and influencing brand perception. The report concludes that social media is a powerful tool for positively influencing consumer behavior towards fashion brands like M&S, and recommends that companies leverage multiple social media channels to enhance customer engagement and drive sales. Desklib provides access to this report and many other solved assignments for students.

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCES
CONSUMER’S BUYING PREFERENCES
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ABSTRACT
Purpose: The main purpose of conducting the existing research is to carry out
information about the power of social media and role played by it to influence the buying
behaviour of customers towards the brand. This includes the proper in-depth information about
the concept of social media in an organisation and the different purposes that make an
organisation to adopt several social media platforms. It also includes the types of different social
media platforms for attracting large number of customers so that sales of company could be
improved.
Research methodology: The current investigation covers different types of research
methods for the collection and analysis of information so that pre-determined objectives could be
easily attained in a systematic way. This investigation has used quantitative research methods so
that numerical information can be gathered as well as analysed in the same procedure.
Questionnaire has developed by researcher with the purpose of accumulating first-hand data
related to the topic.
Findings: The main findings of the current investigation are that large number of
respondents who are the customers believe that social media helps in influencing their behaviour
towards the products of company. They think that they get great updated information which
helps them in purchasing products as per their preferences and needs.
Conclusion & Recommendations: It is concluded in the current investigation is that
social media is one of the best tools for positively influencing the behaviour of customers
towards the fashion brands of the United Kingdom. There are certain recommendations which
are recommended to chosen company such as using multiple social media channels.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am grateful that I have put efforts in the exiting investigation. But, it was not possible to
conduct this investigation without support of many people. I want to show my greater sincere to
all the individuals. I am thankful to my supervisors as well as professors who have helped me in
identifying the topic for the research as well as determining sources to collect relevant and
reliable information. Their constant support and guidance have assisted me in doing the research
in a systematic way so that defined objectives could be met.
I am also grateful to my parents and relatives that they have supported me emotionally
while doing my investigation in an effective and efficient way. I am also thankful to all those
people who have willing assisted me with their abilities.
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GLOSSARY
Social media: Usage of social media has assisted companies in enhancing customer
service, customer relations, improving brand visibility, improving information accessibility and
sharing. This helps an organisation to reduce the marketing cost and activities of customer
service.
Brand loyalty: It is the term which shows positive association customers attach to a
certain brand or product. Consumers who show brand loyalty are generally devoted to products
and services. This can be seen by their repeat purchases despite efforts of competitors to attract
them.
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Contents
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...............................................................................................................3
GLOSSARY....................................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................7
Overview of the topic ..................................................................................................................7
Background of the company .......................................................................................................7
Problem statement .......................................................................................................................7
Research questions ......................................................................................................................8
Research aim and objectives .......................................................................................................8
Snapshots of the methodology ....................................................................................................8
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................10
What is the concept of social media in context with UK fashion industry?..............................10
What are the major social media platforms used by UK fashion industry for influencing
customer’s preferences towards the brand?...............................................................................11
How social media platforms have influenced on buying preferences of consumers towards the
M&S?.........................................................................................................................................12
What are the benefits that Marks & Spencer could be gained while customer’s preferences
towards the brand?.....................................................................................................................14
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................17
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS...............................................................................19
Frequency Distribution Table....................................................................................................19
Data Interpretation.....................................................................................................................21
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................31
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................31
RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................32
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................33
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................36
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................36
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of the topic
Social media is an effective platform used by business organisations for promoting as well
as marketing their brand. It is a computer-based technology that helps in sharing thoughts, ideas,
information and data via communities and virtual networks (Bilgin, 2018). In a business context,
social media is the process used by companies for marketing and promoting products as well as
connecting customers to improve word-of-mouth. There are different platforms of social media
such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. These are main platforms that are effective and useful
for business organisations in influencing preference of the customers (Voramontri and Klieb,
2019). There are so many advantages of changing buying preference of customers to the business
organisation such as increase customer base, enhance business performance, increase sales and
profitability and many others.
Background of the company
Within this research, UK fashion industry is used for identifying influences of social media
on buying preferences of customers. Marks & Spencer is a chosen fashion retailer of United
Kingdom. Company was founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in 1884 with purpose
of providing excellent quality in clothing, food and home products. Company is well-known for
its quality product, effective use of promotional strategies and many others (Ebrahim, 2020). It is
not easy for the company to influence buying preference of customers because they want quality
in products and services. For this, social media is an effective way for M&S because it helps
them by providing accurate information regarding their brand to the customers (Wibowo and et.
al., 2020). Thus, use of social media is an important part for the growth and success of M&S
because it helps them in influencing customer’s buying preference towards the brand.
Problem statement
Today, the major problem for retailers is how to influence buying preference of customers.
This is a major problem that negative impacts over the brand image of organisations. In order to
reduce this problem, social media plays an important role. As it facilitates M&S in promoting
and marketing of its products or services on social media (Ioanas, 2020). There are various social
media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and many others. These platforms are useful for
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M&S in influencing customer’s preferences that leads to impact in increment of customer base as
well as improving business performance.
Research questions
 What is the concept of social media in context with UK fashion industry?
 What are the major social media platforms used by UK fashion industry for influencing
customer’s preferences towards the brand?
 How social media platforms have influenced on buying preferences of consumers
towards the M&S?
 What are the benefits that Marks & Spencer could be gained while customer’s
preferences towards the brand?
Research aim and objectives
Research aim: The aim of this research is to identify the influences of social media on buying
preferences of consumers towards the brand: A study on Marks & Spencer
Research objectives:
 To develop basic understanding about the social media in context with UK fashion
industry
 To identify the social media platforms used by UK fashion industry for influencing
customer’s preferences towards the brand
 To evaluate the influences of social media platforms on buying preferences of consumers
towards M&S
 To examine the benefits that Marks & Spencer could be gained while customer’s
preferences towards the brand
Snapshots of the methodology
Research methodology is an important part of the dissertation because with the help of this,
researcher can easily gather and evaluate data about the topic (McClure and Seock, 2020). There
are several methodologies that would be used for collecting as well as evaluating information
regarding the influences of social media on buying preferences of consumers towards the brand.
These methodologies are positivism philosophy, deductive approach, cross-sectional time
horizon, quantitative research, questionnaire and 30 customers are selected randomly through
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probability sampling (Ioanas, 2020). Therefore, these are main methodologies that will be
applied for attaining the research aim and objectives successfully.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review is the section that includes second-hand information about the chosen
topic. This focuses on addressing the research questions with the assistance of published and
used piece of information. This chapter includes secondary sources like books, journals, articles,
newspapers, publications etc.
What is the concept of social media in context with UK fashion industry?
According to Hsiao and et. al., (2020), in today's world fashion industry uses social
media for promoting its latest trends. The invention of several social media channels has
completely changed the manner customers perceive and consume data. There is a shift in the
overall thought procedure of not only the purchasers but also fashion brands and designers.
Fashion industry includes several number of fashion influencers who advocate different styles,
events fashion shows, designers and trends from several parts of the world. More significantly,
social media has helped in improving the ability to connect with large number of people. There
are several opportunities for the fashion companies involving new, established and upcoming as
they could connect and influence at the same time with reactions. Brainstorming sessions of
brands have become proactive and creative at the same time for grabbing the share of success
and profit part (Nash, 2018). Data on fashion is just a click way involving trends, latest products,
Fashion weeks, stories of models, constant exclusions and inclusions of styles and many more.
There are several followers who also contribute in indirect promotion of the products simply by
commenting on the Facebook and Instagram posts. It also includes liking, sharing and loving
posts of the brands. This clearly shows that social media has created a great level of importance
irrespective of name and age of brands. When any new style or trend comes in the market then
this is easily accepted by the customers through social media. It simply provides the wider
exposure to brands through social media.
There are various ways to promote product through several social media platforms.
Companies create proper hashtag for creating the positive impact and which can be used in
different social media channels. In Facebook, companies focuses on creating the balance
between messages and graphics as well as the publishing time. Companies also use Blog for
letting people know about the company's products in a systematic and instant manner.
Companies also make sure that every activity is well-harnessed and well-coordinated (Rocamora,
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2017). The introduction of social media channels help customers to open doors for large number
of people so that they can engage more and participate more with the brand. Now, social media
has become the important part of the fashion brand's marketing strategies and public relation
strategies. The significance of recruiting social media manager is continuously increasing with
each passing day. The interesting fact is that earlier fashion companies did not have the
allocation of budget for such kind of posts few years back. Social media provides consumers
with the choice of picking between different latest trends and the happiness of shopping with the
assistance of clicks. Companies are very well aware with the fact that more engagement is
created with future and existing customers with the assistance of social media channels. This
increases the sales of the fashion brands and expansion of the overall market. When fashion
companies and brands adopt social media channels then they create positive mind-set among
customers and increasing the profit level.
What are the major social media platforms used by UK fashion industry for influencing
customer’s preferences towards the brand?
According to Casadei and Lee (2020), UK fashion industry uses social media channels
for grabbing attention of the customers so that sales could be increased as well as profit. Fashion
brands use multiple social media channels as per their several features and the objectives that a
brand wants to achieve. Some of the most popular social media platforms used by UK fashion
industry are given below:
Facebook: It is one of the popular social media platforms which has great number of
monthly users and this makes the number one choice among customers as well as fashion brands.
With the feature of Facebook Ads Manager, fashion brands create advertisements that aim users
on specific factors such as gender, age, location, relationship status, job title, level of education,
device usage etc. This platform also assists brand in creating Custom Audiences through the list
of phone numbers and email addresses that company has collected to reach the existing
customers.
Instagram: The other greatest social media platform is Instagram and it assists in
boosting the sales of Fashion brands. This is the platform that has more than a million monthly
active users. This channel also has advertising options as Facebook (Helal, Ozuem and
Lancaster, 2018). It is known as a visual platform that assists fashion brand in showcasing the
personality of business. Instagram hashtags also assist marketers to reach large number of
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audience. In Instagram fashion brands use Live Video features and Instagram Stories to promote
and advertise products of the company
Snapchat: It is the social media channel that has more than 238 million active users. It is
a good platform for the fashion brands because it helps in sending real-time updates and
promoting appropriate events. It is the platform that helps company to post videos and photos
which remain active on the channel for 24 hours. It creates great opportunities for businesses to
promote timely events like product conference and launches. It also helps marketers in creating
and promoting events at large scale in the shorter time period. Basically, this is the platform
which helps in attracting younger generation because they are more active on this and get
attracted to buy fashion products.
YouTube: Another social media platform used by fashion industry is YouTube. This
channel has more than 2 billion users. It is one of the best social media platforms to highlight the
culture of a company and creating demonstrations and tutorials (Scuotto and et. al., 2017). When
organisation is capable to create content and the best platform for connecting with the users.
Through this channel companies host videos so that customers could attract more with the
products and services. Therefore, it is the best channel to attract customers and promote the
products and services.
How social media platforms have influenced on buying preferences of consumers towards the
M&S?
According to Kalu (2019), social media platforms have occupied a significant position as
a communication technique. People across the globe consider social media for connecting to
other people or companies. People have started using social media such as Twitter, Instagram,
LinkedIn and Facebook for sharing their experience. As a consumer, people share reviews about
the products, information about the service, great advice in relation to food and health, warnings
about different products, ways to use certain products and many more. On social media different
information is available which is consumed by many people (Nash, 2018). This kind of
information has become a source to influence customers as well as their buying behaviour. Many
research have shown that customer rely on the reviews and information on different social media
channels as one of the guides to plan their future purchases. Social media has grown in this
digital world for increasing the reach and creating a positive impact. More purchasers are now on
many social media networks and channels. Customers look for recommendations and reviews.
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