Dissertation: Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing for Sainsbury’s

This dissertation proposal aims to evaluate the effectiveness of social media marketing strategies in attracting new customers, focusing on Sainsbury's. The proposal outlines the background, aims, objectives, and research questions related to understanding how social media marketing can address customer turnover. It includes a literature review covering the concept and development of social media marketing, its importance in attracting customers, and effective strategies that Sainsbury's can implement. The proposal also details the research methodology, including the research strategy (qualitative), research approach (inductive), research philosophy (interpretivism), data collection methods (primary and secondary), sampling techniques (random sampling of Sainsbury's employees), and data analysis tools (thematic qualitative data analysis). Ethical considerations are also addressed to ensure the integrity of the research. Desklib provides students access to this and other solved assignments and past papers.

Dissertation Proposal
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TABLE OF CONTENT
TOPIC: EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGIES IN
CUSTOMERS’ ATTRACTION.....................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Background of the study..............................................................................................................3
Aim and objectives......................................................................................................................3
Research questions.......................................................................................................................3
Research problem........................................................................................................................4
Rationale......................................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
Concept and development of social media marketing.................................................................4
Article 1: What influences consumers’ intention to purchase organic personal care products? The
role of social reassurance.................................................................................................................4
Article 2: Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research..................................4
Importance and roles of social media marketing strategies for attracting new customers..........5
Article 3: Social Media as a Promotional Tool Towards SME’s Development.........................5
Article 4: Investigating the impact of social media advertising features on customer purchase
intention...........................................................................................................................................5
Effective strategies of social media marketing by which Sainsbury’s can attract and retain
customers.....................................................................................................................................5
Article 5: Young consumers’ motivational drivers of brand engagement behaviour on social
media sites.......................................................................................................................................5
Article 6: Measuring social media influencer index- insights from facebook, Twitter and
Instagram.........................................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
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TOPIC: EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
STRATEGIES IN CUSTOMERS’ ATTRACTION
INTRODUCTION
A process of promoting goods and services of companies with the main aim of attracting
customers by using internet and social media platform, is known as social media marketing. This
technological based marketing saves their time and cost as they do not need to travel as by using
internet, they can provide detailed information of products to customers.
Background of the study
Social media marketing refers usage of social networks and social media to market
products and services of companies. This study is based on Sainsbury’s, second largest chain of
supermarkets of UK. It was founded in the year of 1869 and has 16.0% share of supermarket
sector. This present study is going to discuss roles of social media marketing in attraction of new
customers and their satisfaction level. Further, it will discuss some examples and strategies of
social media marketing that can be used by Sainsbury’s for attracting customers and increasing
sales as well. It will then discuss roles of data collection, analysis and research strategy in
accomplishing goals.
Aim and objectives
Aim: Aim behind selecting this topic is “To evaluate effectiveness of social media marketing
strategies in meeting the challenge of gaining new customers” Study on Sainsbury’s.
Objectives
 To identify concept and development of social media marketing.
 To discuss importance and roles of social media marketing strategies for attracting new
customers.
 To evaluate effective strategies of social media marketing by which Sainsbury’s can
attract and retain customers.
 To recommend the best social media marketing strategy for customers’ attraction.
Research questions
1. How social media marketing strategies evolved?
2. How social media marketing strategies can help out Sainsbury’s in attracting new
customers?
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3. Which strategies can Sainsbury’s use for meeting the challenge of gaining new
customers?
Research problem
Topic that has been selected is associated with customers’ turnover problem and this study
may help out retailers in identifying social media strategies for customers’ attraction. Conducting
research is not an easy task as it is a time consuming and longer process. In regard to customers’
turnover that is the main business problem, it can be said that changing needs of customers and
not adapting changes by Sainsbury’s is one of the main reasons of this problem. Along with this,
it is also found that people in this sector has number of substitutes options and there is no
switching cost. So, for getting products at affordable prices, customers are leaving from
Sainsbury’s. Completing study within given time period and cost can be the main research
problem. Sometimes, researcher hurt quality of study for completing them as per the specific
criteria so, it is one of the main research problem that need to be focused.
Rationale
The reason behind selecting this topic it to help out retailers in attraction of new customers
and making them able to contribute in economic development. By attracting and retaining
customers, companies can increase cash inflow in the market that can improve economic
condition and can make beneficial to all (Raudeliūnienė and et.al., 2018). This study has wide
scope and can help out students at academic level as they can know roles of technology
development as well as social media in business context.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept and development of social media marketing.
Article 1: What influences consumers’ intention to purchase organic personal care products? The
role of social reassurance.
According to the Zollo and et.al., (2020) performing all steps and functions of marketing by
using digital media and computer based technology is known as social media marketing. In this
regard, it is also stated that social media marketing first started with publishing. Businesses
started sharing content on social media to generate traffic to their website. In this article,
researcher has used qualitative methodology. Health consciousness is one of the main reason as
people are shifting to organic products. everyone wants to be healthy and safe and for this
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reason, customers prefer buying products from only those companies that produce qualitative
and sustainable products.
Article 2: Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research
Dwived and et.al., (2021) stated in this context that social media marketing has made
companies beneficial to the great extent as they find easier in promoting their goods and
attracting global customers. It guides actions of employers and let them know whether they are
succeeding or failing. Customers also find easier in ordering products online because it saves
their time and cost and due to this reason, companies will switch from traditional to online.
Importance and roles of social media marketing strategies for attracting new customers.
Article 3: Social Media as a Promotional Tool Towards SME’s Development
According to the view of Amoah and Jibril, (2021) social media marketing strategies give
businesses a chance to follow their consumers’ activity. It makes marketers able in collecting up
to data and reliable information about their customers such as: what they like, what they do not
like and interest as well. On social media platforms, customers view pages and update posts and
by knowing their history, companies can know as what customers’ exactly want. So, on the basis
of this, it can be said that marketer do not require going outside as they can identify needs of
customers and accordingly can attract them.
Article 4: Investigating the impact of social media advertising features on customer purchase
intention
Alalwan, (2018) argued and stated that one of the main thing that make marketers able in
attracting customers through social media marketing is: direct and continuous communication.
Customers are being allowed to give feedbacks and share their views on official websites and
social media platforms and by reviewing their feedback comments, marketers can communicate
with them. They can solve customers’ problems in a timely manner. Along with this, it can also
be said that social media marketing allows companies to reach global customers by providing
them products’ details online. Overall, it can be said that social media marketing can be used for
attracting new customers.
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Effective strategies of social media marketing by which Sainsbury’s can attract and retain
customers.
Article 5: Young consumers’ motivational drivers of brand engagement behaviour on social
media sites
According to the Florenthal, (2019) there are number of social media marketing strategies
that can be used by retailers including Sainsbury’s with the main aim of satisfying customers and
attracting them. one of the common and best social media marketing strategy is chatbots. This
social media marketing tool allows marketers in solving problems of customers by
communicating with them. It is easier to use this tool as there is no need for marketers to have
coding knowledge and marketers can take orders directly from Facebook messengers and
comments as well.
Article 6: Measuring social media influencer index- insights from facebook, Twitter and
Instagram
Arora and et.al., (2019) contradicted and stated that creating profiles and pages on relevant
applications such as: Face book, Pinterest and Instagram is one of the best strategies by which
companies can attract new customers and can retain them with business. In this context, it is also
stated that nowadays, people invest their time on all these platforms and for buying products as
well as knowing information regarding companies, they review customers’ comments on pages,
made on these platforms. So, by updating detailed information and communicating with
customers via these channels, Sainsbury’s can reach global customers and can attract them.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research strategy: Research strategy is the main element of research methodology that
refers a form of data collection. It is being divided into 2 types such as qualitative and
quantitative. When data relevant to research topic are being collected in theoretical or feelings
form then it is considered as qualitative (Baker, Knepil and Courtney, 2022). When data are
being collected in statistical or numerical forms then it is known as quantitative. As per the
nature of research topic, researcher will conduct qualitative for this study as it can give accurate
and in depth data to researcher.
Research approach: A plan with steps of broad assumption regarding data collection and
analysis is known as research approach. Inductive and deductive are 2 research approaches. As
per inductive approach, researcher generates a brand new theory by his own and within
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deductive, hypothetically, results are being collected by developing an existing theory. As per the
suitability with qualitative, inductive research approach will be used.
Research philosophy: It refers a belief in which data should be collected by scholars and it
is being divided into 2 parts such as interpretivism and positivism. Interpretivism philosophy is
belief according to which researchers is suggested to observe societies as they shape individual’s
behaviour (O’Donoghue, 2018). Whereas, deductive believes that individuals shape societies
behaviour. For this study, interpretivism philosophy will be selected as by this philosophy as
response of this philosophy are considered valid and close to the truth.
Data collection: As per the type and nature of data, it is also being divided into 2 parts
such as primary and secondary. When researchers collect data for the first time by his own then it
is known as primary data. When researcher access an existing literature or published data then it
is considered as secondary data. For making this study effective, primary and secondary both
types of data will be collected (Stobaugh and et.al., 2019). Literature review will be conducted
for gathering secondary data and questionnaire will be conducted for collecting primary data.
Questionnaire will be conducted from 30 employees of Sainsbury’s via online due to Covid-19
restrictions.
Sampling: When researcher intends to collect primary data then he must follow this step.
Researchers need to have some participants from which he can ask questions relevant to topic
and gathering primary data. Participants are known as sample and process that is being used for
selecting them is known as sampling that is of 2 types: random and non-random. For this
research study, random sampling will be selected for promoting diversity and 30 employees of
Sainsbury’s will be selected as sample.
Data analysis: A process of making collected data accurate and reliable is known as data
analysis. Qualitative data analysis tools are being used for analysing non-numerical data and
quantitative tools are being used for analysing numerical data form (Melgar Estrada and Koolen,
2018). As this study is qualitative so, researcher will use thematic qualitative data analysis tool.
Ethical consideration: Ethics or moral principles enable researchers in making study successful.
Some ethics that will be followed include:
 Providing equal opportunities to participants
 Protecting their personal information.
 Providing accurate information to viewers.
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On the basis of above study and selected elements of research methodology, it can be said that
this study is doable and researcher can accomplish goals by collecting both primary and
secondary data. But in case, if this plan and selected elements will not work, then researcher can
make use of plan B. It is important for researchers to have backup plan so that they can complete
study in an effective manner. Sometimes due to external factors such as: environmental and
others, researchers find difficulties in completing study and collecting information. So, for this
purpose and protecting researcher from failure of project, plan B will be developed.
As per the plan B, researcher can take consent from managers of Sainsbury’s and can be
taken permission for allowing their employees for interview. By taking interview face to face, it
can become easier in knowing all about research topic and they can protect them against
misinterpretation that happens in online. Or researcher can direct take interview with marketing
manager of Sainsbury’s so that he can collect accurate information regarding marketing
strategies.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alalwan, A.A., 2018. Investigating the impact of social media advertising features on customer
purchase intention. International Journal of Information Management. 42. pp.65-77.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268401218303943.)
Amoah, J. and Jibril, A.B., 2021. Social Media as a Promotional Tool Towards SME’s
Development: Evidence from the Financial Industry in a Developing Economy. Cogent
Business & Management. 8(1). p.1923357.
(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311975.2021.1923357)
Arora, A. and et.al., 2019. Measuring social media influencer index-insights from Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 49, pp.86-101.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969698919300128)
Arrigo, E., 2018. Social media marketing in luxury brands: A systematic literature review and
implications for management research. Management Research Review.
Baker, C., Knepil, G. and Courtney, P., 2022. The role of Qualitative research in Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dwivedi, Y.K. and et.al., 2021. Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research:
Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information
Management. 59. p.102168.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401220308082)
Florenthal, B., 2019. Young consumers’ motivational drivers of brand engagement behavior on
social media sites: A synthesized U&G and TAM framework. Journal of Research in
Interactive Marketing. (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JRIM-05-
2018-0064/full/html)
Melgar Estrada, L. and Koolen, M., 2018. Audiovisual media annotation using qualitative data
analysis software: A comparative analysis. The Qualitative Report. 23(13). pp.40-60.
O’Donoghue, T., 2018. Planning your qualitative research thesis and project: An introduction to
interpretivist research in education and the social sciences. Routledge.
Raudeliūnienė, J. and et.al., 2018. Evaluation of advertising campaigns on social media
networks. Sustainability. 10(4). p.973.
Stobaugh, H.C. and et.al., 2019. Relapse after severe acute malnutrition: A systematic literature
review and secondary data analysis. Maternal & child nutrition. 15(2). p.e12702.
Zollo, L. and et.al., 2020. Unpacking the relationship between social media marketing and brand
equity: The mediating role of consumers’ benefits and experience. Journal of Business
Research. 117. pp.256-267.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969698920314399)
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