Research Report: Social Media Marketing and Customer Behavior at Tesco

This research report investigates the influence of social media on customer buying behavior within Tesco's retail sector in the UK. The study utilizes qualitative research methods, including questionnaires and thematic analysis, to evaluate how Tesco employs social media for promoting goods and services, and its impact on customer purchasing decisions. The report explores the relationship between social media and customer buying behavior, examining how online marketing strategies affect consumer choices. It aims to determine how social media advertising influences buying decisions and provides recommendations for effective social media marketing strategies. The literature review covers the concept of social media marketing and its effect on customer buying behavior, and the research methodologies used, including research philosophies, approaches, techniques, and data analysis. The report concludes with recommendations for purchase behaviors and reflections on the findings.

Research Project Part -2

Table of content
Executive summery..........................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Research Aim..............................................................................................................................2
Research Objective......................................................................................................................2
Research Question.......................................................................................................................3
Rationale of the study.................................................................................................................3
Significance of the study.............................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
Concept of social media marketing.............................................................................................4
Impact of social media on customer buying behaviour in the Retail sector...............................5
Relationship between social media and customer buying decision............................................5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................6
Research Philosophies.................................................................................................................7
Research approach......................................................................................................................8
Research techniques....................................................................................................................9
Data collection..........................................................................................................................10
Research design.........................................................................................................................11
Sampling...................................................................................................................................11
.................................................................................................................................................12
TIME-SCALE................................................................................................................................12
PART 2..........................................................................................................................................14
Background study.....................................................................................................................14
Research Purpose......................................................................................................................14
Research Aim............................................................................................................................14
Research Objective....................................................................................................................14
Research limitation...................................................................................................................14
RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES...............................................................................................14
Research Philosophies...............................................................................................................15
Research approach....................................................................................................................15

Research techniques..................................................................................................................15
Data assessment........................................................................................................................15
Sampling...................................................................................................................................15
DATA ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................16
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................26
Recommendations for purchase behaviours..................................................................................27
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................29
Appendix........................................................................................................................................30

Executive summery
The research report has helped in the meeting of the performance of the firm and
improving the purchasing behaviour of customers for the cited retail entity, using the digital tools
and techniques. For research process, qualitative research methods involving the use of effective
questionnaire is been used. Besides this, suitable thematic assessment is been carried out to
identify the operations and output gained through research process at Tesco plc.

INTRODUCTION
In order to get effective success and growth in trade conditions affected by deep business
rivalry. This should be of utmost priority of a company to keep customer satisfy. If buyers are
happy with product and services then company can easily earn expected profitability and growth
in the market. Hence, it is very crucial for corporation to understand customer behaviour and
their requirement regrading product and services. It is also very important to deliver right
information to them about services and items so as they can acquire correct information about
the brand and purchase product and services according to their requirement (Beard, 2014). At
the time of purchasing the commodity, several kinds of element affects customer behaviour and
decision of purchasing. Thus, it is significant for organisation to understand customer behaviour
and associated factors that may changes their nature f purchasing. Corporation can use several
strategies and practices of effective marketing through which it can promote its brand in more
effective manner. With help of impressive strategies business unit can successfully introduce its
brand and influence customer for purchasing product and services.
Social media marketing is one of the excellent practice in present era by which company
can promote and advertise commodity and services in more effective way. It is the platform
where customer and corporation get connects with each other and share their information with
each other. There are several channel's comes in the social media program such as You tube,
Facebook, Twitter etc. With help of these channels, company can promote and advertise their
product and services in the market and influence customers regarding their purchasing decision
of commodities and services.
In the present report, the targeted goal of the data investigator or scholar is to evaluate
influence of online media on purchasing perception of the buyers or clients of an retail
enterprise. Thus, to address this objective, scholar will use qualitative research technique along
with thematic analysis.
Research Aim
To evaluate the effect of social media on the buying behaviour of consumers in the retail sector
of UK- A study on Tesco.
Research Objective
 To determine the use of social media in Tesco for promoting goods and services.

 To assess the relationship between customer buying behaviour and social media in Tesco.
 To analyse the way in which social media advertising impacts upon the buying
decision of Tesco’s customers.
 To recommend effective strategies of social media marketing to Tesco to positively
influence the decisions taken up by the customers while buying goods.
Research Question
 How Tesco uses social media to promote its goods and services?
 What is the relationship between social media and buying behaviours of Tesco’s
consumers?
 How social media marketing done by Tesco impacts upon the purchase decisions of
their consumers?
Rationale of the study
At the time of selecting research topic for proposed report, scholar have affected by
several elements. One of the major factor that affects researcher choice is his own interest and
curiosity regarding social media marketing and its impact upon customer decision making related
to product and services. Scholar actually desires to gain detail knowledge and understanding
about subject because individual has involved in this from long time. Researcher has sufficient
information related to social media marketing and its impact upon the business organisation and
customer buying behaviour.
Significance of the study
The current investigation research process, the main purpose of scholar is to examine the
influence of social media on purchasing decision of buyers or clients in the retail businesses
within UK. By use of various channels of social media and internet, retail company can easily
influence decision of buyers. There is a huge scope of the social media in the retail sector
because it helps to improve business performance and speed of marketing activities. With help of
this research study, researcher can easily get detail knowledge and understanding about digital
technology and social media and its importnace on customer buying behaviour.. By applying this
study in the retail sector manager can easily acknowledge about importance of social media
marketing. Furthermore, manager can also identify the various criteria and tactics to influence
customer behavior by apply social media marketing strategy within the business. Hence, it can be
said that in the retail sector, there is huge importance of social media marketing in the customer

buying behavior as social media marketing affects to the decision of customer at the time of
purchasing.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of social media marketing
According to the view of Yuksel, Yuksel and Bilim, (2010) social media merchandising
is a procedure under which organization uses several channels of social media for encourage and
publicize commodities and administration. In these channels includes You Tube, Facebook,
Twitter, instagram etc. With help of several channels, company gets touch with customer and
transfer information to them regarding product and services. It is a wide platform where
everyone can directly connect with organisation and provide them opinion, feedbacks and
review regrading product and services. In the opinion of Yoshida and James, (2010) company
have to create the account on the page of various channels for operate marketing activities on
these platforms like Facebook, Instagram, twitter etc. Hence it can be said that by use of this
technique, organisation can improve brand image and brand loyalty in the market. In this
marketing, corporation is supposed to use the social media platforms and websites to promote
and advertise commodity and services. In the present era, social media is become one of the
most popular channel on the internet that influence large numbers of audiences. There are several
channels included in the social media such as Facebook, twitter, instagram, you tube etc by
which corporation can easily promote and advertise its product and services on the internet.
While company design page on the social media then it attracts customer. Buyer can get
complete information regarding product and services on the social media channels. Social media
marketing overcome the labour cost and expenditure of organisation. In a simple word it can be
said that while organisation uses internet and social media like You Tube, Facebook, twitter etc
for sale and purchase the goods and services then it is known as social media marketing.
How customer buying behaviour affected by social media
In the perspective of Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, (2015) in the business enterprise,
customer is a king and entire profitability is depends upon customer satisfaction. Thus, it is very
essential for business unit to make fulfil client and verbalize item and administration. In order to
identify actual customer taste, requirement and feedback regarding product and services, social
media platforms helps to business unit in large manner. By engaging with social media, company

can easily identify actual requirement of customers regarding services and improve its existing
performance of business. In the pinion of Smith, (2015) social media marketing helps to
customers also in getting knowledge and information about services and items. On these
platform, customer can place feedback and review and other customer can easily read. For
purchase the commodity and services, social media helps to customers in large manner. By help
of social media corporation place several posts, pictures, video, links etc regarding product and
services through which customer can get detail knowledge and set their perception regarding the
same. By seeing attractive images, pictures, videos etc of product and services customer's
purchasing decision can influence. Thus, it can be said that with help of mentioned channels
buyers decision of purchasing product and service influence. Furthermore, with help of these
channels, customer can get other service users reviews, feedback and opinion regarding product
and services. This helps them in taking the decision regarding purchasing of product and
services.
According to the opinion of Ryu, Lee and Gon Kim, (2012) social media affects the perception
of customer regarding brand because they provide regular updates to them regarding changes in
the product and services.
Relationship between social media and customer buying decision
In the opinion of Bruhn, Manfred, Schoenmueller and Schäfer, (2012) social media and
customer purchasing behaviour is very significant relationship because while company post
several images, video, information regarding product and services then it directly affects the
mind of customers. Online networking is considered as a compelling medium, which empowers
the organizations to offer a changed scope of items and administrations, which impact the
purchasers and their purchasing conduct. It can be evaluated that there are distinctive kinds of
organizations who transfer their items via web-based networking media. Further, it can be
noticed that different sentiments and audits can be acquired in the part of the items and
administrations used by different buyers. This will empower the potential purchasers to shape
choices as to the buy of products and ventures. Likewise, as per the perspective of Chan, Ling,
and Guillet, (2011) using online networking, connection between the buyers and brands can be
set up. For an occasion, by having a communication over the rating of a specific brand on
Facebook or Yelp, criticism of costumers can be gotten. In this way, this is the real reason
through which the decision can be influenced with regards to the items. Likewise, if the

appraisals are bad, at that point buyer decisions will be redirected and inclination will be the high
evaluated item or administrations.
In the opinion of Dinan, (2000) in the retail sector while customer searches the product
and services on the social media then other customer reviews, comments and feedback can affect
the purchasing decision of service users in the high manner. If there is positive comments and
reviews of customer regarding product and services then buyer will automatically influence in
positive manner. On the other hand if there is negative comments of customer on the social
media regarding product and services then customer's buying decision can negatively influence.
In the contradicting view Fotis, John, Buhalis and Rossides, (2012) stated that customer buying
decision of product and services is not only influence by other customers reviews and feedbacks
but also attractive designs, post, video, pictures affects decision of buyers regarding purchasing
of product and services. If company post regular updates regarding the product and services then
it will also affect purchasing decision of customers. Through the assistance of online networking,
business can make mindful the costumers with respect to their image and different viewpoints.
Additionally, with its assistance, it can be evaluated that buyers get perceivability of the business
associations. Further, shoppers are given a considerable measure of decisions of various
organizations and furthermore they can admire scattering of awesome arrangements of data;
notwithstanding it the data with respect to the items and administrations can likewise be looked
through. It empowers the purchaser to sign on to informal communication locales like Facebook
and have an investigation of the thought and input with respect to a specific item. Alongside it,
the more data is probably going to be accessible for the buyers by an organization, the more they
will tend to purchase that item for the fulfillment of their needs and needs.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In the entire research study, research methodology show significant role through
investigator can able to analyse and interpret collected information. It is a very important aspect
in the study that assist in addressing statement of investigation issue. There are various kinds of
the research method included in this aspect such as data collection, sampling, data analysis,
research design, research strategy etc. (Zivkovic, 2012). In the absence of research methodology
it is impossible to conduct the investigation and find out the solution of study. In the absence of
research methodology it is impossible for researcher to conduct investigation. By use of various
techniques of research methodology such as approaches, research design, data collection, data

analysis researcher can access to the final solution of research problem. In the present study,
scholar can easily achieve research objective by use of various techniques. These techniques are
discussed below-
Research Philosophies
Research philosophies is one of the significant strategy in the research methodology
which help to researcher in analysing and investigating information in effective and efficient
manner. It allows to scholar in understanding entire research study. With assistance of research
philosophy, investigator can easily address the objective and research issue of study by apply
research theories and models.
The method helps in getting hopeful outcomes and reaching substantial inference. It is
vital for the researcher that to choose amend reasoning technique since that can influence general
importance of study. Reasoning presents researcher's conviction about the way how required
measure of informational index for a given wonder will be remove, broke down and used for
finding and analyzing the issue in-detail (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). It comprises of two most
imperative constituents that are epistemology and hymn. To start with shows what required to be
demonstrated or known while later displays specialist's confidence in getting things genuine. The
motivation behind research worldview is to change trusted things into known means psalm into
epistemology. The two imperative rationalities recognized incorporates positivism, additionally
called logical and interpretivism, likewise named as against positivist. Both these devices are
powerful and are utilized as a part of various kind of studys. On the off chance that individual
chooses wrong sort of technique then it might neglect to get legitimate outcomes. Positivism is
the technique which is for the most part utilized as a part of quantitative sort of research. In this
researcher focus more on surveying the target. With the assistance of this instrument specialist
find the false certainties. It is the technique in which specialist take after the pre decided
structure and direct intelligent change into it so general target of the study can be accomplished.
Interpretivism theory is another instrument which is utilized as a part of subjective sort of study.
In this sort of study researcher takes support of hypotheses and models. This is the apparatus
which is by and large connected in subjective kind of study in light of the fact that by along these
lines specialist can assemble inside and out data about the topic. Earlier considers that the truth is
steady and with the control in the single autonomous segment or variable, different constituents

of social world can be analyzed Predictions can be made considering verifiable perception and
results which clarified substances (Mercieca and Mercieca, 2013). All the exact investigations
are viewed as logical or positivism that had a relationship with the common and physical science.
Along these lines, it is especially reasonable for the logical investigations. Interpretive, then
again, states that reality must be analyzed and evaluated through subjective translation. Diverse
things might be translated distinctively by different analysts yet all these gathered outcomes give
a base to concentrate the issue deductively.
In the presented data investigation and analysis process, the main objective of scholar is
to analyse influence of social media on purchase behaviour of consumers in the retail sector of
UK. For address the objective, researcher have applied positivism research philosophies. By
applied positivism research philosophy, scholar can easily assess and analyse the information for
investigate the affect of social media on the purchase behaviour of consumer in the retail sector.
Research approach
Research approach is another of the huge technique in the study philosophy that serves to
researcher in tending to right arrangement of research issue. Research approach is another kind
of technique which is considered as wagered apparatus that backings in completing the study in
compelling way. It is the most ideal method for surveying standards and hypotheses identified
with the topic. For study the point analyst needs to chose whether singular needs to go from
general to particular way or from particular to general way (VanPatten and Williams, 2014). It is
totally relies on sort of study on which researcher is directing the exploration. Inductive Vs
Deductive two thinking strategies/methodologies can be seen in the above delineated research
feeling. Deductive research approach is the strategy which assumes pivotal part in the study.
With the assistance of this apparatus analyst can create interrelation between included angles.
That backings in creating theory and coming to the outcomes. That apparatus bolsters in testing
theory and after that get ultimate result. On the off chance that specialist takes support of this
strategy at that point research will be led from specific to general way. On other hand inductive
approach is far varied from deductive approach. It is for the most part utilized as a part of
subjective sort of study (Žikić, 2016). In this system researcher lead study on the bases of
accessible hypothesis and reach to the last conclusion. Previous takes a shot at moving particular
to general, called down to top approach while later chips away at moving general towards
particular, called top-down approach.

In the current study, researcher have applied inductive research approach for assess and
analyse the impact of social media on the purchase behaviour of consumers in the retail sector of
UK with respect of Tesco company. By help of this technique, researcher can conduct
investigation for obtain solution by use of several theories and models
Research techniques
Research technique is another one of the most significant technique in the research study
that assists to researcher in carrying out investigation in more effective and efficient manner. In
the absence of research technique, it is impossible to carry out investigation. With help of
research technique, scholar can easily assess and analyse information for obtain the right
solution. In a simple word it can be said that research technique is an instrument that allows
individual to collect, analyse and interpret information for find out the solution of research
problem (Patino, Au, Lane, Buist and Vollmer, 2016). Research technique is divided into two
parts that is qualitative and quantitative. These both techniques applied in the investigation
according to the objective of study. It is very important for scholar to select one best and
appropriate technique in the study for obtain solution. If scholar selects wrong research technique
then it will affect entire study and its associated outcomes. Thus, at the time of selection of
research technique, it is very important for scholar to consider objective of study. Both these
instruments are utilized as a part of various sorts of study. It relies on nature of research, if there
is inclusion of measurable instruments then analyst needs to run with quantitative research
procedure, On other hand when think about depends on speculations and models then in such
kind of study researcher takes support of subjective research technique. The two expansive
orders of studys are whether an issue will be explored subjectively or subjective. Previous goes
for nitty gritty and finish depiction of the given marvel, nonetheless, later, on the opposite side,
endeavors to discover vital highlights and outline measurable models to clarify the watched
dataset. In the principal, information or required data is accessible as words, articles, pictures and
others though later is accessible as numbers, budgetary information or factual data. Other than
this, subjective studys are subjective ones in which person's translation increases enough
significance in the meeting or perception led (DeMarco and Lister, 2013). Conversely, subjective
is objective based which looks for overviews, polls and others as exact information accumulation
and estimation apparatuses. Subjective investigations requires some investment though later is