People’s Perception on the Impact of Social Media in Managing Brand Reputation in Crisis
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to examine People’s perception on the Impact of social media in managing brand reputation in crisis. The specific objectives of the study are:
- To find out if organizations uses the social media in managing brand reputation in crisis
- To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of social media in managing brand reputation in crisis.
- To ascertain the credibility of the social media in managing brand reputation in crisis
- To determine the impact on the organization’s reputation and image when utilizing social media as a platform during a crisis.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. Users typically access social media services via web-based technologies on desktop computers and laptops, or download services that offer social media functionality to their mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers). When engaging with these services, users can create highly interactive platforms through which individuals, communities and organizations can share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content or pre-made content posted online. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between businesses, organizations, communities and individuals. Social media changes the way individuals and large organizations communicate (Curran, O’Hara, & O’Brien, 2015). These changes are the focus of the emerging field of technological studies. Social media differs from paper-based media (e.g., magazines and newspapers) or traditional electronic media such as TV broadcasting in many ways, including quality, reach, frequency, interactivity, usability, immediacy, and permanence. Social media operate in a dia-logic transmission system (many sources to many receivers). This is in contrast to traditional media which operates under a mono-logic transmission model (one source to many receivers), such as a paper newspaper which is delivered to many subscribers or a radio station which broadcasts the same programs to an entire city. Some of the most popular social media websites are Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, Viber, VK, WeChat, Weibo, WhatsApp, Wikia, and YouTube.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
As a result, social networking sites are web-based services that enable individuals to create a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections as well as those made by others within the system (Boyd and Ellison, 2007).
Social networking sites are created to take care of a variety of human needs and could be classified using that format. For instance, Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007) classified SNSs into: work-related contexts (LinkedIn.com), romantic relationship initiation (Friendster.com), connecting those with shared interests such as music or politics (MySpace.com), or the college student population (Facebook). It should, however, be noted that the examples mentioned above were based on the original intentions of the founders of the SNSs, though these intentions have been taken to another level by users. This is why the latter classification of SNSs takes a somewhat different approach and puts different factors into consideration.
The uniqueness of social networking sites is that they not only allow individuals to meet strangers, but also enable users to discuss and make visible their social networks. This results in connections between individuals which are otherwise not possible through any other medium already existing. The majority of time spent on social networking sites is spent communicating with people who are already friends or acquaintances on the social network and share the same mindset, interests, and views (Raj Jain, Gupta, & Anand, 2012).
While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of friends who are also users of the system. Profiles are unique pages where one can type oneself into being. After joining an SNS, an individual is asked to fill out forms containing a series of questions. The profile is generated using the answers to these questions, which typically include descriptors such as age, location, interests, etc. Most sites also encourage users to upload a profile photo. Some sites allow users to enhance their profiles by adding multimedia content or modifying their profile’s look and feel. Others, such as Facebook, allow users to add modules that enhance their profile. Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
The scope of this study borders on People’s perception on the Impact of social media in managing brand reputation in crisis using consumers of minimie chin-chin in Portharcourt in River State as a case study. Resident of Portharcourt in River State form the population of the study.
SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Udoyen, 2019). In this study, the researcher adopted the convenient sampling method to determine the sample size.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents all of of which only seventy (70) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 70 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
The aim of this study to examine People’s perception on the Impact of social media in managing brand reputation in crisis using MINIMIE Chin-Chin in Portharcourt metropolis of Rivers State. The study investigated the advantages and disadvantages of social media in managing brand reputation in crisis. It ascertained if organizations do utilize social media during brand reputation crisis.
Survey research design was employed for the study and with the aid of convenient sampling technique 80 respondent who are consumers of MINIMIE Chi-Chin in Portharcourt metropolis was selected as the participant for the study. 80 well structured questionnaire was issued to the respondent of 70 were retrieved and validated for the study. The data obtained were analyzed using frequency, simple percentage , mean and standard deviation. Hypothesis test was conducted using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS v.23).
CONCLUSION
Without a defined strategy of how to respond and an appreciation of the characteristics of consumer brand bonds, firms remain vulnerable to attacks operation primarily in a defensive manner. The ease with which social networks seems to be dismissed as significant business threats in spite of the clear examples in troublesome. The reason for this is ambiguous. One explanation often offered is that embers of Facebook’s and Twitter’s are not considered to not be of high importance to company business by managers who, because of their age, are out of touch with the dynamic force and power base of social networks. Another consideration is there may be a general lack of appreciation that the pillars of the 4P’s traditional marketing (price, place, promotion and product) are being replaced by a new paradigm which incorporates an awareness that not only do companies no longer control the marketplace environment but also that consumers are communicating among each other about products and services on a 24/7 basis which might lead to backlash and percieved crisis.
Findings from the study reveals that a high level of social media integration with the management of other media is a sufficient condition for high levels of perceived improvement of both brand awareness and brand reputation during crisis. Findings from the study also revealed that the importance of social media cannot be overemphasized as good brand reputation implies soar in sales, profit, high competitive edge, brand loyal and customer satisfaction.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings of study, the following recommendations are suggested:
- Corporate organizations should embrace the use of social media in planning their marketing communication strategies.
- There should be real commitment on the part of organizations, especially insurance companies, to monitor the perception of people about them and their operations through the social media.
- Feedback is important to the growth of every business, insurance companies should employ the social media in engaging their customers and potential customers so as to get quick and effective responses from them which will, in turn, help in the formation of right perception about them.
- Due to the interactive and conversational nature of social media, corporate organizations, through their customer service, should be positive and prompt in their use of social media to engage customers for the purpose of obtaining personal information from them.
References
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