The journey of Chumbak: from mail to mall – leveraging social media networks for on-going dialogue with customers

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chetna Kudeshia ◽  
Arun Mittal

Subject area Marketing. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and postgraduate management students. Case overview Small scale business in India employ almost 30 million people contributing 50 per cent to industrial and 45 per cent to the total exports of the country. The rapid growth of internet has made it possible for the small scale start ups to reach its existing and potential customers without investing much. The case highlights this fact describing the journey of “Chumbak” a small scale business from an unknown brand to the foremost favourable funky product of India. Through this case the authors have tried to relinquish a synoptic view of how Chumbak has used varied social media platforms, to engage and connect with its customers. A survey of 147 customers of Chumbak customers shows that engagement through Facebook fan page of Chumbak positively impacts its purchase intention, brand image and leads to positive word of mouth. Expected learning outcomes The case highlights numerous dynamics of social media marketing and shows the recent social media promoting methods being used by the little scale businesses to ascertain on-going dialogues with their customers. The Case would facilitate the scholars in learning how these platforms may be used alone as a promotional tool not solely to reach the purchasers but additionally to type a higher complete awareness of the products with reference to Chumbak. The case explains that communication happening at varied social media platforms got to be tailored considering the sort of users. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kulvinder Kaur ◽  
Pawan Kumar

PurposeThe rise in the use of Internet technologies and social media has shifted the marketing practices from offline to online. This study aims to determine the pros and cons of social media marketing in the beauty and wellness industry.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with the owners and marketing executives of beauty and wellness centers to understand the use of popular social media platforms in this industry and their pros and cons.FindingsThe researchers identified eight merits and seven demerits of social media in the beauty and wellness industry. Every respondent is happy and satisfied with social media use, particularly Instagram and Facebook. Irrespective of the demerits, they have shown the intention to increase its usage in the future. The merits override demerits; thus, social media is a blessing for this industry from the owners' perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is exploratory and is confined to just one industry. Research implication is that the visual nature of social media makes it a powerful tool for the promotion of the beauty and wellness industry.Practical implicationsThe study's findings will be beneficial for small-scale businesses as it will push them to take advantage of this low-cost marketing tool.Social implicationsSocial media marketing is helpful for communication and marketing purposes for society.Originality/valueThe beauty and wellness industry remained unfocused by researchers because it is highly unorganized, fragmented and not regulated, yet has huge growth potential. This research will provide a closer look at this industry as well as social media marketing.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sriparna Guha ◽  
Anirban Mandal ◽  
Fedric Kujur

Purpose First, this study aims to focus on the promotional part of the Indian handicraft products through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Second, the study measures the effectiveness of social media marketing activities (SMMA) relating to handicraft products on brand awareness, brand image and brand equity. Third, this study also measures the impact of brand awareness and brand image on brand equity and consumers’ purchase intention and further brand equity on consumers’ purchase intention of handicraft products. Design/methodology/approach This study used an offline questionnaire to conduct empirical research and collected and analyzed data of 609 samples by using the structural equation modeling approach. Findings The findings of this study showed that SMMA relating to handicraft products had a very strong impact on creating both brand awareness and brand image in the social media environment. Additionally, this study also exhibited a positive and significant impact of brand awareness and brand image on brand equity and consumers’ purchase intention and further brand equity on consumers’ purchase intention of handicraft products in the social media environment. Practical implications The outcome of this research will definitely motivate the handicraft industry to have a strong social media presence on various platforms for promoting their products across India and outside. Further, the promotional activities in various social media platforms will help in creating awareness about the handicraft products and give brand recognition among other industrial competitive brands which will consequently lead to an increase in the demand for these products. Originality/value The novelty of this study is that it has made an initial attempt to study the marketability of handicraft products using various social media platforms and also has measured the probable impact of SMMA relating to handicraft products on brand awareness and brand image and their impact on brand equity and purchase intention.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiapei Li ◽  
Liming Sun ◽  
Xin Feng ◽  
Peiyi He ◽  
Yue Zhang

PurposeThis paper takes the current COVID-19 pandemic raging around the world as a realistic background and uses the informal scientific communication mode in social media as the theoretical basis. It aims to explore the characteristics and rules of scientific communication in social media under emergency events, grasp the potential and risks of scientific communication in social media in special times and provide a perspective of academic communication for the scientific response.Design/methodology/approachThe authors select the enumeration data of the early COVID-19 theme papers spread on social media networks as the research object, apply descriptive statistical analysis to the basic statistical distribution of variables and use factor analysis and visualization methods to explore the law and characteristics of the spread of scientific papers on social media platforms.FindingsIt was found that users of the COVID-19 paper are mainly in North America, Europe and South America, followed by those in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. The users are mainly public figures, doctors and other practitioners, science communicators and scientists. The process of social media communication reflects three ways of knowledge construction, social interaction and academic communication, and there are three ways of communication law and changing trend of cross transition and integration.Originality/valueThis study observes the function and role of science communication in social media in a special period from a unique perspective of academic communication, so as to promote academic means to fight against the epidemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 664-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Naeem

Purpose Customers are increasingly interested in reading discussions, experiences, recommendations and reviews on social media platforms related to services and products in which they are highly interested. The purpose of this paper is to find the availability of user-generated content (UGC) in the context of Islamic banks and how it can enhance the level of brand engagement and purchase intention of customers. Design/methodology/approach The methodology for this research is designed by following the features of qualitative research methods and a social constructivism approach. Furthermore, non-directive and semi-structured in-depth interviews are constructed to accumulate research data from marketing teams and customers of Islamic banks. The respondents have been carefully chosen on the basis of purposive sampling and their level of awareness related to Islamic banks. Findings Islamic banks are more frequently using traditional marketing tools that are unable to enhance levels of information among the targeted population and prove an expensive way of marketing. The findings reveal that Islamic banks lag behind in adopting the latest information exchanging technologies compared to conventional banking systems. A lack of skilled people, reputation and trust, lack of e-marketing strategy and lower levels of investment in social media platforms are major barriers to generate UGC, brand engagement and purchase intention among the targeted market of Islamic banks. Practical implications The effective and competent use of various social networking platforms can enhance UGC related to Islamic banking products and services. UGC can generate interactive communication, services reviews, feedbacks, intention to purchase, social influence, social trust and positive customer perception among the targeted population of Islamic banks. The study has summarized and offered practical recommendations to show how Islamic banks can address challenges and enjoy a high level of profitability compared to conventional banking systems. Originality/value The present study uncovered the steps that must be taken by the top management of Islamic banks to enhance levels of awareness, online product reviews and recommendations, e-word of mouth and purchase intentions of the targeted market. The study enhanced understanding regarding how a higher level of investment in social networking platforms, safe and secure banking systems and skilled IT professionals can address the challenges of Islamic banks. Furthermore, these factors can create positive UGC, social influence, social brand engagement and purchase intention of customers in Islamic banks. These primary factors must be considered by Islamic banks to compete with conventional banking products and services.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Prashar ◽  
Harvinder Singh ◽  
Kara Shri Nishanth

Subject area The courses prominent in this context are: social media marketing, integrated marketing communication, internet marketing. For the students of internet marketing, the case may be focussed on understanding the dynamics of social media marketing. Study level/applicability The case shall be administered among students pursuing their post graduate degree in management. Case overview The case reflects the importance of social media marketing and various successful campaign activities led by Mumbai Indians. It highlights how companies can connect with audience vide social media that provides instant feedback and direct connection with the target audience. The strategic frame that can be used to organize the campaign has been suggested by the authors in teaching notes, besides evolving the metrics to evaluate the success/effectiveness of such campaigns. The case evaluated social media campaigns and identified best-suited channel. Expected learning outcomes The case may be focused on understanding the dynamics of social media marketing. Management students would have a huge learning in terms of how social media campaigns are developed and effectiveness of social media campaigns. The case explains the metrics to evaluate the success/effectiveness of such campaigns. The case evaluated social media campaigns and identified best-suited channel which would be a learning for student studying online marketing. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


Author(s):  
Ron Fisher ◽  
Ruth McPhail ◽  
Emily You ◽  
Maria Ash

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate if, and to what degree, social media are used for the recruitment of global supply chain managers. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that discusses how organizations should engage with social media platforms for effective recruitment of global supply chain managers. Findings – Findings are that organizations seeking to employ global supply chain managers, particularly those engaged in B2B activities, lag other industry sectors in adopting new ways of recruiting talent. Building on the findings, we present models of how organizations should move to adopt web-based technologies and the steps needed to engage fully in using social media to recruit global supply chain managers. Research limitations/implications – Global supply chains (including logistics) lag other industry sectors in adopting social media networks for recruitment, and risk missing out on talent if the issues are not addressed. Serious consideration needs to be given, particularly by B2B but also by B2C businesses, in order to attract suitable employees. Employees’ and prospective employees’ expectations will increasingly revolve around the use of social media. Originality/value – The research is original in that it investigates an emerging, contemporaneous issue that is of considerable importance in recruiting global supply chain managers. The research provides value by highlighting that in recruiting global supply chain managers, organizations have been slow to adopt new technologies, and recommends actions to remedy this.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 2153-2174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Lin ◽  
Shuai Yang ◽  
Minghui Ma ◽  
Jian Huang

Purpose In recent years, hotels in China have been interested in leveraging social media platforms to facilitate interactions with and among consumers. Such brand engagement efforts on social media networks are believed to promote brands through co-creation of consumer experiences and values. This study was conducted in the context of Chinese hotels. The paper aims to identify two forms of brand engagement via social media platforms – consumer-initiated engagement and firm-initiated engagement – and to examine their effects on hotels’ display advertising effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach This study collected a comprehensive data set. First, the authors collected display advertisement data from two hotel chains in China. Second, the authors gathered the two hotels’ engagement data from Weibo. A generalized linear mixed model was used in data analysis. Findings The findings of the study indicate that both forms of brand engagement on social media network sites positively influence display advertising effectiveness. Moreover, for a strong brand, consumer-initiated engagement is more influential in increasing display advertising effectiveness; however, for a weak brand, firm-initiated engagement gains more clicks and conversions from advertisements. Practical implications As hotels in China continue to leverage online media platforms to reach, engage with and co-create value with potential and existing consumers, this study provides managers with insight as to how they can achieve higher advertising effectiveness by engaging with consumers on a consistent basis on social media. Originality/value This study mainly contributes to recent increasing research on engagement and value co-creation by providing a lens through which to assess the relationship between brand engagement via social media networks and online display advertising effectiveness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Jin Xue ◽  
Yongdan Liu

PurposeThis study aims to examine how the clickbait headlines influence the perceived source credibility, subjective norm, perceived benefit and purchasing intention of customers on social commerce through social media platforms in different interpersonal relationship strength scenarios.Design/methodology/approachA total of three studies were employed online to test the hypotheses. Study 1 used a single-factor, two-condition (clickbait: yes vs no) between-subject design. Both study 2 and study 3 employed a 2 (clickbait: yes vs no) × 2 (relationships: close friend vs stranger) between-subject design. All data were sourced randomly from 729 respondents in China. Data and models were analyzed by using SPSS and Mplus.FindingsStudy 1 illustrated that clickbait has a negative effect on perceived credibility and purchase intention, and the perceived credibility mediated the relationship between clickbait and purchase intention. Study 2 replicated such finding and demonstrated that the interpersonal relationship strength interacts with the influence from clickbait to purchase intention. Study 3 enhanced the mechanism of source credibility found in the above studies and further revealed that perceived benefit and perceived norm had a mediating role in the purchase-making process online.Originality/valueResearch efforts to date concentrate on how to detect and reduce clickbait headlines. This paper adopts a different perspective, considering the consequences of clickbait in the marketing domain. This study reveals the effects of clickbait on purchase intention and the mechanism behind this process under different scenarios.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 19-21

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Creating and strengthening meaningful relationships with the firm’s customers should be a top priority for any marketing manager. Greater positivity toward the organization and increased loyalty are among the rewards attainable for those willing to expend the effort. The magnitude of the issue has lead to growing attention on consumer-company identification. Core to this construct is the notion that people consider themselves to be psychologically connected to a particular firm. This perception of belongingness often leads to deeper relations and higher levels of commitment reflected in such as willingness to act as an advocate for the firm and spread positive word-of-mouth, lower vulnerability to negative information about the company, increased purchase intention and higher levels of both attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazzini Muda ◽  
Muhammad Iskandar Hamzah

PurposeIn spite of the increasing organic and interactive marketing activities over social media, a general understanding of the source credibility of voluntary user-generated content (UGC) is still limited. In line with the social identity theory, this paper examines the effects of consumers' perceived source credibility of UGC in YouTube videos on their attitudes and behavioral intentions. Additionally, source homophily theory is included to predict the antecedent of source credibility.Design/methodology/approachThree hundred and seventy two Generation Y respondents were interviewed using snowball sampling. Data were analyzed with component-based structural equation modeling technique of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsFindings confirmed that perceived source credibility indirectly affects purchase intention (PI) and electronic word-of-mouth via attitude toward UGC. Besides, perceived source credibility mediates the effect of perceived source homophily on attitude toward UGC.Practical implicationsSince today's consumers have begun to trust and rely more on UGC than company-generated content on social media when making purchase decisions, companies may reconsider democratizing certain aspects of their branding strategies. Firms may fine-tune their marketing communication budgets – not only just by sponsoring public figures and celebrities but also by nurturing coproductive engagements with independent content creators who are ordinary consumers. Endowed with their imposing credibility, these micro-influencers and prosumers have high potentials to be uplifted to brand ambassadors.Originality/valueWhile consumers' purchase outcome can be measured easily using metrics and analytics, the roles of source homophily in stages leading up to the purchase is still elusive. Drawing on the rich theoretical basis of source homophily may help researchers to understand not only how credibility and attitude are related to PI but also how this nexus generates positive word of mouth among UGC followers within the social media circles.


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