A Framework for the Implementation of Social Media Marketing Strategies in Political Campaigning
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A FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGIES IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING KAYODE A. AYANKOYA A FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGIES IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING KAYODE A. AYANKOYA SUPERVISORS: DR. MARGARET CULLEN AND PROF. ANDRE CALITZ Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION In the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School NOVEMBER, 2013 PORT ELIZABETH DECLARATION I, Kayode A. Ayankoya, hereby declare that: • This work has not been previously submitted in full or partial fulfilment of the requirement or candidature of any degree. • This dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree on Masters in Business Administration. • This dissertation is the result of my independent work and investigation, except where otherwise stated. All the sources used is documented in the attached reference list and duly acknowledged. • I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available as a library material and for interlibrary loan. ___________________ Kayode A. Ayankoya November 2013 i | P a g e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I count myself to be absolutely blessed to have the right people around me at different phases of my life. Hence I consider people – pastors, friends, family, colleagues, teachers and coaches as my greatest asset. In the course of my MBA programme, I have been overwhelmed by support from different people and I would like to say that I am grateful. To mention just a few, I will like to thank and acknowledge the following: • My wife, Yemi and sons Dominic and Derek, for the sacrifices you made and showing me unconditional love. Thank you for your support; • My supervisor, Dr Margaret Cullen, for making me think and believing so much in me; • Prof. Andre Calitz, for inspiring me to go the extra mile. I will do it with you and Dr Cullen again if I am given the opportunity; • My MBA syndicate group that became family, for your professionalism, commitment to excellence and not giving up on one another. Thank you; • My brethren, the Christ Embassy Port Elizabeth family, for your love and unending support; • Ms Pamela Nyokwana of the NMMU business school library, for your help and assistance. ii | P a g e ABSTRACT The concept of social media has grown rapidly in the last years. This can be attributed to the rate of adoption and the penetration of social media around the world. Currently, there is an estimate of over two billion people that are actively using social media. The increased usage of social media has changed the way people interact and communicate. Literature suggests that Internet-enabled social networks (relationship between or among individuals and groups) are developing faster than offline relationships. Previous studies have linked social media to the social network theories that define social relationships based on the actors, the ties that exist and the flow of resources among them. This is made possible by social networking sites and other Internet enabled services that allow friends to meet, connect and interact. Social media allow for individuals, groups or organisations to build their social network of friends and followers. It also facilitates the formation of communities with common interest. Social media facilitate the creation and exchange of content such as text messages, images, audio and video formats among individuals or communities that share a common interest or belong to the same social network. Social capital theorists suggest that the ties that exist in social interaction like on social media have the ability to create benefit for the actors in the networks. This provides the foundation to study the benefits that individuals and organisations can obtain from social media. The opportunity to target and communicate directly with the target market and potential customer qualifies social media as a valuable marketing tool and an important component of the integrated marketing communication. As a marketing communication tool, social media introduces a completely new paradigm into marketing communications. Therefore marketing professionals and academics are continuously seeking how to take advantage of social media for different industries. In the field of politics, the use of marketing concepts to engage voters and drive collective participation in political processes has become critical due to stiff competition. iii | P a g e The use of social media for political campaigning and engagement could be beneficial, but politicians and political organisations are not taking full advantage of the concept. Previous studies show that organisations are aware of the opportunities that social media could provide for their organisations. However, they are reluctant because they are faced with the problems of lack of information on how to implement social media for business purposes. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for the use of social media for political campaigning and engagement. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was suggested by this study based on the literature review and case studies, an empirical study was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape. A survey was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape using a questionnaire and 92 responses were received. The questionnaire measured the respondents’ social media usage, level of political engagement, perception on the use of social media for political engagement and the level of political activities on social media. Also, hypotheses were tested to examine the assumption that there might be an association between the respondents’ gender, population group and level of political activities on social media. The findings of this study indicate that a structured approach, a strong emphasis of engaging followers socially and micro-targeting are critical to effective implementation of social media for political campaigning and engagement. Other factors include the direct involvement of leadership, listening and encouragement of user generated contents. This study concludes that political organisations can use social media to establish multi-levelled social networks that provide access to their target audience and also reach potential audience through their friends. This social connectedness can then be translated into political social capital for campaign and engagement purposes. Keywords: Social Media, Social Networks, Social Capital, Social Media Marketing, Political Marketing. iv | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration…………………………….………………………………….……….…………i Acknowledgement………………………………….………………….…….……………...ii Abstract………………………………………………….……………….….……………….iii List of Figures……………………………………………….………….……………………ix List of Tables………………………………………………….………….………………….x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Main research problem ......................................................................................... 4 1.3 Research questions .............................................................................................. 6 1.4 Research objectives ............................................................................................. 6 1.5 Delimitation of the research .................................................................................. 9 1.6 Significance of the research ................................................................................. 9 1.7 Research methodology ...................................................................................... 10 1.8 Assumptions ....................................................................................................... 11 1.9 Ethics clearance ................................................................................................. 11 1.10 Summary .......................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO: THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN STRATEGIC MARKETING 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 13 2.1.1 Strategic planning and the role of marketing ................................................... 14 2.2 Understanding the environment ......................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Scanning the environment ............................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Analysing the industry and the competition ..................................................... 18 2.2.3 Understanding your target audience ............................................................... 21 2.2.4 Value proposition ............................................................................................. 23 2.3 Integrated marketing communication strategies ................................................. 24 2.3.1 The marketing communication mix .................................................................. 25 2.3.2 The new media ................................................................................................ 26 2.3.3 Branding and positioning ................................................................................. 27 2.4 The new marketing paradigm – E-marketing .....................................................