[BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

Table of content

 Abstract

 Introduction

 Methodology

 Analysis of data

 Conclusion

 Appendix

Abstract
This research was conducted in the optic to know the impact of social media on brand
awareness. For this purpose a hypothesis has been formulated “brand awareness is
made through social media”. We will try to know if marketers can promote their brand
or make their target aware of that brand using ways apart from traditional ways of
creating brand awareness. Therefore, in order to answer that question, I conducted
three (3) interviews with an ex worker in marketing field which is currently a teacher,
a student, and a relationship manager in a bank. As result of this research I came to
know that nowadays it was not possible for marketers to avoid social media as a tool
of brand awareness.

Introduction
The world in entering in a new era of the technology, and every industry activities is
more or less computerized. Also with the use of new technologies like tablets and

1
 [BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

smartphones having lot of application requiring Internet, today’s customers are most
of the time online. Brodkin, (2012) "By the end of 2012, the number of mobile-
connected devices will exceed the number of people on Earth, and by 2016 there will
be 1.4 mobile devices per capita," Cisco said in its Global Mobile Data Traffic
Forecast Update released today. "There will be over 10 billion mobile-connected
devices in 2016... exceeding the world's population at that time (7.3 billion)." In the
traditional marketing marketers used to build their brand through media like
newspapers, radio, TV channels, etc. but nowadays, we noticed with the improvement
of the technology is it wise to keep building a brand in this way.

Methodology
The data used is primary data. Data collection will consist of interviews with teacher,
student and relationship manager of a bank. Two types of interview guide were
designed. One was designed for the teacher who worked in a marketing department,
and the other was design for the student and the admission manager (appendix).
The analysis of the data collected will be inductive because I want to know if my
hypothesis is valid. We will hold a hypothesis which is that marketers cannot improve
their brand awareness only through social media.

Analysis of data
The process of extracting data through interview revealed that for the three
interviewee social media is a platform or websites were one can exchange information
and interact with other people. Social media is perceived as a platform or website
from various interview through which information can be transferred along with
interacting with others. We can notice that with the frequent uses of the terms
“information” (four times), “online” (three times). All our interviewees share the
same thoughts about the importance of the social media and its use to promote a
brand. For them it is clear that the social media is occupying an important place in our
society and therefore it is a good way to promote a brand.
It seems that most of the interviewee (student and relationship manager) identify the
term “social media” with “social networking”. It might show that they use to know
about brand through social network like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. As the
relationship manager said the use of social media is a new way of mouth to mouth
advertising. In other words people will share their experience with their friends and
even with those who are not their friends about a specific brand either it is bad, good
or excellent. The other people who do not know the brand will come to know the
brand as described by the one who tried it first. Hence, social networking or social
media is a useful tool to increase brand awareness.
There is homogeneity in answers of all the interviews. The answer to the question,
“Can we promote a brand only through social media?” is the same for the student and

2
 [BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

the relationship manager. They have said that no matter how social media is
important, no matter how it helps in brand awareness that is according the teacher
(Ms. Manisha), is “the ability to recognize a brand you see it in the marketplace and
also to recall it in your mind in different situations”, the process of creating brand
awareness should not be focused only on social media. Even though it is useful and
powerful it cannot be the tool of brand awareness but a tool of brand awareness
(Gilbert Rukundo), that means it has to be used along with other factors to promote a
brand.
Our hypothesis at the beginning was: “brand awareness is made through social
media”. Is this hypothesis still valid?
There is a contradiction with our hypothesis since the findings that we have deducted
from the interviews are demonstrating that brand awareness cannot be succeed or
increased through the only mean of social media.

Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the data we collected through interviews, we came to know
that the social Media might be a powerful means through which a large number can be
aware of a brand all over the world. But, apart from this wonderful advantage
presented by social media, marketers cannot just concentrate their attention on a
single factor for promoting their brand. They should analyze all the factors able to
help the potential buyers to know about the brand. If a marketer try to skip the others
factors, he will lost on another side lot of customers by giving a free way to smart
competitors who will not neglect any parameters able to increase their brand
awareness.

3
 [BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

Appendix

Interview guide

Ms. Manisha, teacher in marketing.

1. Can you tell me about yourself before becoming a teacher?
I was working in a company in marketing department more precisely in sales.

2. What is social media according to you?

Social media is consisting of online social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter,
etc. a mean through which people exchange information, ideas and thoughts

3. What is the difference between social and personal branding?

Social branding can be defined as the presence of brands on social media.

4. What is brand awareness

The ability to recognize a brand you see it in the marketplace and also to recall it in
your mind in different situations.

5. Can social media be used by marketers to increase their brand awareness?

Yes, extremely useful, but brand should also indulge in meaningful conversations with
customers to build a relationship with them.

Interview guide (relationship managers)

1. Can you please tell me about yourself?
My name is Gilbert Rukundo; I am working in a bank as a relationship manager. I am
supposed to verify whether the customers are satisfied with the services rendered by
the bank. But I have been sent as a student for post graduate course. I will go back to

4
 [BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

my company once I will complete the course.

2. What is social media according to you?

I think that social media can be defined as a website where everyone can exchange
information or interact with others. It a way of communicating with friends

3. What is the difference between social media and social networking?

For me there is no difference between these two. I think they means the same thing

4. According to you what is the importance of social media?

Apart from communicating with friends, social media is used by a lot of companies to
improve the awareness of their brand. It is way of reaching more customers,

5. What do you think about promoting a brand through social media?

I think it is a good way of being aware about a brand since we are most of the time
online. Since it is a more powerful type of word of mouth, advertising able to spread
the news about the brand to people anywhere on the globe.

6. Can we promote a brand only through social media?

I think that social media has to be a tool and not the tool for brand awareness. It
cannot be used as the only mean to make customers recognize a brand, but it can be
set aside since it helps to reach a larger audience

7. Did a brand catch your attention through a social media?

Yes coca cola uses various website to promote their brand like YouTube, yahoo, etc.

Interview guide (student)

1. Can you please tell me about yourself?
I am Assanvo Stephanie student in BBM, in my final semester.

2. What is social media according to you?

It is difficult to define social media I think it is a very broad term. But I would say that
social media are website where information is discussed.

3. What is the difference between social media and social networking?

I think that they both have the same meaning. Social networking is a part of social
media, but only difference according to me is that in the case of social networking
there is an online discussion among friends like Facebook, twitter, orkut, forums, etc.

5
 [BUSINESS RESEARCH] February 28, 2013

4. According to you what is the importance of social media?

I think is one of the greatest innovations in communication since it is enabling
communication with people around the world.

5. What do you think about promoting a brand through social media?

Since the social media allows a large number of people to interact among themselves,
I think it is a good way of promoting the brand since there will always be a large
number of people online.

6. Can we promote a brand only through social media?

I think it will be exaggerated to think that it can be done through social media only.
For me I think that there are many ways to promote a brand, but still the most
important are the social Medias. If a company bypasses the use of social media they
will definitely loss a large number of potential buyers and of course the promotion of
the brand will be limited.

7. Did a brand catch your attention through a social media?

One of a good example is that I used to spend lot of time on YouTube and now when
you click on a video most of the time there will be an ad that will play first before the
video that you selected start. In my case there are two brands that I use to see that are
Tata DoCoMo and SBI. So now, whenever I heard about an operating network or a
bank in India I think automatically about these two brands

References
Jon Brodkin, covering the latest in business technology and the intersection
of consumer technology and IT
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/02/mobile-internet-devices-will-outnumber-
humans-this-year-cisco-predicts/ [14-feb-2012]