[An investigation as to why businesses perceive social networks to be the new form of retail marketing]

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Acknowledgement

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Social Networks in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Social networking and its relation with marketing in business perspective. The research also analyzes many aspects of social network and tries to gauge its effect on business marketing. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for social network and tries to describe the overall effect of social network on businesses.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

Outline of the Study6

Introduction to the Research6

Problem Statement10

Research Aims and Objectives10

The purpose of this report11

Objectives11

Ethical Concerns12

Limitations, Assumptions and Suggestion for Future Research12

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW14

Top 10 Consumer Brands on Social Media25

Starbucks and Social Networking26

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY31

Mixed Methodology of Research31

Variables33

Research Instrument33

Research Design and process34

Coding34

Participants35

Results from SPSS37

Discussion49

REFERENCES51

APPENDIX55

Gantt chart55

Chapter 1: Introduction

Outline of the Study

This research focuses on the various aspects of social networks, which are considered to be the new form of retail marketing. The study comprises of the following chapters:

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Conclusion

Introduction to the Research

A social network is a global web based service that allows users to communicate with one another in various ways. On these networks users publicize their likes and interests, which enable others to acknowledge their personality. Businesses benefit largely because they are capable of understanding their consumer's behaviour and can target precisely.

Members are authorized to connect with one another and send across comments and private messages. The majority of social networks also 'have photo- sharing and video-sharing capabilities; others have built -in blogging and instant messaging technology (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Social networks offer a high degree of personalization and user intercommunication.

A social network is a set of social identities such as individuals or even organizations linked together by bonds created during social interactions. It is represented by a structure or a dynamic form of social grouping. The social network analysis, based on network theory, the use of graphs and analysis sociological field represents the student social networks. A social network represents a social structure dynamics are modeled by vertices and edges. The peaks usually refer to people and / or organizations and are connected by social interactions.

As social networks like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Twitter are increasing their services to attract more users competitiveness is measured in foreign territory. Social network's strength lies in game offerings, both for specific users such as passengers on the train and for a long time playing at home, as more and more people opt ...