Social Networking & Enterprise
6BUS1062
Hajrë Hyseni
Rachel Martin
Student Number: 14070174
Word Count:
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................1
Introduction 2
Main Findings: 2
Tim Hortons 2
Starbucks 2
Analysis 3
Action Plan 4
Conclusion 5
References 5
Appendix 5
Introduction Social networking sites are a great tool for marketers, as they present a number of opportunities for interacting with customers, either through public or private messaging like email (Zarella, 2009).” Social media has allowed so many opportunities for interaction and in the same it allows customers to engage with them as well.
Main Findings: Social networking has grown and is continuing to grow, especially with businesses. Business using social media "can be very beneficial to you since you typically may be the first to know any breaking news. Some additional benefits are that you can impress your clients as being knowledgeable on any subject (Pliska, R.J. 2012)."
Tim Hortons Tim Hortons is a company that is based in Canada, but recently merged with a United States company, Burger King, which means they will start to pop up out of Canada and more into the United States and eventually worldwide (Chris Isidore and Jeanne Sahadi, 2014). Tim Hortons is mainly active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter but they don't have as much of a following as other coffee companies, i.e Starbucks. Tim Hortons answers about 10-50 comments daily on their Twitter account, either positive or negative comments. The company is currently putting on a campaign that if consumers share what warm wishes they have done, Tim Hortons will donate a toque to a child in need. Referring to Appendix B, Tim Hortons posts on Instagram almost every day, their Instagram page is more about engaging their customers as they ask questions by putting up pictures and ask consumers where it could be from, but they also promote new products as well.
Starbucks
Starbucks is an international coffee company that is very well known over the world, especially through social media. They are mainly active on Twitter and Instagram, but they do not post very often on Facebook. Starbucks has recently adapted the use of Snapchat on November 3rd but they haven't started posted regularly. The involvement of Snapchat allows them to get their consumers engaged and have some campaigns as well, ie. send us a photos how you feel if you received free Starbucks for life! Referring to appendix A, Starbucks has more of a following on Twitter; they answer anything between 50-400 comments daily, both positive and negative, and sometimes even more. On their Instagram account they post mainly daily, either about personal customer stories or new products that they are going to be selling. Around Remembrance Day Starbucks, did this in a great by promoting that any veterans or spouses of veterans get a free drink and no ID was required. They also did a promotion that was buy 1 get one 1 free for a friend. There were many comments stating other people would get them their coffee and then the trend was happening throughout the day.
Analysis
Social media is a part of consumer’s everyday lives. There are techniques to engage with your target audience. To interact on Twitter one needs to familiarize yourself with basic text speak and modern slang (Halloran, Matthew; Thies, Crystal (2012). Starbucks does a great way of this doing with their customers in ways that they have started respond to their younger customers with slang or text speak, even if it is complaint. This will make the consumers feel more comfortable to talk to Starbucks. Tim Hortons, however, does not interact with their consumers on a this personal level. "Social media offers image or text-based ads that will target by age, gender, location and other criteria (Plunkett, Jack W. 2014)." Starbucks and Tim Hortons have a lot