Competencies
The evolution of social media standards and practices is related to both the audience’s characteristics and the motivation for their use. Initially, users were attracted to the information and communication, recreational and integrative functions of social media. Based on social networks, now the audience gets acquainted with news content, building news feeds by individual information needs. However, along with the advantages of using social networks, their disadvantages are also highlighted, which may require the potential need for regulation of social media. This applies to the illegal use and dissemination of information, Internet addiction, manipulation of the audience, dissemination of false information, etc. These negative trends are associated with the lack of legal regulation of activities in the Internet. Due to the expansion of the information environment, the functions of the participants in the media process have changed. From consumers of information, they have become active producers of media content. For this reason, the question arose about the ethics of the behavior of the Internet audience. Cases of violations of ethical norms in the media space have become quite frequent, which causes ethical concerns.
In recent years, the popularity of social networks on the Internet has increased dramatically. According to psychological theories, they not only facilitate direct communication between users. Social networks allow users to post content within their profiles, creating their Internet character, similar to their real personalities in life. According to the theory, the sphere of preferences and the social component of the individual is expressed through attitudes. In addition to creating their own virtual identity, social networks provoke users to enter into social contacts. This allows them to view other users ‘ profiles, search for mutual friends, or find interesting content. According to the theory, researchers identify attitudes to creating, maintaining, destroying, and restoring social networks. Such an attitude as interest in people with a similar psychotype, the desire for intimacy, and social support is considered separately. Thus, psychologists explain the widely varying opinions and attitudes expressed through social media using these two theories. By posting their viewpoint, a person realizes his ideal Self through a virtual personality.
Traditional advertising still works successfully in the conditions of the modern market. For this reason, new social media marketing trends have some of the features of more conventional forms of advertising. In modern digital advertising, a type of traditional advertising is used. Pop-up windows often have a traditional look: they represent a message with a pronounced advertising text and the advertiser’s details. In addition, both new and traditional advertisers offer customers special discounts to attract clients. However, advertising today is not just a successful video but a particular type of communication. Consumer confidence in traditional advertising is undermined by the monologue of the advertising message, the lack of interactivity.
Today, the consumer has changed, and the voluntary communication of the audience with advertising is becoming critical, so a new format of contact with the consumer is being created. This trend logically implies the use of unique, non-standard media carriers for advertising messages. In addition, the trend towards standardization has increased, and consumers have begun to experience some “sensual hunger.” Most people like it when brands refer to them as intellectually developed individuals, and therefore, now there is more and more conceptual advertising.
The influence of social networks on society and social standards is constantly increasing. In cyberspace, the very structure of the personal changes through changes in social relations. The integration of people online and then offline is based on a different group principle. Nowadays, it is often the group’s membership that shapes each participant’s interests and behavior. Due to the deformation of interpersonal relationships in the network, the social norms of relationships between people outside the Internet space are also changing. For example, the concept of “friend” in social networks has almost devalued, since now this status can be attached to any Internet user with a simple mouse click. “Skype marriages” “online confessions,” and so on are becoming an ordinary thing, and dialogue as a traditional form of communication is now increasingly presented in the form of a simple exchange of hyperlinks.
Before the advent of social networks, interaction with many people was only possible after they got together. Social networks based on Internet communications significantly restructure the ways of communication in space. They provide an opportunity for citizens located in different parts of the country to communicate simultaneously with many participants in network communication. In this new paradigm, actors become more independent because networks allow for informal, horizontal communication and skillfully manage complex and rapidly changing social conditions. Public communications, supported by digital formats, facilitate communication, which positively influences social networks on global communication. Instead of information flows limited by place and time, non-hierarchical communication models can now be implemented almost anytime and in any location.
Nevertheless, the problems that arise as the result of making global communication easily accessible are numerous. Among the most studied are Internet addiction, withdrawal from reality to virtual space, dependence on computers, and online games. Global communication can acquire the character of harassment, cyberbullying, Internet aggression, hacking, theft of confidential personal data and financial information, and manipulation of public opinion. Due to the ever-increasing social role of virtual communication, information threats of a communicative nature pose a real danger to users. Under the influence of the information environment, numerous social problems of society have received a new round of development. Destructive behavior of people and aggression have become part of the virtual world.
Final Project
My brand The Canon of Freedom will be engaged in producing clothing made of natural materials in the boho style. The brand’s clothing will be characterized by democracy, an abundance of specific accessories, and ethnic components. The hippie philosophy will inspire both the look and the cut of the clothes. A characteristic feature of the brand will be the styles that do not restrict movement. The clothes will be comfortable and practical, without a complicated cut, tight details, or fancy shiny fabrics. It will be created based on unity with nature: items will be made from natural materials: cotton, linen, denim, cambric, wool, and leather. The clothes will be sewn in an ethnic style with folk ornaments, natural patterns, leather inserts. The ethnic flavor will be expressed in the production of national clothing items (for example, shirts, ponchos) and its design. Bright, acidic colors will dominate the color scheme; the clothes will feature such color solutions as iridescent concentric circles, patterns of bright, eye-catching shades. There will be no division into primary and secondary colors; all shades will be mixed into a single scale.
The brand will have several goals of social media presence; first of all, such a goal will be to increase monthly sales. The use of social networks will also help to attract traffic to the site: up to 10,000 unique visitors per month. In addition, social networks will help the brand to enter a new market in a new city, launch new products, and open new branches. Moreover, promotion in social networks will help increase brand awareness to 5 mentions per month in large niche communities. A significant planned result is the strengthening of trust between the company and customers, the formation of the company’s image in the audience’s eyes, and the transfer of its values. The overall purposes of the brand will echo the goals in social networks. The brand’s primary goal will be to bring together the personal preferences of the target audience and fashion trends. Therefore, the brand’s overall goals are to produce and sell a long-lasting and relevant product efficiently. Creating a customer-oriented product and increasing loyalty to the company’s product will also be an essential overall goal.
The demand for the market comparable MYRINE has grown thanks to new fashion trends for loose layered skirts and blouses, which has made the brand a success. Not a very successful decision of the brand was a feature of color solutions: using uncharacteristic colors for the style, such as cold blue or turquoise. In addition, critics note that MYRINE puts its ideals above the whims of fashion, which sometimes allows the style of new collections to become outdated.
The second market is comparable brand Free People which managed to create a successful selling image of a young girl who is always searching for something new. In addition, this brand of clothing always has a very effective advertising campaign. This is due to the fact that the brand always chooses models who have bright and original personalities. One of the shortcomings is that the brand’s product range consists exclusively of women’s clothing; it does not produce any shoes or accessories.
The third market comparable is the Dutch brand Maison Scotch; initially, it’s concept was not very successful because he only focused on the male consumer. In addition, the age range of the target audience was chosen too widely: from 18 to 45 years. In 2001, the brand changed its strategy radically, starting to produce clothing for women and narrowing the age range. This strategy proved successful, and Maison Scotch clothing began to be in high demand.
The social norms for the comparable brand MYRINE are to create and maintain femininity and attractiveness. The main rule that the founders of the brand follow is to focus and emphasize the subtle and romantic female natures. The tacit regulation is to only create the clothes that will maintain the built image of a woman (for example, those that have a loose fit and romantic colors). Free People‘s products, on the contrary, view women as strong-minded and independent individuals who are not afraid to experiment and discover something new. The social norm of this brand is that women should have their own opinion, including a point of view on the fashion world. The company’s slogans include open regulation, which prioritizes the brand’s originality, creativity, independence, and freedom. The Maison Scotch brand differs from the previous two comparables in that the chosen social norm, openly supported by the brand, are family values. This social norm is maintained by advertising companies that depict happy families and the production of paired clothing for parents and children.
Potential language and cultural barriers are not difficult to overcome, as hippie culture and boho style have gained wide popularity and have admirers worldwide. The main slogan Make love, not war is known in all countries and it is translated into all world languages. The primary tool for overcoming the cultural barrier can be depicting models which represent different ethnic and gender groups. The language barrier can be overcome by releasing collections with decorated inscriptions in the language of ethnic minorities (for example, of Indians).
Since my brand is new, an informative type of advertising should be used first. Such advertising should form the initial audience of the company’s customers. It will provide information about the characteristics and features of the clothing produced. Informative brand advertising should attract the interest of consumers. Considering the target audience’s characteristics, the more effective type of advertising is not rational but emotional. In this case, when choosing, potential customers are guided by their feelings and impressions of clothing. The more positive emotions the ad will cause, the more successful the brand will be. The company does not have the task to significantly increase the number of customers, demand, or sales in the shortest possible time. Therefore, there is no need to resort to a rigid type of advertising. The most optimal type of advertising is a soft type, which is more reliable and consistent. With its help, the brand will gradually gain the trust of customers. In this type of advertisement, special techniques that cause customers to have a rational and emotional subconscious desire to buy the products of the particular brand are used.
As the experience of comparable brand Maison Scotch shows, including a wide range of ages is not an effective strategy for selling boho clothing. The older generation has other, more conservative values, so they can not be the target audience. The social position chosen by the brand is more likely to resonate among young people between the ages of 18 and 27. The brand’s target audience is people who live on the principle of “here and now.” For them, the priority is to gain new experience and to establish new contacts constantly. The main factor that can arouse the interest of this audience in the manufactured clothing is curiosity. Social networks will become a significant part of the communication between the boho clothing brand and the youth audience. This is due to the social activity of young people, which includes not so much live communication as communication on the Internet.
All the necessary contacts will be placed on the leading site in a separate section of the menu, making it easier for the user to find them. So that the user does not need to search for anything at all, the primary contact will be placed in a prominent place in the profile header in social networks. Most customers prefer phone calls, as it is easier, faster and more reliable. Therefore, the phone number will be specified in the contact section. In addition, phone numbers and a separate mailbox for each department will be determined separately. To make it easier for customers to perceive an email address, it will be short and memorable. Also, the company’s address and driving directions will be indicated. A feedback form will be integrated on the site in the contact section. The form will have fields for the client’s name, phone number, and email address, as well as a separate area for entering a message.
The product range will be displayed on Instagram: posts will be published about the quality of the fabric, the features of the cut, the available colors. The profile will contain precise information: “handmade,” “prices from $ 100”, “free shipping for European countries.” To make the text more attractive, a call to action will be placed at the end of the description: “Subscribe, it’s interesting here.” In addition, Facebook posts will have the “question and answer” form and will contain a description of how the product can be measured or ordered, how the delivery cost is calculated. A high-quality cover with a logo in the profile will increase the product’s attractiveness and contribute to an effective fight against competitors. The picture on the body in the profile will be high-resolution and easy to remember.
All brand news will be published on Twitter: the opening of another store, creating a website, or a new full-length mirror in the fitting room. The platform will reveal the inner life of the company to subscribers. A brief but informative preview in the profile will contain information about how Twitter can be helpful and what the company’s mission is. Fashion tips will be published in TikTok; the content will show subscribers what trends are in this season and what the brand’s clothing should wear. The profile will contain the name of the brand and the style of dress it produces. To promote the brand’s website, the name of the site will be displayed in the profile.
First of all, as a theoretical material, I would use Spearman’s rank correlations. This is a nonparametric analog of correlation, which considers the main factors that affect consumer preferences (Sindermann et al., 2020). The correlation would be built between these factors and the final consumer preference. In the context of research conducted using Spearman’s rank correlation theory, elements that have a marketing focus would be identified. It would be crucial for my company to maintain its corporate brand. To do this, the theory of the brand management model to human resource management would be used (Shareef et al., 2019). For success, it is necessary not to be based solely on the product brand but also to create a corporate brand based on theory. This would strengthen the company’s activities, values, and mission and spread the company’s distinctive complementary values.
The rational functioning and development of entrepreneurship presuppose a goal and a clear direction of action, which can be determined using theory. Disordered development can transform into uncontrolled behavior of deterministic nonlinear dynamical systems, leading to unexpected results (Li et al., 2021). Therefore, it is essential to decide on the target development of the product, which would correspond to the internal structure of the brand, using theory.
Developing a solid personal brand through social media is a must-have in today’s world. With their help, it is possible to gain the support of a loyal audience, expand the customer base, and increase the product’s value. When promoting a brand on social networks, an SMM strategy is needed. It is a complex process; knowledge and skills in Internet marketing and social media will be required. Publishing helpful tips, various cases, stories, conducting live broadcasts, and expressing opinions allow to maintain communication with the audience and keep their attention for a long time. Essential aspects of forming a brand are the image, the main message, and communication platforms. In other words, the key to a strong brand is to use an integrated approach when choosing promotion tools.
References
Li, F., Larimo, J., & Leonidou, L. C. (2021). Social media marketing strategy: Definition, conceptualization, taxonomy, validation, and future agenda. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(6), 51-70.
Shareef, M. A., Mukerji, B., Dwivedi, Y. K., Nripendra, P. R., & Islam, R. (2019). Social media marketing: Comparative effect of advertisement sources. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 46(1), 58-69.
Sindermann, C. J., Elhai, J. D., & Montag, C. (2020). Predicting tendencies towards the disordered use of Facebook’s social media platforms: On the role of personality, impulsivity, and social anxiety. Psychiatry Research, 285(1), 11-27.