5. Discussions on findings
Extending the analysis in Table 3, each of these categories can be utilized to establish the types of activities that they are
doing and explore a link with the Constantidines’s (2004) model where he proposed that the organizations can influence their
consumers’ purchase decision in two basic approaches; through Active involvement and Passive influence using Social Media.
Table 4 explains different types of strategies adopted by the Higher Education institutions from New Zealand. This summary
indicates that there are still opportunities for this medium in this industry if the demand from the customer end can established
through a research. The above section addresses the third research question of this study.
Social Media is a very interactive dynamic medium that provides with a lot of opportunities. At the same time it creates
challenges for the marketers to develop conforming marketing strategies. Previous researchers have certainly supported this
claim that this conformation needs to be carried out in order to stay competitive in the market (Kreutzer & Hinz, 2010;
Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Affectivity of traditional media and current marketing strategies using unidirectional
communications and mass marketing efforts have been questioned as the target audience seem to have lost trust on this
medium (Constantinidines & Fountain, 2008). Customers seem to value this new media more through direct involvement and
looks at this from a sense of ownership as they also generate the contents within them (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).
Although New Zealand Higher Education institutions compete in a global market, the findings from this study questions the
current media that they are using and their effectiveness. There have been very few studies carried out in the New Zealand
market that enlightening with the choice of medium for marketers in this industry. Khan & Ali (2011) claims that the choices
in this market seem to be very unpredictable and often on a make shift basis that lacks overall strategic goals. This research
also discovered similar trends where lack of attention towards a strategic choice might have contributed towards the low usage
of this medium within the New Zealand Higher Education institutions. The greatest challenge that using interactive Social
Media creates is establishing the context where the target audience are motivated enough to involve themselves in the
discussion. Without their participation this medium perhaps is left with a dead effort. This is perhaps why we see, almost 36%
of the samples from categories 3 and 4, although they were involved in Social Media marketing in one way or another, were
failing to create the so called “Buzz” that is targeted in using this medium for marketing purposes.
The following Figure 5-A discuss a process model development based on the Gr nroos (2004) framework to work out a value
creation process within these Higher Education institutions.
Figure 5-A: Conceptual framework for building Social Media Content strategy for Higher Education Institutions from NZ.
Source: (Developed by the author based on Gr nroos (2004).
Marketing
Objective
Orientation
• Resource Analysis
• Internal stakeholder
Need Analysis
• Market Need Analysis
Marketing
Objectives
• Knowledge
Gr nroos (2004) describes three major elements in an effective Social Media strategy: Knowledge Creation, Interaction, and
Relationship. The participants could find themselves involved in all these three aspects in order to take part in the Social
Media interaction and start adding value to the marketing efforts of the institutions. These objectives are very contextual and
need to be customized based on the institutions’ internal stakeholder (shareholders, teachers and administrators) needs, market
(students) needs. As well they are based on actual resource analysis where a practical analysis was carried out to establish the
market readiness for a dynamic medium such as Social Media. If all these relationships are assessed in creating the marketing
communications objectives the stakeholder participation should ensure the constant conformation of the Social Media
contents which will help the choice of the right platform for the organization to communicate constantly with the prospective
customers.
6. Conclusion
The study gives a snapshot of the supply side of the information for Higher Education institutions’ Social Media strategy for
New Zealand. In answer to the research questions set forth, we can conclude that there is a clear demand from the consumer
end for this medium to be used as a marketing channel. Higher educational institutions lack confidence on this medium thus
the lack of current use. And due to the distrust and lack of commitment the resource mobilization for identifying clear
effective strategy in using this medium is evidently absent among the current practices by the higher educational institutions
from New Zealand.
Information gathered and analysed in this study will be a valuable resource in understanding the strategy formulation process
in these institutions. But in order to establish an overall picture of this media further study is required on the demand side of
this medium. The data can be used to triangulate an overall picture of the current state of strategies of Social Media marketing
of these institutions. Further studies may include focuses on inter-industry comparison of Social media usage in marketing, a
time series analysis of development of this medium as a marketing tool.
5. Discussions on findingsExtending the analysis in Table 3, each of these categories can be utilized to establish the types of activities that they aredoing and explore a link with the Constantidines’s (2004) model where he proposed that the organizations can influence theirconsumers’ purchase decision in two basic approaches; through Active involvement and Passive influence using Social Media.Table 4 explains different types of strategies adopted by the Higher Education institutions from New Zealand. This summaryindicates that there are still opportunities for this medium in this industry if the demand from the customer end can establishedthrough a research. The above section addresses the third research question of this study.Social Media is a very interactive dynamic medium that provides with a lot of opportunities. At the same time it createschallenges for the marketers to develop conforming marketing strategies. Previous researchers have certainly supported thisclaim that this conformation needs to be carried out in order to stay competitive in the market (Kreutzer & Hinz, 2010;Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Affectivity of traditional media and current marketing strategies using unidirectionalcommunications and mass marketing efforts have been questioned as the target audience seem to have lost trust on thismedium (Constantinidines & Fountain, 2008). Customers seem to value this new media more through direct involvement andlooks at this from a sense of ownership as they also generate the contents within them (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).Although New Zealand Higher Education institutions compete in a global market, the findings from this study questions thecurrent media that they are using and their effectiveness. There have been very few studies carried out in the New Zealandmarket that enlightening with the choice of medium for marketers in this industry. Khan & Ali (2011) claims that the choicesin this market seem to be very unpredictable and often on a make shift basis that lacks overall strategic goals. This researchalso discovered similar trends where lack of attention towards a strategic choice might have contributed towards the low usageof this medium within the New Zealand Higher Education institutions. The greatest challenge that using interactive SocialMedia creates is establishing the context where the target audience are motivated enough to involve themselves in thediscussion. Without their participation this medium perhaps is left with a dead effort. This is perhaps why we see, almost 36%of the samples from categories 3 and 4, although they were involved in Social Media marketing in one way or another, werefailing to create the so called “Buzz” that is targeted in using this medium for marketing purposes.The following Figure 5-A discuss a process model development based on the Gr nroos (2004) framework to work out a valuecreation process within these Higher Education institutions.Figure 5-A: Conceptual framework for building Social Media Content strategy for Higher Education Institutions from NZ.Source: (Developed by the author based on Gr nroos (2004).MarketingObjectiveOrientation• Resource Analysis• Internal stakeholderNeed Analysis• Market Need AnalysisMarketingObjectives• KnowledgeGr nroos (2004) describes three major elements in an effective Social Media strategy: Knowledge Creation, Interaction, andRelationship. The participants could find themselves involved in all these three aspects in order to take part in the SocialMedia interaction and start adding value to the marketing efforts of the institutions. These objectives are very contextual andneed to be customized based on the institutions’ internal stakeholder (shareholders, teachers and administrators) needs, market(students) needs. As well they are based on actual resource analysis where a practical analysis was carried out to establish themarket readiness for a dynamic medium such as Social Media. If all these relationships are assessed in creating the marketingcommunications objectives the stakeholder participation should ensure the constant conformation of the Social Mediacontents which will help the choice of the right platform for the organization to communicate constantly with the prospectivecustomers.6. ConclusionThe study gives a snapshot of the supply side of the information for Higher Education institutions’ Social Media strategy forNew Zealand. In answer to the research questions set forth, we can conclude that there is a clear demand from the consumerend for this medium to be used as a marketing channel. Higher educational institutions lack confidence on this medium thusthe lack of current use. And due to the distrust and lack of commitment the resource mobilization for identifying cleareffective strategy in using this medium is evidently absent among the current practices by the higher educational institutionsfrom New Zealand.Information gathered and analysed in this study will be a valuable resource in understanding the strategy formulation processin these institutions. But in order to establish an overall picture of this media further study is required on the demand side ofthis medium. The data can be used to triangulate an overall picture of the current state of strategies of Social Media marketingof these institutions. Further studies may include focuses on inter-industry comparison of Social media usage in marketing, atime series analysis of development of this medium as a marketing tool.
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