Year

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy Integrated

Department

School of Management, Operations and Marketing

Abstract

Compared to other communication mediums, the history of social media is relatively brief. Social media, initially thought a mere fad, has become a global changer of the personal and business communication game worldwide. Social media came into existence with the birth of the Internet and, since then, social media tools are in a state of constant evolution.

The increased use of social media in personal life has happened fast, significantly altering the way people communicate. In addition, social media tools, which provide instant access to information in real time and promote better collaboration, has begun to gain interest with businesses as well. While the onset of social media tools for personal use took place without the need to establish a strategic approach, the use of those tools for business purposes raised the issues common to the adoption of all new mediums. To name a few: resistance to change, lack of knowledge and lack of a visible return on investment.

Social media, as a new medium of communication at the workplace, initially caught the attention of marketers, who have continually searched for new places to target new customers and channels, which allow them to create communities and enhance brand loyalty. In other words, they have continued to find avenues where they can improve both their organisations’ brand voice and their customers’ voice. Thus, for the past several years, discussion of social media use within organisations centered upon how to embrace social media in branding and marketing to reach and engage customers and enhance competitive advantage ...

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.