4.2 Assignment: The Importance of Social Media 
We know that companies use social media to get new customers. But did you know that social media helps to build customer relationships? Companies can leverage social media to support and maintain customer relationships. In fact, Social Relationship Management (SRM) is a career path in itself! 
Watch this short video in which customer service expert, Shep Hyken, talks about some of the mistakes companies make when using social media and some opportunities for improvement.
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, impacting various aspects, including communication, marketing, and customer service. In recent years, businesses have recognized the significance of managing their social media presence to maintain a positive brand image and enhance customer satisfaction. This assignment explores the importance of social media management in the context of customer service by analyzing the infamous KFC proposal incident that went viral. The incident demonstrated how effective social media management can turn a potentially damaging situation into a heartwarming success story.
Case Study: The KFC Proposal Incident
In November 2021, a journalist attempted to shame a man for proposing to his girlfriend at a KFC restaurant, which was caught on camera and shared on social media platforms. The video went viral, receiving widespread attention, and unfortunately, many users started ridiculing the couple. This incident could have escalated into a public relations nightmare for KFC, but their swift and thoughtful response, driven by effective social media management, turned the situation around entirely.
Importance of Social Media Management for Customer Service:
Real-Time Monitoring: Social media platforms provide businesses with real-time feedback from customers. With proper social media management tools and strategies in place, companies can actively monitor discussions and address potential issues promptly. In the case of KFC, their social media team quickly noticed the viral video, allowing them to respond promptly.
Engaging with Customers: Social media offers a direct channel for businesses to engage with their customers. Effective social media management involves responding to queries, concerns, and comments in a timely and empathetic manner. By engaging with the public during the KFC proposal incident, the company demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
Crisis Management: The incident at KFC could have easily turned into a PR disaster. However, their social media team employed crisis management techniques to defuse the situation. They responded with empathy and compassion, redirecting the narrative from ridicule to support, thus minimizing the negative impact on their brand reputation.
Humanizing the Brand: Through social media, companies have the opportunity to humanize their brand by showcasing their values and empathy. KFC’s genuine concern for the couple’s experience humanized the brand, creating a positive impression among potential and existing customers.
Turning Negative to Positive: Social media management allows companies to turn negative situations into positive ones. KFC’s decision to offer to fund the couple’s wedding was a brilliant move that transformed a potential crisis into a heartwarming success story. This act of kindness resonated with millions of people and garnered immense support for the brand.
The KFC proposal incident exemplifies the importance of social media management in customer service. Through real-time monitoring, engaging with customers, crisis management, humanizing the brand, and turning negatives into positives, businesses can effectively navigate social media challenges. This case study serves as a valuable lesson for customer service professionals, illustrating the significance of proactive and compassionate social media management to foster customer loyalty and maintain a positive brand image in the digital age.

Instructions

Download this template and answer the following questions about the KFC Case Study: 

How did the KFC proposal incident gain widespread attention on social media, and what were some of the initial reactions from the public?

What role did social media management play in the KFC incident, and how did it help the company address the potential negative impact on their brand reputation?

How did KFC’s social media team demonstrate effective crisis management during the incident, and what were some of the strategies they employed to defuse the situation?

In what ways did KFC’s response on social media humanize the brand, and how did this impact the public’s perception of the company?

How did KFC manage to turn the negative situation into a heartwarming success story through their social media efforts, and what implications does this have for other businesses regarding the power of social media management in customer service?

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Marketing Plan Part D: Digital and Social Media Strategies

In this part of the Marketing Plan, you will create a digital and social media marketing strategy and content for your project business. You will consider your target market and think about areas of opportunity for reaching them outside of the traditional print, tv, and radio formats. 
Digital marketing is an umbrella term that refers to the marketing of goods or services using digital media, such as e-mail, websites, search engines, and social media platforms. Social media specifically refers to Internet-based applications that enable users to create their own content and share it with others who access these sites.
How Marketers Capitalize on the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT)
According to your textbook, the ZMOT is the “moment when a customer uses a digital device to begin learning about a potential purchase. It happens online, typically starting with a search on Google…” This moment is emotional because the consumer has a need he wants to satisfy and an emotional investment in finding the best solution.

In today’s digital marketing environment, how do companies make sure their websites and other online content are the first ones found when consumers reach a ZMOT? A big part of that answer is through the use of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting more traffic based on higher rankings of free or “organic” search results on search engines.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is the process of generating website traffic by purchasing advertisements on search engines.
Social media marketing uses combinations of digital tools such as websites, online videos, e-mail, blogs, social media, mobile ads, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. It seeks to engage consumers anywhere, anytime via their computers, smartphones, tablets, Internet-enabled TVs, and other digital devices. Marketing organizations are committing increasing percentages of their resources to social media marketing for one simple reason: More and more people are spending more and more of their time on these platforms. Whether we are looking at Facebook to see what a friend is up to, checking a celebrity’s Twitter to keep up with pop culture news, or contemplating which Instagram filter makes us look better, social and mobile technology have become natural parts of our everyday lives.
How can—or better yet, how should—marketers use social media to achieve business-related goals? Generally speaking, nearly all social media marketing strategies and tactics can be grouped according to their main purpose:

Increase brand visibility through search marketing techniques (See SEO and SEM above!)
Apply content marketing strategies to grow customer engagement.
Utilize social media to promote brand–customer and customer–customer conversation about your brand.
Incorporate location-based marketing techniques to provide context to social interactions.
Activate customer advocacy by incorporating social media into CSR and loyalty programs.
Employ social media monitoring to listen to the voice of the customer.
Instructions
This week, you will submit Part D of your Marketing Plan.
Add this portion of your marketing plan to the project submitted last week, so your marketing plan becomes a running document with additional sections added each week (be sure to continue the formatting provided in the template). This section of your plan should be approximately two (2) pages long with properly cited resources with in-text citations.
Use these headings in bold font in your plan and cover the points beneath each heading.

Tip: Be sure to take a look at the Rubric below! This will give you a solid understanding of the exact criteria that will be used to grade this part of your paper.
Digital Marketing Activities

Spend a few minutes thinking about your project business. What types of ZMOTs will your target customer have? In other words, what need will your product fulfill for them? For example, if your business is a mechanics shop, what situations would require your services? If a potential customer goes out to start their car in the morning and has a dead battery, that could be a ZMOT. What would help connect this customer to you?
Assume that your business already has a very basic website but needs your advice on how to improve its digital and social media presence.
In this first section of your paper, discuss how SEO and SEM can help improve traffic to the website. Then make three suggestions for improving website traffic. Be sure to include Keyword suggestions and SEM and content ideas.
Social Media Marketing and Content Creation

In this part of your paper, discuss how you feel social media marketing can improve the success of this business. Using the concept of “Content PillarsLinks to an external site.” (select “CC” for closed captions), come up with 3-5 categories of content that you feel would be appropriate for this business. Then, underneath each pillar, add one or two ideas for specific content, how you would format that content, and the specific social media outlet where you feel that it will be best received.
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Marketing Plan
Part A:
Marketing Plan Purpose, Mission Statement and Competitive Advantage
Jonathan Darnell
ECPI University
MKT214: Marketing Management
John C. Rajan
6/2/2024
2
Introduction
(This instruction box is to be deleted before submission of your plan.)
Write a few sentences introducing this business.
1. Fully describe what products/services the business offers.
2. How long have they been in business? Include a brief history of the company.
Purpose of a Marketing Plan
(This instruction box is to be deleted before submission of your plan.)
1.
Explain the purpose of a marketing plan in general as described in your textbook.
2.
Discuss how this marketing plan will support the business’s goals.
You should write at least one full paragraph to explain each of these.
Remember to cite your textbook as your source.
Mission Statement
(This instruction box is to be deleted before submission of your plan.)
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•
•
•
Given the facts in the vignette create a short mission statement that you believe captures
the essence of this business.
Explain why you have selected the specific wording that you did. In other words, why
did you choose to phrase it in this particular way?
Discuss what you feel this statement would mean to the customers, and how you feel that
it would drive their behavior.
Discuss how employees of this company would interpret the Mission Statement, and how
you hope it would drive their behavior.
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Competitive Advantage Statement
(This instruction box is to be deleted before submission of your plan.)
Once you have written a mission statement, you can write your competitive advantage statement. This
statement takes what you have said in your Mission Statement and proves it. It brags about the
specialness of your business in just a few words. It says what you do that’s better than anybody
else. Be sure to explain why you think this Competitive advantage statement compliments your Mission
Statement and does justice to the uniqueness of this business.
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References
(This instruction box is to be deleted before submission of your plan.)
Below is a sample References page with various types of resources. Use the formatting below
for each of your resources. You will add to your references list throughout your project.
Achterberg, J. (1985). Imagery in healing. Shambhala Publications.
American Psychological Association. (2017). Stress in America: The state of our nation.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2017/state-nation.pdf
Baider, L., Uziely, B., & Kaplan De-Nour, A. (1994). Progressive muscle relaxation and guided
imagery in cancer patients. General Hospital Psychiatry, 16(5), 340–347.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0163-8343(94)90021-3
Ball, T. M., Shapiro, D. E., Monheim, C. J., & Weydert, J. A. (2003). A pilot study of the use of
guided imagery for the treatment of recurrent abdominal pain in children. Clinical
Pediatrics, 42(6), 527–532. https://doi.org/10.1177/000992280304200607
Bernstein, D. A., & Borkovec, T. D. (1973). Progressive relaxation training: A manual for the
helping professions. Research Press.
Bottomley, A. (1996). Group cognitive behavioural therapy interventions with cancer patients: A
review of the literature. European Journal of Cancer Cure, 5(3), 143–146.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2354.1996.tb00225.x
Cohen, M., & Fried, G. (2007). Comparing relaxation training and cognitive-behavioral group
therapy for women with breast cancer. Research on Social Work Practice, 17(3), 313–
323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731506293741
Freebird Meditations. (2012, June 17). Progressive muscle relaxation guided meditation
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDZI-4udE_o
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Barbara’s Bakery Marketing Plan
Part C:
Four Ps of the Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion
Jonathan Darnell
ECPI University
MKT214: Marketing Management
John C. Rajan
5/26/2024
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Introduction
Barbara’s Bakery operates in the foods and beverages industry and it is well-known for its highquality baked products made from the best available ingredients. It has a huge customer base that
is enthusiastic about its baked products. This paper evaluates how the business offers value to
customers, suggests possible alternative products, analyzes reliable pricing approaches, assesses
the methods of distribution, and establishes the most effective marketing channels including
promotions that it can use to promote and communicate value.
Product and Value Creation
The products and services that Barbara’s Bakery offers to its customers are founded on
quality ingredients. The business uses high-quality ingredients that guarantee tasty and healthier
baked goods. The focus on quality goods strengthens the trust customers have in the business. It
also provides product variation, something that ensures that various customer needs are catered
for. It produces cookies, breads, cakes, and pastries that meet varied customer preferences.
Another exciting aspect of its products is customization (College & Career Ready Labs, 2017). A
customer can make an order for customized baked goods according to their liking.
Some of the possible products that the bakery can introduce to attract the market include
gluten-free baked goods. This will suit customers who have strict dietary limitations. It should
also consider introducing vegan baked products that will cater to vegetarian consumers.
Price and Value Creation
The pricing of Barbara’s Bakery should be based on the value of goods. The customers
that demand premium ingredients are often happy to pay more for the high-quality goods.
Another approach is to position some baked goods at increased prices to improve the perceived
product value and attract a wealthy group of customers (Thabit & Raewf, 2018).
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The business can differentiate itself from competitors through differentiated pricing
according to product size, ingredients used, and customization. This will consider the diverse
range of customers and their budgets. Introducing seasonal promotions is also another way to
differentiate itself from competitors (Thabit & Raewf, 2018). Unique pricing during
anniversaries or holidays can stimulate feelings of urgency and draw more consumers.
The pricing strategy offers value to the target market in various ways. By employing transparent
pricing which involves making clear the benefits that customers get from consuming the
products, it strengthens trust and shows the reason for the high prices placed on premium goods
(Thabit & Raewf, 2018). Moreover, offering options to customers through flexible payment
helps the customers enjoy convenient and effective payment services.
Place and Value Delivery
Some of the distribution methods that Barbara’s Bakery uses for its products include
physical stores where consumers can directly buy baked goods. Another distribution is online
stores through mobile applications and websites which enable customers to order baked goods
for delivery to their locations.
The distribution provides value to the target customers in various ways. One of them is
the convenience that the online stores give to the customers who make orders and get them
delivered to their homes or workplaces (Yusuf & Matiin, 2022). The online distribution ensures
that customers from distant places can enjoy the products.
Some additional places where the business can position the product include supermarkets
and grocery stores. These will cater to customers who need a one-stop-shopping experience. The
business should also consider supplying products to learning institutions and workplaces to
expand its customer base.
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Promotion and Value Communication
The marketing channels that would be beneficial to this business include social media
sites such as X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. These platforms can help
the business display new goods, and capitalize on customer testimonials to attract more
customers. It can also work with influencers who can make it reach new markets and build
trustworthiness. Content marketing is a powerful strategy (Yusuf & Matiin, 2022). Through
videos on YouTube that show people eating Barbara’s Baked goods including the customized
cakes, the business can attract more customers.
Various promotions would communicate value to the target customer. One of them is
loyalty programs that honor return customers with discounts as a way of boosting their loyalty
and continued purchases (Yusuf & Matiin, 2022). Another approach is using existing customers
to refer others to the products and reward them for each successful referral.
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References
College & Career Ready Labs (2017) The 4 PS of the Marketing Mix Simplified, YouTube.
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mco8vBAwOmA (Accessed: 27 May
2024).
Thabit, T., & Raewf, M. (2018). The evaluation of marketing mix elements: A case
study. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 4(4).
Yusuf, M., & Matiin, N. (2022). Analysis of the Effect of the Marketing Mix on Purchasing
Decisions. International Journal of Economics and Management Research, 1(3), 177182.

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