Statement of research intent – PhD in Communication And Media Studies
A statement of research intent – PhD in Communication And Media Studies
Please provide a statement of your research interests that describes the areas of research
you would like to pursue in this program. (1000 words)
Requirements：
1. A student admitted to Candidacy in the Graduate Program in Communication
and Media Studies should demonstrate readiness and ability to pursue and
complete original independent research at the doctoral level. (500 words)
My requirements here:
1) My brief background (Please do not simply copy these part. Please expand my
strengths based on this brief, it’s too general for now):
I focus more on communication practice and have achieved outstanding results over
the past years. However, I gradually realized I need further communication research
as a solid foundation for my future career endeavors. I finished my master’s degree
in Communication at Johns Hopkins University with a 3.88/4.0 GPA, and double
majors in Interactive Media Studies (3.91/4.0) and Media and Culture (3.82/4.0) at
Miami University. I have garnered more than three years of internship experience
in related fields, having worked in five different companies in different roles.
2) I want to first highlight my achievement in research during my graduate study at
JHU. I’ll provide three research in the attached files. Because these are related to
my Ph.D. research. Please review these and indicate my achievements and strengths
in the field of communication research. And also indicate how the three research
would further promote my research in my Ph.D.
3) Besides, I’ve have several internships, and want to highlight my internship at
Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Please compose one or two events that made me feel I
need to further research in Communication field.
2. They should have a solid foundation in the discipline of Communication and
Media Studies; demonstrate familiarity with and ability to critically discuss
the literature, theories, and methods most relevant to their chosen area of
research; produce sophisticated written discourse with sound, substantive,
logical argumentation that convinces examiners of their maturity as a
researcher; and have a well-conceptualized plan for their dissertation research.
(500 words)
1) As mentioned before, I’ve conducted several research on how digital media
promote local business/organization/brands. But I need to further research in this
field, to …(please provide an in-depth reason for this research)
2) My initial topic: How Digital Intermediaries Shape Consumption for Local
Small Businesses: Digital Transformation Of Advertising in the Post-COVID19 Era
3) The below section is the instruction for the research proposal (in this 500-word
section, please have a brief introduction including the following content)
Key research content
1. What is your main question and how will your research answer it?
2. What is new about your research and why it is important? Highlight any way
that your research project promises a notable advancement or innovation in the
discipline.
Be specific. An ambiguous or indefinite proposal will weaken your application.
Convey your research goals without resorting to disparaging others.
Methodology
1. How will you answer your key research question?
2. Why is this the most appropriate way to explore the question? Justify your
methodology.
Again, convey your research goals without disparaging others.
Time Frame
Offer expected milestones as the research progresses. The project must be achievable
within the time-frame allowed.
Running head: THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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The Effects of Digital Media on Promoting the Marketing of Local Small Businesses
Introduction
The internet is, arguably, the eighth wonder of the world. This technology has greatly
revolutionized the world in its first three decades. Unlike most technologies, the internet
continues to become more affordable, accessible and used in both developed and developing
countries. However, numerous innovations have emerged in the age of the internet. Social
networks have become a key element of the internet and a critical part of life among individuals
and businesses globally.
Social media have grown increasingly popular in the 2010s. While Facebook is widely
considered among the pioneers of social media, other social networks have since emerged to fill
the users’ dynamic needs. Some of the leading social media companies include Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, among others. Traditionally,
social media platforms were used for sharing textual data with other users. However, modern
platforms necessitate image sharing, video sharing, video conferencing, and professional
connections, among others. The continued expansion of social media has attracted personal and
business users alike. According to Appel et al. (2019), social media has become a primary
marketing channel for many businesses due to the many opportunities that it offers. While small
businesses’ presence in most other marketing channels has remained low due to a variety of
limitations, social media have emerged as their favorite channel.
The role of social media in marketing among small companies can no longer be ignored.
These platforms have not only replaced traditional marketing channels, but they have also
revolutionized how marketing is done. According to Appel et al. (2019), social networks are
more preferred as a marketing channel since they create an opportunity for businesses to connect
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
with more than 42% of the global population. Interestingly, these platforms have proved costeffective since businesses only need to establish a presence and place their products/services.
Those that target larger audiences can also pay a fee that is significantly lower than the cost of
traditional marketing. At the same time, social media platforms provide a more interactive
marketing avenue that allows companies to receive feedback, know the penetration of their
message, and understand the reaction of their target markets (Voorveld et al., 2018). Besides,
businesses can also design various media to meet each target group’s needs and expectations.
The purpose of this research paper is to explore the effects of social media on local
business marketing. This paper will focus on small businesses in localities within the US. The
researcher intends to focus on effects on costs, flexibility, market reach, and interaction with the
consumers. These results will help businesses to make informed decisions about their choice of
marketing channels and to design more effective marketing campaigns.
Literature Review
This part briefly reviews the literature in three areas: social media marketing and its
impacts on companies, the effectiveness of using social media to promote campaigns, and the
future of marketing on social media for local small businesses.
Social Media Marketing and Its Impacts on Companies
The growing dissemination of social media technology has changed the perception of
marketing of businesses. Various companies have felt the impact that has seen tremendous
growth due to rigorous marketing attracting more consumers. According to Roser, Ritchie, &
Ortiz-Ospina, (2019), the internet has brought about the dissemination of information to more
3
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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significant numbers as opposed to other forms of marketing. Various companies have seen
increased sales and consumers by adopting social media marketing.
De Vries, Veer, & de Vries (2018) posit that through SME social media marketing, the
local food industry has seen increased revenue due to the advent of online food delivery stores
and outlets. Through the methodology, the customer base has improved, resulting in increased
fortune. Moreover, local companies can attract more consumers for their products to create a
positive online portfolio and customer relations. In the study conducted by Lupo & Stroman
(2020), it was found that social media adoption strategies such as the expression of consumer
feedback have gone a long way in building potential consumer confidence.
However, in some cases, social media marketing has been seen as detrimental to some
local companies due to negative consumer perception, leading to a poor outlook (Shabbir et al.
2020). In the study, the author outlines that the impact of poor consumer perception is highly
immense, resulting in longer reviews that harm small companies. In another study conducted by
Marolt et al. (2020), consumer perception of online marketing was pegged on either a positive or
negative experience. In the study, the authors outline that social media marketing, in significant
instances, contributes to a negative or positive perception in light of the prior incidents.
The Effectiveness of Using Social Media to Promote Campaign
The Local companies use social media site marketing because these sites increase
company’s sales, boost the company’s reputation, increase customer satisfaction, elevate the
company’s visibility, and allow effective communication with customers and clients. In a
qualitative, descriptive research design, where a study population of 515 individuals listed in
small businesses’ database in Georgia gathered from the Small Business Association (SBA) via
their Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS), Webb & Roberts (2016) found that 77 percent of
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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small business in the state of Georgia are using social media, but only 39% update their social
media platforms “as needed”. The researchers suggested the use of social media platforms,
especially Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn because they can reach a great number of potential
and existing customers. As a result, it allows a company to attract and win new customers. Also,
it offers a platform for companies to attract new customers. Webb & Roberts (2016) encourage
companies to update, monitor, and curate their social media sites to maintain an active, strong
social media presence.
The other study reveals that many businesses find it hard to select social media sites to
use because they have less information about their reliability. Therefore, Gholston, Kuofie &
Hakim (2016) suggested that small businesses should use social media sites that can engage
customers greatly. To capitalize on social media, Gholston, Kuofie & Hakim (2016) argued that
businesses should prioritize building relationships, bolstering brand exposure, interactive
content, and asking questions about the best social media sites.
In a comparative study conducted by Harris & Rae (2009), where microblogging sites
(Twitter, Jaiku, and Pownce) were compared to traditional online blogs and forums, they found
that microblogging sites are very effective in marketing because they provide end-to-end
communications, thus increasing customer engagement. This research examining the prospect of
marketing for small businesses has revealed that social media can increase customer engagement
and boost internal marketing collaboration in the company.
The Future of Marketing on Social Media For Local Small Business
A lot of potential exists within the course of social media marketing. In the study
conducted by Abitbol & Rook (2020), the study’s student respondents outlined that social media
marketing is poised to become the leading marketing tool contrary to traditional methods. The
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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study concludes that marketing in the social media spheres is increasing due to the easier access
to the internet and mobile gadgets. These findings were synonymous with the research conducted
by Voorveld et al. (2018), which outlines that possessing a social media portfolio enables
consumers to access information regarding the establishment easily.
Additionally, the future of social media marketing will include tools that engage the
consumer directly, such as automated replies and live customer attendants. In the study
conducted by Appel et al. (2019), the author outlines that integrated customer care will enable
consumers to network with each other. These changes will result in a business environment that
addresses all the personal concerns of the customer. Consequently, through this initiative,
customers will be able to have their problems addressed adequately, resulting in a more engaging
marketing approach in the business environment.
Through a rapidly engaging social media marketing approach, local small businesses will
experience a high market performance (dos Santos et al. 2020). The growth in performance is
attributed to the fact that social media marketing is poised to reach a broader and more extensive
consumer base than the current times. The expected growth will consequently result in a positive
outlook for the local small businesses causing a positive effect. Therefore through the study, the
future of social media marketing will be directly pegged to market performance due to the
surging numbers.
Conclusion
This research brief found social media has essential effects on local business marketing.
Sales and consumer growth can be achieved by using social media to market small local
companies. Research shows that local small companies should build active social media online
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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business and customer relationships, which enhance the company’s marketing and attract more
customers. Social media has a lot of potential in the marketing process of local companies. Using
social media is a noticeable trend for local small businesses. Companies should use social media
platforms appropriately to bolster brand exposure and interact with the target audience. With the
continuous development of social networks, social media marketing will be directly linked to the
market performance of small local companies in the future.
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
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References
Abitbol, A., & Rook, M. (2020). Small but Mighty: Examining College Student Perceptions of
Small Businesses’ Social Media Use. Ohio Communication Journal, 58, 53–67.
Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2019). The future of social media in
marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 79–95.
de Vries, H. P., Veer, E., & de Vries, K. V. (2018). An examination of SME social media use in
the food industry. Small Enterprise Research, 25(3), 227–238. https://doiorg.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.1080/13215906.2018.1521741
Gholston, K., Kuofie, M., & Hakim, A. C. (2016). Social Media for Marketing by Small
Businesses. Journal of Marketing & Management, 7(1), 24–39.
Harris, L., & Rae, A. (2009). Social networks: the future of marketing for small
business. Journal of Business Strategy, 30(5), 24–31.
Lupo, C., & Stroman, J. R. (2020). Social Media Marketing Adoption Strategies: An Exploratory
Multiple Case Study of Landscape Industry Small Businesses. Journal of Social,
Behavioral & Health Sciences, 14(1), 211–220. https://doiorg.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.5590/JSBHS.2020.14.1.15
Marolt, M., Zimmermann, H.-D., Žnidaršič, A., & Pucihar, A. (2020). Exploring Social
Customer Relationship Management Adoption in Micro, Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises. Journal of Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 15(2), 38–
58. https://doi-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.4067/S0718-18762020000200104
Roser, M., Ritchie, H., & Ortiz-Ospina, E. (2019). Internet. Our World in Data. Retrieved from
https://ourworldindata.org/internet
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Simi dos Santos, S. S., Begnini, S., & Eduardo Carvalho, C. (2020). Oefeito Do Uso Das Mídias
Sociais E Das Capacidades Dinâmicas No Desempenho Mercadológico De Micro,
Pequenas E Médias Empresas. REMark: Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 19(1), 174–
185. https://doi-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.5585/remark.v19i1.17346
Shabbir, R., Bashir, M., Batool, A., & Abrar, M. (2020). Building Business Customer
Engagement through Social Media Marketing Factors. Abasyn University Journal of
Social Sciences, 13(1), 412–423. https://doiorg.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.34091/AJSS.13.1.29
Voorveld, H. A. M., van Noort, G., Muntinga, D. G., & Bronner, F. (2018). Engagement with
Social Media and Social Media Advertising: The Differentiating Role of Platform
Type. Journal of Advertising, 47(1), 38-54.
Webb, S. H., & Roberts, S. J. (2016). Communication and Social Media Approaches in Small
Businesses. Journal of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 10(1), 66–79.
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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Table of Contents
1.
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
1.1 Background……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
1.2 Mission and Message …………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
2.
Situation Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
3.
Business Goals and Marketing Approaches …………………………………………………………………. 3
3.1 Business Goals…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
3.2 Marketing Approaches ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
4.
Social Media Monitoring …………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
5.
Communication Objectives ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
6.
Campaign Proposal …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
6.1 Instagram ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
6.2 YouTube …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
7.
Editorial and Social Calendar …………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
8.
Metrics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Lush is a natural beauty brand from the UK founded in 1995. The brand focuses on natural handmade
products and therefore attracts a large number of customers. Lush has 900 stores in 50 countries around the world,
250 of which are located in the United States (Trotter, 2017). Their main products are bath bubble balls, shampoos,
handmade masks, scrubs, and related skincare products. The primary mission of Lush is “We Believe”, which is
making handmade products with fresh organic vegetarian materials. The organization structure is flat structure.
Lush‘s target audience is 18 to 45-year-old adult women and repeat customers, and seek to continuously attract
individuals and groups (Assignment Essays, 2018). The main customers of Lush come from stores, and some of them come
from online e-commerce. However, many stores have closed due to the COVID-19, so social networks and official
websites have become the main sales channels. Thus, I’d like to access as the role of social media manager to
promote the contents in social medias.
1.2 Mission and Message
a)
Freshest cosmetics: Lush conveys messages that they use the freshest ingredient to make and deliver
products.
b)
100 percent vegetarian: Lush use 100 percent vegetarian and more than 80 percent are vegan in their
products to replace the animal ingredients (Lush).
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Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
c)
Ethical buying: Lush pursues every step in production is ethical.
d)
Handmade: Lush teams in stores make products by themselves. And the handmade products such as bath
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bubble are very welcomed by customers.
e)
Naked: Lush pursues to provide products without packages that can help with environmental protection.
f)
Fighting animal testing: Lush prohibits to use animal ingredients in their products and against test
products on animals.
2. Situation Analysis
In April 2019, Lush UK issued a statement to withdraw from social media networks, while Lush North
America is still active in various social media. Lush UK has 645k Instagram followers, while Lush NA has 4.3m
followers which is a quite large number. From the number of Instagram followers in the two branches, it can be seen
that social media has an important influence on brand sales. Besides, because of the coronavirus, most of Lush’s
stores have experienced closures. So in the first half of 2020, most of Lush’s sales came from e-commerce and social
media therefore has even more affected product sales.
After a year and five months, on September 28, 2020, Lush UK released the latest Instagram and announced
the new products. This shows that Lush UK has also restarted using social media to promote products. This might
because in the first and second quarterly in 2020, most of the sales came from e-commerce with the influence of
Coronavirus and store closures.
Lush seeks to continuously attract individuals and groups in a period of time (Assignment Essays, 2018). They are both
fans and consumers. Consumers are attracted by social media content and advertising. They engage with the Lush
hashtags in the community, especially #LushCommunity. The target audience is the adult women from 18 to 45
years old and acquaintances in the market.
3. Business Goals and Marketing Approaches
3.1 Business Goals
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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The Lush UK Instagram account is very active this month by promoting the “Beauty Sleep” campaign and the
Halloween event. They continually use the hashtag #LushCommunity to promote consumer’s engagement. For the
Beauty Sleep, Lush UK announced “this is the time to wake up algorithms”, which not only introduced the Beauty
Sleep mask but also indicated they would reuse social media. The most recent campaign is for Halloween products
with videos and pictures. The lush UK launched a subscription box with exclusive Halloween products. I will focus
on restarting the Lush UK’s social media platforms, and especially promoting the new products on Instagram.
3.2 Marketing Approaches
The features and audience of Instagram as the social media platform established by LUSH UK
demonstrates how its objectives are firmly grounded. Firstly, many of the Instagram posts have hashtags. For
example, one notices the main hashtag on the page, which reads as #LushCommunity and #getyourbeutysleep,
among others (LUSH, 2020).
The hashtags help in reaching the targeted audience, increasing engagements, attracting followers, and
developing a brand name. Particularly, LUSH UK seeks to establish a create awareness about its beauty-related
products. Therefore, the hashtag related to beauty sleep would be critical in addressing the target audience.
Secondly, tagging and posting are other features observed on the Instagram page of LUSH UK. The feature is vital
as it allows the company to increase the traffic into the Instagram page by offering a direct link. Consequently, it
increases the possibility of customers to buy the products and thus increase sales revenue.
4. Social Media Monitoring
Instagram is the original platform established for Lush. This is the only social media platform that the Lush UK
has a new post in 2020. The lush UK has 645,000 followers on Instagram. Due to the previous “Switching Up
Social” decision, Lush’s last post was on April 16, 2019.
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
This were the posts that Lush UK decided to quit social media in 2019.
Lush does not want to be affected by algorithms and big data. They stopped posting on Instagram, Twitter and
Facebook. But they still left the hashtag #LushCommunity to let customers and fans can continually communicate
on social media.
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Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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This is the recent post that Lush UK posted in 2020. After withdrawing from social media for 1 year and 5
months, Lush UK announced that “it’s time to wake up these algorithms”, which means they decide to restart using
social media. They continually use the hashtag #LushCommunity to promote consumer’s engagement.
5. Communication Objectives
Contrary to the factors that forced LUSH UK to quit using social media as a marketing tool, the platform
has proved to be very significant during the current pandemic. The importance of social media to LUSH U.K can be
demonstrated after it recently restarts to use of the Instagram page and announced new products in September 2020.
The primary objectives relate to creating brand awareness, increasing customer satisfaction, and raising revenue.
The objectives are the guiding principle towards ensuring that UK LUSH attains its marketing goals through social
media platforms.
As part of evaluating social media Returns On Investment (ROI) to the business, it is essential to assess
whether the company’s objectives meet the Smart Measurable Achievable Relevant and Timely (SMART) goalsetting criteria. Arguably, some elements are indicating the efforts of the company to make its goals SMART.
◆
Firstly, based on a specific aspect, the objective of LUSH UK is to increase engagement with the
customers by boosting the number of its followers (Newberry & Aynsley, 2020). Therefore, the first
objective is increasing the number of followers by 8.5% on Instagram in three months.
◆
Secondly, the objectives of the company can be evaluated through various metrics. Through social
listening, it is possible to gauge customer satisfaction of Lush UK. Similar to the Halloween
campaign, as Christmas is approaching in December, we can use HubSpot to investigate customer
satisfaction with Christmas products. Customer satisfaction should be around 65% on the Christmas
campaign.
◆
Thirdly, the company’s objectives are worthy of being achieved due to the current and future
developments associated with social media advancement. Increase social media exposure and brand
mentions by 30% through Instagram live, pictures, videos, and business.
◆
Fourthly, the purpose of establishing social media presence can be tied to the general business
objectives, thus becoming relevant. The activities of social media play a significant role in boosting
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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the sales of the company. The fourth objective is that it should be gain a 20% increase in sales through
social media e-commerce (especially through Instagram) by the end of the year.
◆
Lastly, the regular evaluation of business performance demonstrates that the business is committed to
achieving specific goals within established timelines. Sales should increase by 4% in the first month,
7% in the second month, and 9% in the third month.
6. Campaign Proposal
6.1 Instagram
Objective: To increase the number of Lush UK’s followers on Instagram form 645k to 700k in a threemonth span (increase 8.5% followers) and gain around 65% customer satisfaction on the Christmas campaign
Business Outcome: Make old customers refocus on Lush UK and attract new potential customers with
appropriate customer satisfaction
Justification: The Lush UK quit from social media networks in April 2019. During this period, its social
media accounts lost a great number of followers. Due to the Coronavirus, most of Lush’s stores have experienced
closures. So in the first half of 2020, most of Lush’s sales came from e-commerce and social media. Therefore,
social media has even more affected product sales. After a year and five months, in September 2020, Lush UK
released the latest Instagram and announced the new products. As we can see, Lush UK has restarted using social
media to promote products. Besides, research indicates that the number of followers has a significant impact on
business success. The follower is the most important basic to enhance social media e-commerce for company
marketing. The three-month period is justifiable for increasing followers by 8.5%. As Christmas is approaching in
December, the Christmas exclusive products will be promoted through social media platforms. This is a great period
as a special festival to investigate customer satisfaction. Because Christmas is on December 25 th, it is also suitable
for the growth period of followers (the three-month span).
Measurement: Using HubSpot and email to collect data of followers and surveys of customer satisfaction.
6.2 YouTube
Need to be completed.
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7. Editorial and Social Calendar
Need to be completed.
8. Metrics
As a marketing campaign tool, it is vital to measure the success of using social media through various
analytical tools. The analysis tools can be used in evaluating the appropriateness of the proposed goals. Firstly, the
use of engagements, such as likes, clicks, and shares, could be vital in measuring customer satisfaction. The
engagement platform is essential as it shows how the audience accounts are interacting with the company’s
accounts. When the engagement rate increases, it indicates several positive elements about the brand (Chen, 2020).
For example, the audience shows a health engagement, the content could be interesting, and the brand awareness
efforts are becoming fruitful. Secondly, impression and reach can be applied in demonstrating whether a company is
meeting its brand awareness and perception. Impression shows several times a post appears in an individual’s
timeline. Reach shows the number of unique viewers a post could possess (Agius, 2016). The two aspects are
important in showing customer engagement’s success as it indicates whether a post was interesting based on actions
seen on the feeds..
Running head: LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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References
E. (n.d.). Lush PNG [Digital image]. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from
https://data.whicdn.com/images/331863425/original.png
Ibraheem, H. (2020, July). Lush is discontinuing over 100 of its products. Here’s what will be leaving the brand’s
line-up [Digital image]. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from
https://www.stylist.co.uk/images/app/uploads/2017/08/23154032/lush-11680×1120.jpg?w=1200&h=1&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress
Agius, A. (2016, November 8). 10 Metrics to Track for Social Media Success. Retrieved from
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-metrics-to-track-for-social-media-success/
Chen, J. (2020, August 4). The most important social media metrics to track. Sproutsocial. Retrieved from
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-metrics/
LUSH (2020). Instagram. Retrieved from https://uk.lush.com/products/beauty-sleep-hydrating-facemask?utm_source=instagram_bio&utm_medium=lush_main&utm_campaign=beauty_sleep_2020
Lush. (2020, March 27). Our Values: Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from
https://www.lushusa.com/stories/article_our-values-lush.html
Macdonald, L. (2019, June 13). Why Brands Are Moving From Influencers to Micro-Influencers. Retrieved
September 28, 2020, from https://stackla.com/resources/blog/why-brands-are-moving-from-influencers-tomicro-influencers-and-why-you-should-too/
Newberry, C., & Aynsley, M. (2020, September 29). How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI (+ Free Tools).
Retrieved from https://blog.hootsuite.com/measure-social-media-roi-business/
Trotter, C. (2017, September 19). 30 things you didn’t know about Lush Cosmetics. Retrieved September 28, 2020,
from https://www.insider-trends.com/30-things-you-didnt-know-about-lush-cosmetics/
Assignment Essays. (November 2018). Lush Company Structure. Retrieved from
https://www.assignmentessays.com/essays/marketing/background-of-lush-company-marketing-essay.php?vref=1
LUSH UK SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
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PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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Abstract
Plant Chicago is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2011 with the goal of cultivating
local circular economies. The organization currently has five specific programs, including education,
farmers’ market, local food box, indoor victory gardon and small businesses. The goals and objectives of
Plant Chicago are based on the efforts working to make the cities healthier and more efficient through
the development and sharing of various innovative methods for sustainable food production, material
use, and energy conservation. However, in its communication outreach, the organization’s current
digital media practices were insufficient to achieve its goals and measurable objectives as the total reach
and mentions were unstable in the past three months. Therefore, the organization must focus on
improving its communication framework. The paper explores the current communication framework
used by the organization and provides recommendations that could be used to address some of the
identified challenges while enhancing the organization’s competitiveness. Through Talkwalker and
Awario analytics, important data expressed people’s feelings and feelings towards the brand. Based on
the data deduced by the analytics tools, the paper recommends enhancing social media presence. The
enhancement of social media presence is based on steps that would be critical in strengthening
mentions concerning the brand, which is also part of the organization’s objectives. The second
recommendation on audience engagement relates to measures that can be undertaken to establish a
relationship with the audience and address any negative responses and attitudes towards the brand.
Based on the evaluation of the current organizational communication and recommendations, the paper
indicates four measurable objectives with a time range from June 2022 to Aug. 2022. Plant Chicago is
recommended to focus on increasing engagements with followers and active participation of businesses.
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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Plant Chicago
May 10, 2022
Digital Communication Strategy for Plant Chicago
A. Organizational Overview
Plant Chicago is a non-profit organization founded in 2011, located in Chicago, Illinois. The
organization seeks to foster a local circular economy through community-driven programs. According to
United State Environmental Protection Agency, the circular economy refers to systems-centric
regenerative processes and economic activities that have a significant economic and environmental
impact on local communities. The public is often unfamiliar with the purpose of the circular economy.
The circular economy requires recycling and the realization of regional production and consumption
cycle through a specific industrial model. The circular economy is an essential task in alleviating climate
problems at present. However, as RIO ESG stated, “the importance of the circular economy is often
overlooked in business and organizational strategies.” For example, figures from the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations show that 1.6 billion tonnes of food are wasted globally
annually. Circular agriculture is one of the essential aspects of the circular economy. The development
of circular agriculture is a crucial method for solving related problems. However, the circular economy is
currently in low recognition in Chicago. Plant Chicago is working to promote the circular economy and
production in local communities in Chicago, such as circular agriculture. The organization also brings
small businesses together to stimulate the local circular economy.
Plant Chicago illustrates the circular economy as a collaborative economic practice supported by
the local circulation of resources. The programs include education, farmers’ market, local food box,
indoor victory gardon and small businesses. The organization’s goal is to cultivate local circular
economies by “envisioning a paradigm shift of production, consumption and waste driven at the local
level, generating equity and economic opportunity for all residents.” The organization’s measurable
objective indicates increasing the Circular Economic Leaders Network’s participation to 30 leaders in
2021 and has successfully collaborated with 12 businesses in 2020. Before evolving into its current
status, Plant Chicago started as a community collaborating on food business in southwest Chicago. The
organization has bolstered its ever-evolving vision over the last eight years as it aims to impact the local
communities. The organization has bolstered its ever-evolving vision in the previous eight years as it
seeks to influence the local communities. Plant Chicago continually uses Instagram, Twitter and
Facebook to engage multiple communication partners such as Coleman Foundation, Ellen Mscarthur
Foundation and Soap Junkii. From Jan. 30 to April 30, Plant Chicago has held six forums and events with
partners and has constantly been updating the organization’s plans and activities on social platforms
and in the local community in the past three months.
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Exhibit 1: Screen Shot from Plant Chicago’s Instagram
In applying SWOT analysis to Plant Chicago, the organization’s strengths are based on its
approach to using social media to reach out to local communities and other stakeholders such as
donors, partners and sponsors and ensure continuity in community services. Social media plays a critical
role in reaching a large audience and communicating information concerning the organization’s services.
The weaknesses of Plant Chicago are 1) it opens the shop only for a few days each week, 2) its online
posts are not updated in time and the low digital engagement on each platform. Posts have only
received an average of one comment or retweet over the past three months. The execution of the
operations only for a few days means that the organization may fail to attend to many of its customers.
On the aspect of opportunities, Plant Chicago has the potential to grow, expand and cultivate local
communities nationwide. The organization’s future expansion should remain rooted in its mission,
which seeks to create a paradigm shift in production, consumption and waste at the local level to
generate economic opportunity for many local communities. However, the organization faces the threat
of a rise in similar non-profit organizations and other existing companies offering similar products or
services. Comparing and analyzing data on related topics, the two most notable competitors are Slow
Food Chicago and Green City.
Target audience:
➢ Plant Chicago targets a local audience in Chicago, specifically small businesses and local
farmers located in the Chicago area.
➢ The small businesses comprise early-stage entrepreneurs, home-based businesses and
independent contractors.
B. Snapshot of Organizational Communications
Since its establishment, Plant Chicago has been undertaking efforts to improve its
communication mechanisms. While the organization has a vital mission to reach small businesses and
promote the circular economy to improve their long-term sustainability, communications have played a
more significant role. By 2022, the organization undertook multiple projects and programs to integrate
local research institutions and small businesses. At this time, the organization also launched measures to
improve its communication goals and approaches:
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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Using its website where the company would engage various stakeholders involved in the
execution of the operations to support the company’s objectives.
➢
Continually updating campaigns and events on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to
promote the participants of their programs.
➢
Pursuing increasing traffic across their social media and the official website.
4
Although the organization has undertaken numerous efforts to improve its communication
network, some additional measures still should be taken. The communication goals focus on expanding
their coverage to local communities in and beyond Chicago. The organization has been promoting
circular economy education by providing training to the target audience. This goes hand in hand with its
efforts to engage all stakeholders and ensure they actively participate in the events.
The organization has focused on promoting education, research and other programs involved in
its daily operations to promote the circular economy. Currently, the organization uses social media
platforms and its official website to communicate with partners and sponsors. In a survey conducted to
establish people’s knowledge about the company, people showed their interest in wanting to know
more about the organization. Therefore, the organization still needs to enhance its social media
presence so that the audience can learn about its existence. The following two measurable objectives
have been identified in its communication outreach:
➢
Strengthen the partnerships online and achieve 100% of the products to meet the local
circular economy retail criteria.
➢
Expand online exposures and maintain or exceed 82% of the donations directly to
programs.
According to the article by Bjarnason, while focusing on the social media aspect, the
organization should also seek to increase the traffic of people accessing its website and build an
influential online community. Plant Chicago should ensure full knowledge of what is being posted on
Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. With the growing number of social media users, many organizations
exploit the opportunities of social media platforms.
Plant Chicago has also been applying traditional communication methods, including in-person
meetings and events. However, in the 2020 annual report, the communication focus shifted from inperson engagements to virtual due to Covid-19. Concerning the programs of Plant Chicago, there were
re-organizations where small learning groups were organized to undertake efforts virtually. The
organization seeks to use virtual communication approaches to facilitate access to the target audience
in the long term. With the new virtual engagement initiated in 2020, the organization has made notable
progress. For example, Plant Chicago reached 760 K-12 students, with 44% of the free programs.
Secondly, the organization managed to launch a monthly virtual after-school program.
The organization has focused on using virtual communication mechanisms to address problems
that prevent specific categories from receiving adequate information. Effective communication is
essential for a non-profit organization that improves its version by accruing various benefits. The first
benefit accrued by effective communication in the organization relates to its role in influencing the
business’s success. Communication is used as a socialization tool in society and effectively develops and
enhances relationships. The second benefit that Plant Chicago can accrue is facilitating the effective
execution of business operations. Effective communication plays a critical role in ensuring that messages
are exchanged promptly and boosts employees’ morale and their level of job satisfaction. As a result,
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improved employee retention positively enhances performance and productivity. By focusing on the
benefits of effective communication, Plant Chicago should consider employing communication tools and
approaches to ensure effectiveness in the operations.
Besides social media presence, the organization should also improve its website. Considering
the company’s mission is to reach out to many small businesses across the country and globally, the
website should be designed to accommodate multiple aspects. For instance, the organization should
consider incorporating links or means where people can reach them on their social media platforms for
more information. These are some areas that the company should consider working to improve
engagement and communication among various stakeholders.
C. Communication Recommendation
Plant Chicago reaches out to many businesses beyond Chicago to ensure they adopt sustainable
and innovative practices within their businesses. While the company uses social media as one of its
major approaches to communication, numerous efforts should be incorporated to improve its social
media presence. The advantage, in this case, is that Plant Chicago would not be starting from scratch
when establishing or enhancing its social media presence. Currently, the presence of Plant Chicago
tends to be based on exploring the market and serving the population around Chicago. The company’s
social media presence should be modeled to allow the company to reach more audiences beyond
Chicago.
Findings from the listening post showed a particular focus on retrieving data from blogs and
social media searches. The data retrieved can be used to understand people’s attitudes towards Plant
Chicago. Through tweets, posts and sharing information about Plant Chicago, it can be easy to establish
how frequently people interact with the company’s communication sites. The gradual development of
social media has been critical to marketing firms and agencies can begin the process of listening.
Online Listening Post (Jan. 30 – April 30)
A listening post is a critical tool that can enable people to gain market insights. The purpose of
listening is that it can be possible to get the true expression of people’s feelings regarding brands or
services offered. Since Plant Chicago is a non-profit organization, there may be arguments that the
company does not have active competitors. However, Plant Chicago has two competitors that target the
same audience and serve the exact location: Slow Food Company and Green City Market. Plant Chicago
and the two companies are located in Chicago, where media presence and objectives seem to focus in
the same direction. Through critical analysis, the three organizations are somewhat competitive. The
three companies have modeled their mission to meet public attention and explain why they should be
supported. As a result, listening posts can be a critical tool for customer service, product development,
business communication, marketing and among other parties are involved in marketing and expansion
of the business operations of Plant Chicago.
Through the communication with Communications Specialist Finley, Plant Chicago had a
promotion issue that many people were unfamiliar with the meaning of the organization’s title and did
not know the missions. Therefore, Plant Chicago needed to continuously promote its brand on social
media and familiarize the public with its goals. Given the high consolidated soft and hard costs of a
listening post’s infrastructure, it only makes sense to consider capitalizing on a listening solution for as
many needs as possible.
The tools adopted in this case also focus on developing a rapid response mechanism to what
individuals post or share on social media and creating a benchmark for measuring the interactions. The
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system also sought to establish a platform for reporting word of mouth. The primary purpose of the
listening post is to ensure that Plant Chicago gains multiple benefits. The benefits would be drawn from
collecting and analyzing customer feedback and applying it to understanding customers’ concerns,
addressing them and predicting the future. Listening posts also play a critical role in learning about the
customers’ true feelings and providing assistance on what is required or wanted. From the collected
feedback gained from various listening posts, Plant Chicago has the chance to improve promotion
programs and brand exposure and enhance business participation.
The benefits that Plant Chicago could accrue included the following:
➢ Improve market audience interactions (shares and mentions) on social media by 10% in
three months
➢ Enhance effective organization exposure and mentions
➢ Increase active participation of businesses (Annual report 2020, 2021)
Awario and Talkwalker tools
The process of setting up a listening post involves numerous steps. The two tools (Awario and
Talkwalker) were applied. Awario is a valuable tool for monitoring websites, including capturing public
sentiments, real-time mentions, statistics and alert comparisons. Talkwalker can be applied to sending
social media alerts instantly. The two tools can be vital to Plant Chicago by offering the organization an
approach to ensuring active monitoring.
The second step is to identify key phrases and keywords for tracking. The activity focused on
four essential keywords #CircularEconomy, #SlowFoodChicago, #GreenCityMarket and #PlantChicago.
Awario and Talkwalker tools were set with the four keywords to facilitate data monitoring.
The subsequent step is to create alerts in Talkwalker and Awario. The two tools facilitate the
selection of news and blogs, previewing the results until a feed that is worth measuring the pops. The
next step was selecting feed vs. emails and organizing the reader. The alerts were created based on the
main topics concerning circular economy, competitors and Plant Chicago. After completing this step, the
next move was to add Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feed through advanced search tools. The
advanced search tools were fed with the original keywords (organization’s programs, main topics and
competitors). Additionally, for the time range Awario tool can be used in analyzing data from the last 15
days while Talkwalker collects one-week data.
When organizing data, seven reports based on the above steps were collected from Talkwalker
and real-time statistics from Awario. Every single report of Talkwalker contained an average of 40 alerts.
The setting of keywords captured a wide range of keywords. As a result, it is essential to filter the words.
The alerts released by Awario seem to be more accurate. Due to this factor, data organization was
achieved by comparing and integrating information from the two tools. The results are demonstrated by
the screenshots below.
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Exhibit 2: Screen Shots from Talkwalker and Awario
Post in Action
The listening posts include an analysis by Awario and Talkwalker for the last three months. They
monitored the Plant Chicago public sentiments, competitive comparisons and social media mentions.
The reach of Plant Chicago’s posts is impressive, especially during the week of April 18 to April 24, with
702 thousand reach. But the reach rate dropped by 81% between April 25 and April 30. As can be seen,
Plant Chicago’s digital media reach is erratic. Therefore, Plant Chicago wants to maintain a more stable
reach rate in the later communication plan. One effective method is to use consistent hashtags such as
#plantchicago.
Exhibit 3: Data of Reach from Awario
There were two critical data points subject to further analysis and elaboration. Firstly, the focus
is on data concerning negative sentiments posts and retweets. The listening post identified retweets of a
negative post toward Plant Chicago. The original post was made two years ago. By undertaking efforts to
secure this data, Plant Chicago can communicate and provide timely clarifications before the post’s
popularity again, thus preventing events that would damage the organization’s reputation.
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Exhibit 4: Data of Mentions from Awario
Secondly, Plant Chicago had insufficient mentions compared to its competitors. Based on the
three months’ gathered data, Green City Market was mentioned 27% more than Plant Chicago. Plant
Chicago has added advantage compared to Slow Food Chicago. However, Plant Chicago does not seem
to embrace social media engagement. By securing data, Plant Chicago can develop mechanisms for
improving its social media engagement to enhance its competitiveness compared to its rivals. The other
approach would be to create a policy guiding social media engagements. The following
recommendations will focus on how to improve Plant Chicago’s social media presence and address
negative posts that could potentially affect the organization’s reputation.
Key messages and sound bites suggestions for Plant Chicago
The following recommendations will focus on improving social media presence and addressing
negative posts that could potentially affect the organization’s reputation. Plant Chicago has been
embracing social media in communication with its target audience. However, there is a need to focus on
improving certain aspects to ensure the organization is in line with the new trends. The key messages
and sound bites have been developed based on the mission and objectives of the organization. The
other element to consider when formulating the key messages and sound bites is the annual reports
released by the organization, which show the progress made and the anticipated plans and strategies to
be undertaken in ensuring Plant Chicago achieves its overall objectives.
Key Messages
1. By combining workshops, knowledge-sharing opportunities and offering additional technical
assistance, Plant Chicago seeks to support a network of members to facilitate the attainment of
the circular economy goals. For more information, visit our website:
https://www.plantchicago.org/blog-1
2. Plant Chicago is committed to providing education and training to young farmers and small
business enthusiasts, free from discrimination. With the adoption of virtual training programs
where we have enrolled numerous people, including those with visual impairments, we are
committed to achieving our goals. We are grateful for those who have been critical in
undertaking our training programs, converting the knowledge into actions that translate into
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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sustainability. Kindly visit our website https://www.plantchicago.org/blog-1 to get more
assistance.
3. Besides offering indoor and outdoor space for individuals to grow their food, Plant Chicago is
committed to connecting the farmers in Chicago with in its southwest market and beyond. Plant
Chicago will always be committed to achieving these goals by ensuring that we provide a market
for the products we help our farmers grow. To get more information about this offering, visit
our website https://www.plantchicago.org/blog-1
Sound Bytes
1. With our team of professionals experienced in farming and business, we are committed to
transferring our expertise to the success of your business or farming.
2. The evolving nature of approaches used in farming and business requires that a person be
equipped with the knowledge to become competitive.
3. By using new approaches that are technologically enabled, we seek to ensure all people,
whether abled or disabled and at any part of the communities receive our assistance.
New Recommendations
1. Enhance social media presence
As previously mentioned, Plant Chicago has its presence on social media, where it seeks to
engage with the audience. However, the listening posts showed that the company received insufficient
mentions compared to its competitor Green City Market. Recently, social media usage has experienced
a notable increase. According to recent data, there are 2.23 billion users on Facebook, 335 million users
on Twitter and one billion users on Instagram. Therefore, many people who could benefit from using
social media both within and beyond Chicago can be easily engaged through social media. Numerous
approaches can be used to improve social media presence.
Firstly, organizations should consider using the right tools to enhance their social media
presence. According to studies, the social media presence of an organization can be achieved when a
business makes over 15 tweets per day. Plant Chicago needs to schedule posts. However, making the
posts could be time-consuming and require investments in terms of personnel to be making the posts.
Considering Plant Chicago is a non-profit entity, the acquisition of acquiring personnel and staff to make
the tweets could be costly. Therefore, selecting appropriate tools will be critical in engaging social media
users. The tools could be critical in scheduling posts and ensuring people stay active on social media
while ensuring maximum time-saving. For instance, the usage of Awario is critical as it enables
individuals to control their social media accounts at any place, schedule posts for the entire week, make
a post at appropriate times when most users will see them, and analyze and monitor how the posts are
doing progressively.
The second approach that Plant Chicago can use to enhance its social media presence is by
focusing on trending online and in the local community and capitalizing on it to create more mentions
about its brand. Popular social media trends provide essential elements that organizations can
piggyback on. For example, on Twitter, the top trending hashtags are placed on the left side of the
homepage on the trends for the section. After observing various hashtags relating to trending things,
the organization can select a hashtag that can be critical in generating more views.
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The third approach to enhancing social media presence is through creating eye-catching visuals.
In crowded social media feeds, it can be challenging to get noticed. One of the ways to ensure that the
social media platform gets seen is by utilizing eye-catching visuals. Plant Chicago should first improve its
website looks by introducing attractive visuals to the possible users. To create more traffic to the
website, the link to the organization should be included in the posts made on the Facebook posts that
are attractive, prompting people to proceed and visit the website (Balkhi, 2022). The organization
should also capitalize on ensuring that the same efforts are added to its Instagram page. The Instagram
page is where the organization should focus on the building by applying all or part of the tools used to
improve its following on Facebook.
2. Focus on increasing customer engagement on social media platforms
Plant Chicago can focus on improving customer service through social media platforms. Social
media platforms have provided new platforms where an organization can focus on enhancing customer
service. Rather than focusing on using business calls and, in some cases waiting for days before a
business can respond to an email, people tend to use social media in engaging various brands. A study
has shown that 54% of the customers consider using preferred social media messaging channels for
customer care instead of emails and business calls. For an organization like Plant Chicago, a Facebook
chatbox can be developed to facilitate ease of customer engagement while solving some of the
problems raised by the customers.
The next step relates to ensuring active engagement with the social media audiences. From the
listening post analysis, there was monitoring of the concept associated with retweets and sentiments
concerning negative posts. One of the ways to address this concern is through ensuring that there is
active engagement with the audience and providing clarifications that were needed concerning the
raised matters that amounted to negative posts. The other element is that people respond when
actively engaged (Patel, 2015). Most users would not be willing to follow or interact on social media
when they do not get anything else. That is one of the reasons justifying the purpose of ensuring
constant engagement with the social media audience. When people comment on social media posts,
there should be efforts to reply to the messages or like the posts. Effective engagement with the social
media users will be critical in boosting social media presence and ensuring that a good relationship is
developed between the social media users and the organization.
D. Measuring Success
One of the advantages accrued by Chicago Plant is that focusing on ensuring effective
communication through social media platforms is not a new concept. Therefore, the organization
focuses on incorporating additional strategies to ensure the organization becomes more competitive
when using social media than the competitors. The company’s current communication approach may
fail to succeed if there is no proper communication plan to complement existing strategies. Based on the
assessments of current communication programs, the organization’s success is guided by numerous
objectives that include the following.
1.
Increase followers on Instagram by 10% during June 2022 – Aug. 2022.
2.
Improve customer satisfaction by 50% from June 2022 – Aug. 2022.
3.
Increase mentions by 30% on platforms during June 2022 – Aug. 2022.
4.
Increase active participation of businesses from June 2022 – Aug. 2022.
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By undertaking the recommended steps and tools to ensure the effective engagement of the
followers on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, there is a possibility that
the followers on Instagram could increase by 10% in the next three months. As Plant Chicago builds its
focus on improving its social media presence, there should be efforts to increase followers on Instagram,
a social media platform with the following tangible steps:
➢
Determine the main topic of Plant Chicago at least once a month
➢
Keep consistent content on Instagram
➢
Determine the calendar of the post that will be published
➢
Related mentions by Partners and sponsors
➢
Increase online interaction and conversion with followers
Instagram has an added advantage to the user as it provides analytics for business profiles. The
unique feature is critical in enabling the individuals operating business profiles to track the engagements
and impressions on the posts and stories with an option to evaluate additional demographic
information, including age, gender, active hours, and location (Newberry, 2021). Plant Chicago would be
advantageous in increasing its social media presence and follower count on Instagram. The increased
activities on the social media platforms could be critical in ensuring that the organization draws more
followers to the Instagram platform.
Applying the right hashtags on Instagram is essential in making your posts more discoverable.
Before applying hashtags, it is always recommended to double-check and ensure that only hashtags
project the organization’s identity. For instance, Plant Chicago should consider using hashtags that seem
to launch the company’s mission to the audience, such as #CircularEconomywithPlantChicago. Another
critical aspect of attracting more followers is monitoring hashtags even when they are not favored to
measure success. Compared to other social media platforms, Instagram is more centered around
commenting. When one seeks to be engaged by the followers, the first step should be to engage the
followers first. There should be a focus on the hashtags in the niche even when they do not generate the
desired traffic. The hashtag selection should be geo-targeted to the specific area if the business is locally
based. For instance, Plant Chicago should establish hashtags centered around Chicago and the other
regions where it is operating.
Customer satisfaction is a critical element that acts as a catalyst toward a company’s success
that pushes it forward while ensuring repeat business. Plant Chicago should undertake all measures
needed to measure customer satisfaction, indicating business performance. Numerous approaches can
be used to measure the organization’s efforts to ensure customer satisfaction. Web analytics is an
example of the methods applied to measure customer satisfaction. Plant Chicago has a website used for
communicating or engaging various stakeholders. Therefore, web analytics could be critical in measuring
customer satisfaction from the perspective of using a website. The analytics are data-driven metrics that
operate without the direct involvement of the customer—the web-analytics checks various website
elements, including customer behavior, the website traffic and predicting future conversions. As part of
engaging customers, Plant Chicago directs customers to the website to get more information concerning
various subjects and services offered by the organization. Therefore, web analytics would be critical in
providing information that understands whether customers are satisfied or not.
The second approach to measuring customers’ satisfaction is social media metrics. With the
growing popularity of social media, many customers are on various social media platforms. Plant
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Chicago utilizes social media to engage customers and other critical stakeholders. While social media is a
viable tool, it may have its negative side (Newberry, 2021). As noted in the listening post, there was an
effort to address negative posts and reactions by Plant Chicago.
Similarly, social media is a double sword that may be beneficial or affect the image or brand of
an organization. There are many instances where customers praise products on an organization’s page
and condemn products that fail to satisfy their needs. In measuring success, Plant Chicago should be
keen on observing its audience through reading comments and focusing on recommendations. Based on
the gathered data, the customer support team can develop approaches and strategies for addressing
the identified comments and reactions of the audience.
The other measure of success would be based on ensuring mention of Plant Chicago improves
by 30%. Mentions are a critical tool used in measuring the success of marketing campaigns. The efforts
to enhance brand mentions should be based on the evaluation of social media posts and other elements
that track the progress of social media presence. The efforts to increase mentions should be coupled
with recommendations for improving social media presence. Additionally, Talkwalker, Awario, and
additional Google analytics can measure the progress of mentions of the brand by the customers (Lee,
2018). Various metrics can be used in measuring brand mentions. Plant Chicago can consider evaluating
the data from a specific location where it seeks to carry out marketing campaigns and monitor the traffic
based on the mentions of the brand. The inclusion of the analytic tools would be critical in providing
real-time information on the progress of brand mentions and other factors.
Plant Chicago should consider employing Talkwalker and Awario as social media tracking tools as
a continuous monitoring program. Using the tools, the communicating teams at Plant Chicago could
monitor and analyze the social media posts. The communicating teams play an essential role in ensuring
that all the stakeholders are actively engaged, thus ensuring maximum participation in the running of
the business. The reason for using the tool is that they play most of the roles, thus freeing the time for
the personnel. The freed-up time for the employees is that they can engage the audience, reply to their
posts, and create content aimed at attracting the audience’s attention. The initiative would be critical in
monitoring and triggering active participation of the businesses; the primary goal of Plant Chicago is to
engage small businesses to ensure sustainability.
E. Conclusion
The other measure of success would be based on ensuring mention of Plant Chicago improves
by 30%. Mentions are a critical tool used in measuring the success of marketing campaigns. The efforts
to enhance brand mentions should be based on the evaluation of social media posts and other elements
that track the progress of social media presence. The efforts to increase mentions should be coupled
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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with recommendations for improving social media presence. Additionally, Talkwalker, Awario, and
additional Google analytics can measure the progress of mentions of the brand by the customers (Lee,
2018). Various metrics can be used in measuring brand mentions. Plant Chicago can consider evaluating
the data from a specific location where it seeks to carry out marketing campaigns and monitor the traffic
based on the mentions of the brand. The inclusion of the analytic tools would be critical in providing
real-time information on the progress of brand mentions and other factors.
Plant Chicago should consider employing Talkwalker and Awario as social media tracking tools as
a continuous monitoring program. Using the tools, the communicating teams at Plant Chicago could
monitor and analyze the social media posts. The communicating teams play an essential role in ensuring
that all the stakeholders are actively engaged, thus ensuring maximum participation in the running of
the business. The reason for using the tool is that they play most of the roles, thus freeing the time for
the personnel. The freed-up time for the employees is that they can engage the audience, reply to their
posts, and create content aimed at attracting the audience’s attention. The initiative would be critical in
monitoring and triggering active participation of the businesses; the primary goal of Plant Chicago is to
engage small businesses to ensure sustainability.
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
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https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-communication-organization-1400.html
Rio ESG. (2021, December 1). A circular economy is imperative to global climate action. Intelligent ESG &
Sustainability Management Software. Retrieved from https://www.rio.ai/blog/a-circulareconomy-is-imperative-to-global-climate-action
PLANT CHICAGO COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
SHRM. (n.d.). Managing Organizational Communication. Retrieved from
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-andsamples/toolkits/pages/managingorganizationalcommunication.aspx
Talkwalker. (n.d.). Social Media Analytics. Retrieved from https://www.talkwalker.com/social-mediaanalytics
15
EDUCATION
Johns Hopkins University
M.A., Communication
•
GPA: 3.88/4.0
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Concentrations: Digital Communication, Public and Media Relations
Miami University
B.A., Interactive Media Studies
•
GPA: 3.91/4.0; Magna Cum Laude Honor
B.A., Media and Culture
•
GPA: 3.82/4.0; Cum Laude Honor
HONORS & AWARDS
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Magna Cum Laude Honor for BA in Interactive Media Studies Degree
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Cum Laude Honor for Bachelor of Arts Degree
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President’s List
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Dean’s List (4 times)
Washington, DC
Sep. 2020 – May 2022
Oxford, OH
Sep. 2016 – May 2020
Sep. 2016 – May 2020
May 2022
May 2022
Dec. 2017
Dec. 2016, May. 2018, Dec. 2018, May 2019
RESEARCN/TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Digital Communication Strategy for Plant Chicago
Washington, DC
Researcher
June 2020 – Sep. 2020
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Conducted SWOT analysis for the nonprofit client (Plant Chicago) and provided measurable objectives and solutions
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Implemented two online monitoring tools (Awario and Talkwalker) for a 4-month investigation of Plant Chicago and its
competitors’ digital performance, gathered 3000+ data from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, including brand mentions,
audience interactions, public sentiments, etc.
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Developed a 5800-word strategy plan for consistent, successful execution on different social media platforms
Investigating the Approaches to Improve Accessibility of University Websites
Washington, DC
Researcher
June 2020 – Sep. 2020
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Investigated accessibility of university websites, especially the capability to support disabled students
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Gathered and summarized 30+ related research and literature
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Provided 4 practical approaches for website accessibility design, such as using the WCAG compliance standards, and
conducting behavior-seeking models to collect information on the users’ behaviors
Miami University, Department of Media, Journalism and Film
Oxford, OH
Teaching Assistant
Dec. 2019 – May 2020
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TA in Comparative Media Studies: The Smartphone and Society
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Assisted in teaching student to examine digital communications technologies from sociological and humanistic perspectives
Miami University, Senior Capstone
Oxford, OH
Undergraduate Researcher & Digital Marketing Planner
Sep. 2019 – Dec. 2019
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Implemented digital and onsite marketing plans for the Northside Depot in Cincinnati, USA
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Conducted a two-month field investigation to expand the business activities with the local audience
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Provided segment lists for marketing communication based on criteria such as region, digital market, local business, and
persona.
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Conducted Google Analytics to provide SEM decisions
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Designed the company’s posters and website with techniques such as Photoshop, HTML5, JavaScript, etc.
PROFESSONAL EXPERIENCE
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Beijing, China
Public Relations Intern
Oct. 2020 – Jan. 2021
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Responsible for the planning, organization, and execution of public relations projects for 8 well-known international
companies and state-owned enterprises
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Developed practical and measurable PR plans and social media initiatives
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Operated daily domestic and global media monitoring, translation, data collection, and data analysis with a 500+ daily
monitoring volume throughout 4 months
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Managed client company’s (Capital Group) social media account and generated 100+ digital contents; increased subscribers
from 9050 to 11830 (+30.7%), reading completion rate by 52.68%, and achieved average reading volume by 40,000+
Youdao | NetEase, Inc.
Digital Content Creator Intern
Beijing, China
Jan. 2022 – Apr. 2022
Proofread and edited content developed through internal and external channels, outputted an average of 8 articles with more
than 500 words per week
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Worked in partnership with communications, marketing, web services, and key content developers to identify content that
was appropriate for Youdao sites and digital content platforms in China
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Reviewed web content on an ongoing basis to ensure relevancy and “freshness”
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Participated in strategic planning of messaging, target audience, and content creation and promotion
Longfor Properties Co. Ltd
Chongqing, China
Marketing Intern
June 2021 – Aug. 2021
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Independently responsible for the quarterly investment and media promotion, integrating business dynamics and brand
activities of 70 merchants
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Conducted monthly shopping mall and business activities, achieved an average daily passenger flow of 300,000 and a peak
period of 500,000
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Planed member-specific activities and completed 45% of membership increase within 3 months
Shandong Radio and TV Station
Shandong, China
Post Production Editor
June 2019 – Aug. 2019
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Demonstrated strong and fluent editorial techniques (PR, AE) through proper timing, pacing, and organization as well as a
command of music and sound editing
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Participated in the coordination of various departments of the TV station to ensure that programs were launched with high
efficiency and quality
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Edited and conformed video footage into program content utilizing field notes and other paper edits
Shandong Qiangbi Technology Co.LTD
Shandong, China
Web Designer Intern
June 2018 – Aug. 2018
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Assisted in hand coding, proofing, and troubleshooting standards-compliant HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
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Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and wire-framing tools
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Promoted businesses with 5 service providers such as NetEase Cloud and Ali Cloud
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Understood the tradeoffs between website usability, performance, and accessibility
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Languages: English (Advanced), Chinese (Native)
Technical Skills: Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams), Photoshop, illustrator, Premiere
Pro, Web design, HTML5, UI design, Java Script
Awarded certificates: Hubspot Digital Media Marketing Certificate, Hoonuit PS CS6 Certificate, Hoonuit illustrator CC
Certificate, Hoonuit InDesign CS6 Certificate
