The popularity of social media has increased by drastic margins particularly due to the increasing prominence of internet and mobile communication technologies. The following literature review would aim at addressing the two prominent objectives established for the research report which are directed towards identification of approaches utilized by five star chameleon restaurant in wellington for using Instagram and the reasons for which other hotels are using Instagram(Duggan, 2013).
The literature review would be inclined to discuss the implications of influencer marketing as a dominant trend in the domain of business marketing, business benefits of the culture of image sharing and community formation on Instagram and the relationship of users with features of image sharing platform such as Instagram as well as its business utilization for social media marketing(Dahl, 2018). The review would be supported with practical examples in order to improve the understanding of the theoretical underpinnings related to the applications of social media for marketing purposes in the case of chameleon restaurant.
The social media landscape has been largely significant for the organizations involved in tourism and hospitality. The adoption of social media as a marketing and information tool for chameleon restaurant could be validated on the grounds of intangibility and experiential nature of the products and services offered by the organizations. This implies the requirement of information by customers through diverse sources in order to reach on a feasible purchase decision from available alternatives(FQ.com, 2018). Therefore social media has turned out to be a crucial source of information in the hospitality industry especially supported by the provision of user comments and reviews as well as image and video content creation and sharing that facilitate higher credibility and experiential value in the information.
The development of internet technologies is also responsible for reducing the barriers for contribution of information on various online platforms. The productive implications of internet connectivity have enabled individuals to create and curate content in blogs, reviews, comments and updates of status on Facebook. As per Godey et al(2016), Communication tools and features have led to profound increase in circulation of content on social media (Godey et al., 2016). However, it is essential to notice the significance of visual content that accounts as a prolific source of audience engagement on social media that can be noted in popularity of YouTube and Instagram. An interesting aspect of these platforms is noticed in the gradual increase in traffic implying superior performance as compared to the renowned mass media platforms with substantial levels of consistency in the amount of unique visitors on a daily basis.
Hyder said that the factors of drastic increase in volume and nature of content on social media as well as the increasing influence of the same have implied organizations in the hospitality industry to identify reasonable approaches for leveraging social media and its management to accomplish interests of the business(Hyder, 2016). Hence the review of theoretical implications pertaining to the use of social media in the case of chameleon restaurant could help in better explanation of the use of Instagram by five star chameleon restaurant in Wellington and the concerns of influencer marketing. Prior to evaluation of theoretical underpinnings it is essential to consider the significance of theory in context of the use of social media for customer engagement.
The theoretical aspects help in interpretation of the various factors that contribute to development of new opportunities in the field of social media marketing. The evaluation of theories in sociology, communications, and information and computer sciences could be used for a clearer evaluation of the interaction between artefacts and actors involved in social networks. As per Hudson et al(2016), the complex interactions could provide valid insights into aspects that can be leveraged by business from social media to ensure marketing purchases (Hudson et al., 2016). The conventional theories such as social penetration theory, social network theory and social exchange theory could be used as promising resources to explain the formation of networks by people, expression of opinions and sharing of information among each other. Another promising aspect that can be realized from the evaluation of theories pertaining to the use of social media in hospitality industry is reflective of indications towards preventing the dominance of technology over society and the lives of people. The example of the rapid increase in popularity of Instagram hashtag and its implications for social media marketing and dependency of users suggests that fast technological developments could be responsible for overwhelming users as consumers as well as business managers(Kashyap et al., 2018).
Perceived control theory could be considered as the foremost theory which suggests the significance of influencer marketing and is representative of the indications towards the necessity of customers as social actors. The popularity of TripAdvisor with 50 million unique users added on a monthly basis is reflective of a vital platform for user involvement in the creation of content related to marketing purposes of a business. The perceived control theory illustrates the reasons for motivation of users to facilitate word of mouth feedback(Leung, Bai & Stahura, 2015).
The theory implies that the loyalty of customers plays a vital role in defining the motivation for users to provide feedback regarding the services of a specific restaurant or hospitality organization. According to Mooney & Slobodian(2016), the loyal customers that are satisfied by the services of a particular restaurant would have a perceived intangible sense of ownership that is reflected in language implemented in their reviews(Mooney & Slobodian, 2016). It is also essential to observe that customers without any perceived sense of loyalty to the restaurant can be motivated by the desire to impose indirect control over a business by directly interacting with the potential consumers of an organization.
The next theoretical imperative that is utilized profoundly in influencer marketing commonly noticed in the case of chameleon restaurant and other hospitality organizations is the social exchange theory that is derived from sociological studies for investigation of the interaction between small groups and individuals. The theory’s basic imperative suggests that individuals engage in behaviour which is perceived to be rewarding and those acts which are associated with higher costs are neglected(Minazzi, 2015).
The evaluation of the social exchange theory provides a clearer validation for the increasing dependency of users on Instagram and image sharing social media platforms as well as the obsession of present generation with the Instagram Hash tag. As per Ngai, Tao & Moon(2015), the main reasons for obsession of users could be anticipated in the form of expectations of improvement in reputation, altruism, direct rewards, influencing other individuals and anticipation of reciprocity from other individuals(Ngai, Tao & Moon, 2015). The social penetration theory could be used to address the question of why Instagram is used by chameleon restaurant for marketing and the approaches followed for accomplishing the same.
The social penetration theory facilitates comprehensive investigation of the formation of relationships through human exchange on an individual level which can be leveraged by chameleon restaurant to motivate customers to communicate as an integral part of the organization(Rodney & Wakeham, 2016). For example, certain chameleon restaurant encouraged their customers to post images of various assorted dishes they order on Instagram thereby helping the restaurant to present a visual depiction of their menu on social media. The marketing initiatives of restaurant in this case are targeted towards users on an individual basis that is liable to increase the prospects of involvement of the target audience(Stephen, 2016).
Apart from these theories, the necessity of observing emergent theories and their implications with respect to application of Instagram and similar platforms for marketing of organizations in the hospitality industry could be observed in context of this research report. The concerns of influencer marketing as a profound trend in business marketing could be evaluated from the perspective of paradigm shift of marketing from evaluation of geographic, psychographic and demographic profiles of customers towards the evaluation of socialgraphics to formulate social strategy(Schulze, Schöler & Skiera, 2015).
In this framework, the managers and marketers have the responsibility of identifying the social influence of customers, websites and social media platforms on which the customer is active, social information and actors significant for the customers and the online social behaviour of customers of an organization(Stamatopoulos, Karakoglou & Gogolou, 2017).These factors could be resolved to identify the level of engagement in the case of various customers of a restaurant and its Instagram followers.
The categories include curators, producers, commentors, sharers and watchers. Managers could leverage the identified levels of engagement among customers on Instagram to provide them with the necessary tools and resources to improve social interaction. Another theoretical framework which could be used to describe the impact of influencer marketing as a prominent trend in the existing scenario is the Social Feedback Loop which presents a clear interplay between social media utilization and consumer purchase funnel(Solomon et al., 2014). The purchase stage illustrated in the basic interpretation of the purchase funnel concept is extended further with the utilization of the product by consumers and developing opinions which will be communicated as a part of advocacy.
The experiential nature of opinions formed by customers after consumption of the product and the implications towards influence of the experiences on the purchase decisions of other customers is clearly reflective of the necessity and popularity of influencer marketing. A clear interpretation of the different levels of engagement of customers on social media platforms such as Instagram could provide the opportunities for extended circulation of social media content alongside imposing considerable influences on the direction of consumer interaction (Tuten & Solomon, 2017). However, the most common pitfalls encountered in this case are the lack of appropriate and precise methodologies for segmentation of the various user engagement groups as well as methods for differentiation between pre-purchase decision making and post purchase consumption as well as approaches for influencing users in these stages (Tsimonis & Dimitriadis, 2014).
How can chameleon restaurant maximize the benefits of using Instagram?
The increase in the number of internet users that are involved in the use of images and videos as social currency could be identified from the fact that 47% of internet users leverage sharing of images and videos they find from other sources on the internet and almost 54% of the internet users have agreed to posting images and videos of their own creation on the internet. The profound involvement of young adults and females in these activities is also a noticeable trend in the use of Instagram as well as other photo and video sharing platforms such as Snapchat. It has been noticed that smartphones and internet technologies have increased the dependency of the youth on Instagram for intrinsic as well as extrinsic benefits(Tiago & Veríssimo, 2014).
This factor can be noticed clearly in the form of utilizing Instagram by 18% of smartphone owners and the use of Snapchat by 9% of mobile phone owners. According to Zhu & Chen(2015), the significant findings from the review of user engagement and the diverse roles assumed by the social media users could be used to complement the relevant topics of discussion in context of this research report(Zhu & Chen, 2015). The formation of a culture of image sharing and development of communities through Instagram could be used to explain the use of Instagram by five start chameleon restaurant in Wellington. The internet users that post original images and videos created by them are referred to as creators while the users that post images and videos found from other sources on the internet are known as curators.
The combined share of internet users involved in either curating and creation activities is estimated at 62% which has substantially escalated from 56% noted in 2012. It is also imperative to note that around 40% of the internet users are involved in the roles of creation as well as curating. The mobile apps such as Instagram and Snapchat have capitalized on the user bases which are driven to capture and share visual experiences in the form of images or videos. Instagram allows users with the opportunities for adding signature filters to the images prior to posting on the profiles of users.
The app is tailored on similar grounds as other social media models in which users have the facilities and features to follow the profiles of other users alongside indicating their appreciation for images posted by other users through comments and reactions. Among the total number of mobile phone users that have Instagram, it is evident that users in the age group of 18-29 are more likely to use the app with 43% of users actually agreeing to the same(Tsimonis & Dimitriadis, 2014). Another prominent highlight noticed in the case of Instagram is an active user base which could be validated from the measures of frequency of utilization of Instagram that indicate more than one third Instagram users utilizing the app on a daily basis and approximately 25% of surveyed users indicating the use of Instagram several times in a single day. Therefore, these trends are actively leveraged by chameleon restaurant in Wellington such as Shed 5, Apache, The Bresolin, Dragonfly and Loretta for implementing Instagram as a viable tool for social media marketing and influencing potential customers.
The methodology adopted for the research would be directed towards use of secondary research and the proposed analysis approach is through observation. The data is collected from various literary sources depicting the theoretical concepts regarding the use of social media in marketing. The methodology also reflected on the case of three renowned five start chameleon restaurant in Wellington such as Dragonfly, Apache, The Bresolin, Loretta and Shed 5 which have leveraged Instagram as well as the study of best practices adopted in Instagram marketing by successful brands(Mooney & Slobodian, 2016).
The observation of the approaches followed by these chameleon restaurants on Instagram and comparing the posting frequency of the chameleon restaurant on Instagram would be accounted as a promising implication for identifying the response to the research question of how chameleon restaurant could be used for accomplishing marketing advantage(FQ.com, 2018). The implications of best practices would also have to be observed in the methodology for ascertaining the effectiveness of different chameleon restaurant in realizing the effective utilization of Instagram.
Observation of the effectiveness of best practices on Instagram as well as the formation of communities of users on Instagram in the case of the different chameleon restaurant could also be considered as a suitable method for accomplishing the desired results from the research report. The observations were generalized into specific themes with respect to the literature review pertaining to application of image and video sharing platforms for addressing the research objectives(Armstrong et al., 2015).
The observation of the Instagram usage in the case of the selected five star chameleon restaurant in Wellington indicated profoundly towards the circulation of user generated content with references to the perceived control theory. The use of Instagram in the case of the five chameleon restaurant in Wellington is largely identified from the perspective of guests and food bloggers. Guests that are loyal to the services of specific chameleon restaurant make it a mandatory effort to click images of food orders and unique service offerings at the chameleon restaurant for communicating the same through sharing with other users on Instagram(Carlson & Lee, 2015). This factor can be clearly associated with the implications of the role of customers as influencers on potential consumers. Furthermore, it is also imperative to observe that various food bloggers, critics and reviewers adopt Instagram as a feasible tool to create and share videos and photos of the dishes at the chameleon restaurant for informing other customers regarding the quality of products and services(Ashley & Tuten, 2015).
The findings also imply the preferences for Instagram as compared to other platforms such as Snapchat among internet users and the dominance of content creation as well as curation on these platforms. The specific references to the findings also imply the indications towards the influence of informal networks and communities that are formed on social media platforms such as food appreciation forums and food blogs(Chang, Yu & Lu, 2015). Other results derived from the evaluation of secondary sources of information are profoundly reflective of indications towards the role of Instagram users as social actors and exercising their influence thereby implying the significance of socialgraphics in the case of marketing initiatives of chameleon restaurant in Wellington. The observation of online social behaviour of Instagram users with respect to marketing activities of chameleon restaurant in Wellington also depicted profound influence of the Instagram trend on the formation of a shared culture of sharing information relevant to food and service experiences(Chaffey, 2016).
The inferences derived from the observation of secondary sources of information are directed towards anticipating the role of social media as more than a mere channel of communication. The existing implications of social media are reflective of motivation to users to create content and moderate it according to their interests that could be either intrinsic or extrinsic(Armstrong, Delia & Giardina, 2016). Another promising aspect that can be perceived from the findings of observation is reflective of the increasing adoption of image and video sharing platforms as integral aspects of social networking largely preferred by younger adults and females(Constantinides, 2014). The critical assessment of the findings with respect to theoretical aspect are largely directed towards the concerns of social exchange theory and perceived control theory.
Young adults and females are largely involved in Instagram activity with respect to chameleon restaurant in Wellington on the grounds of intrinsic benefits of excitation and efficacy in communicating information to potential consumers. This also validates their role as influencers and creation of a culture obsessed with Instagram hash tags and popularity as well as contributing to the common good of the society by facilitating information regarding productive alternatives to potential customers (Balakrishnan et al., 2014). Another profound implication that can be derived from the observations is the supporting impact of a culture of image and video sharing on the productivity of social media marketing initiatives of the selected chameleon restaurant in Wellington.
For example, Shed 5 is one of the renowned chameleon restaurant that have experienced substantial posts on Instagram by guests leading to the increased social media activity. This factor directs towards the implications of higher activity of Instagram users which can be leveraged by the chameleon restaurant to produce and curate content for circulation on social media. The prominent excerpts derived from the findings are also indicative of the preferences for originally created content in order to accomplish productive outcomes in terms of social media marketing(Atwong, 2015). The critical evaluation of the findings from the research report are reflective of the best practices that are adopted by various successful chameleon restaurant which include quality of images, informative and appeal potential of content and the frequency of posting. The only variable that can be observed in the practices of Instagram posting of different chameleon restaurant is the frequency of posting which differed by slight margins of weeks or days. The review of the findings suggests that organizations in the hospitality industry could leverage maximum benefits only through comprehensive involvement of users(Alves, Fernandes & Raposo, 2016).
The suggestions for chameleon restaurant on the basis of findings derived from the research can be presented to address the issues encountered by the organization in engaging the desired target audience through Instagram. The selection of Instagram as a tool for promotion and marketing of chameleon restaurant can be validated on the grounds of the experiential nature of the services and products provided by chameleon restaurant. Therefore Instagram serves as a prolific resource to improve credibility of information provided to potential consumers thereby realizing increased prospects for profitability. The foremost recommendation for the organization would be vested in the short term and includes references to reward based campaigns on Instagram that would draw user attention to the brand’s presence on Instagram. The campaign could include programs implying visitors at Chameleon restaurant to post images of the dishes which appeal to them on their Instagram feed with the hash tag of the organization. Another plausible recommendation for Chameleon restaurant is directed towards review of the marketing strategy and inclusion of an understanding of social media consumption behaviour of the target audience and Instagram followers.
This would imply explicit references to the changes in market research frameworks indicating the evaluation of socialgraphics which could be a long term benefit for the organization in ascertaining a general basis for circulation and promotion of content on image and video sharing platforms apart from Instagram to increase social media outreach of the brand. The long term implications for the use of Instagram by chameleon restaurant should also be supported by references to interaction and activity in context of posts relevant to the area in which the restaurant operates. This factor could be reflective of mirroring the Instagram communities as real communities which could account for facilitating increase in traffic as well as establishing a definitive personality for the restaurant.
The use of hash tags on Instagram that are relevant to the locality could also be presented as an initiative for accomplishing short term business goals which can be used for unique New Zealand dishes rather than using generalized hash tags. New product offerings should be a priority in the Instagram posts of Chameleon restaurant that can be complemented with the reposting of Instagram posts of followers that are images of the new product offerings. The cost benefit comparisons for these recommendations would imply marginal costs only for introduction of minor changes in the marketing strategy while being responsible for improved marketing advantage on social media at par with other successful restaurant ventures in Wellington.
Conclusion:
The assessment presented a comprehensive interpretation of theoretical underpinnings related to application of social media in marketing and interaction between customers and a brand. The research report’s use of secondary data and observation in the methodology provided conclusive insights into the functionality of Instagram as a tool for social media marketing. Finally, the critical evaluation of the research findings was used to derive credible recommendations for addressing the research question of how chameleon restaurant would try Instagram to accomplish their interests in marketing and business objectives.
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