DESCRIPTION OF TASK

 Investigative Media Report

Due: Friday, Week 10 9pm AEST

Marking rubric available via iLearn

Students are required to complete a major group report during the course. The report will be weighted as 50% of the course.

In order to support the development of your report, class activities have been built in to the weekly course schedule. You will also present the drafting of your work in order to obtain feedback.

Drawing from theory on consumer behaviour and consumer psychology discuss the following;

What is consumer-brand addiction? How does social media enhance this?

Discuss this topic using theory from consumer behaviour and psychology. Support your answer by selecting one online brand community for a retail brand. You are required to collect secondary data by extracting and analysing consumer commentary and posts from your chosen forum to include as qualitative verbatim evidence throughout your report. 

You may choose any social media platform that you deem suitable for your investigation. Your report will address the following content;

1. Industry background: Using industry and journal article research briefly define and describe the nature of the social media platform that you have chosen. (approx 200 words)
2. Marketing objectives: Using journal article research discuss the marketing purpose/positioning, objectives and motives of the platform from the perspective of its users (brands, and consumers) (approx 200 words)
3. Literature review: Select three to four main theoretical concepts to frame your literature review. These theoretical concepts are of your own choosing, however they should assist you to theoretically respond to the report topic. Each of these theoretical concepts needs to cover the following issues; theoretical definition/conceptualisation, main characteristics of the concept, relevance to marketing and your report topic, specific theoretical findings related to the concept, conclusion and linkage of concept to your other chosen theoretical concepts. (approx 2000 words)
4. Consumer post commentary/verbatim integrated with your chosen literature. You will need to analyse your consumer post data from your chosen social media platform data using the software NVIVO and develop and apply a coding framework to analyse you data. This coding framework will be structured according to your chosen theoretical concepts, and any sub-dimensions of those. Provide a table reporting your coding framework. Retain screenshots or a word/PDF file for submission along with your report - this is mandatory. You will be required to integrate the consumer word for word quotes and verbatim from your data analysis with your literature to illustrate how the theoretical concepts manifest within your online brand community. (approx 1500 words)
5. Discussion and conclusion. You are required to discuss the implications of your findings. What were the main outcomes in terms of consumer behaviour, and what are the implications of your findings for brand management? (approx 1000 words)

NOTES:

Assessment contains an individual mark: You will have three or four members per group. Each group members contribution will be weighted using a peer group scoring method upon submission of the report, and they will receive an individual mark based on the final mark awarded. This mark will be moderated by your Tutor who will discuss each members contribution with the group. For example if your group is given an final report score of 40/50 for the report, and group member 1’s contribution is weighted by each of his/her three group peers as 8/10, 6/10, 9/10 (23/3 = 7.7). Group member 1 would receive a score of 0.77 x 50 or a final mark for the report of 30.8/50. This final score is  moderated by your convenor as above.

This is an assessment based on scholarly research (e.g., journal articles (peer reviewed or otherwise), scholarly book chapters, research monographs, research handbooks etc), theory and critical evaluation, analysis and synthesis (not mere description). The reports upper word limit is 5,000 words. There is no minimum word limit. The upper word limit is strict. NB. The word limit does not include; title page/cover page, sub-headings, reference list (Note - it does include in-text citations), or the appendix.

• A minimum of 15+ scholarly articles is deemed to be absolutely necessary to understand this area and this should be used as a guide.
• Full Harvard author-date referencing is required (in-text citations, and reference list).
• Excess words beyond the strict word limit will not be read or marked.

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

Your report must be submitted online VIA Turnitin: Submit soft copy to the plagiarism detection system ‘Turnitin’ VIA iLearn before the deadline

Please note the following:

•  One member must be responsible for submitting the report to iLearn. Your soft copy must include a title Page with full official student names (last name in CAPITALS) and student ID numbers. It must also include your reference list. Please name your file as follows: Surnames_Final Report.doc

•  Report should be formatted as follows; size 12 times new roman font, 1.5 line spacing, regular margins, headings in capitals and bold, sub-headings in upper and lower case and bold italics.

•  Report will be marked electronically via GradeMark on Turnitin using iLearn, annotated with comments from the marker and your grades will be available for viewing on the Grades link via iLearn approximately 3 weeks after submission. An announcement will be made on iLearn when assignments have been marked.

Exam duration is 3 hours. Closed book.