Introduction
In this era of social media, many firms have joined a social network with a view of expanding the clientele as well as communicating directly to them with a view of learning their needs. Many firms run social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter accounts. The social media accounts allow clients to share views about the companies’ products including their satisfactions and resentments (Wimmer & Dominick 2013, p. 18). Some firms have gone a notch higher by using the social media to conduct research about their products. Since the social media allows the consumers to present their comments about the product or respond to the questions posted by the producers, market researchers can rely on it when conducting research about product performance. Tatty Devine brand has both Facebook and Twitter accounts where clients can make direct comments about the product and services they have received. From the comment thread in the social media researchers are able to perform an ethnographic analysis about the behaviour of the clients in relation to Tatty Devine product. Berg defines advertising as a wide concept that extends beyond the act of advertising agencies purchasing space on newspapers and magazines, where they place their products’ information (Berg, 2004, pg. 6)
Ethnographic Analysis
Ethnography refers to attributes aspects attributed of a given community (Altheide). On the other hand, ethnographic analysis draw on and collects numerical and narrative data, instead of dictating the later into predefined categories of former as observed in quantitative analysis. The social media accounts of Tatty Devine, there comments about the product, the supposed changes that some clients wish to see as well as complements. Largely, from the comments, researchers are able to deduce the nature of the product that the clients wish to buy or see in the market.
Tatty Devine Comments from Facebook and Twitter
A number of comments from both Twitter and Facebook seem to suggest the supposed adjustments that clients require to see in the Tatty Devine jewelleries. A considerable number of audiences tend to praise the beauty of the jewelleries whereas a few seem to request for slight changes on the products (Poynter 2012). For instance, in the Twitter handle, a number of consumers seem to hold the view that Pinterest necklace require many pins. They suggest that the addition of the pins make the product more appealing. Similarly, some consumers are showing their complements about the products. Likewise in the Facebook pace, the consumers seem to show their likes for popcorn necklace. The comments for this product range from nice, I want, cute, nice, and excellent. The total comments on popcorn necklace were 89 with the majority praising the quality of the product. Similarly, the comment thread for the “deluxe fries necklace” suggest the majority praising product. Largely, from their comments, one can settle that the design of these products impress the targeted populace hence the company should continue manufacturing more of these products.
Analysis
The choice to settle for any of the products presented in the Facebook page of the Tatty Devine is an individual opinion. The supposed consumer has a chance to make comments concerning the product and leaving the producer with the trouble on responding to the comments. Since the social media creates a forum for exchanging views, the consumers are able to receive a response from the producers concerning the respective product. In addition, the consumer producer may choose to respond to the consumers into two ways namely; giving a feedback through the social media and creating the changes demanded by the consumer. In essence, a social media forum enables the producers and consumers to communicate and settle on the right product demanded by the consumers. Largely, from the comment thread, researchers are able to tell the nature product which the consumers intend to buy or the nature of changes they wish to see.
The model of Tatty Devine jewelleries largely depends on the comments or the views of the supposed consumers. The producer achieves objective by presenting a design to the consumers. Afterward, the producer sums the comments of the product before making the supposed changes. The same approach applies to the existing jewelleries. In this sense, the consumers tend to dictate the products that Jewellery Company produces in the market. Arguably, the success of the product in the market largely depends on the ability of the product to address the needs of the consumers. When the information received from the consumers is used to create a product, it tends to attract more consumers than a product created without the input of the consumers. For instance, some consumers suggest Pinterest necklace requires more pins and the jewellery company respond by creating a product that answered the needs of these consumers.
In taking ethnographic analysis through the social media (Facebook and Twitter), the comments of the consumers would be useful in deducing their behaviour and cultural attributes. For example, when Tatty Devine posted Swarovski crystals on their Facebook fan page, the product received varied comments from the consumers. Some consumers stated that the product made them feel hungry whereas some never preferred the product. Interestingly, people making comments on the product have the capacity of influencing their social media friends into accepting or rejecting a given product. Bryman (2008, p. 432) contend that social media comments about the product can go viral depending on the impact that product is going to create to consumers. When the consumers hold the view that the product is beneficial to the society, they tend to take the trouble of commenting on the goodness of the product to their friends as opposed to the manufacturing firm. To a given extent they tend to assume the trouble of advertising a product at the expense of the producer.
As many consumers check on the product, they tend to market the product more than a product would receive limited attention of the audience. Interestingly, Facebook users display the tendency of reading from the comments of people who visit the fan page. Some jewellery in Tatty Devine Facebook page tends to receive little comments from the supposed consumers whereas other receives voluminous comments. The lack of comments does not mean that the product does not please or not beautiful, but it might not be suitable for a particular need. In addition, the lack of the comments might also suggest consumers are not convinced that the product answers the quest of beauty that most jewellery users seek. Sometimes some consumers prefer not to comment on the goodness or badness of the product, but it does not suggest he product lack what the consumers expects (Poynter 2010, p 123). Perhaps the lack of comment might mean the product is not suitable for the target market.
Tatty Devine’s marketing department can predict the anticipated performance of the jewelleries going by the contribution that people make in the Facebook fan page. Nevertheless, the considerations of the comments made about the product should strictly focus on how well the product is suitable to the target consumers. As noted by researchers on social media ethnography, the frames that dominate the internet study not necessarily be what the researchers anticipated to hear. The people commenting on the social media tend to engage on discussion as opposed to giving simple comments about the product or the respective service under study (Postill and Pink 2012, p.78). Nevertheless, the company might be forced to make an appeal to the targeted consumers through media channels such as television in order to create great awareness of the existence of the social media fan in order to attract greater participants. Presently, the members of the Tatty Devine’s Facebook fan page are over 22 thousand yet this number can increase if the company becomes more aggressive in sensitising its people.
A number of jewelleries posted in the Facebook fan page of the Tatty Devine have not received a thousand likes or comments. The highest number of likes that the jewelleries have received is less than hundred people. The low turnout might suggest any of the following propositions; the target consumers are not part of the social media hence they are not aware of the existing Facebook fan page of the company. The products are not to the taste of the consumers or the consumers did not see anything that was compelling them to comment or like the product on the fan page. Critics have noted that the social media users might make comments on an issue without liking the comments or arguments about the issue. Likewise, in Tatty Devine’s Facebook, a number of products have been posted, but not every posted product receives likes from the same number of Facebook users who visit the fan page. The comments that the product receive tend to be different and at the discretion of the Facebook users.
A bid to succeed in influencing more people to like the products or comment of the product might mean that the Tatty Devine has to request the present number of fans it has on its fan page to influence their friends to comment or like the jewelleries and products of this company. Arguably, the Facebook friends of this Tatty Devine are likely to spread information concerning the company’s products when asked by their friends to do so. For instance, friends are able to make invitations into liking the page thus influencing the Facebook friend into viewing the products of the company.
Bryman (2008, p. 431) learned that ethnographic studies on the social media does not replace the long term immersion in a society, but it produces a contextual and contingent understanding which results from the nature of engagement which social media users experiences. For instance, from the comments threads, every contributor had his own views or values to share with the producers as well as the rest of the people that have visited the fan page. According to Bryman (2008, p. 431) the following features of social media ethnography would influence the outcome of the research. The social media work across web platform that affects the quality of the research. Internet changes the manner of interaction hence affecting the quality of outcome (Berg, 2004, pg. 24). For instance, when a person makes a comment on the social media and goes offline, the Facebook users might not access more information about the comment. However, a person is online he has a chance to expound more on the comments made.
In conclusion, the ethnographic analysis of Tatty Devine reveals that the company has more than 22 thousands likes on the Facebook fan page. At any given time, these Facebook friends are able to see and comment on the products of Tatty Devine. The products often receive the since opinions of the supposed consumers. From the opinion thread, the researchers are able to establish the needs of the consumers including their feelings about the product as well as the supposed changes that the company should make to the product. The company should consider sensitising the Facebook users to give their opinions about the product as a means of marketing the product.
References
Altheide, L. D. Ethnographic Content Analysis. Arizona State University.
Berger, A. S. 2004 Ads, Fads, and Consumer Culture: Advertising's Impact on American Character and Society, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield
Bryman, A. 2008. Social Research Methods. New York: Oxford University Press.
Postill, J. and Pink, S in press 2012. Social media ethnography: the digital researcher in a messy web. Media International Australia.
Poynter, R. 2010. The Handbook of Online and Social Media Research: Tools and Techniques for Market Researchers. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Tatty Devine on Facebook. Available on https://www.facebook.com/tattydevinefanpage
Tatty Devine on Twitter Available on https://twitter.com/tattydevine
Wimmer, R. and Dominick, J. 2013. Mass Media Research. New York: Cengege Learning.
