2013 International Conference on Social Media and Society

Parallel Sessions (15 min presentation + 5 min Q&A per speaker)

“A study of social media user characteristics and usage”, Ramesh Venkat (St. Mary’s University, Canada).

“Rotten to the core: A case study of Applebee’s PR meltdown on Facebook”, Desirae Johnson (Kennesaw State University, United States).

“Connecting theory to social technology platforms: A framework for measuring influence in context”, Sean Goggins (University of Missouri, United States).

There is a growing literature in areas such as social influence (e.g., Kumar, Bhaskaran and Mirchandani 2013) ,and impact of social media on brands and brand equity (e.g., Bergh et al. 2011; Foster et al. 2011; Kim and Ko, 2010; Singh and Sonnenburg). Many studies use data from social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to analyze influence, among other variables.

We wanted to look at individual characteristics that may impact use of social media. While social media usage has become mainstream, and no longer limited to urban, young or elite, not everyone uses social media in the same way. Usage patterns are different. Underlying drivers could be different. We believe that by understanding user characteristics and how they affect usage, marketers can get a better sense of their online market segments. Two surveys were conducted.

The first survey focused on general social media users. The purpose of this study was to understand how individual difference variables such as extraversion, openness to new experiences and homophily affect social media usage. Online ads and ads in social media sites were used to recruit consumers presently using social media. The sample size was 210, which was obtained from six different Canadian provinces. We measured Social Media Engagement/Enjoyment, Extraversion, Openness to New Experiences, Online Self-Perception, Homophily, Online Participation and Demographics. All measures were on 5-point scales. Cronbach’s alpha scores ranged from 0.73 to 0.87.

We used regression and PLS to analyze the data (using SmartPLS). The results provided support to some of the hypotheses. Specifically, it was found that openness to new ideas, extraversion and homophily (which is the tendency to associate with similar others) and online self-perception impacted the level of engagement that participants experienced in social media. Engagement, in turn, was a significant predictor of how rewarding and satisfying the social media experience was. Figure 1 shows the results from the PLS analysis.

The second survey focused on a group of highly educated professionals, who were all in the same profession. We recruited participants via email. In this national survey, we obtained a sample size of 468 responses out of which 372 were usable. The purpose of this study was to understand characteristics that would lead members or an elite profession to adopt a social network site. Only part of the analysis from this survey is reported here. Of specific interest was the relationship between perceived opinion leadership (based on a self-rating scale) and its relationship to social media usage.

We found that those who perceive themselves as opinion leaders (about 27% of the sample) are more drawn to social media than others. In addition, we found that the social network size is more related to the number of social media sites that a person belonged to rather than their perceived opinion leadership. Those who perceive themselves to be opinion leaders may not necessarily have the largest social network size.

The two studies together shed light on how specific user characteristics and individual difference variable affect usage, engagement and satisfaction with social media. The results have implications for marketers who wish to target opinion leaders or those who wish to create engaging and rewarding experiences in their branded social media sites.

The Internet and social media are changing the ways in which companies communicate with key audiences (Tinker, Fouse, & Currie, 2009; Veil, Buehner, & Palenchar, 2011; Young & Flowers, 2012). Because of 24-hour access, communication happens even faster than ever (Bridgeman, 2008; Young & Flowers, 2012), and public relations professionals are struggling to keep up with the accelerated pace (Young & Flowers 2012). Because of this, social media sites often set the stage for public relations meltdowns (Young & Flowers, 2012). 

The Applebee’s case is a prime example of an organization that failed to communicate effectively on social media during a crisis. The restaurant recently made headlines after it fired a waitress for posting a customer receipt on Reddit. (Payne, 2013; Porter, 2013). This led to a two-day fiasco where the Applebee’s communication team struggled to quell concerns from stakeholders who bombarded the restaurant’s Facebook page with angry comments (Stoller, 2013). The purpose of this case study is to examine Applebee’s use of Facebook to respond to negative feedback from social media users. 

A review of the literature revealed a lack of research on the ethical concerns that arise when communicating crisis messages on social media. Therefore, this study sought to answer the following research question: Did Applebee’s demonstrate ethical behavior when responding to user complaints on Facebook? 

A case study approach was used to determine if Applebee’s demonstrated ethical communication to relay crisis messages on Facebook. The study examined company Facebook messages posted on January 31, 2013 and February 1, 2013. Analysis included both textual (the typed messages that Applebee’s posted to its Facebook page) and nonverbal messages (the implied communication messages that Applebee’s sent by deleting comments, blocking users, and hiding company Facebook posts). This research utilized Barker and Martinson’s (2001) TARES Test for ethical persuasion that includes five principles: Truthfulness, Authenticity, Respect, Equity, and Social Responsibility (Baker & Martinson, 2001). 

Analysis revealed that Applebee’s did not meet the requirements for ethical persuasion set forth by the TARES test. First, the restaurant did not demonstrate Truthfulness of the Message because it concealed information about its previous actions in its messages to audiences. Second, Applebee’s did not meet the requirements for Authenticity of the Persuader because it did not demonstrate a balance of loyalties between the company and key stakeholders. Third, Respect for the Persuadee requires that a company does not promote raw self-interest. By deleting Facebook comments, blocking users, and denying its actions, Applebee’s did not meet this requirement. Fourth, to exhibit Equity of the Appeal, persuaders must allow time for reflection and counterargument. Applebee’s deleted comments, therefore it did not demonstrate this requirement. Finally, the restaurant did not meet the requirements for Social Responsibility for the Common good because Applebee’s communication efforts displayed disregard for the wider public interest. 

References 

Applebee’s. (2013a, January 31). We wish this situation hadn’t happened. [Facebook update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/applebees 

Applebee’s. (2013b, February 1). We appreciate the chance to explain our franchisee’s action in this unfortunate situation. [Facebook update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/ 
applebees 

Baker, S., & Martinson, D. L. (2001). The TARES test: Five principles for ethical persuasion. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 16, 148-175. doi: 10.1080/08900523.2001.9679610 

Bridgeman, R. (2008). Crisis communication and the net: Is it just about responding faster…or do we need to learn a new game?. In P. F. Anthonissen (Eds.), Crisis communication: Practical PR strategies for reputation management and company survival (pp.169-177). London: Kogan Page. 

Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, J. S. (2012). The paracrisis: The challenges created by publically managing crisis prevention. Public Relations Review, 38, 408-415. doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev. 
2012.04.004 

Macnamara, J., & Zerfass, A. (2012). Social media communication in organizations: The challenges of balancing openness, strategy, and management. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 6, 287-308. doi: 101.1080/1553118X.2012.711402 

Payne, J. (2013, February 1). Applebee’s taking heat on social media for firing waitress. Yahoo! Small Business Advisor. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/ 

Porter, C. (2013, February 5). US restaurant Applebee’s commits ‘social media suicide.’ Herald Sun. Retrieved from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ 

Sloin, H. Seivold, G., & Prescott, J. (Eds.). (2009). How social media are changing crisis communication—For better and worse. Security Director’s Report, 9, 2-5. Retrieved from http://www.ioma.com/secure 

Stoller, R. L. (2013, February 2). Appblebee’s overnight social media meltdown: A photo essay. R. L. Stoller, Journalist: Thoughts and Provocations. Retrieved from http://rlstollar.wordpress.com/ 

Tinker, T. L., Dumlao, M., & McLaughlin, G. (2009). Effective social media strategies during times of crisis: Learning from the CDC, HHS, FEMA, the American Red Cross and NPR. The Strategist, 15, 25-39. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org 

Tinker, T., Fouse, D. (Eds.), & Currie, D. (Writer). (2009). Expert round table on social media and risk communication during times of crisis: Strategic challenges and opportunities [Report]. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/47910BED-3371-46B3-85C2-67EFB80D88F8/0/socialmedreport.pdf 

Veil, S. R., Beuhner, T. & Palenchar, M. J. (2011). A work-in-process literature review: Incorporating social media in risk and crisis communication. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 19, 110-122. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2011.00639.x 

Young, C. L., & Flowers, A. (2012). Fight viral with viral: A case study of Domino’s Pizza’s crisis communication strategies. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 1, 93-106. Retrieved from http://cssc.web.unc.edu/ 

In this article we distill three years of social technologies research, includingstudies of Facebook, Twitter and Github, to present a synthesized theoretical frameworkfor operationalizing influence in social technologies. The construct of influence isdemonstrated to be munificent in its variation and interpreted according to the specificconstructs and theories used in research, and connected to levels of analysis derived fromempirical study of influence and analysis of electronic trace data. Specifically, weoutline a relationship between social media technology platform, individual goals forparticipation and emergent small groups to help inform future research on influence insocial technologies. We draw on theories from the small group literature, communitiesand networks of practice, and media theory to explicate a framework for measuringinfluence in context. In our discussion we propose three categories of social technology:Social media, distributed work and participatory mass media, suggesting that Facebook,GitHub and Twitter as exemplars of each respective category.