SOC I A L MED I AS P R I N G 2 0 1 7 | M G T 4 0 4 5 0

STRATEGY &ANALYTICS

JENNIFER CRONIN, Ph. Djcronin5@nd.edu // LO48

University of Notre DameMendoza College of Business

T // TR Debartolo 313 11 am - 12:15 pm // 3 credits

UNDERSTAND

GAIN

CREATE

MEASURE

APPLY

social media strategic value andcorporate fit

proficiency in techniques to audit andevaluate social media

and implement a measurable social mediastrategy and campaign

social media in a quantifiable and goal-driven way

social media best practices to enhanceyour personal brand in your industry

COURSEOBJECTIVES

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With 1.5 billion people active on at least one social network, instantaneousinformation is being shared like never before, which equates to consumerswielding enormous power in the marketplace. Social media has givenconsumers a louder voice, has connected them with their friends and otherlike-minded consumers around the globe, and has given them considerablesway over marketers and brands. It has even helped them build and fund theproducts they want! However, with countless social media tools available andterabytes of information being created from consumer interactions, how dobusinesses, both new and old, use this social media data to make betterbusiness decisions and effectively connect with their current and potentialcustomers? In this course, you will learn by doing. Students will interactwith social media tools and analytic platforms to conduct social media audits,develop social media strategies, and launch campaigns tied to specific keyperformance indicators with measurable results.

COURSEDESIGN

WH A T D O E S T H ES E M E S T E R L O O K L I K E ?

This class is designed to be a lively learningenvironment focused on joint discovery. Students willimmerse themselves in social media, activelyparticipating in social media tools, gaining an in­depthunderstanding of pros and cons of those tools. Studentswill gain familiarity with available measurement tools,both freemium and fee­based, and utilize the tools tocreate and measure campaigns.

Every assignment in this class is designed to helpstudents build their social media skills both at apersonal level and for use in a corporate setting. Thisclass will result in the creation of a portfolio of work todemonstrate expertise to future employers. Morespecifically, the course is designed around the clientproject, in which students will work in teams to plan,execute, and measure an impactful social media andcontent marketing strategy.

Class sessions will largely follow the 10­Step SocialMedia Strategy Blueprint (given in class), and willfocus on tips, tools, and resources for successfullynavigating each stage of the process.

The course is intended to maximize opportunities forteams to collaborate in person; therefore, it is essentialthat you attend all class sessions. Classes will includean overview of social media platforms and tools.Content will be provided through in­class discussion,guest speakers, videos, assigned readings, meetingswith project client, and student­ledpresentations. Whenever possible, class time will beallotted for group work following instruction.

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Project KickoffBegan listening

Articulate insights

Note story and voice

Frame Project­­ definestrategy, goals, customer

Social Media Audit­­clientand competitors

Evaluate regulations

Campaign Strategy­­growthobjective; content, media,

platform, timing mix;

influencers; ROI metrics

Client ApprovalCAMPAIGN LAUNCH!

ND Day (April 23­24)Generate and release content

Evaluate campaign

Client Presentations

CampaignAt-A-Glance

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

ASSIGNMENTS& GRADING

C O U R S E E X P E C T A T I O N S

Grades will be based on classroom participation, individualassignments, a mid­term and final exam, and the semester­long client project completed in teams. Class deliverablesand relative percentage of total grade are as follows:

CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION (5%)Classroom participation is an important part of the courseto keep up with the materials, work with your teams onprojects, and add value to the learnings. Participation willbe measured by: ~ Attendance ~ Pop quizzes ~ Presence as an active listener ~ Enhances class discussion ~ Positivity; builds on others’ thoughts ~ Participation in ND Day Activities

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS (10%)Designed to build upon your aptitude with social mediaand the techniques and tools to support the skills you needfor your projects, individual assignments will bemeasured by quality, thoughtfulness of work, andtimeliness, and include: ~ Hootsuite certification ~ Assigned readings ~ Assignments noted in the course schedule ~ Other assignments provided in class

EXAMS (40%)The midterm exam will cover the material covered for thefirst half of the semester, and will be held during classtime on the last day of class before spring break. The finalexam will be cumulative and will be held on the last dayof class. Note: Final project presentations (for ND Day)will be held during our finals slot. The format for bothexams will be essay.

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CASE ANALYSIS (15%)Learning via case studies is a helpful way to betterunderstand, apply, and evaluate class concepts. In a smallgroup, you will have the opportunity to select one socialmedia case from the list posted on Sakai. You will be askedto fill in the Social Media Canvas, prepare an analysissummarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the case, andpresent them to the class. Please see "Assignment Details"below and the "Case Study" folder on Sakai for moreinformation on how to successfully navigate thisassignment.

CAMPAIGN & LAUNCH (30%)This project will provide a context for most of our in­classwork, as the best way to learn about social media strategyand analytics is by doing. Students will work in teams on aclient project over the course of the semester to create andlaunch a campaign for ND Day. Teams will be evaluated by: ~ Social Media Blueprint process (detailed guidelineprovided) ~ Timely submission of quality deliverables throughout ~ Creation of a thoughtful, creative campaign ~ Ideas tailored to the needs of the target audience ~ Clear and measurable goals and metrics*Note: not all team members will receive the same grade onthe team project, as your individual team evaluation scorewill be incorporated.

CIVILITYThere are standards of classroom civility that apply both in the classroom and online. These do noteliminate appropriate humor, enjoyment, or other features of a comfortable learning environmentbut do include: displaying respect for all members of the community; avoiding disruptions; beingattentive to whomever is talking; avoiding racist, sexist, homophobic, or other hateful languagethat make exclude others; and coming to class on time and prepared. Also, please review the"social media use" policy above.

A note on...

MISSED & LATE ASSIGNMENTSAssignments must be submitted in hard copy form, typed,stapled, and are due at the beginning of the class period onthe specified days. Papers turned in late will be penalizedone letter grade for each day late—this includes holiday andweekend days. Do not email papers, as they are notpermutable. Instead, you may turn them into my mailboxlocated in the Faculty Support Office of Mendoza.

ATTENDANCE & TARDINESSAttendance will be taken and will be factored into yourparticipation grade. If you miss class for any reason, you arestill responsible for what was covered in class. It is yourresponsibility to contact other students concerning classassignments, notes, handouts, and any changes in theschedule. There will be material covered in lecture that is notcovered in the textbook and may appear on an exam. Pleasearrive to class on time so that you do not miss pertinentmaterial. Note: Attendance on ND Day is mandatory. Failure to attendwithout a university excused absence will result in a gradereduction.

SAKAI & EMAILClass resources are posted on Sakai. Regularly check ourcourse site for updated material as well as your emailaccount associated with Sakai. Please note that my e­mailaddress is jcronin5@nd.edu

SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN CLASSAlthough this is a course in social media and you will beasked to log onto these sites frequently for instructionalpurposes, please only do so when it is required by aclassroom activity. Chatting online and surfing the internetcan be an incredible distraction and hamper learning.

GRADINGThe Mendoza College of Business requirement is that thePrinciples of Marketing course average to a ‘B’. Please notethat final grades will be assigned to meet this requirement —scores may be curved up or down to assign final grades andachieve the goal set forth by the College.

POLICIES &GRADING

C O U R S E E X P E C T A T I O N S

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PERFORMANCE& HONESTY

F I N A L T H O U G H T S O N

Students are expected to attend each class and participate in theclassroom discussions. Unexcused absences will result in gradereduction. On many occasions, the lecture format will not be used in thisclass; rather we will use a participative and experiential learning model. It is therefore critically important that the students have read allreadings, researched the topics, and prepared sufficiently in order todiscuss and contribute to other students’ learning in the class. A studentcan ONLY receive an ‘A’ in the class by participating in classroomdiscussions and contributing to the learning process in class.

The Code of Honor will be strictly applied as described in TheAcademic Code of Honor Handbook. Students will not give or receiveaid on exams. This includes, but is not limited to, viewing the exams ofothers, sharing answers with others, and making unauthorized use ofbooks or notes while taking the exam. For the group project, teams mustwork completely independently. Relying on solutions from other groups,whether or not they are currently in the course, constitutes plagiarism.The full honor code can be read here: http://honorcode.nd.edu/.

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex andgender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds ofaccountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses againstother protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you orsomeone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find theappropriate resources at http://equity.nd.edu/where-to-turn-for-help/.

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“As a memberof the Notre

Damecommunity, I

will notparticipate in

or tolerateacademic

dishonesty.”

HOOTSUITECERTIFICATION

A S S I G N M E N T D E T A I L S

Hootsuite is a popular social media management system for brand management used by many of today’sbusinesses. As such, we will use this dashboard to syndicate content from various social media platforms and trackand measure our marketing efforts. In order to successfully complete components of other required assignments,you must first complete Hootsuite University’s online training that will walk you through navigating the system.Completion of the certification program will entitle you to industry­recognized credentials that you may display onyour personal and social profiles (i.e., LinkedIn), which will make you more attractive to future employers.

To become “Hootsuite Certified,” please visit learn.hootsuite.com.

Because you are a student in this course, you will have free access to the program for 90 days beginning earlyFebruary. Please take a screen shot of your completion notice and submit to me as proof that you have done so forfull credit. Certification must be complete by March 9.

The secret to how social media works cannot be found in marketing or business textbooks. In order to understandthe true power of the web, you need hands­on, real­world experience with actual clients. Throughout the semesteryou will be working in conjunction with Notre Dame’s strategic marketing team to plan, implement, and measure asocial media campaign for ND Day.

ND Day, a global celebration referencing the University’s founding Day, is a day that provides the Notre Damefamily the opportunity to give back to specific areas of the University they love most (e.g., residence halls,academic programs, athletics teams, clubs) through an online fundraising competition. The marketing team willvisit class several times throughout the semester to (1) discuss specifics about this year’s event, (2) work with youon particular parts of the assignment, (3) provide client approval regarding creative content, (4) help track yourmediated efforts, (5) provide feedback on your ideas and (6) offer suggestions for future campaign planning.

You will use the Social Media Blueprint (given in class) as a guideline for this assignment along with class lecturenotes. You will present for client approval prior to spring break and launch your campaign when you return. Allcontent must be approved by your group leader and will be streamlined to the public via the Proud to Be NDaccounts, unless otherwise discussed. No other social media accounts for the event can be generated. You will havethe option of attending the weekly social media planning meetings in order to pitch your content—the team willthen decide on what content gets sent out.

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ND DAY CAMPAIGN& LAUNCH

The following is a checklist with respective due dates that must be incorporated into your client report:

Phase 1 – Framing the Project (due 2/7)

♦ Clearly articulate the story of the client and their brand.♦ Define over­arching business strategy and goal.♦ Define a financial and non­financial goal that is S.M.A.R.T.♦ Define the “customer,” using the Empathy Map, including an image of the persona.♦ Provide data supporting the demographics, market size, etc.♦ Conduct social searches, establish alerts, and begin listening.♦ Define the strong insight that has emerged.♦ Develop the story, including the personality and voice.

Phase 2 –Social Media Audit (due 2/21)

♦ Note where the client is currently active on social media. `~ What do they do well? What are they weaker at? What have been recent activities? ~ What is the content of their messaging (promotional, educational, entertainment)? ~ What is the frequency of each type of messaging (days and times)?♦ Identify 3 competitors and review their social activity. ~ What do they do well? What are they weaker at? What have been recent activities? ~ What is the content of their messaging (promotional, educational, entertainment)? ~ What is the frequency of each type of messaging (days and times)?♦ Identify 3 other sources of “competition” for your user’s dollars in this segment and review their social activity. ~ What do they do well? What are they weaker at? What have been recent activities? ~ What is the content of their messaging (promotional, educational, entertainment)? ~ What is the frequency of each type of messaging (days and times)? ♦ Identify key words associated with the client and competitors. ~How well do they align with our client? Who owns the search domain?♦ Conduct social searches, establish alerts, and begin listening. ~ Is the sentiment generally positive or negative? Provide meaningful examples.♦ For both the client and competitors, note available metrics for each social platform. For example: ~ Number of followers, ~ Frequency of posts and comments ~ Number of campaigns, etc.♦ For both the client and competitors, what are the regulatory opportunities and/or limitations?♦ Who, in this industry, beyond direct competitors, is doing social media particularly well? ~ What lessons would apply to the client?♦ What (if any) other barriers stand in the way of reaching our objective(s)?♦ Write a (1­2 sentence) marketing objective and strategy statement.

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Phase 3 – Social Media Campaign Strategy (client approval 3/2)

♦ Clearly state the growth objective♦ Identify the content mix, including: ~ Social Content that drives Awareness & Trust ~ Social Content that drives Engagement & Understanding ~ Social Content that drives Conversion & Sales ~ Social Content that Outreaches, Engages & Responds♦ Identify the Media Mix – what will you Create, Curate, and how will you Contribute, Comment, and Care?♦ Clearly identify the influencers (minimum of 3), how you measured their influence, and strategy for engaging.♦ Identify the right Platform Mix – which platforms align best with your audience and their needs?♦ Design a social media campaign with clear ROI metrics to support the strategy in line with the client’s goals.♦ Identify the Timing Mix and create content calendar.♦ Obtain client approval for creating content and go­live with campaign.

Phase 4 – Social Media Campaign (Launch 3/21, ND Day April 23­24)

♦ Launch and monitor a campaign, making client­approved adjustments as necessary. ♦ Participate in ND Day 4/23­4/24 (Individual)

Phase 5 – Client Recommendations (present to client during final exam slot)

♦ Present project progression and outcome (infographic) to client, including lessons learned.♦ Provide client with the Social Media Strategy Blueprint, including a summary of what worked and suggestions for thego­forward strategy.

In small groups, (or pairs depending on class enrollment) will have the opportunity to select one case from the list ofcases posted on Sakai. All students will be asked to read the case and fill in the Social Media Canvas, but your groupwill prepare an analysis summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the case. Specifically, you will identify, analyzeand evaluate the main issues/problems and recommend effective solutions or strategies (see grading rubric on Sakai).

Your discussion should demonstrate a strong connection to course material. You will then be asked to lead a review anddiscussion of the case with the class. This will be our primary method of reviewing the case studies in class, so it isimportant that you are well prepared for this assignment and that all class members read the case in advance.Please prepare a slide deck (at least 5 slides) to help guide the session and an outline (or handout) for the class andmyself articulating major takeaways. You will have half of the class period to present and answer questions.

CASE STUDYDISCUSSION

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