i SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING BRAND IMAGE: A STUDY OF THE GHANA POLICE SERVICE IN ACCRA NAME OF SUPERVISOR: DR. EBO AFFUL DERRICK FIAKPUI MAMM19002 MEDIA MANAGEMENT SEPTEMBER 2020 ii DECLARATION I, Derrick Fiakpui, the author of this term paper, “Social Media In Shaping Brand Image: A Study Of The Ghana Police Service In Accra”, do hereby declare that except for the other works of other authors duly referenced and acknowledged, the work presented herein is the result of my own effort for the award of a Master of Arts degree in Media Management at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. I also declare that the preparation of this term paper carried out under the supervision of Dr Ebo Afful, is in accordance with the guidelines on supervision for a term paper laid down by the Ghana Institute of Journalism and this document has neither in whole nor part been submitted in any educational institution for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate. …………………………… ………………………… Derrick Fiakpui Dr. Ebo Afful iii Contents CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 JUSTIFICATION FOR RESEARCH ..................................................................................................... 3 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 5 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Social Media ........................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Brand Image ........................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Social Media and Brand Image............................................................................................... 7 2.2 EMPIRICAL LITERATURE ................................................................................................................ 9 2.3 THEORETICAL FRAME WORK ...................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 13 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 13 3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.2. STUDY POPULATION .................................................................................................................. 13 3.3. SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE ........................................................................................ 14 3.5. QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION .......................................................................................... 15 3.6. DATA ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................... 16 3.7. LIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 16 3.8. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................................... 18 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 18 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 20 1 CHAPTER ONE 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY The topic of the research is the impact of social media on brand image. In the context of this thesis, branding is defined as the activities that aim to enhance brand equity. Brand image refers to consumers‟ perceptions of a brand (Keller, 2009). The purpose of the thesis is to examine how social media can be used for branding purposes and to research the advancement social media is making in shaping the brand image of the Ghana Police service. It is well recognized all over the world that peace and security of life and property are the primary conditions for progress and development of any society. Ghana is seen as an oasis of peace as compared to many African states (Addae et al, 2020). According to the Ghana Ministry of Interior‟s website, The Ghana Police service is one of the Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) under its jurisdiction. The police service is backed by the Police Service Act, 1970(Act 350), chapter seven of the 1992 constitution which firms up its existence. Key functions of the Ghana Police service include prevention and detection of crime, apprehension and prosecution of offenders, maintenance of law and order and protection of life and property. The Police Service renders an invaluable service to the state on a daily basis, through an expeditious performance of its mandatory functions, providing security and ensuring the maintenance of law and order (Loader, 2000). Popular perceptions about the Ghana Police Service (GPS) are however far from flattering. Several incidents might have contributed to this occurrence including the recognition in official governmental circles that, internally, the Police do „not strictly followed the laws and regulations governing‟ appointments and promotions within the service (Aning, 2006). 2 For a public service institution placing which prioritizes or places a premium on record keeping as a means of prosecuting cases and for its own internal appointments as well as promotion procedures, the processes of record keeping and the state in which these records, which should form the basis for critical decision-making are found have been described as being at best „abnormal‟. The conduct of the Police in Ghana also occasionally leads to brutality, extortion, and other unsavoury conducts. This has dire consequences for the maintenance of law and order, the safeguarding of life and property, and the protection of citizens. (Buayoo, 2012) In spite of all the efforts of various governments and police administrations to salvage the police from its faltering image, the service has continued to be under intense pressure and criticisms of corruption, ineptness, unresponsiveness, bias, and unprofessionalism (Buayoo, 2012). The topic is current and important because the Ghana Police Service has recently been making a conscientious effort to redeem this faltering image by promoting a favourable image to the public through videos and messages via traditional media and social media platforms especially. The service is also promoting and demanding accountability of police officers through these platforms and getting interactive with the public in a bid to forge better relations. It is therefore important to know how significantly social media activities may affect brand equity and brand image, so the Ghana Police Service can allocate resources to it accordingly. This thesis examines the opportunities provided by social media in branding. 3 1.2 JUSTIFICATION FOR RESEARCH Users across all industries are beginning to need to understand how to integrate fast-changing digital communications into their communication plans and also determine what platform to use for a particular purpose. In the dynamics of the 21st century business market, security agencies still face challenges as they compete against other security agencies including the military, for the same attention of its audience (Pierce et al, 2018). Research into the Ghana Police Service has been based mostly on the accountability and there haven‟t been any studies in Ghana on the Police service‟s brand image even though there are sentient efforts to improve it. The study intends to find out how Ghana Police Service can benefit from having a positive brand image. It will also examine what should be taken into consideration when using social media to create a brand image and identify and analyse the challenges of the Ghana police service in shaping its brand image and propose effective recommendations for addressing them. 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. How effectively can social media be used for branding in the Ghana police service? 2. How can the Ghana Police Service benefit from having a positive brand image? 3. What challenges are there in shaping the brand image of the Ghana police service? 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH It is expected that the findings and recommendations from the research will give an overview of the impact of social media on brand image of the Ghana Police Service, and what should be taken into consideration when using social media for branding purposes. 4 Also, the findings of this study may expose the issues underlying to the challenges of communication in the Ghana Police Service among the public, thus the conception that responses delay on the part of the police even in the era of social media, new media and other seamless forms of communication. Findings of this study will serve as a useful source of information for the public as well as serve as a basis for further research into the impact of social media on Brand image. This research findings is expected to bring to light the significance of social media activities that may affect brand equity and the brand image 5 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 2.1.1 Social Media Evans (2008) defines social media as a participatory online media where news, photos, videos, and podcasts are made public typically accompanied with a voting process to signal items considered popular. There are five characteristics of social media which are Participation, Openness, Conversation, Community and Connectedness. (Mayfield, 2006) According to Mayfield, “social media allows everyone to contribute and give feedback to anything that they consider interesting, therefore obscuring the limit between media and its audience. This active involvement of the audience is what Mayfield meant as “Participation”, one of the distinctive characters of social media. In addition, “majority of social media services are very open for feedback and participation. Social media can move its audience towards voting, commenting, and sharing about information. Also, limitations are rarely found when accessing contents or contributing contents. That is why Mayfield classifies “Openness” as a characteristic of social media which is not provided by mainstream media like traditional mass media. Another characteristic of social media is "Conversation". Mayfield noted that “while traditional media usually emphasize on 'broadcast' which is distributing contents or messages to audience, social media is more of a two way communication”. Social media is more conversable. Social media creates a dialogue. Thus, the agenda setting in the back of media 6 messages such as those in the conventional mass media is not only made by people or institutions behind the media, but also can be made freely by the audience. This is because social media is more fluid, and more horizontal. Meanwhile, “Community” is the next hallmark of social media, because, according to Mayfield “social media can quickly form a community which usually possess similar interests among community members and makes they can communicate effectively”. Indeed, the community activity gets more space in social media. Evidence of how such communities are formed and operate includes the „Me too movement‟ and „Black lives matter‟ campaigns recently which gained worldwide traction. However, the community formed quickly in the realm of social media would have been impossible without the support of connectivity. This is because “social media generally grows because of interconnectivity in it, by creating link to several other sites, sources, and different audience” (Mayfield, 2006). 2.1.2 Brand Image The American Marketing Association (2016) defines a brand as a unique name, term, word, sign, symbol, design, a combination of these, or any other feature that identifies products and services of a company and differentiates them from the competition. The aforementioned features describe the core idea of a brand. However, what has changed is that now the concept of the brand has extended to cover something more than just a symbol or a name representing a product. Brands no longer represent the mere tangible products and their features or characteristics today brands may represent things such as values, emotions and lifestyles. Brands help companies to create a connection with customers on an emotional level. For this reason, many companies try to build unique and favourable strong brands (Kotler, 2015). 7 Davis and Bojalil -Rebora (2002) perceive brands as intangible, but also a critical component of what a company represents. The brand image is what and how a group of consumers subjectively perceive the brand to be. (Wilson & Blumenthal, 2008) The definition by the Management Study Guide (2016) is slightly different as it defines Brand Image as the various brand associations that consumers develop in their mind This suggests that brands with positive brand image may set higher prices or expect more returns for their services. Brands help companies to create a connection with customers on an emotional level. The success of a brand depends on the experience that the consumer or for the purposes of this thesis, a civilian obtains from it. A brand is successful if the consumers perceive it to be able to provide a service others can‟t (Wilson & Blumenthal, 2008). This suggests that the Ghana Police Service brand will be perceived as successful if it is trusted to deliver upon its core mandates. In the era of social media, this seems becoming even more apparent, when communication is becoming more centred on the consumer. 2.1.3 Social Media and Brand Image Organizations have begun to understand the significance of the Internet and have taken control of it, demonstrating both interest and involvement in online communities (Berthon et al., 2012). Social media channels offer both institutions and customer‟s new ways of engaging with each other. Companies or Institutions engage with consumers and influence individuals‟ perceptions about their products, spread information, and learn from and about their audience (Brodie et al., 2013). Also, the Internet has empowered proactive consumer behaviour (Burmann, 2010). 8 Genslera, Völcknerb, Liu-Thompkins, Wiertz (2013) argue that the rise of social media and the associated potentials of large scale consumer to consumer interaction and easy user generation of content, focus the spotlight on the significance of recognizing, and if possible managing, the multi-vocal nature of brand authorship advocated by the cultural branding view. Consumers in particular are more empowered by social media, as these technologies enable consumers to share their brand stories widely with peers. In 2013, Schivinski & Dabrowski investigated the impact of brand communication on brand image and on brand purchase intention through Facebook. They evaluated 302 data sets that were generated through a standardized online-survey to investigate the impact of social media communication on brand image metrics. They subsequently applied the structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques for data analysis. The results of their study showed that user- generated social media communication had a positive impact which included brand loyalty and perceived brand quality. Meanwhile, a different study about social media effect on branding was conducted by Naveed (2012). The study was focused on finding out the role of social media in public relation, brand involvement and brand commitment. Data for the study was collected from 300 respondents and was descriptive in nature. It was found that social media has a strong impact on public relation, brand involvement, buying behaviour and brand commitment. Institutions are investing in social media to augment their relationships and interactions with the customers. This can be done by the creation of brand communities via brand pages in the social media platform where customers can communicate directly with company and other customers through posts or comments (Habibi, Laroche and Richard 2014). Consumers who are fans of these pages are usually committed and loyal towards the organisation and open to the reception of new updates about the brand (Bagozzi and Dholakia 2006). 9 Social media is used to gain the attention and involvement of consumers by many brands around the world (Graves 2016). Social media may help to strengthen or change brand image, but in order to benefit from the power of social media, brands need to manage and enact their presence constantly (Pozin 2014,). According to Perkins (2014), visual content may be used to boost user engagement on social media. Posts that include pictures or video are shared more often than content that does not include visual elements (Pozin 2014). Having a well-planned “visual branding strategy” benefits companies on social media (Perkins 2014). All the studies above support the proposition that social media plays a vital role in developing a brand. Although there is no specific research about the role of social media in shaping institutions brand images in Ghana including the Ghana Police Service, those studies actually have proven that the use of social media has potential effects on branding, especially in shaping and building brand image. 2.2 EMPIRICAL LITERATURE According to a study by Hamid et al., (2016), Social media is becoming the newest and up to date source of information for customers because information is simultaneously shared in real time on the social media. Wang (2012) adds that unlike traditional mass communication channels, social media facilitate the interaction, content sharing and collaboration of businesses with their customers. Social media therefore has a significant effect on consumers' brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. In other words, social media is a significant awareness tool in terms of reminding consumers and staying in their minds. 10 However, other school of thought states that social media may not be effective enough in changing or shaping the brand image of organizations. Bilgin (2018) argues that since consumers have a certain image in their minds or follow brands that they are loyal, social media may not be effective enough to create a positive brand image in consumers‟ minds. In this respect, the study proposed that social media should be considered as activities that support the brand value and social media marketing activities should be integrated to traditional brand communication studies by businesses which plan to start up social media marketing activities. Bilgin‟s argument builds on Vuokko (2003) assertion that the image that the brand forms is created by the sum of many aspects and the company cannot decide how the image is created in consumers‟ minds. Vuokko maintains that many different factors affect the formation of the image including values, attitudes, prejudices, hearings, beliefs, information, knowledge, experiences and observations. Values, attitudes, prejudices, hearing and knowledge are factors, which the company is not able the affect directly and it is hard to overcome prejudices and beliefs only by increasing communication because they are feeling that are deeply drawn in the consumers. But then there are several studies that had findings contrary to their assertions. In research, it has been stated that social media activities are significant parts of branding actions for businesses (Gallaugher & Ransbotham,2010; Tsimonis & Dimitriadis, 2014). Riezebos (2003: 63) suggests that the mental image that consumers have about a brand has formed as a result of marketing activities on social media. 11 Research has also shown that social media influences the intention of trust and purchasing and facilitates sharing of knowledge and experience among consumers (Lu & Hsiao, 2010, Hajli, 2013). O'Flynn (2017), concludes that at a very low cost, informing customers is very functional in terms of familiarity and brand awareness that products and brands of businesses appear on social networks where millions of users sign in. Nonetheless, an in-depth review of literatures failed to reveal any pragmatic study into how a brand‟s image can be shaped by social media in Ghana. This study seeks to define the role social media can play in shaping the brand image of a public institution like the Ghana Police Service thereby filling gaps and adding to the knowledge and understanding of this topic. 2.3 THEORETICAL FRAME WORK The shaping of brand image on social media lends itself to a number of theories one of which is Thomassen‟s Customer Satisfaction Model. Thomassen (2003) defines customer satisfaction as follows: “the perception of the customer as a result of consciously or unconsciously comparing his experiences with his expectations”. Kotler & Keller (2016) build on this definition, stating that customer satisfaction is determined by “the degree to which someone is happy or disappointed with the observed performance of a product in relation to his or her expectations”. This suggests that performance that is below expectations leads to a dis-satisfied customer, while performance that satisfies expectations produces satisfied customers. Expectations being exceeded leads to a “very satisfied or even pleasantly surprised customer”(Kotler & Keller, 2016). According to Thomassen, both the so-called value proposition and other influencers have an impact on final customer satisfaction. In his satisfaction model, Thomassen shows that word-of-mouth, personal needs, past experiences, and marketing and public relations determine customers‟ needs and expectations. These 12 factors are compared to their experiences, and this comparison between expectations and experiences determines a customer‟s satisfaction level. Thomassen‟s model is important in this study, as it can reveal both to what extent citizens or the public are satisfied with the Ghana Police Service and where improvements are necessary. Another theory that conceptualizes this topic is Cognitive Dissonance Theory propounded by Leon Festinger (1957) which is concerned with the relationship among cognitions. According to the cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions that is beliefs, opinions amongst others. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes and behaviours (dissonance), something must change to eliminate dissonance. In the case of attitudes and behaviours, it‟s most likely that attitude will change to accommodate behaviour. The theory propagates that there are three ways to eliminate dissonance which include; reducing the importance of dissonance beliefs, adding more positive beliefs that outweigh the dissonant belief and changing the dissonant belief so they are no longer inconsistent In relation to brand image, Kwon and Lennon (2009) had investigated the consumers' perceived offline brand image and its relation with perceived online brand image, perceived risk, and online loyalty. They applied Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, which states that when a person is exposed to new information which is inconsistent with prior knowledge, dissonance will occur. Result identified that consumers who have a strong positive offline brand image, could perceive more positively the online brand image that is perceived from the web site, compared to consumers who have a weak offline brand image. 13 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN The research design is intended to provide an appropriate framework for a study. A very significant decision in research design process is the choice to be made regarding research approach since it determines how relevant information for a study will be obtained; however, the research design process involves many interrelated decisions. (Sileyew, 2019). The general methodological approach is a case study of Accra, Ghana, which will employ the use of the quantitative methods of data collection. This quantitative research design will enable the gathering of data from a wide range of respondents on the use of social media in shaping the brand image of the Ghana Police Service in Accra. 3.2. STUDY POPULATION According to Fraenkel and Wallen (2011), population refers to the complete set of individuals (subjects or events) having common characteristics in which the researcher is interested. The population of the study was determined based on random sampling system. Accra, Ghana‟s capital city has more than five million inhabitants. According to the latest estimates published by the Ghana Statistical Service for May 2020, there are 5,055,883 inhabitants in the greater Accra region. The report also estimates the population of the youth from ages 18-39 to be about 2,412,006. The quantitative data will be obtained with a survey of three of the most populous universities in Accra, University of Ghana (UG), Accra Technical University (ATU) and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). 14 3.3. SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Ideally, the population of this research would be all Internet users in Accra. However, it is impracticable to survey the entire population as a result of budget constraints, and the time horizon. For this reason, a sample is needed. According to Saunders et al., (2009), Sampling also saves time, an important consideration when a tight deadline is held. A report by the International Telecommunication union (ITU) states that, there are approximately 11,737,818 Internet users as at December 2019 making up 37.8% of Ghana‟s total population (2020). The report also discloses adults younger than 30 are more likely than those ages 50 and older to go online. A study by the Pew Research Centre found out a divide in internet use where more educated, younger and higher-income people being more likely to go online (2018). Internet is used extensively in Ghana for so many purposes; in education, entertainment, and business, among others. By far, the youth has the greatest Internet usage (Frimpong, 2015). Therefore, three of the most populous universities in Accra, University of Ghana (UG), Accra Technical University (ATU) and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), were purposively selected because university students generally offer a wide representation of the youth population who are assumed to have a better Internet experience. The three universities are estimated to have a total population of about 70,000 students between them with UG alone, recording a population of about 37,940 students. The goal of the study will be to make the sample as large and representative as possible. 15 3.4. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION Questionnaires will serve as the primary source of data for this study in order to collect the most complete and accurate data in a logical flow. The questionnaire will be well-designed questionnaire to meet the research objectives and minimize unanswered questions. By administering questionnaires, it will be possible to represent an even larger population and generate some qualitative data through the use of open-ended questions. This data collection method also allows for comparison and the generation of standardized, quantifiable, empirical data. Peer reviewed articles, Journals and publications were consulted for the secondary data. 3.5. QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION Before the administration of the questionnaires, a pilot will be run first for evaluation and optimization purposes. The questionnaires will be administered to a smaller population in the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) for a test. During piloting, the researcher can recognize issues in readability and understanding as well as in phrasing and overall arrangement. The questionnaire will be divided into three sections. The first section will entail an introduction that briefly explains the purpose and importance of the study. It will also acknowledge the significance of the respondent‟s participation and establish informed consent. The second section will be purposely designed to attain bio-data or demographic variables such as gender, age, institution attended and level of student. Demographic information allows the researcher to better understand certain background characteristics of a population. 16 The third sections will be divided into sub-sections aimed at eliciting answers based on the research questions stated in chapter one. Days will be allocated for the distribution of questionnaires on each campus. The researcher will seek the help of various campus leaders and groups to help in the quick and effective distribution and collection of the questionnaires after they have been filled. The data gotten will be entered into a computer for storage and analysis. 3.6. DATA ANALYSIS Retrieved data from the field would be analysed primarily with the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Responses gotten from the field will be coded to allow the researcher reduce large amounts of information, into a form that can easily be analysed by the SPSS software. The analysis data gathered helps determine patterns, relationships or trends. These patterns, relationships or trends can be given through the figures generated from SPSS in the form of frequency distribution tables, charts as well as graphs and data attained can be presented in a tabular form. 3.7. LIMITATIONS The research data will be based on the perception of the youth because they are the greatest users of social media. Hence data might not represent sectors that also have regular interactions with the police like motorists especially „trotro‟ drivers and „okada‟ riders. 3.8. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS In addition to the importance of selecting an appropriate research methodology is the importance of the ethical considerations around conducting the research. The level of 17 attention on ethical conduct, that is the actions that are personal, professional, and during research activity, has both increased and broadened in response to society‟s expectation of greater accountability (Haggerty, 2004; Held, 2006; Zegwaard, Campbell, & Pretti, 2017). It is important that approval has been gained before the commencement of data gathering as the cornerstone of ethical research is „informed consent‟ (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). It is also vital that the identities of participants are kept confidential or anonymous with the assurances extending beyond protecting their names to also include the avoidance of using self- identifying information and statements. Anonymity and confidentiality is very important in protecting the participants from potential harm. The issue of ethics must be applied in every step of the way concerning stages in research, that is, in the identification of the research problem, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and lastly in the writing and dissemination of the research (Creswell, 2009). . 18 CHAPTER FOUR CONCLUSION In an uncertain, dynamic environment, where there seems to be infinite choices and a swift evolution of consumer needs, creating a positive brand image is more important than ever. The dominance of social media in society is certain and which suggests it can be rated as having the influence traditional media channels do. According to the International Telecommunication union, is a steady rise in the number of Facebook users in the country each year underlining its growing influence. (2020) Institutions like the Ghana police service have seen the need to use social media to create a positive brand image with the service also promoting and demanding accountability of police officers through these platforms and getting interactive with the public in a bid to forge better relations. This research primarily seeks to identify how significantly social media activities may affect brand equity and brand image, so the Ghana Police Service can allocate resources to it accordingly. A study on how social media can be used in shaping brand the brand image of organizations is lacking in Ghana and therefore there is a need for investigation into the subject. This study seeks to define the role social media can play in shaping the brand image of a public institution like the Ghana Police Service thereby filling gaps and adding to the knowledge and understanding of this topic. This study can help grow brand equity and brand loyalty of organizations which will in turn increase their profitability and efficiency. More profitable and efficient firms in the country will eventually lead to economic efficiency (Chappelow, 2020). Studies have also proven the 19 brand image of the organization is very important to its success (Wilson & Blumenthal, 2008, Kotler, 2015). By reviewing other studies and the theoretical frameworks, the research method preferred is the quantitative method which will enable the gathering of data from a wide range of respondents on the use of social media in shaping the brand image of the Ghana Police Service in Accra. 20 REFERENCES Addae et al, 2020. 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