In two to three pages that, while keeping the target customer in mind, will define and assess the major competition for the trend

! 1

Target Customer for Social Media Trends

Social media trends have emerged as a prime service for many businesses around the

world. The use of its various forms, including influencers, has emerged as a great marketing

tool for many businesses around the country and even globally. Social media marketing has

become an industry with a target market and a need in the modern marketplace. The target

customer of social media marketing and trends will be discussed.

The target customer for social media trends is businesses seeking to appeal to the

mass public. Though every age group currently makes use of social media, the age group that

mostly uses social media is the 18 – 29 age group. Research shows that in 2021, 84% of

individuals in the age group used at least one social media platform globally. Individuals

closely followed them in the 30 – 49 age group with 81%, 50 – 64 with 71%, and only 45%

of individuals older than 65 used social media. The number of users in the 18-29 and 30 – 49

age brackets is relatively high (Pew Research Center, 2022).

Considering these statistics, any business that wishes to market to these individuals

can use social media marketing trends. Businesses in the modern era are also pursuing a

competitive edge to woe over clientele. With this decrease in print and visual media

viewership, many businesses are seeking alternative ways to reach out to their target market.

Social media marketing trends are an efficient tool for organizations whose target market is

between 18-65, a large group in the market. Social media marketing trends are effective for

all genders, races, and other demographics. This is because social media is used across the

demographics. Social media companies also collect user information and use sophisticated

algorithms to perform targeted marketing. In social media marketing, targeted marketing is

defined as reaching out straight to the targeted consumer of a particular product. For example,

a business that sells skincare products targeting men aged 18 – 24 who are African American

TARGET CUSTOMER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS !2

and living in Illinois can use social media marketing to target this particular audience. The

social media company will select this audience and market directly to them. This is what

makes social media marketing so versatile and easy to use.

One of the factors that attract businesses towards social media marketing trends is that

it is cheap compared to other advertising forms. For example, it is cheaper to advertise your

product on Facebook and Instagram than to advertise your product in a newspaper or on

television. When the business wishes to use targeted marketing, which social media

companies charge a small price for, it is cheaper when compared to advertising using

television or print media. Another reason businesses should use social media is that they can

reach higher numbers. The number of social media users has seen a drastic rise over the

years, with old forms of media experiencing a slow decline. Using social media marketing

grants businesses access to a wider pool, which has made marketing easier for businesses (SI,

2015).

Social media trends also ensure the continuity of a business. Businesses that refuse to

adopt technology into their operations have eventually become obsolete in the digital age. By

taking part in social media trends, businesses find rejuvenation, and this makes sure that their

continuity is ensured. Social media trends also play a predictive role for businesses.

Companies such as Meta use predictive algorithms on the massive amounts of data to assist

businesses with information concerning the future of their business. When businesses invest

in using social media trends, they are able to take advantage of social media's predictive

abilities, which helps businesses adapt easier to the constant changes that happen in the

market (SI, 2015).

Social media trends are also very helpful for international businesses. Social media

has a global presence. Social media is used by everyone in the entire world, with social media

TARGET CUSTOMER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS !3

platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitter having high international

numbers and fanbases. Businesses that wish to branch out internationally can use social

media to ensure that they reach out to their target customers internationally. Social media

trends are strong catalysts for international business. For example, Tik Tok trends are global,

and when an organization uses its trends, they can be seen by every Tik Tok user

internationally, which will increase the publicity of the organization internationally (Zhu &

Chen, 2015).

Social media trends are effective for every business. Due to its diversity in use, it is

recommended that every business use social media platforms to ensure that they reach as

much of their fanbase as possible.

TARGET CUSTOMER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS !4

References

Pew Research Center. (2022, January 11). Social Media Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center:

Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-

media/

SI, S. (2015). Social Media and Its Role in Marketing. Business and Economics Journal,

07(01). https://doi.org/10.4172/2151-6219.1000203

Zhu, Y. Q., & Chen, H. G. (2015). Social media and human need satisfaction: Implications

for social media marketing. Business Horizons, 58(3), 335–345. https://doi.org/

10.1016/j.bushor.2015.01.006

1

In the current market industry, there have been significant strides by big retailers and

wholesalers in the area of marketing. This is because while a business may be equipped to

effectively serve any given market, it is only through the marketing approaches used that the said

business can stay competitive. Based on the fact that there has been a continuous development of

social media platforms, there have to be new and better ways that retail businesses can use to

stay trendy and maintain significance in the sense of whether people are talking about them or

not. A retailer in the fashion industry would mostly stand to gain in this aspect since marketing

done on such platforms can target specific community segments, which is very important in such

a business.

Influencers are those people whose opinions are highly sorted out by people in the sense

of what they wear or what they eat. Such people will tend to have a kind of appeal centered on

what is new and what works. For this reason, most retailers have paid such individuals to post

their products on their social media platforms. Since this has been the case for most businesses,

there is the need to go an extra mile in the said marketing approach, and this is done through the

new trend of organizing influencer meet-ups where the influencers show up adorned in clothes

made by different brands (Li et al. 2021). This trend fills the gap of staying relevant to the public

since these shows have live coverage by the influencers themselves. Therefore, by showing up

with the retailer's design, the influencers build up enough excitement from the public to a

position where the retailer can target newer markets without the limitation of boundaries.

! 2

The new trend would benefit customers since they would be able to choose the fashion

they want to be associated with based on what the influencer they have a liking to is wearing. In

most cases, many people follow influencers because of the idea that these people have aspects

that they would like to have, such as clothing or even their bodies. Therefore, based on this idea,

it would be logical to expect that the approach would inspire more purchases as things would be

judged based on how good the clothes being presented are and how cool the influencers think

they are. The retailer in such a capacity would be the one who stands to gain the most benefit

since one such event could put their products on the forefront of the desired commodities by

consumers.

The idea of using social media as a marketing strategy removes the limitation of

geographical location. Social media platforms are worldwide, meaning people will have access

to the idea of the existence of the product from different parts of the world as long as they have

access to the said platforms. For instance, Instagram can be used on a global scale because it is

widely used by many users in different parts of the world. Additionally, it is worth mentioning

that influencers will not necessarily cause an effect on people from their own countries alone. In

most cases, one influencer will have fans from different countries and continents, and it is based

on this concept, the retailer should capitalize on their approach. Finally, it is worth considering

that the trend also fills the gap of ensuring a specific target audience during marketing and

advertisement (Arrigo, 2018). This is because before the retailer can decide on using influencers

whose message directly applies to their product. For example, in the case of religion, the best

influencer would be one who has followers due to their stand on the same.

! 3

References

Arrigo, E. (2018). Social media marketing in luxury brands: A systematic literature review and

implications for management research. Management Research Review.

Li, F., Larimo, J., & Leonidou, L. C. (2021). Social media marketing strategy: definition,

conceptualization, taxonomy, validation, and plan. Journal of the Academy of Marketing

Science, 49(1), 51-70.

FMM 457: Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide

Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a marketing plan for a trend or product (to present to a retailer for adoption). In Module Two, you will identify a trend or product to present to a retailer, based on establishing a need in the marketplace. In Module Three, you will describe a target customer and why he or she would want the trend or product, and define the impact on local and global industries. In Module Four, you will assess major competition and draft solutions to attract target customers. In Module Five, you will analyze any potential challenges in bringing this trend to the market, as well as opportunities. In Module Six, you will define how to market and brand this trend or product. By Module Seven, bring everything together in a five- to seven-page final paper (using APA citations) and create a marketing plan that summarizes coursework up to this point by identifying the specific details of the plan (branding, social media, traditional media), how these details will help make a trend or product appeal to a target customer, and what can be done to get a trend or product recognized. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because it presents the student work in an original marketing plan for a trend or product. The project is divided into six milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. The final marketing plan will be submitted in Module Seven.

Outcomes The marketing plan helps students to meet the following course outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of designing qualitative and quantitative studies to address management issues or to examine business opportunities in the fashion-merchandising arena.

2. Students will understand the difficulties involved in developing new trends in the fashion industry. 3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the difficulty involved in developing a sustainable and efficient supply chain system in the fashion

industry.

Guidelines Milestone One: Identify a Trend or Product In task 2-3, you will submit two to three pages that identify a trend or product to be presented for adoption to a retailer. First, describe the trend or product in detail as well as the opportunity gap currently present in the fashion marketplace. Then, answer the following questions: Is there anything else currently in the local market similar to the trend or product you have identified? Who would benefit from the new trend or product? Can the identified trend or product be adopted globally or only in a specific locale or region? To complete this task, be sure to refer to and integrate all of the ideas and concepts learned thus far from the resources and discussions in Modules One and Two. The milestone should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Trend or Product Rubric.

Milestone Two: Describe a Target Customer In task 3-3, you will submit two to three pages that illustrate, describe, and define the target customer for the trend or product identified in Module Two. Clearly illustrate who your target customer is and describe why he or she would want to buy your trend or product. Also, define the need for your trend or product in the local marketplace. Make sure you include information on how it could be used in the global marketplace. The milestone should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Target Customer Rubric.

Milestone Three: Assess Major Competition In task 4-3, you will submit two to three pages that, while keeping the target customer in mind, will define and assess the major competition for the trend or product identified in Module Two. Who are the major competitors already existing and operating in the marketplace? Who might be a potential competitor in the near future? What, if anything, would be done to deter consumers from purchasing from the competition? How could attention, customers, and business be attracted away from the competition? This milestone should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Major Competition Rubric.

Milestone Four: Analyze Potential Challenges In task 5-3, you will submit two to three pages that analyze what is believed to be the biggest potential challenges when bringing to market the trend or product identified in Module Two. Describe in detail how to address these challenges for the target customer as well as how to handle challenges from the competition. In addition, describe how to overcome these challenges and potentially use them to the trend’s or product’s benefit. Identify any copyright or trademark issues that might be encountered and ways to effectively deal with such issues. Lastly, how can it be ensured that someone else’s copyright or trademark is not being used during the design of a trend or product? The milestone should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Potential Challenges Rubric.

Milestone Five: Define Marketing and Branding In task 6-3, you will submit two to three pages that define how to market and brand a trend or product. Draft out a minimum of three key marketing and branding strategies. If there are symbols or logos to be used to market or brand the trend or product, define what they are. Summarize marketing or branding strategies by pinpointing the trend or product, the target customer, the challenges, and the opportunities. This milestone should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Marketing and Branding Rubric.

A Marketing Plan for a T rend or Product (to Present to a Retailer for Adoption) In task 7-3, you will submit five to seven pages that represent a marketing plan for a trend or product (to present to a retailer for adoption). The marketing plan identifies, describes, evaluates, and analyzes the important points that must be addressed to bring a trend or product idea to market. This final paper should incorporate everything from Milestones One through Five, revised and streamlined into five to seven pages for the final marketing plan.

 Identify the trend or product: Does the trend or product idea fulfill a need within the local marketplace and the global marketplace as well? Describe the target customer: What makes the trend or product desirable to this target customer?

 Evaluate the competition: How will the trend or product win over clients and business from the competition?

 Analyze challenges and draft solutions: What are the challenges of bringing the trend or product to market, and how can the trend or product overcome these challenges? Create and describe a marketing plan: What are the specific details of the marketing plan (branding, social media, traditional media), how will these details help make a trend or product appeal to a target customer, and what can be done to get a trend or product recognized?

This final research paper, the marketing plan for a trend or product (to present to a retailer for adoption), should be submitted as a Word document with APA citations. The task will be graded with the Final Product Rubric.

Deliverable Milestones

Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading

1 Identify a Trend or Product Two Graded separately; Trend or Product Rubric

2 Describe a Target Customer Three Graded separately; Target Customer Rubric

3 Assess Major Competition Four Graded separately; Major Competition Rubric

4 Analyze Potential Challenges Five Graded separately; Potential Challenges Rubric

5 Define Marketing and Branding Six Graded separately; Marketing and Branding Rubric

6 Final Paper: A Marketing Plan for a Trend or Product

Seven Graded separately; Final Product Rubric

Trend or Product Rubric (Milestone One)

Requirements of submission: Written components of project must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. This paper should be two to three pages in length.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Description of Trend or Product and

Opportunity Gap

Provides a detailed and insightful description of the trend or product and opportunity gap for the trend or product

Provides a detailed description of the trend or product and the opportunity gap for the trend or product

Provides a minimal description of the trend or product and the opportunity gap with few details

Does not describe the trend or product or opportunity gap

30

Marketability Analysis

Demonstrates a comprehensive and thoughtful exploration of issues and ideas when analyzing the marketability of the trend and answers all of the questions posed in the task description

Demonstrates a thoughtful exploration of issues and ideas when analyzing the marketability of the trend and answers most of the questions posed in the task description

Attempts an exploration of issues and ideas when analyzing the marketability of the trend and answers some of the questions posed in the task description

Does not explore issues and ideas when analyzing the marketability of the trend; does not answer the questions in the task description

30

Course Concept Integration

Effectively incorporates the majority of relevant course concepts and ideas, applying the information to the trend description and analysis

Incorporates numerous course concepts and ideas, applying the information to the trend description and analysis

Incorporates a few course concepts and ideas, minimally applying the information to the trend description and analysis

Does not incorporate course concepts and ideas; does not apply information to the trend description and analysis

30

Writing (Mechanics)

No errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Minor errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Some errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Major errors related to organization, grammar, and style

10

Earned Total 100%

Target Customer Rubric (Milestone Two)

Requirements of submission: Written components of project must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. This paper should be two to three pages in length.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Target Customer Illustration

Provides a highly detailed, effective illustration of the target customer, including extensive demographic and psychosocial characteristics

Provides a detailed illustration of the target customer, including numerous demographic and psychosocial characteristics

Provides a minimal illustration of the target customer, including only a few demographic and psychosocial characteristics

Does not illustrate the target customer

30

Trend or Product Description

Coherent and well-thought-out description of why the target customer would buy the trend or product

Coherent description of why the target customer would buy the trend or product

Attempts and struggles to coherently describe why the target customer would buy the trend or product

Does not describe why the target customer would buy the trend or product

30

Definition of Marketplace Need

Clearly and insightfully defines the need for the trend or product in marketplaces both local and global

Clearly defines the need for the trend or product in marketplaces both local and global

Attempts to define the need for the trend or product in marketplaces both local and global

Does not define the need for the trend in any marketplace

30

Writing (Mechanics)

No errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Minor errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Some errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Major errors related to organization, grammar, and style

10

Earned Total 100%

Major Competition Rubric (Milestone Three)

Requirements of submission: Written components of project must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. This paper should be two to three pages in length.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Major Competition Definition

Identifies the major competition in detail, insightfully defining and assessing who they are in the present marketplace, who they might be in the near future, and why they are perceived as such

Identifies the major competition in detail, defining and assessing who they are in the present marketplace, who they might be in the near future, and why they are perceived as such

Minimally identifies the major competition, attempting to define and assess who they are, who they might be, and why they are perceived as such

Does not identify your major competition; does not define or assess who they are

30

Description of Deterrence

Effectively describes what would be done to deter consumers from purchasing from the competition

Describes what would be done to deter consumers from purchasing from the competition

Minimally describes what would be done to deter consumers from purchasing from the competition

Does not describe what would done to deter consumers from purchasing from the competition

30

Attracting Attention Explanation

Comprehensively explains how to attract attention, customers, and business away from the competition, expressing multiple ideas and enticements for and to the target customer

Explains how to attract attention, customers, and business away from the competition, expressing some ideas and enticements for and to the target customer

Minimally explains how to attract attention, customers, and business away from the competition, expressing very few ideas and enticements for and to the target customer

Does not explain how to attract attention, customers, and business away from the competition; does not express any ideas and enticements for and to the target customer

30

Writing (Mechanics)

No errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Minor errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Some errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Major errors related to organization, grammar, and style

10

Earned Total 100%

Potential Challenges Rubric (Milestone Four)

Requirements of submission: Written components of project must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. This paper should be two to three pages in length.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Analysis of Potential Challenges

Comprehensively analyzes both the challenges for bringing a trend or product to a target customer and the challenges from competition, using specific details

Analyzes both the challenges for bringing a trend or product to a target customer and the challenges from competition, using some details

Minimally analyzes the challenges for bringing a trend or product to a target customer and the challenges from competition

Does not analyze challenges 30

Addressing Challenges Description

Insightfully describes what to do to overcome challenges and potentially use them to the benefit of a trend or product

Describes what to do to overcome challenges and potentially use them to the benefit of a trend or product

Minimally describes what to do to overcome challenges and potentially use them to the benefit of a trend or product

Does not describe what to do to overcome challenges and use them to the benefit of a trend or product

30

Copyright and Trademark Analysis

Effectively analyzes any copyright or trademark issues that might be encountered and conclusively details how to deal with them

Analyzes any copyright or trademark issues that might be encountered and details how to deal with them

Attempts but struggles to analyze any copyright or trademark issues that might be encountered and struggles to logically detail how to deal with them

Does not analyze any copyright or trademark issues; does not detail how to deal with them

30

Writing (Mechanics)

No errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Minor errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Some errors related to organization, grammar, and style

Major errors related to organization, grammar, and style

10

Earned Total 100%

Marketing and Branding Rubric (Milestone Five)

Requirements of submission: Written components of projects must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. This paper should be two to three pages in length.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Draft of Marketing and Branding

Strategies

Comprehensively drafts a minimum of three key marketing or branding strategies for the trend or product using specific details

Drafts a minimum of three key marketing or branding strategies for the trend or product using some details

Attempts but struggles to draft a minimum of three key marketing or branding strategies for the trend or product

Does not draft a minimum of three key marketing or branding strategies for the trend or product

30

Definition of Symbols or Logos

Creatively and accurately defines symbols or logos to be used to help market or brand a trend or product

Accurately defines symbols or logos to be used to help market or brand a trend or product

Minimally and/or inaccurately defines symbols or logos to be used to help market or brand a trend or produc

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