2017

Digital Audit & Planning Portfolio

KARUNA HASTIE

Tutor: Emily Attridge

Word Count: 1643

Table of Contents

Introduction .......................................................................... 1

Digital Media Audit ............................................................. 2-3

Target Audience Analysis ....................................................... 4

Recommendations ................................................................ 5

Integrating Social Media Channels .......................................... 5

Homepage Redesign .............................................................. 5

Customer Referral Program ................................................... 5

References ........................................................................ 6-7

Appendices .......................................................................... 8

Introduction

This report analyses the effectiveness of RACQs free2go program upon consumer engagement. Free2go

assists youths to gain a driver’s licence, buy a reliable car, indorses road safety and provides overseas travel

advice, which support product offerings of road side assistance and travel insurance (Price and McClelland,

2017, RACQ, 2017).

Engagement theory proposes technology users must be meaningfully engaged in learning through

interacting with others in worthwhile tasks (Harmeling, Moffett, Arnold and Carlson, 2016). This is achieved

from understanding the target markets (TM) consumer behaviour to meet the consumers’ needs in a

meaningful way. We will explore this further and a consumer insight will be uncovered to drive marketing

recommendations and enhance the digital strategy.

Digital Media Audit Criteria Observations, comments and analysis Rating

1- 10 Digital

strategy

• RACQ has an engagement strategy. The corporate vision is to “provide value to members and remain a trusted brand within the insurance industry”. Relevant content is posted and humour and adventure appeals are used suiting the TM (Southgate et, al, 2017). Behavioural questions are asked to encourage engagement (Pletikosa Cvijikj and Michahelles 2013). A consumer centric approach is used with free access to useful information to increase the value proposition (Solomon, 2017).

• Social media and search are predominant which is appropriate to the TMs online behaviour. However, it is not utilized efficiently primarily from insufficient new content which is vital for engagement (Gangi and Wasco, 2016).

6

Strategically consistent, company-

created brand

messages

• Brand identity is congruent across online platforms through colour schemes and logos and no content was found in traditional media.

• Free2gos colour scheme is consistent with RACQ branding only brighter to appeal to youths. Blue represents trust aligning with RACQs vision to remain a trusted brand, as trust facilitates engagement and yellow promotes cheerfulness suiting the TM (Islam and Rahman,2016) (Solomon, 2012, p49).

8

Digital tools and social

media used by the

company

RACQ free2go’s digital channels: Website, Facebook, an icon but No Twitter content, You Tube channel, RACQ app, Google+, SEO through Learn2go satellite site and search. Digital media is prevalent and appropriate to the TM of ‘digital natives’ (Southgate and Millward, 2017).

• Content is not updated particularly on You Tube and Google+. Websites and social media are cross platformcompatible with prompt sign up. However, the welcome pack takes maximum four weeks to arrive (Appendix 2).

• Website homepage image undermines the ‘eight second rule’ to capture user’s attention on the most trafficked page. It provides no valuable information and social media icons are at the bottom which receives less traffic (MOZ, 2017).

Social Media

• Facebook is predominant with highest engagement to humour suiting the TM (Southgate et, al, 2017).

• Low use of operant conditioning through positive reinforcement. No customer referral incentives or coupons to encourage engagement (Solomon, 2017).

• Low engagement to fear appeal road safety with less questions asked to facilitate engagement and long copy which deters (Solomon, 2014 p 440).

• Content includes polls, quizzes, memes and videos with 70% images to 30% video, although video is preferred (Southgate et, al, 2017; Social Media Week, 2017).

• 70% of posts ask questions but engagement is below industry AVG 3% from erratic posting, and posting at low traffic times (Robinson,2014; Roy Morgan, 2017).

• 29,020 likes 28,696 followers. Instagram is the TMs third most popular social media but there is no account (Roy Morgan,2017) (Appendix 3).

• Low engagement on You Tube with 756 subscribers and no new content since 2015. Most short videos use humour and adventure appeal with animated ‘day in the life’ themes suited to the TMs and their short attention span (Social Media Week, 2017).

• Driving videos receive significantly more views than travel tips from exposure on Facebook.

• Featured channels of partners include Suzuki which are not reciprocated to increase reach (Belch Kerr and Powell, 2014).

• Google+ was probably created primarily to improve search rankings as Google search engine indexes posts shared on Google+ (Hackernoon, nd). This is not utilized with no new content since 2014 and only 2 followers.

5

Examples of content shared

1: Highest Engagement Facebook Image

• Target Audience: 16-19-year old’s who drive and appreciate humour

• Ideal Action: To illicit a response of A or B and strengthen emotional bond with consumer with a humorous behavioural question and short copy (Southgate, et al, 2017).

2 & 3: Facebook Learner Driver Quiz

• Target Audience: 16-19year old’s learning to drive that value interactive quizzes.

• Ideal Action: To educate and egage the TM by participation in quizzes.

• Similar Quiz content yet the right quiz

received 300% more engagement by posting in after school hours a higher usage time (Roy Morgan,2017).

6

Strategic user

engagement

• The digital activity focuses on the appropriate TM and aims for new customer acquisition with a sign-up page across primary digital platforms Facebook and Websites. Nevertheless, free2go has no customer referral program to increase engagement which leads to customer acquisition (Verlegh, Ryu, Tuk and Feick,2013)

• Content is targeted correctly with an overall youthful and humorous appeal. However, they have not leveraged engagement rates with infrequent posts and inadequate posting during high traffic times, after school and on weekends (Roy Morgan, 2017). TM are 16-19-year old individualists gaining a driver’s licence and their first car. Being risk averse they will probably want roadside assistance or travel insurance (Roy Morgan, 2017).

• Facebook has a fast response rate but the remaining social media platforms do not have much engagement due to insufficient new content (Wasko and Di Gangi, 2016).

6

Target Audience Analysis

The TM are tech savvy 16-19-year-olds who grew up with technology and embrace it wholeheartedly.

Challenging economic times have contributed to their thrifty nature and 62% are not yet in the workforce,

which is a barrier to entry for paid memberships. However, it is a low involvement product with an initial

free entry level membership partly mitigating this, giving youths time to find work to increase their buying

power before upgrading to paid memberships. Coupons are popular since 64% have recently cut down on

their spending while 69% are risk averse and still prefer to be well insured. The majority still live with their

parents and 65% live in Queensland cities (Roy Morgan, 2017). Product offerings are primarily digitally

delivered so whether they reside in urban or rural areas should not affect uptake (free2go, n.d).

With less trust in advertising they prefer to choose brands by recommendation from family, peers or reviews

(Krashinsky, 2015). Having control over what advertising messages they view, and co-creation features

highly. Short copy and quality visuals are preferred whist communicating informative interactive content

through humour appeals (Southgate et.al, 2017). Family, individualism and diversity are valued highly

coming from a more culturally diverse background and progressive period where social norms are changing.

With marriage equality, the first black American president and the first female Australian prime minster.

These youths are averse to brand messages that do not chiefly promote diversity and as ‘activists’ who

advocate sustainability they align themselves with socially conscience brands (Roy Morgan, 2017). Social

media heavily influences their lifestyle and consumer choice and these themes are recent marketing trends,

which supports the premise of social learning theory (Alexander, 2016). The most popular social media are

Facebook followed by You Tube and Instagram since they are image and video centric. Furthermore, the best

time to reach them is out of school hours and on weekends (Adweek,2016; Roy Morgan, 2017).

Their path to purchase usually starts on smartphone allowing 24/7 on demand access which appeals to these

active, digitally connected and busy youths. Nevertheless, purchase completion may be on another device

since they multiscreen up to five devices. Therefore, seamless cross-platform compatibility is important

(Southgate et.al, 2017). According to Google search, Budget Direct Insurance and Queensland Department

of Transport are the primary competitors. However, they are indirect competitors as they only have some

of the same product mix. This is part of RACQfree2gos Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Furthermore,

competitors’ digital strategy is weaker with less presence on social media.

Consumer Insight: “I value individualism which is only possible through diversity”

Recommendations

Integrating Social Media Channels

A revised social media campaign could reactivate Twitter, reimagine YouTube and Google+ as well as

incorporating popular image centric, Instagram (Southgate et al, 2017; Roy Morgan, 2017). Primarily humour

and adventure appeal across platforms is advised. However, fear appeal is suitable to road safety messages

which should be visual based with short copy posing questions to foster engagement. You Tube and Google+

could be leveraged through regular content updates which will similarly improve SEO since Google search

engine indexes posts shared on Google+ (Hackernoon, nd). Content should be posted at high usage times,

after school and on weekends. Lastly, regular monitoring through backend analytics can measure

effectiveness of this integration.

Home Page Redesign

According to the ‘eight second rule’, the primary homepage image should inform or entertain which are

crucial factors for engagement (Pletikosa et al, 2013). A short video can be created with youths from diverse

backgrounds instead to endorse the brand in a popular ‘day in the life’ style highlighting sustainability and

member benefits (Social Media Week, 2017). Product benefits including targeted coupon offers should be

showcased communicating the value proposition quickly and clearly (Kiss Metrics, 2017). Embracing more

values of the TM with resonating content increases trust and relatability which enhances engagement (Islam

and Rahman, 2016). Additionally, all social media links should be at eye view without scrolling to increase

exposure. Measurement and metrics through Google Analytics will ascertain effectiveness through lower

bounce rates, added click throughs and ROI (Google Analytics Solutions, 2017).

Customer Referral Program

Implementing a synergistic customer referral program across digital platforms will increase trust and

engagement (Wasko et al, 2016). Appling operant conditioning by positive reinforcement with reward points

offering discounts off products will promote brand offerings and increase positive word of mouth (WOM)

(Solomon, 2017 p,81). A Facebook poll can ascertain the best rewards program format and favoured

benefits. This will satisfy the TMs need to co-create and ensure the right incentives are in place to motivate

them to engage and refer (Harmeling, et al, 2016). Referral software will manage the program to measure

success (Capterra, n.d).

References

Alexander, D. (2016). Euromonitor International. Top 10 Global Consumer Trends for 2016. Retrieved August 13,

2017 from http://ihecs-langues.be/admajor/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Top10GCT2017.pdf

Belch, G. E. 1., Belch, M. A., Kerr, G., & Powell, I. (2014). Advertising: An integrated marketing communication perspective (3e. ed.) North Ryde, NSW: McGraw-Hill Education Australia

Capterra. (n.d). Top Referral Software Products. Accessed August 26, 2017 from http://www.capterra.com/referral-software/

Free to go (n.d). Retrieved August 10, 2017 from https://www.free2go.com.au

Google Analytics Solutions (2017). Marketing with a Heart of Data. Retrieved August 21, 2017, from https://analytics.googleblog.com

Hackernoon. (n.d) Why Google Plus is your most important social media platform. Retrieved August 18, 2017, from https://hackernoon.com/why-google-plus-is-your-most-important-social-media-platform-6bee61f264e1

Harmeling, C. M., Moffett, J. W., Arnold, M. J., & Carlson, B. D. (2017;2016;). Toward a theory of customer engagement marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 312-335. doi:10.1007/s11747-016-0509-2

Islam, J. U., & Rahman, Z. (2016). Linking customer engagement to trust and word-of-mouth of facebook brand communities. An empirical study. Journal of Internet Commerce, 15(1), 40-58. doi: 10.1080/15332861.2015.1124008

Kiss Metrics. (2017). A Blog About Analytics, Marketing and Testing. Retrieved August 23, 2017, fromhttps://blog.kissmetrics.com/what-converting-websites-do/

Krashinsky, S. 2015. The Globe and Mail. Marketers catching up with generation Z: Yop updates its advertising to reflect stereotype-resistant youth, as other brands seek out the group in new media.

Morrison, K. (2016). Adweek. How is Gen Z Using Social Media. Retrieved August 16, 2017, from http://www.adweek.com/digital/how-is-gen-z-using-social-media/

MOZ, 2017 Increasing landing page conversion rates. Retrieved August 20, 2017 from https://moz.com/ugc/increase-landing-page-conversion-rates

Pletikosa Cvijikj, I., & Michahelles, F. (2013). Online engagement factors on Facebook brand pages. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 3(4), 843-861. doi:10.1007/s13278-013-0098-8

Price, McClelland (2017) RACQ, Digital Portfolio Brief, 2017

RACQ (n.d). Corporate Plan. Retrieved August 10, 2017 from https://www.racq.com.au/about/racq/corporate-plan#tabphracq_body_1_phracq_contentcontainer_0_phracq_tabs_containerda1d33112f0a4d92b639a3923519dddd_3_divTab

RACQ Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, 2017, Accessed August 15, 2017

Robinson, J. (2014). We Are Social. Measuring Facebook Engagement. Accessed August 16, 2017 from https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2014/07/measuring-facebook-engagement

Social Media Week. (2017). 15 Stats on How Gen-Z Spends Their Time on Social Media and Mobile Messaging. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2017/04/stats-gen-z-social-mobile

Solomon, M. R., Russell-Bennett, R., & Previte, J. (2013). Consumer behaviour: Buying, having, being (3rd ed.) Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia.

Southgate, D, and Millward, K. (2017). WARC. The Emergence of Generation Z and its Impact in Advertising: Long-Term Implications for Media Planning and Creative Development. Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 57, No. 2, 2017.

Verlegh, P. W. J., Ryu, G., Tuk, M. A., & Feick, L. E. (2013). Receiver responses to rewarded referrals: The motive inferences framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(6), 669-682. doi:10.1007/s11747-013-0327-8

Wasko, M. M., & Di Gangi, P. M. (2016). Social media engagement theory: Exploring the influence of user engagement on social media usage. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC), 28(2), 53-73. doi:10.4018/JOEUC.2016040104

Appendices Appendix 1: You Tube: “A day in the Life” Bali Travel Tips

Appendix 2: Free2go Membership Confirmation

Appendix 3: No Instagram Account