Instructions

For this assignment, you have these two options. Only select one to complete this week: Option 1: Assume that you have been hired as a consultant by the president of Camerons Coffee, a $40 million-dollar premium coffee manufacturer, located in Shakopee Minnesota (Petersen, n.d.). This is a real company, so you can easily research the companys website and current social media presence. A search will also find articles written about the company. Please become aware of the firms current presence on social media so that your recommendation will be geared toward changing, enhancing, or improving that presence. Option 2: Select a company of your own choice to be the consultant for, such as the company you might currently work for. The primary selection criteria are that it should be a SME (small to medium-sized enterprise with approximately 500 employees or less), and it must have a limited social media marketing strategy at present or none at all. Please become aware of the firms current presence on social media so that your recommendation will be geared toward changing, enhancing, or improving that presence. Assignment Criteria: Once you make your company selection, address the following: Your client, Cameron Coffee or the alternative firm you select, is considering investing significant financial and personnel resources into a more substantial social media marketing strategy. As the companys consultant, your assignment is to create a social media market proposal in the form of an executive report for consideration by the companys CEO and other top management. Design the strategy to help sell the companys products or services, as well as boost the companys image to customers (and potential distributors and retailers if their products are sold through a third party). Research these subjects, and then prepare an executive report that provides the following: Begin with an executive summary, including the general need for a social media marketing strategy for a firm like your client. Be sure to explain social media and social media marketing. Recommend two social media platforms that you think will provide the greatest impact for your client for the money and resources they will invest, along with your reason for their selection. Your arguments will be strengthened if you provide examples of firms that have successfully pursued similar social media strategies. Explain how each recommendation will resolve any issues and fulfill the companys needs. So, what is an executive report? Top executives are busy people, and they typically get numerous reports from people inside and outside their organizations, so when they read a report, they want clarity and conciseness. This is somewhat analogous to the famous elevator speech. What would you tell your boss if you only had a 10-floor elevator ride to explain your idea or project. In this case, you have a little more time and space, but you still want to grab the CEOs attention and fully informing this individual about your proposal as quickly and clearly as possible. Listed below are the items such a report typically contains: A brief executive summary at the start of your social media marketing proposal If it doesnt grab them, they probably wont read the rest. An introduction to your report that quickly explains the reason and importance of your proposal. A relatively brief explanation of the importance of social media marketing and the two platforms discussed in your recommendation. Your specific social media marketing recommendations for two social media platforms. These should include the specific benefits each recommendation brings to the company. Support your assignment with the items in the Books and Resources for this Week. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, should be included. Length: 3-5 pages, not including title and reference pages Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA.