Situational Analysis
| Strengths – The concept is creative and unique, and that sets it apart from other university creative industries campaigns. – Targets specific demographic highlighted in client brief. – Broad appeal to individuals who are interested in various aspects of communication, media, and journalism, or potential students waiting to develop a career in media. – Wide range of social media channels being used. | Weaknesses – Limited appeal to those outside the target audience. – Other universities’ social media have higher following compared to Western Creative Industries social media. |
| Opportunities – Opportunity for long-term growth and development for Western Creatives – Opportunity to build a strong brand identity that embodies the Western Creative. | Threats – Competition from other universities – Posts could have negative comments which can quickly spread. |
Strengths
- The concept is creative and unique, and that sets it apart from other university creative industries campaigns.
Creative posts, advertisements and marketing leave a mark on their audience, and can help brands to create a following, as well as market their product effectively. (Dahlén et al, 2008).
- Targets specific demographic highlighted in client brief.
The main component of this campaign is social media posts. There is compelling evidence that the target audience are enthusiastic adopters of social media platforms. This includes statistics which demonstrate 84% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they regularly use social media sites (Auxier &Anderson, 2021)
- Broad appeal to individuals who are interested in various aspects of communication, media, and journalism, or potential students waiting to develop a career in media.
- Wide range of social media channels being used including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
This campaign allows Western Creatives the ability to reach a wide audience through social media, both domestic and international. Social media provides a global audience, potentially millions of recipients instantly (Church & Parker, 2014).
Weaknesses
- Limited appeal to those outside the target audience.
- Other universities’ social media have higher following compared to Western Creative Industries social media. For example, The University of Technology Communications Instagram page, called The UTS Society of Communications, may be considered a competitor of the Western Creatives Instagram page. The UTS Society of Communications age currently has a following higher following and more engagement, for examples likes and comments (The UTS Society of Communications Instagram, n.d).
Opportunities
- Opportunity for long-term growth and development for Western Creatives
Currently, only 30 percent of Australian institutions are engaging their social audience each week. (Inc, n.d) Hence, the Wisdom with Western campaign has the potential to assist Western Creatives in paving the path for engaging students and potential students on social media.
- Opportunity to build a strong brand identity that embodies the Western Creative.
This is especially important as it will allow Western Creatives to create a strong brand which is important because it creates a consistent and recognisable image for a brand in the minds of their audience. It helps to differentiate the brand from its competitors, communicate the brand’s values and personality, and forge an emotional connection with consumers. A strong brand identity can also enhance customer loyalty and trust, and attract a new audience to the brand (Perera et al, 2022)
Threats
- Competition from other universities
Other universities offer the same degree which may be more attractive to potential students. Increased competition can make it harder for Western Creatives to excel because it can dilute the impact of the message. With more universities and more campaigns vying for attention from potential communications students, the audience have more options on who they wish to engage with. Overall, increased competition can make it harder for the client to stand out and make an impact (Myler, 2017).
- Posts could have negative comments which can quickly spread.
References
Dahlén, M., Rosengren, S., & Törn, F. (2008). Advertising Creativity Matters. Journal of Advertising Research, 48(3), 392–403. https://doi.org/10.2501/s002184990808046x
Auxier, B, & Anderson, M. (2021, April 7). Social Media Use in 2021. Pew Research center.
Church, P., & Parker, G. (2014). Social media and the law: A handbook for UK companies. Linklater. Retrieved from http://www.linklaters.com/Insights/Social-media-law-A-handbook-UK-companies/Pages/Index.aspx
The UTS Society of Communications Instagram. (n.d) Home. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from https://www.instagram.com/utsoc/
Perera, C. H., Nayak, R., & Nguyen, L. T. (2022). The impact of social media marketing and brand credibility on higher education institutes’ brand equity in emerging countries. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–26. tandfonline. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2022.2086284
Inc, H. (n.d.). New Research Reveals Huge Opportunity for Australian Higher Education Institutions on Social Media. New Research Reveals Huge Opportunity for Australian Higher Education Institutions on Social Media. https://www.hootsuite.com/newsroom/press-releases/new-research-reveals-huge-opportunity-for-australian-higher-education-institutions-on-social-media
Myler, L. (2017.). 7 Ways To Make Your Business Stand Out In A Crowd Of Competitors. Forbes. Retrieved June 1, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymyler/2017/02/23/7-ways-to-make-your-business-stand-out-in-a-crowd-of-competitors/?sh=3c88532162fa
Authentic Communications 