Final Project: Professional Development by Isman Tanuri

Northumbria University
Newcastle Business School
NX0315 Professional Development Project

Part A
Introduction
Professional Development Project Objectives
This section of the project has been undertaken as an exercise to identify and better
understand the author’s key learning competences and personality type. Through discovery
of behavioural tendencies, the author will be provided with an opportunity to determine his
personal areas of strengths and weaknesses. These insights will provide a comprehensive
depiction of the author’s approaches-to-learning and assist him in establishing environments
that are optimised for academic excellence and lifelong learning.

The next primary objective is to determine the author’s intrinsic personality type and most
effective role/s in a team environment. Leveraging on this knowledge will afford the author
with advantages in developing employment competences and to confidently chart a
successful career path.

To achieve the above objectives, the author’s learning competences and personality type
will be determined through a series of tests, including the VARK Questionnaire, the Myers-
Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the Belbin Self Perception Team Role Profile test.
Any implication or impediment to effective learning will be addressed in the reviews of these
tests and remedial action will be discussed and outlined. Additional learning and personality
insights will be provided by family and friends as further supporting evidence on the author’s
persona and learning abilities.

Personal Objectives
It is important that the value of this professional development project is augmented with a
conscious and deliberate effort on the author’s part to determine and refine career
aspirations and objectives. Presently employed in a non-marketing business role, the
professional development project will serve as a useful platform to provide capabilities and
competences insights that will assist in realigning the author’s career towards a marketing-
specific role. For contextual purposes and added perspective, this author believes that a
career move into the field of digital and online marketing will eventually provide ample
professional challenges and career satisfaction.

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Section 1: Who am I as a learner?

1.1 Test Results: Summary and Implications to Learning Analysis

Learning Style Tests
• VARK Questionnaire
The author’s VARK Questionnaire test results (refer to Appendix A1) provided
important insights on the author’s approaches to knowledge acquisition and problem-
solving. The VARK results revealed the author’s exceedingly multimodal approach
towards learning. Two distinct groups have been observed within the sizeable
multimodal population (Fleming, 2007). Firstly, the group that exhibits the Context
Specific multimodal approach observes the information that is to be attained and
chooses learning modes that best suit the circumstances (VARK scores between 16-
25). However, the author, based on test score of 40 points, belongs to the Whole-
Sense multimodal approach.

Whole-Sense Approach
The VARK test originator and researcher, Neil Fleming (2007), explains that whole-
sense multimodal learners utilise combinations of learning modes in order to
reinforce and achieve ‘complete satisfaction’ in their learning. By accessing multiple
sources of information, these learners are better able to trust their understanding of
an issue and the outcome of their learning process.

This author acknowledges that this is indeed the approach used when confronted
with a problem or when information gathering is required on a particular subject.
Intuitively, the author always experiences an internal need to corroborate any
information provided by another party through deeper fact-finding research. Multiple
channels of information are used to gather information, including approaching subject
experts (such as oral discussion with knowledgeable friends or family on a particular
issue), information search on the internet (read/write mode), visual observation on
how physical tasks are completed by experts (for example, the author’s mechanic)
and often attempts to solve the actual problem as a means of information gathering.
A good example of this was when the author set out to furnish and renovate a newly-

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acquired apartment. A comprehensive learning and research, accomplished through
self-help books, internet forums and multiple visits to housing and appliances
showrooms, provided the author with a wealth of home furnishing and interior design
knowledge. Interestingly, this flurry of activities concluded in the author’s design and
installation of the hot water system for the apartment, all these with no prior
experience in plumbing.

Multimodal Drawbacks and Leverage
However, the multimodal approach does have its shortcomings. The author’s
constant need for broad learning means that a considerable amount of time is
required to address an issue. This may undoubtedly be perceived as hesitation in
decision-making. Nonetheless, the author believes that the inquisitive and thorough
nature of this learning style offers a wider and deeper understanding of any issue
which will almost always provide for an effective and assured decision making. This
belief is supported by the research of Marton and Saljo (1976) who argued that the
quality of knowledge increase in deep learning is superior to surface learning.

Therefore, the author believes that this all-around and constant learning traits must
be nurtured and leveraged on to produce a lifelong natural desire for continuous self-
upgrade, both in academic learning or professional competences.

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• Honey & Mumford’s Questionnaire
In this test, not only does the author’s learning style is identified, a fair depiction of
the author’s personality is brought into focus. The author has been primarily identified
to have a strong preference within the Activist learner type (see Appendix A2). Key
indicators of this learner type include:
Enthusiastic learner, prefers full involvement in learning
Open-minded to new experiences and always looking for next challenge

Activist Learner: The Early Adopter
An observable trait of the Activist learner is receptiveness and openness to new
experiences. The author’s significant career change at 28 years of age is testament
to this trait. This is also the attribute that most likely accounts for the author’s
inclination as an early adopter of ideas and technology.

Learning Implications and Remedy
However, this defining attribute may have an unwelcomed effect on learning and
external people-to-people relations. Detrimentally, the author may be susceptible to
being easily disinterested in a particular issue or subject matter over a period of time.
Therefore, learning subjects that are monotonous or traditional in nature (for
example, accountancy or statistics) are not ideal for this author.

A remedy to this requires the author to develop a conscious initiative to focus on
long-term end-objectives. In a team and working environment, this focus is an
absolute necessity and, more importantly, a prerequisite to progress into senior
management roles where long-term, corporate objectives must be suitably managed.

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• North Carolina State University Questionnaire
Interestingly, the outcome of this assessment provides both balance and affirmation
to both the VARK and Honey & Mumford’s test results (refer to Appendix A3). In
terms of learning modes, the author achieved an almost balanced score for both
Visual and Verbal learning preference, thus confirming the earlier VARK test result of
multimodality. The author also displays a balanced preference for both Active and
Reflective learning dimensions. The Reflective dimension indicates a likeliness of the
author to ‘think through’ and not act prematurely or brashly when making decisions.
(Felder and Soloman, no date)

Complementary Intuitive and Global Learning
The author’s Intuitive learning preference factors strongly in comparison to Sensory
learning (9 points on a scale of 1-11). Intuitive learners, as highlighted by Felder and
Soloman, are innovative thinkers and excel at understanding concepts and ideas.

The author is also assessed to have a moderate preference for the Global learner
dimension in contrast to Sequential learning. In this dimension, the Global learning
abilities (“getting the big picture”), coupled with Intuitive learning, may produce a
leading competence for the author. To achieve this, the author must further develop
an inclination to analyse issues or problems from an elevated perspective and be
able to succinctly reinterpret the issue at hand and provide innovative solutions.
Career-wise, this ability may provide a solid foundation and principal competence in
the consulting practice.

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Personality Type Tests
Myers Briggs Types Indicator (MMDI Report by Team Technology)
The author’s Myers Briggs Types Indicator test results indicated a 74% match in the
ENFP personality type. The dominant functions of this type are:
• Extraverted Intuition
• Introverted Feeling Judgement

The ENFP
This personality type tends to direct energy towards outer world actions and spoken
words and, as comprehensively described by Team Technology (2009), is one who
“seeks to develop new potential, explore new possibilities and create situations that
yield the expectation of something better” through “work that involves
experimentation and variety”.

Extraverted Intuition
The result of this test uncannily parallels the findings of the earlier approaches-to-
learning tests. This test substantiated the dominance of the intuitive nature of this
author. Among other aspects that mirror the earlier evaluations are having a global
viewpoint and an enjoyment of “change, challenge and variety” (Activist learner).

Introverted Feeling Judgement
In this function, the ENFP uses feeling judgement to manage his thoughts and
emotions, especially in interactions where people are concerned. The ENFP tend to
focus his intuition on ideas and possibilities that may benefit others. This
predisposition is demonstrable through the author’s passion as an advocate of
customers’ rights and benefits. By being able to readily assume the perspective of
the customer, the author is able to provide alternative viewpoints in any discussion
that relates to marketing or business initiatives that are overly pro-business.

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ENFP in a Team Environment
In a team situation, the ideal role for the ENFP is as a catalyst for ideas or a future
vision. This recommendation complements well with the author’s Active and Intuitive
learning personality and strengths in innovative thinking.

However, on the flipside, the ENFP is prone to losing sight of purpose or digression
from subject matter. This tendency to change position or evaluate ideas constantly
can be easily attributed to the extraverted intuition function that regularly challenges
norms.

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Belbin Self Perception Inventory Report
In this test to assess most ideal team role profile, the end result is once more a fair
reflection of the previously concluded tests (refer to Appendix A5).

Plant and Specialist
With a 95% inclination towards being a Plant type (recurring traits of ‘imaginative’,
‘creative’ and ‘problem solver’) and 90% preference for Specialist type
(‘knowledgeable’, ‘skilful’ and ‘self-starter’), the Belbin test verifies the author’s most
valuable contribution in a team situation. In such roles, the author will thrive by
contributing subject matter expertise and problem solving skills. Therefore, in group
discussions, the author must always be prepared and ready to contribute ideas and
perspectives. This will assist in facilitating the general direction and vision of the
discussions. This stance will prevent any discussion from being uninteresting and
also provide the author with the momentum to be continually challenged intellectually.

Completer Finisher and Team Worker
In the least preferred segment, the Completer Finisher (‘conscientious’ and ‘careful’)
and Team Worker (‘co-operative’ and ‘diplomatic’) team roles appeared to be
functions that should be avoided by the author. These roles that the author is unlikely
to excel in may require routine and detailed tasks. However, avoidance of least
preferred roles is only a measure to provide the author with a most optimum working
environment. It is still the author’s prerogative to continue improving areas of
weakness such as detailed planning and contributing as a minor team member.

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1.2 Family & Friends’ Insights and Perspectives

Family
The main respondent of the author’s family insights is provided by his spouse. When
presented with the author’s learning and personality test results, the respondent was in
agreement to a majority of the assessments’ outcomes.

‘Obsession’ with Information and Learning
The respondent agrees that the author’s consumption of the internet for sourcing of
information, reading and learning and keeping up with social technologies (such as
Facebook) is comparatively high. This indicates the author’s perpetual search for
information and broad learning tendencies, as described in the VARK multimodal theory.
The respondent also states that author is prone to ‘tech talk’. This is the sharing of
complex technical knowledge which may not interest the respondent, certainly a trait of
the Plant and Specialist types.

Committed to Long-term Endeavours
However, in contrast to the Honey & Mumford’s assessment of “easily losing interest”
and “impatient with long term consolidation”, the respondent provided a different
perspective to the evaluation. The respondent believes that the author is capable of long
term commitment to causes and maintaining complete interest and enthusiasm, as
proven through adult learning. However, the author must be provided with new
challenges and learning environment to maintain drive and momentum. Hence, the
respondent believes that a career in a progressive field, such as digital marketing, where
technology and trends constantly evolve will be ideal for the author.

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Friends (Colleagues)
The author’s colleagues at his present workplace provided commentary on the author’s
learning style and personality type.

Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Self-Renewal
The colleagues observe that the author is committed to constant learning and always
ready for the next academic challenge. This is in reference to the author’s enthusiasm
and commitment to part-time study at a mature age. The author is of the opinion that the
Belbin description of the Plant (he or she approaches studying “more like an enjoyable
hobby”) is an apt description of this attitude.

Technology and Trend Savvy
The colleagues agree that the author is very comfortable with adapting or learning new
technology, including internal IT applications and analysis tools. They are also of the
opinion that the author is always savvy and current with business trends, especially in
the areas of social networking and desktop computing. This has been demonstrated
through real-time sharing of breaking news (an advantage of social technologies) on a
regular basis.

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1.3 Summative Self-Overview

Learning Style Personality Type

• Multimodal (VARK) • Extraverted Intuition
• Whole-Sense Approach • Introverted Feeling Judgment
⁰
• 360⁰ all-round learning • Creative
• Intuitive and Innovative • Imaginative
• Activist • Problem Solver
• Open-Minded • Knowledgeable and Skilful
• Challenge-seeking • Strategic and Discerning
• Global Learner • Early Adopter

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Section 2: Learning and Personality: Implications on a Career Choice

2.1 Lifelong Learning Strategy

Overview
In today’s context of employment, this author believes that, over time, an employee’s
increasing value of contribution to an organisation is the only measure of an employee’s
worth. This can be achieved by periodically identifying skills and competences gap which
are then addressed through learning or training. Without actively addressing one’s self-
development and skill set limitation, the opportunities to progress into more senior and
challenging roles may be limited.

The author’s lifelong learning strategy is triangulated by taking into consideration the
required competences for his chosen career choice and the author’s learning style and
personality type. This will be an effective method of properly addressing professional
needs with inherent learning abilities (Duyff, 1999)

Learning Insights
For this author, previous instances of lifelong learning activities includes computer and
software skills upgrades, speech classes, self-learning immersion into the digital
marketing domain and, most significantly, taking up diploma and undergraduate studies
in order to effect a desired career change. To this author, these learning activities and
study programs provided enough breadth, intellectual stimuli and new experiences,
consistent with the author’s Activist learning type.

In The Works
Therefore, the author’s learning strategy, for both in the short and long term, continues in
the same manner. In accordance to the author’s all-around, comprehensive and global
learning style, the short-term learning strategy will provide the author with opportunities
to deeply understand his chosen field in marketing and identify knowledge gaps.
Furthermore, the author’s choice of a new career track (digital marketing) provides clear
indicators of skills required for domain expertise. The following briefly outlines the short-
term learning plan, devised to address current competences gaps and future self-
development.

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Short Term Learning and Development
• Web analytics skills
o Hands-on web analytics skills to gather insights from web users’ data, such
as response rate and purchase/behavioural patterns.
• Web technology development skills
o HTML, Java and other internet authoring languages
• Keyword advertising skills
o Understand the tools, methodology and revenue model behind keyword
advertising
• Presentation and communication skills
o Communicate effectively in a formal setting, such as public speaking or a
high-level executive meeting.

Further Afield
The long-term learning and development strategy will leverage on the author’s personality
type. With assessments such as “able to see a global perspective” and “strategic thinking”,
these are potential abilities that should be developed over time. The author’s inclination
towards entrepreneurism and independence-in-thought are also good indicators for defining
the learning path. The following is a learning and development plan to hone these skills:

Long Term Learning and Development
• Formal Entrepreneurial Skills Learning
A consulting expert who wishes to independently deliver expertise to clients will
need to develop business development skills for his practice. Similarly, such skills
are also expected of a high-level executive commanding an enterprise-level firm
where business growth is closely measured.
• Leadership skills
This is a set of skills that the author wishes to further hone over time through
experience and intellectual reading. The objective is to be able to effectively
manage and inspire people towards achievement.

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• Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree
The author wishes to pursue an MBA degree in a few years’ time. An MBA degree
will ultimately provide the author with an edge in upwardly career progression in
the future.

2.2 Transferable Skills for New Career

Overview
The value of transferable skills must also be recognised and given equal importance in
activities that are geared towards securing an ideal employment. The author believes
that these skills must be highlighted in context to the type of jobs or career that is sought.
These skills can be communicated to prospective employers through a cover letter
accompanying the resume. Having been an employed person as well as a small
business owner, the author has a ready arsenal of transferable skills that can be
exploited in his next career change.

Identified Transferable Skills
With careful assessment and reflection, the following transferable skills are identified,
grouped (Hansen, 2009) and elaborated on based on the author’s personality type and
learning skills.

Communication Skills
• Good command of written and spoken English
o As an ENFP, the author is always eager to contribute ideas, so this ability to
communicate ideas across clearly to team members is a valuable asset.
o Good grasp of language allows for effective communication across cultures
and especially suited for regional job roles. Again, the Activist learner’s
appreciation of new experiences (including understanding and respecting
other cultures) is an ability that is suited for such roles.

Research & Planning Skills
The following skill set are closely-aligned to the assessment of the author’s personality.
These abilities are inherent in the Plant type (‘problem solver’, ‘creative thinker’, ‘single-
minded’) and Intuitive and Global learner (‘innovative’, ‘analytical’).

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• Creative problem solving, outside the box thinking
o Intuitive ability to creatively solve problems or tasks through non-linear means
• Analytical and critical thinking
o Able to see different perspectives of a set of data or information and provide
critical insights
• In depth research
o Ability to conduct extensive research to extract information from various
resources, especially through the internet

Organisation, Management and Leadership Skills
• Entrepreneurial skills
o The ability to initiate and act on ideas, work with limited resources and
optimise available opportunities. These skills are partly the result of having
operated a personal business and testament to the author’s single-
mindedness and drive towards accomplishments.
• Transparency and accountability
o This is always important in a business environment where the ability to readily
admit mistakes and be accountable for actions or decisions is a strong
reflection of ethics and integrity. Stems from the author’s Activist personality of
openness and need to share.

Human Relations Skills
Both of the following skills are closely aligned to the author’s introverted feeling
judgement personality. The sensitivity and consideration for others and a strong
personal brand instinct are the driving force behind cultivating a ‘people-first’ persona.
• Customer-centric attitude
o Strong advocate of customer satisfaction, previous experience as a business
owner provided opportunity to closely listen and fulfil customers’ expectations.
• Team management
o The author has demonstrated this ability successfully through managing a
cross-regional team operating in various countries.

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2.3 Justification of Chosen Career Choice
Overview
As the digital marketer is a relatively new discipline, it can be regarded as a challenging
field that requires constant innovation, learning and understanding. The following is a
close study on how the author’s learning style and personality type, taking into account
the planned learning paths and current transferable skills, will complement and match
the demands of this profession.

Technology Driven
The digital marketer profession is essentially a marketing role with a significant emphasis
on the utilisation of the internet and cutting-edge digital tools to engage, communicate
and interact with customers and prospects.

The author’s learning and personality type suggests that the necessary traits for a
technology-driven role are inherent. The Activist learner categorisation supports the
author’s penchant for new technology and willingness to be an early adopter of any
innovative idea, digital or otherwise. This trait augurs well for a role that requires
constant learning and skills upgrade. Furthermore, as highlighted in the Honey &
Mumford’s test, a steady stream of these technological challenges will positively keep
the author from becoming disinterested.

New Rules of Marketing
The “rethinking” of marketing and communication strategies, as businesses address the
social media phenomenon that has emerged in the last two years, require a new breed
of marketers. In the next few years, the author predicts that the marketing discipline will
be significantly redefined to emphasise on digital and online interaction. This as
traditional media channels, including television and newspapers, continue to lose its
influence, with a growing bloc of consumers averting their attention and spending online.

Ahead of the Field
By moving into the digital marketing field at this point of his career, the author hopes to
jump ahead of his contemporaries in the mastery of this domain (an Activist trait of

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seeking new experiences) and, in the process, build a niche of personal influence. This
requires an understanding of new marketing concepts and frameworks.

The author’s multiple learning abilities and personality traits are assets which are able to
support this endeavour. The dominant Intuitive learning ability and Plant/Specialist
personality type, as underscored by both the North Carolina State University learning
and MMDI personality tests, will provide for quick grasp and appreciation of new
concepts and theories. Furthermore, the Active and multimodal learning approach are
important tools that will allow the author to further research into this field for complete
learning and understanding.

Customer Advocacy
The social media approach to marketing and communication is underpinned by the
greater emphasis on interaction and engagement with communities of people online. To
effectively engage in two-way communication with a brand’s community, the ability to
empathise and understand the needs of customers and consumers is an important
attribute for a marketer.

The author’s ENFP introverted feeling judgment disposition matches the required
personality type for a customer-centric role. The ENFP’s natural inclination to form
decisions using values and beliefs can provide a customer advocacy framework that will
counter-balance the downward pressures of corporate objectives and margins (Hirsch
and Kummerow, 2008)

Creative and Innovative Problem Solving
As with any innovative technology or new way of thinking, the adoption and support by
the company’s corporate authority may require an indefinite time period for complete
realisation. Hence, a limitation to resources may be experienced in pushing and
implementation of ideas.

Through a strong ability in creative and innovative problem solving, the author will be
able to counter the effects of lack of resources or internal support in implementing
projects by offering alternative viewpoints and innovative solutions to such problems.
This is a strong justification and suitability factor in the author’s choice of a progressive
career.

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Part B:
Reflective Statement
The evaluation of the author’s learning styles and personality types have provided
insights and previously unknown information. This is a position of advantage that can
assist the author in his personal and professional development.

Major Strengths and Weaknesses Identified
Among the major strengths of the author that has been identified through this study is
the capacity and capability for learning. Knowing this, the author is assured of the ability
to continue pursuing knowledge in time to come. The Plant and Specialist assessment
from the Belbin test also indicates the author’s strength in being a creative problem
solver. These traits will be valuable assets for the author to pursue professional roles
that require creative resolutions to problems.

However, of concern to the author is his ability to work in a team environment. Without a
doubt, this is an important asset to have in any professional situation. Another weakness
that has been identified is the ability for long term focus which must be overcome as
professional projects might be long term commitments.

Career Choice and Implications on Future Career Development
The choice of career that the author would like to pursue is one that will allow room to
grow and constant innovation. This is true of industries related to technology where
innovations are constantly being churned. The implication for future career development
is such that, digital marketing will always require skills and knowledge upgrade and this
appeals to the author’s learning personality. Also, there will likely to be opportunities to
help other parties understand the impact and need for digital marketing and this is
something that the author enjoys, which is sharing of learning and information.

Topic Choice for Literature Review
The author’s chosen topic for the literature review is a reflection of his intention to be as
current as possible in a chosen industry. The use of social media in marketing strategies
is gaining momentum among marketers because of its innovativeness and its purpose of
putting power into the hands of the customers. This appeals to the author’s belief of
customer advocacy in commerce. Also, the choice of topic reflects the author’s attraction
to both marketing philosophy and the digital domain.

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Literature Review:
Role of Social Media in Contemporary Marketing

Section 1
1.1 Introduction
The sudden emergence of social media in the public realm and the realisation of a
powerful and coordinated online consumer-force have raised alarms in corporate offices
all over. As consumers increasingly influence each other and share opinionated views
on brands and products on the internet, businesses are compelled to rethink and
reorganise marketing and communication strategies in order to address this ‘threat’ to
traditional ways of doing business.

Changed Landscape
However, as with any shift in philosophy and trend adoption, understanding the true
benefits of leveraging social media in marketing initiatives continues to be a challenge
for business organisations. Many question the value of investment in social media and
its direct influence on revenue generation. Others question the wisdom of ‘easing
control’ over the brand to customers and risking further exposure to public scrutiny.
Hence, many early commercial approaches to social media are misguided and flawed as
traditional corporate objectives are in disparity with social media’s concept of open and
transparent engagement with the marketplace. Nonetheless, this sentiment is beginning
to change and marketers are increasingly embarking on social media campaigns in
support of traditional marketing efforts.

Review Objectives
This literature review will attempt to discover whether current social media theories and
concepts are relevant and applicable to long-held marketing principles and business
philosophies. This review will highlight and critically examine articles and key expert
views on the use of social media as a tool in a consumer marketing environment.
Through a detailed discussion, the general consensus and established practices of
enterprise social media activities will be ascertained and that social media will indeed
represent a new frontier that will be beneficial and relevant to the marketing discipline.

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1.2 Background
Social media is currently an evolving ‘phenomena’ in business marketing. Enlightened
marketers are beginning to drive the use of social media as a component in their
marketing strategy and campaigns to reach out to customers and fans. Among the sub-
disciplines of marketing that may utilise social media include promotions, marketing
intelligence, sentiments research, public relations, marketing communications and
product and customer management. Appendix D provides statistical information of social
media adoption across networks and around the world.

New Media Channels
Social media is described as the “shift in how people discover, read and share news,
information and content” (Solis, 2007a). People are doing so through the internet in the
form of blogs, social networks (eg. Facebook, Myspace, Orkut), news aggregators (eg.
Digg, Stumbleupon), video and music portals (eg. YouTube, Last.FM), social
bookmarking (eg. Delicious, Reddit), micro-blogging (eg. Twitter, Plurk), online forums
and reviews (eg. Amazon, Yahoo Answers!) and other social communication channels
(see Appendix E for overview of social media tools). This has been made possible
through converging technological evolutions on the internet, dubbed ‘Web 2.0’, the
internet as a 2-way communication platform (O’Reilly, 2005). O’Reilly further explains
this revolution as the era of participation and of harnessing the collective intelligence,
also referred to as the ‘wisdom of crowds’

This surge in consumer online activity and user-generated content is termed the
‘groundswell’ by Forrester researchers, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (2008) in their
book of the same title. As the groundswell began exhibiting collective influence through
sharing on the internet, businesses began to take notice and seek ways to participate in
the ‘conversations’. Enterprises, such as IBM and Lego, began building their own
community forums, and corporate blogs, including Dell’s and Ford’s, began appearing to
reach out to customers (Li and Bernoff, 2008).

In time, the marketing function also began integrating social media in campaigns. The
use of Facebook and Twitter to market products and services are beginning to receive
attention from businesses in recent years. Primary to these widespread adoption are its

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relatively low cost-to-implement and the ability to bypass traditional media outlets for
advertising and promotional needs.

#FAIL
However, not all attempts at social media marketing have been successful in
implementation. A case in point is Sony’s Playstation Portable (PSP) fake blog fiasco.
The seemingly-innocent blog, presumed to belong to a teenager, was uncovered to
belong to an advertising firm hired by Sony to promote the PSP (Kingsley-Hughes,
2006). The uproar generated from this proved to be an embarrassing public relation
disaster for Sony.

Turning Tide
Particularly because of its open and connected infrastructure, the internet facilitates the
spread of information across geographies and boundaries. This has been a critical factor
in the success of viral marketing campaigns launched by businesses. However, social
media has also proven to be a handful for companies. When United Airline passenger,
Dave Caroll, found his guitar broken by the airline and subsequently endured a less-
than-pleasant customer service experience in his compensation bid, Dave decided to
write a song about his experience, videoed and posted it on YouTube (Guardian.co.uk,
2009). The video became a viral sensation and has received 5.4 million views to date
since July 2009. The Times UK estimated that the bad publicity generated by the video
cost a 10% drop in stock prices (amounting to US$180 million) within days of the video’s
debut (Ayres, 2009). This powerful effect of the groundswell on businesses is one of
many examples of social media’s persuasive influence.

Experts and Thought Leaders
Due to this being a new field of study, there is a lack of peer-reviewed resources on this
subject. Interestingly too, because of its fairly recent introduction into mainstream
commercial landscape, many of the recognised experts and key authors in social media
today are current practitioners in the social media/marketing space. Therefore, this
research is focussed on theories and ideas by these widely-accepted thought leaders in
the field. Unlike academia, these experts have emerged and influenced others through
the medium they know best: social media. Many of these leading social media experts,
including Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott, Mitch Joel and Chris Brogan, are bloggers

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who have build their personal brands and share their body of work or innovations at
companies they worked for through online channels and digital word-of-mouth. Their
brief profiles are shown in Appendix F.

Section 2
2.1 Marketing with Social Media
The Engagement Concept
In the ‘Groundswell’ (2008), Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff outlined the following as core
activities that define the engagement with the groundswell: listening, talking, energising,
supporting and embracing. This is the framework that has been developed and proposed
by Li and Bernoff to facilitate the transition for companies to understand and engage their
customers within the social media space. They argued that social media is predominantly
about the people and those relationships and communities must the cornerstone of any
social media marketing strategy.

Although the framework, as outlined, provides a clear community engagement model, it
does not satisfactorily provide an understanding of the long-term value of investment in
these activities. Engaging closely with customers and prospects on a broad scale
represents a significant cost to most companies. However, Mitch Joel, in his book ‘Six
Pixels of Separation’ (2009) makes a clear argument for close engagement. People are
increasingly becoming digitally connected to each other via social networks and online
activities. With current rate of adoption, the online population will represent a significant,
easily-targeted market for businesses. By investing in getting connected with their online
market and customers now, companies will have the edge and advantage on competitors
in the future. Customers’ trust and rapport built over time are durable business assets that
are hard to encroach on by competitors (Godin, 1999).

‘No’ to Social Media Marketing
Nonetheless, the consensus on marketing via social media is not universal. Tom Martin
(2009), in Advertising Age, is adamant that social media is not a channel for marketing
and that any corporate involvement behind a social identity devalues the conversations.
Glen Dury (2008) points out the argument that marketing has no place in ‘social’ media
and that it ‘destroys social media’s foundations’ by undermining its human elements. This,

22


he contends, is because of the very nature of marketing, which is a commercial corporate
function.

This study however is not in agreement with these views. Even in traditional marketing,
engagements with prospects through advertising and promotional channels are activities
that involve multiple levels of human interaction, seen or unseen (for an example, an
advertising creative devising a copy for an audience). The marked difference at present is
that social media allows for reciprocal, two-way communication between advertiser and
customer. Essentially, the core marketing principle of satisfying human wants and needs
does not change. Marketing in social media is an evolution of commercial practices in
tandem with the times.

Independent Disciplines
Further in this, the prominent blogger and social media expert, Chris Brogan, in his blog
post ‘Marketing is NOT social media-Social Media is NOT marketing’ (2007), argues that
social media and marketing are distinctive disciplines and independent from each other.
His primary argument is that social media is a set of tools that ‘permits regular people
access to potential audiences of shared interest’ and that marketing should not ‘own’
these tools. Instead, he suggests that marketers should observe and take advantage of
the effect of having the media in the hands of regular people. The same sentiment is
similarly echoed by Lee Odden, voted number 15 by peers in 2008’s top 100 list of digital
marketers. Odden (2009) believes that social media is ‘no place for direct marketing’ and
that people join social networks, and the Web 2.0 space in general, to be social with a
like-minded community, instead of being marketed to.

Discomforting Truth
Herein lies the disconnect. On one end, consumers are empowered by the internet to
have their say and opinions on brands, and some, including experts such as Brogan and
Odden, believe that consumers should be given total freedom to decide when to engage
with brands. On the other end, marketers are desperately trying to leverage on social
media to drive their marketing campaigns and to manage perceptions of their brands
online.

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The Advocates
Supporters of social media marketing for enterprise believe that the right approach can be
beneficial for both businesses and customers. Eikelmann, Hajj and Peterson (2007)
support the notion that companies should re-strategise and profit from this ‘threat’. They
believe that companies should actively seek to engage in conversations with their
customers. However, companies must observe a condition of moving away from
‘controlling the message’ and let consumers decide on the flavour of the conversations.
Additionally, in their research, they observed that Web 2.0 has caused the fragmentation
of marketing channels, in that, communities and websites tend to cater to niches and
particular demographics. These should be used to the advantage of companies as they
can be efficient through the use of highly-targeted effective marketing messages despite
the clutter.

This study agrees that the sheer volume of advertising clutter is causing consumers to
question the authenticity behind the claims of these messages. It is also agreed that
brand recall is suffering from increased consumerism as companies capitalise by
developing countless new products and brands. Tellingly, a CBS news report (2006)
states that an average person is exposed to about five thousand advertising messages in
a day. As such, David Meadows-Klue (2007) argues that, with the explosion of cheap,
one-way advertising channels and growing customer literacy in the art of marketing, the
impact of traditional marketing communications has been undermined. Therefore,
Meadows-Klue is of the opinion that social media is the right channel for marketers to
regain attention from customers.

2.2 Influencing with Social Media
The Bridging Factor: Influencers
Despite the opposing arguments for social media’s involvement in marketing, it is
ultimately social media’s creation of a new layer of influencers that will prove to be
beneficial for both marketers and consumers (Solis, 2007b). In ‘The Tipping Point’ (2000),
author, Malcolm Gladwell, emphasises on the importance of influencers in the
transference and spread of any new idea or knowledge. Without these idea facilitators,
many commercial successes, such as the Apple, Hush Puppies and Google brands, will

24


remain on the peripheral. For consumers, recommendations through peer influence tend
to be perceived as highly authentic and objective.

For marketers, whose predominant purpose is the influence of customers to their
products, the easy creation of consumer-influencers is a vital benefit that can be reaped
from the integration of social media in their campaigns. Moreover, many marketing
experts agree that word-of-mouth (WOM) is an effective element of promotion. In the Web
2.0 era, the WOM activity can be easily facilitated through the sharing of viral videos,
email or peer reviews on Facebook. Trusov et al (2009), in a research on the effect of
WOM on social networks’ sign-up, found that the elasticity of WOM referrals is 20 and 30
times higher than that of marketing events and media publicity, respectively. Thus, this
study is of the opinion that a major role of social media in marketing practices (if adopted)
must be objectively related to the creation of influencers within communities.

Return on Influence
Another applicable theory in the matter of WOM through social media is the Return on
Influence (Brogan and Smith, 2008). The prevailing idea is that marketing must be
strategically carried out through identifying and influencing those with the most influence
over others. At present, social media is the only medium that allows for such detailed
effort. Despite the intricacy of this tactic, the objective of focussing messages to the right
audience is in accord with marketing fundamentals of segmenting and targeting
audiences for maximum conversion. This tactic is also in agreement to Gladwell’s Law of
the Few theory (2000). The influence of a Connector personality (‘Connectors know lots of
people’) over an ideology or trend will quickly mobilise its spread and reach until it
reaches the ‘tipping point’. This is when an idea achieves critical mass and universal
recognition through a sudden exponential growth.

Brand Advocates
However, traditional marketing philosophies do not explicitly cater for external contribution
to a brand by anyone, other than an employee of a company. Commercial marketing
objectives are typically aligned to achieve incremental revenue through quality lead
generation and brand building. Because of this, no added emphasis is usually given to
building external non-sale relations with customers.

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Nevertheless, with social media, the unpaid brand advocates are a reality. In the
‘Groundswell’ (Li and Bernoff, 2008), it is proposed that brand advocates are ‘grown’
through purpose-built community forums for ardent fans of brands such as Lego, Dell and
the iPhone. In retrospect, this act of ‘energising the groundswell’ is in effect a controlled
and strategised word-of-mouth effort.

Stickiness Wins
Another triumphant brand advocate campaign was the successful bid to have Barack
Obama elected as President of the United States (Lardinois, 2005). The synchronised
use of social media channels gave extended awareness and publicity to the Obama
digital campaign and a measurable edge over John McCain, the Republican Senator.
This was achieved through endorsements made online by Obama advocates which has a
lasting and visible impact as the internet retains a level of permanency and transparency.
Again, this observation concurs with another of Gladwell’s theory in ‘The Tipping Point’,
the Stickiness Factor (2008). This is the study of the strength of a message in a person’s
mind that will allow it to be relayed from one person to another effortlessly until it reaches
tipping point. From a marketing perspective, the Stickiness Factor is an important criterion
in the crafting and testing of marketing messages: the viral effect of ‘United Breaks
Guitars’ and Susan Boyle’s 100 million YouTube views (Ostrow, 2009) are evidence that
the carefully-crafted message is a powerful tool for the marketer.

Conclusively, the use of external resources, who will evangelise a brand to friends,
relatives and colleagues for “the most honest form of marketing” (WOMMA, 2009), is
similar in effect to an over-achieving direct marketing campaign, at minimal or no cost.
The Obama campaign is compelling evidence that social media can assist in achieving
marketing objectives if efforts are focussed on marketing through influence and brand
advocacy.

Permission and Trust Marketing
Irrefutably, traditional marketers are grappling with the decline of mainstream advertising
and the rise of social media which has deeply affected the media and newspaper
industry. Forrester Research, in its 5-year forecast, reports that global advertising budget
will decline significantly and this will be supplanted by a 34% growth in social media

26


budget (VanBorskirk, 2009). This is a strong indication that advertising is fast losing its
effect as a promotions tool.
Without a doubt, the works of Seth Godin in the area of permission marketing have
influenced a new generation of digital marketers. In ‘Permission Marketing’ (1999), Godin
explores the use of interactive technology, such as email and online games, in order to
receive explicit customer permission for a brand to initiate direct interact. Godin argues
that only marketing messages and approaches that are relevant, personal and anticipated
will be readily accepted by customers.

Godin’s theory has been proven just as relevant today as customers continue to eschew
traditional advertising in favour of word-of-mouth recommendation and peer reviews. With
social media, practitioners of digital marketing are able to gain inroads to potential
customers through the proven method of permission marketing. Instead of brands
pushing and ‘shouting’ their messages across, social media channels allow for consumers
to voluntarily ‘befriend’ (via Facebook Fan Pages) or accept communication (via Twitter or
email newsletters) from brands. The building of trust through such relationships typically
benefits both companies and consumers.

As organisations become exceedingly visible through social media, it is therefore notable
that marketing of trust is important. Mitch Joel (2007) expounds the theory that if an
organisation does not provide value, be open and transparent and create opportunities for
two-way communications, the brand will not survive in a time when social media is
becoming an accepted platform for brand-building. Joel further states that these ideals
are can only be possible through the ‘building of community based on trust’. Based on
these arguments, this study therefore has the opinion that modern organisational
marketing must involve efforts in social media in order to maintain and increase trust and
authenticity from customers’ perspective.

The Reality
The above arguments indicate that social media can be mutually beneficial for both
parties if the boundaries of engagement are specified. In areas where corporate-
sponsored social media activities are managed (such as product support forums),
branding and direct marketing should be reasonably accepted. In public and closed social
networks, such as Twitter and Facebook respectively, permission must be sought for

27


marketing messages to be broadcasted or relayed to specific users. Breaching these
boundaries is akin to interruption marketing, similar in purpose and effect to untargeted
advertising and email spam.

2.3 Social Media and CRM
Bernoff (2009) recommends that every organisation must know every single one of their
best customers by name. To achieve this, social media can be used to provide visibility
and almost real-time direct channels to engage and interact. The argument also extends
to the idea that your best customers will always know where to find your company if they
have a problem. Meadows-Klue (2007) concurs with this view. He further states that, as
customers have been empowered by easily-available social media tools, the expectation
is growing that their favourite retailers will engage them in the online domain.

Limitation to Resources
However, such idealistic views may be contrary to business ethos of efficiency and that
close attention on every single customer, even the best ones, may be a resource drain,
especially in the fast moving consumer goods industry. The call for companies to be
exceptionally frugal in this economic climate resonates clearly among business leaders.
Expert advice dictates that the focus must be on spending that generates real returns on
investment (ROI), not just in marketing activities but also in operations (Maddox, 2009).

New Rules of CRM
This is where the argument for social media and customer relationship management
(CRM) converges. CRM drives the radical customer-oriented marketing concept (4Cs of
customer, cost, convenience and communication) that is slowly replacing the traditional
4Ps of marketing thinking (product, place, price and promotion). As outlined by Dr. Ned
Roberto (World Village, 2008), the 4Cs’ emphasis is to approach marketing from
consumers’ perspective. In this regard, we can find that both CRM and social media offer
the same benefits and end-results for companies and their customers, which is visibility
and long term patronage.

A recent Forrester survey found that social media is extensively helping companies to
deepen their relationships with customers through complementary uses of social tools

28


and CRM systems (Karpinksi, 2008). Supporting this view, David Myron (2009), in his
editorial in CRM Magazine, also theorises that using social media, in conjunction with
CRM tools, provides a new level of customer intelligence. Listening in to customers’
sentiments and gathering attitudinal data via social media will provide business strategists
with higher level of confidence in decision making.

Real-Time Customer Management
Close customer management through social media also translates into an enhanced
customer service experience. A good example of this is Comcast’s Twitter service.
Customers’ ‘tweets’ sent to its @comcastcares Twitter account are typically responded in
full public view. Todd Defren, in his article ‘A Social Media Guide from the Edge’ (2008),
enthuses that, in an online world, a company must be seen as responsive by customers
and non-customers. This, he believe, will provide for the manifestation of ‘good karma
through good service’. This study agrees in that this approach not only provides a level of
transparency and genuine authenticity to the company’s profile but will ultimately enhance
the efforts in customer retention.

The above arguments certainly demonstrate that social media can fulfil the traditional
metrics of marketing, which are to limit churn and increase customer retention. More
importantly, the CRM practice, coupled with freely available social tools, can be a cost
effective activity to any organisation intent on a long-term and sustainable business
model, albeit with budget limitations.

2.4 Communicating through Social Media
The advent of social media has changed the way companies organise their outwardly
communication activities. Companies are also beginning to realise that customers will talk
about them, with or without them (Solis, 2007b). As most of the internet is open and
unsecured, these comments or sentiments can be easily seen or read by potential
customers or clients. David Roth (2009) contends that this is a double-edged sword.
Where companies can now observe their customers or competition by listening in to
conversations, they are also susceptible to the same reciprocal tactics. This is the
challenge that companies and brands are facing in the Web 2.0 and social media era.

29


Loss of Control
Today’s popular consensus is that companies can no longer control the perceptions to
their brands (Eikelmann, 2007). These include control of the company’s corporate
message as well as parties responsible for disseminating information from the
organisation (Young, 2009). Conversely, any person with an internet connection and a
computer is able to review or comment on a brand, either on their Facebook page, Twitter
or anywhere else on the internet. This effect of the ‘democratisation of media’ is a vital
inducement to re-evaluate how brands and companies communicate (Dury, 2008).

Public Relations
David Meerman Scott, in his book ‘The New Rules of Marketing & PR’ (2007), fervently
suggests that traditional public relations (PR) practices ‘do not work anymore’. Scott cites
that, instead of pushing press releases or information to traditional media outlets (for eg.
journalists, newspapers and TV stations), companies can now take ownership and
independently publish information or news via Web 2.0 mediums. These include official
company blogs, YouTube, online news sites and even through direct relations with market
analysts and influential bloggers.

This study believes that this strategy of bypassing conventional media provides PR
practitioners an almost instant access to communication channels, unlike traditional
methods. An almost real-time reaction is indeed a timely benefit for companies in dealing
with developing crisis' communications. In fact, Li and Bernoff (2008) propose a proactive
approach to crisis management. Through dedicated and around-the-clock close
monitoring of online social spaces for public sentiments, companies can address minor
complaints quickly before they become a public relations disaster.

Similarly, Forrester’s social media analyst, Jeremiah Owyang (2009), advocates the hiring
of a brand monitoring company to provide regular reports to analyse public reactions to a
company’s manoeuvres in the market as a form of intelligence gathering. Based on these
arguments, this study believes that the PR practice must evolve beyond press releases
and reactive damage control.

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Changing Perceptions
In real-life practice, social media has also provided public relations with a formidable tool
in altering public perceptions. In a current takeover battle between Kraft and Cadbury
(Mullman and York, 2009), Kraft engaged a renown PR firm, Brunswick Group, to connect
with Cadbury’s stakeholders via social media. The campaign uses video messages from
Kraft’s executives and informative microsites to win over support from Cadbury’s
stakeholders to the proposal of being acquired. By developing niche messages and
directly targeting and communicating to the audience, Brunswick’s personal approach is
likely to appeal the stakeholders (Scott, 2007). From a marketing perspective, this in fact
a form of permission marketing as advocated by Seth Godin (1999), communication that
is relevant, personal and anticipated.

Public vs. Media
From the earlier arguments, this study deduces that the public relations role in a
company’s brand and perception management has indeed transformed with social
media’s arrival. What used to be a function that tries to influence and alter public
perceptions predominantly through close media relations, is in fact much more associated
now with direct public management and engagement in the Web 2.0 environment.
However, such close association with the public is a positive development in the age of
increased corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Online Thought Leadership
David Meerman Scott (2007) also outlines a holistic strategy in marketing a company
online. By communicating online thought leadership through content development and
knowledge sharing (for example, white papers, e-books and articles), the company will
receive recognition for its expertise and an enhanced brand perception from potential
clients or customers. The online thought leadership is in fact a long term investment that
will ensure a company maintain an extended influence over a community audience
(Matthews, 2007). With a loyal community audience, the company may find that it is
easier it to push through innovative and revolutionary ideas to its clients and customers.

31


Blogging with Authority
In purporting thought leadership, Li and Bernoff (2008) suggest that blogging is an
effective method of communicating an organisation’s message. Other than being direct
and immediate, a blog allows for a two-way dialogue to be established for a customer to
provide his views and comments. This activity, as stressed by Li and Bernoff, is a cost
effective method to receive feedback and inputs from customers regarding a company’s
products or services.

However, Seth Godin (2005) provides a different concept to blogging. Godin contends
that a blog, as a marketing tool, should be a launch pad for spreading of ideas. Termed
‘viral blogs’, Godin is of the view that a blogging corporate leader or employee must have
an authoritative opinion but with a flexible allowance for discussion.

This study contextually agrees with such an ideal. However, a focus on content must be
exercised. In this case, David Meerman Scott (2007) provides a framework for relevant
blogging: companies should not write in an advertorial manner but instead focus on topics
that may concern their industry as a general. This lends authenticity and an opportunity to
augment a thought leadership persona.

CSR through Social Media
In this time of increased corporate social responsibility awareness and green marketing,
an organisation’s degree of openness and transparency are a sure measure of its serious
intention. Sandy Carter, IBM’s Vice President for Websphere Marketing and author of
‘The New Language of Marketing 2.0’ (2009), theorises that CSR and green marketing
objectives are best achieved through the adoption of Web 2.0 technology.

Apart from efficiency in use of resources (which directly contributes to green credentials),
Carter maintains that using social media to promote a company’s CSR and green
initiatives can trigger solid word-of-mouth references and drive influencers’ willingness to
tell a company’s story. Such viral outcomes are welcomed as most typically, the primary
objective of CSR and green campaigns are in the creation of strong advocates that will
passionately support a motion or alternative solution to an environment issue (Howell,
2009).

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2.5 Other Approaches to Social Media Marketing
Product Development
Other authors and practitioners are equally bullish about enterprises deploying social
media as an idea development tool. The academic team of Constantinides, Romero and
Boria (2008) are of the opinion that companies should involve the customer in making
business decision through the collaborative use of social media. These can be made
possible in areas such as product development and service improvement. An example of
this is Domino’s Pizza’s customised pizza program, where customers can create their
own pizza, name them and make it available to others (Costantinides et al, 2008).

Li and Bernoff also touched on this approach in ‘Groundswell’ (2008). In the presented
Bearingpoint case study, the company uses a wiki for its effort in cataloguing its
information management solutions for its clients and system support information. The
significant difference in this knowledge management activity is that the wiki is open and
accessible for viewing and editing by its clients, systems users and even competitors, who
provides content related to specific information management issues. With a substantial
body of knowledge contained in the wiki, Bearingpoint is even able to sell the content of
this ‘crowdsourced’ knowledge along with its projects for clients.

Li and Bernoff believe that by developing communities where customers are allowed to
feedback and contribute ideas, a company can market more efficiently with products that
have been evaluated and verified by its own customers. By tapping on the collective
knowledge of the consumer and directly soliciting the wants of the customer, such
approach deserves merit as it fulfils the prime marketing fundamental of serving the
needs of the customer.

An Organisational Approach
Another remarkable concept that is a result of the social media revolution is the brand
organisation. In this approach, the organisation must adopt the philosophy that internal
branding is just as important as external communication. Employees must understand
and deliver the brand’s promise at all times. This is because customers can easily gain
access to online information on the company and its employees and make unaided
decisions based on these gathered information (Interakt, 2009).

33


Despite its revolutionary concept, the brand organisation approach is a highly visible
endeavour in an increasingly customer-oriented landscape. Interestingly and in accord,
the author, Tamar Weinberg (2009), proposes that customer service should be a core
component of any social media strategy. She argues that ‘customer service is social too’
and favourable impressions in this area will translate and propagate into online and offline
reputation for companies.

As described, this study believes the organisational approach to social media may
encounter considerable resistance in organisations with legacy operational practices. The
technological and communication aspect of social media may prove a challenge for
widespread adoption within a company, especially one with a mature population.
However, Amber Naslund (2009), an advocate of the social media-savvy organisation,
outlines the following for senior management buy-in: transparency provides business
intelligence in managing internal employee relations, improved customer experience
through consistent organisational message and better decision making through real-time
operational insights.

Catalyst for Change
Additionally, this study also believes that social media is the right catalyst for the next era
of business, from IT-driven to CSR-driven. In a recent research, it is found that there is an
increased adoption in Web 2.0 business efficiency practices in organisations, for example
the use of tools such as wikis, blogs, RSS (Bughin, 2007). Therefore, it is only a matter of
time before social media is an accepted norm within corporate activities. However, only
with early internal and external adoption of social media initiatives can businesses
maximise current and future opportunities, ahead of competitors.

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Section 3
Summary
The above study has shown that social media do indeed have a significant role to play in
contemporary marketing. Although there are dissenting voices in regards to the use of
social media as a marketing tool, generally, social media has been proven to have
important applications for marketing campaigns, public relations activities and customer
relationship management programs.

Marketing through Influence
A balanced and complementary approach is required to integrate social media into
marketing practices. The expert consensus calls for marketers to engage in a subtle and
restrained manner when engaging customers in social media. Making inroads through
influence and permission, rather than direct selling, will more likely provide the benefits of
long-term engagement. Therefore, the objective for social media marketers is indeed to
turn customers into brand advocates.

Communication 2.0
The significance of social media as a possible corporate ideology cannot be ignored.
With open and transparent communication through social media, companies can benefit
from the increased level of trust by customers and stakeholders. This is important in an
era where corporate social responsibility is emphasised in the wake of corporate
scandals, such as Bernie Maddox’s and Satyam’s. Social media has also been proven to
be an effective tool for public relations and in the creation of thought leadership for a
company.

Conclusion
Although social media is a recent arsenal to the field of business marketing, its potential
as a marketing tool cannot be overlooked. However, further development in its practice
and usage is required in order to increase corporate adoption. Also, a study into the
measurement of social media’s effectiveness and its return on investment must also be
undertaken. Only then can the real value of social media to an enterprise be ascertained.
Nonetheless, social media is a powerful tool for any organisation moving in the Web 2.0
space and beyond.

35


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38


Part B (Continued)
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39


Appendix A
Learning Styles Test Results

A1. VARK Questionnaire

Note: The above visual has been adapted from the online test result page on 18 July 2009.

A2. Honey & Mumford’s Questionnaire

Note: The above visual has been adapted from the self-administered, on-paper test result
on 18 July 2009.

40


A3. North Carolina State University Questionnaire

Note: The above visual has been adapted from the online test result page on 18 July
2009: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/submit.php

41


Personality Types Test Results

A4. Myers Briggs Types Indicator (MMDI Report by Team Technology)

Note: The visual, right, was
digitally captured from the online
test result page on 6
July 2009.

42


A5. Belbin Self Perception Inventory Report

Note: The above visual was digitally captured from the online test result page on 7 July 2009.

Note: The above visual is a reproduction adapted from the online test result for class presentation
purposes.

43


B2. Job Advertisements

The following are job listings advertised locally in Singapore. Both job listings provide an
overview of the ideal professional roles that align specifically with the author’s career
aspirations in the functional area of digital marketing

B2.1 CRM Operations Executive
Employer: BLUE Interactive

54


B2.2 Business Catalyst (Digital Marketing)
Employer: Oasis Interactive

55


B3. Standard Application Form

SINGAPORE CIVIL SERVICE APPLICATION FORM
APPLICATION FOR DIVISION I – III POSITION

1. This form may take you 30 minutes to fill in. You will need the following documents or information to fill in the form:
NRIC/Passport
Educational Certificates
Certificates of National Service and Employment, if applicable
Academic Scholarships/Bursaries/Other Certifications, if applicable
Particulars of Parents/Spouse/Character Referees
2. Please read instructions on the back page before you fill in this form. If space is insufficient, please attach
additional sheets.
3. Short-listing is based on merit. The personal information in this form is used for administrative purposes only.
4. * Delete as appropriate.

(A) MINISTRY: EDUCATION

(B) POST (S) APPLIED FOR (In order of preference):
1. New Media Executive 2. 3.

Are you prepared to consider posts other than those you have listed above? * Yes

(C) PERSONAL PARTICULARS
1. Full Name (Underline Surname): 9. Tel No: ______________ (Home)
________________________ __________________(Office)
2. ID Type: *NRIC(Pink) ______________(Handphone)
3. ID No: _______________________ 10. Email Address (if any):
4. Singapore Permanent Resident : * Yes _________________________________

5. Present Citizenship: 11. Highest Academic Qualification (Up to Bachelor’s degree):
__________________________________ _______________________________________ Year: 2009
______
6. Previous Citizenship (if any):
12. * Last/Current Employer :
___________________________ Oracle Corporation
__________________________________________________
7. Address: Blk/House No _
_______________________________
13. * Last Drawn/Current Monthly Gross Salary (S$) :
Street Name ___________
________________________________________
* Last Drawn/Current Annual Gross Salary (S$) :
Building Name __________________ Floor & Unit ____________
No_______
14. Expected Monthly Salary (S$) : ______________
Postal Code ________ City _________ Country
___________ Expected Annual Salary (S$) : _______________

8. Correspondence address outside Singapore (if applicable): Earliest date of starting work if offered appointment (e.g.
immediately, within one month): __________________________

___________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________
__
.

(D) EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Name in chronological order the schools attended from the
Year of Year of
age of 6 Highest Standard Passed & Year
Joining Leaving
School/Institution and Country

56

Final Project: Professional Development by Isman Tanuri

Final Project: Professional Development by Isman Tanuri

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