Chapter 1. Theory [307838]

Chapter 1. Theory

1.1 Introduction

In today’s web-[anonimizat] a [anonimizat] a specifically targeted one. [anonimizat].

If the first steps in the exploitation of the internet have showed that it’s [anonimizat], [anonimizat] a higher hit rate and presence for their customer base.

The scope of the following paper is to analyze the impact and the importance of utilizing the online marketing tools in a company. [anonimizat], potential and finally we will present some possible future developments.

It should be said that there are 2 types of ways in companies may decide to invest using the different marketing tools; one of them is to establish an online presence through the different social platform and the other one is to maintain the social network and the to influence future developments using the already established social network.

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1.2 Social network

So what is a social network and how we can use it?

“A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), [anonimizat]. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for analysing the structure of whole social entities as well as a variety of theories explaining the patterns observed in these structures. [anonimizat], and examine network dynamics”. [1]

[anonimizat]. This thing was generally studied by either psychologist and marketers alike in order to better understand what motivates an individual or a [anonimizat] a product, or to attract a potential worker. [anonimizat], [anonimizat].

“Our technological and economic systems have also become dependent on networks of enormous complexity. [anonimizat]. [anonimizat] into cascading failures or financial crises.” [2]

Figure [1.2.1] Social Network Scheme

Promotion through online means isn't meant to replace traditional promotion practices, but to complement them. That is why, it is of utmost Importance that the means and practices of online promotion are aligned with the traditional ones, both having the same final objectives and following the same line of communication.

Having this purpose in mind, this reveals the current stage of information regarding online marketing, the ins and outs of online marketing, with focus on the online promotion move.

Currently, the Web represents a big opportunity for any sort of business, every area encountering dramatic changes. The natural need for the spreading of the technology of information and the increasing need for connectivity of a business, represent primary factors because of which the Web services have become indispensable elements for any successful business.

The informational era has created a market of strong rivalry, buyers having direct access to a wider range of service providers. In the online medium they have to be careful about pricing and also have to demand more than they used to before they can decide on a specific type of service that they want to acquire. The deciding role on the internet belongs to the marketing strategy that has to be considered as decisive in the corporate strategy regarding the company’s virtual presence and organizational chart. Different companies want to acquire different things to online marketing like addressing new clients, offering sales platforms or just establishing or maintaining their online presence.

In the current digital economy it is necessary that marketing takes a leading role in the destiny of the companies, either through optimizing their websites, through place it on top of the search engines, through promoting the company on different social media platforms or just to reestablish their selling targets and implementing a better more fast reaching service in order to ensure that their customers get more easily targeted by the ads.

So what can we say about how networking works and how it is used and structured. Will take an easy example and exemplify how it can be approached by the different companies and how it can be used in order to achieve power.

Figure [1.2.2]: A social network on five people, with node B occupying an intuitively powerful position.

So what are the possible relations between these 5 characters and how it can be represented?

Dependence. Recalling that social relations confer value, nodes A and C are completely dependent on B as a source of such value; B on the other hand, has multiple sources.

Exclusion. Related to (i), B has the ability to exclude A and C. In particular, suppose each person were to choose a “best friend” in the group; then B has the unilateral power to choose one of A and C, excluding the other. (However, B does not have the analogous power over D.)

Satiation. A somewhat different basis for B’s power might be implicit in the psychological principle of satiation: having diminishing rewards for increased amounts of something. Again, viewing social relations as conferring value, B will acquire value at a greater rate than the other members of the group; having thus become satiated, B may be interested in maintaining these social relations only if she can receive an unequal share of their value.

Betweenness. If we believe that the value generated in social relations flows not just across single edges but more generally along paths, then we are led to consider notions such as betweenness. In our example, B has high betweenness because she is the unique access point between multiple different pairs of nodes in the network, and this potentially confers power. More generally, betweenness is one example of a centrality measure that tries to find the “central” points in a network

According to some specialists here are some key things that a company needs to know in order to establish a goof social network and to be able to achieve its desired goals:

Detailed personal profiles of its customers

Affiliations with groups (e.g., alumni, employers, hobbies, fans, health conditions, causes); with individuals (e.g., specific “friends”); and with products, firms, and other organizations

Private messaging and public discussions (blogs or other forums);

Media sharing (text, photos, video on different platforms)

Discovery-fueling feeds of recent activity among members (e.g., status changes, new postings, photos, applications installed)

The ability to install and use third-party applications tailored to the service (games, media viewers, survey tools, cookies, key loggers, etc.), many of which are also social and allow others to interact directly with its contents.

1.3 Branding definition:

What is it?

“Branding is endowing products and services with the power of a brand” (Kotler & Keller, 2015)

Branding is the process of giving a meaning to specific organization, company, products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds. Put it into perspective, branding is a strategy designed by organizations to help people to quickly identify and experience their products and services, and is generally used as a way of guarantying a certain quality or desirability and give the consumers reason to choose their products over the competition’s.

Who does it affect?

Consumers: As discussed above, a brand provides consumers with a decision-making-shortcut when feeling indecisive about the same product from different companies.

Employees/shareholders/third parties: Besides helping consumers to distinguish similar products, successful branding strategies are also adding to a company’s reputation. This asset can affect a range of people, from consumers to employees, investors, shareholders, providers, and distributors.

What’s the importance of branding and brand awareness?

Let’s just say that after a brand is well established and its consumers get used to receiving a level of quality, or just a good price to satisfaction ration from a certain brand it becomes easier for them to become a repeated purchaser. Now this can be seen as either an advantage or a disadvantage, as consumers who are disappointed in a product are far less likely to ever repeat a purchase even if the products and quality offered by a brand are different. Also if a purchaser is satisfied with the first purchase from a specific brand he will more likely repeat purchasing the same brand even if it’s second purchase is not as satisfying as the first one.

We can then say that a strong branding offers great satisfaction for a company and its shareholders as the selling process and client luring process is highly simplified and the costs of marketing are highly reduced attaining a higher overall profit.

How can it be done?

Companies generally use different tools in order to create and shape a brand. For example, branding can be achieved through:

Brand definition:  defying a purpose in order to attract certain sympathy, values that are generally shared by a general public and a promise that appeals to most of the customers.

Brand positioning statement –generally a definition that is used as to place the company in a general good light and to portray the idea of a good practice type of business.

Brand identity: This is generally referred to the  name, tone of voice, visual identity design (which includes the logo design, color palette, typographies) generally developed by good psychologist in order to both appeal to the consumers and to be easily identified among its competition.

Advertising and communications:  This is used as a awareness tool in order for the brand to become more familiar to the customers by the means of TV, radio, magazines, outdoor ads, website, mobile apps, etc.

Sponsoring and partnerships – generally in events that have a high number of viewers such as sports events, music festivals, conferences, etc.

Product and packaging design – the etiquette of a product might be used in some cases as a way to transmit a certain idea or portray a certain image about a brand (ex. Produced from recycled materials, no GMO’s,etc.)

In-store experience – some brands focus on the B2C experience and tend to offer a very good in store experience for their clients.(magazines, free drinks, promotions, etc.)

Workspace experience and management style – As in the case studied by us a good company must also take into consideration its employees’ satisfaction and if they are highly likely to recommend the company to future potential employees. A lot of successful businesses agree that 80% of a company’s success belongs to its employees so companies have started investing a lot of resources in order to become a more preferable employer in the last couple of years.

Customer service – This generally refers to the services provided to the customers after the sale process has been done, things like refunding, guarantee, servicing of the products are seriously taken into consideration by the customers.

Pricing strategy – In order to become a preferred brand a company has to make sure that it has a good price-quality/satisfaction ratio as the high competition means that sometimes a brand can lose a lot of customers due to a competitor willing to offer the same quality at a lower price.

Brand Developing by Bosch is generally done through investing in the following actions:

• Quality of services through video marketing;

• Creating content for users;

• Offline presence;

• Quality photographs of the products;

• Video presentation of products (Facebook and YouTube ); customer satisfaction surveys, each order must be conducted flawlessly; and the client shall recommend the business or return with love;

• Optimization of points of interaction with the customer (interaction with the advertisement, interaction with the site, telephone confirmation, order tracking, parcel receipt, interaction with the product, interaction with the media, return process/ exchange is easy and fast, possibility of payment in instalments/ with card, etc.).

1.4 Social media and their direct relations

The introduction of the internet in our lives has brought many opportunities that have affected the way we live our lives, the ways we buy and also the way that marketing is done. With the exponential growth rate of internet tools, internet usage and user numbers, publicity and electronic marketing have also started being exploited by more companies. The internet marketing activity offers huge possibilities at a minimal cost, becoming much more easier to acquire then traditional marketing methods and in most cases they have replaced the traditional methods altogether.

The internet has had a huge impact especially in the communication between buyers and sellers. In last couple of years a few digital communication instruments have appeared like emails, banners, blogs, interactive television, search engine marketing, pop-up ads, online communities, web conferences, etc.

Promotion through online means isn't meant to replace traditional promotion practices, but to complement them. That is why, It is of utmost Importance that the means and practices of online promotion are aligned with the traditional ones, both having the same final objectives and following the same line of communication.

Having this purpose in mind, this chapter reveals the current stage of information regarding online marketing, the ins and outs of online marketing, with focus on the online promoting move.

Currently, the Web represents a big opportunity for any sort of business, every area encountering dramatic changes. The natural need for the spreading of the technology of information and the increasing need for connectivity of a business, represent primary factors because of which the Web services have become indispensable elements for any successful business.

The informational era has created a market of strong rivalry, buyers having direct access to a wider range of service providers. In the online medium they have to be careful about pricing and also have to demand more than they used to before they can decide on a specific type of service that they want to acquire. The deciding role on the internet belongs to the marketing strategy that has to be considered as decisive in the corporate strategy regarding the company’s virtual presence and organizational chart. Different companies want to acquire different things to online marketing like addressing new clients, offering sales platforms or just establishing or maintaining their online presence.

In the current digital economy it is necessary that marketing takes a leading role in the destiny of the companies, either through optimizing their websites, through place it on top of the search engines, through promoting the company on different social media platforms or just to reestablish their selling targets and implementing a better more fast reaching service in order to ensure that their customers get more easiy targeted by the ads.

Companies like Ambrosia Software, Medialab International, Blast Radius, Insigna Systems and Electric Rain, have launched a new dimension of marketing which has steadily made the internet the most relevant and efficient channel for promoting and interaction.

This category of companies has represented the pioneers of online marketing, these companies representing new concepts like advertising through online banners, online catalogues, virtual directories and stores.

1.4.1 Employment and impact on employability

The past years have shown a big rise social network use is due to the number of formal teenagers that where introduced to the internet and the power of computers in the 90’s and that are currently in the workforce. They are the ones using the services to network with professionals for internship and job opportunities. Many schools have implemented online alumni directories which serve as makeshift social networks that current and former students can turn to for career advice. In addition, employers have been found to use social network sites to screen job candidates as it is an easier and faster way of reaching a bigger number of candidates and also reading references by previous employers or just reading their bio.

1.4.2 Impact on employability

So how does social networking and social media affect the hiring process?

Social networking sites have created issues among getting hired for jobs and losing jobs because of exposing inappropriate content, posting photos of embarrassing situations or posting comments that contain potentially offensive comments (e.g., racist, homophobic or defamatory comments), or even political comments that are contrary to those of the employer. There are works which recommend friends to social networking users based on their political opinions. Many people use social networking sites to express their personal opinions about current events and news issues to their friends.

If a potential applicant expresses personal opinions on political issues or makes potentially embarrassing posts online on a publicly available social networking platform, employers can access their employees' and applicants' profiles, and judge them based on their social behavior or political views. There have been numerous cases where employees have lost jobs because their opinions represented their companies negatively.

1.5 Advantages of Using Social Media Marketing for Business

Wide audience reach

The question why use social media for business can be answered in a simple phrase: because that is where people are. It is estimated that by 2019 there will be 2.77 billion people worldwide who would be using social media. These figures demonstrate the huge reach that social media has and the potential for future developments.

Keeping users engaged

Social media marketing services for small businesses have a very good ROI because much could be done with a very little investment. It also becomes a lot easier to keep users engaged by posting different things like information, movies or funny memes and by just seeing the brand name , users become more familiar to a company.

Traffic through links

Social media posts can have links to your website that would increase traffic on the website. It could be used to generate leads of potential customers. It is directly linked to increased sales for the organization.

Branding

Social media can also be used for branding. The posts and reviews on social media build up a brand image that serves as a powerful influence on potential customers. Monitoring conversations that are relevant to your product will provide you with insight on how potential customers view you, they can also see this as a way to better themselves and their products in order to better satisfy the customers desires.

1.6 The advantages of online marketing and of traditional marketing

[1.8.1] Table advantages[1] Carmody, B.,Online Promotions: Winning Strategies and Tactics, Edited by Bill Carmody, year 2001, pg 47

1.7 Direct Email Companies – Email Marketing

The design, organization and conduct of direct e-mail campaigns (Email Marketing) the result of influences by several factors including extensive Internet development, penetration of the Internet into consumer segments, the growing experience of organizations associated with the use of direct marketing techniques and tools, and their desire to capitalize on the marketing and sales opportunities offered by the new communication environment.

The analogy with direct mail actions and campaigns, supported by the similarities between the two specific communication media, mail and e-mail, facilitated the orientation of organizations, interested in using between an offensive Internet manner, to the deployment of direct e-mail campaigns. They enabled the exchange of information remotely with the organization’s consumers in a direct, interactive, personalized manner and stimulating an immediate response from them.

The main advantages of using e-mail as a direct communication medium to the organization relate to:

the personal nature of the communication with the consumer: e-mail allows the organization to send consumers messages that are almost perfectly suited to their characteristics;

the confidential nature of the communication with the consumer: electronic mail allows the organization to send messages to consumers whose content is known only to the consumer and the organization;

the possibility to orient the organization's messages very accurately: the identification and profile data available in the campaign database gives the organization the opportunity to direct email campaigns both geographically or demographically and psychographic or behaviorally;

increased creative capacity of direct communication with the consumer: messages that are the subject of direct e-mail campaigns are built in a significantly more creative manner compared to messages specific to direct mail campaigns due to the facilities offered by the software applications used, which allow the combination of text, audio and video elements in an electronic format more attractive than the printed format;

total testability of direct email campaign components: is a feature specific to all direct marketing campaigns allowing the organization to experiment with each decision it has made in designing, organizing and carrying out them in order to identify the most effective variants;

Even if these advantages shape a more than favorable picture of direct e-mail campaigns in terms of their integration into the organization's marketing communication campaigns, the decision to use them must also consider the specific disadvantages associated with them:

direct email campaigns may not target all market segments of the organization: the number and characteristics of the market segments approachable through them depend on the level of penetration and development of the Internet, as well as the profile of the Consumer;

direct email campaigns cannot help achieve all of your organization's goals: e-mail can only be used effectively at the level of the organization’s loyal consumer segments, serving to achieve objectives that take into account their attitude towards the organization, its products, services or brands and the additional or cross-selling of certain of its products or services;

direct email campaigns create consumer reservations: the avalanche of unsolicited e-mail messages leads consumers to adopt a defensive or even rejection attitude and, by implication, this way of receiving information from the organizations concerned;

direct e-mail campaigns are tools of a predominantly tactical nature: they aim to simulate an immediate or short-term response of potential consumers rather than building and maintaining a long-term relationship with them.

The set of advantages and disadvantages directly associated with e-mail, however, gives it promising prospects in terms of its usefulness for both organizations and consumers. As the volume of commercial e-mails is constantly increasing, organizations will need to be concerned about generating as high a conversion rate as possible among potential consumers from the first message sent to them, so as not to abuse their trust and patience in subsequent campaigns.

How to use the direct email campaign is also a reference element for its design. Almost half, 49% of online shoppers tend to react to a commercial e-mail message if they have previously watched a television ad, heard a radio spot or received a message specific to a direct mail campaign with the same object.

Other important elements for the design, organization and conduct of a successful direct email campaign relate to the planning of its deployment over time, the organization of testing activities for the various components of the campaign, the construction of its budget and, last but not least, the definition of all elements of coordination, control and evaluation of its effectiveness. The content of these elements is almost entirely similar to those included in the organization’s direct marketing and online marketing plans.

1.8 Optimizing a site – Search Engine Optimization

Building and optimizing a site requires knowledge specific to the online environment, which applies differently from one field of activity to another, but the fundamentals are the same. In order to gain a successful presence on the Internet, any marketing specialist must know and understand these promotional activities, specific to internet marketing.

Currently, more than 95% of information is searched online through search engines, however Google, Yahoo and Bing. The algorithms of these search engines give priority to successful sites, built with the internet user as their central element and optimized accordingly. Thus, the process of optimizing a site is complex, bringing with it both the need for advanced marketing knowledge and the need for a technical understanding.

The definition and presentation of the main online promotion activities is absolutely necessary for understanding this environment.

The notion of SEO emerged in the 90s, being an abbreviation from Search Engine Optimization, i.e.: optimization for search engines. at the same time, the same abbreviation also refers to persons who practice this "craft". in the early age of the Internet, when there were only "a few" sites in total (in fact a few million, compared to the more than 20 billion, estimated today) – search engines appeared, which, although not at all sophisticated – indexed the content on the web quite well and constituted a starting point of navigation, thus being an important source of traffic for websites. At the same time, the specialists realized the need for conscious control in the process of increasing visibility in search engines.[18]

Although traffic seems like one of the most important things for which SEO services are needed, the real advantage is the relationship with the customer. Unlike ads that track the customer with an optimized site, the customer finds the company.

Internal optimization (on-site optimization) – promotion measures are applied directly to the site in question and depend, but especially can be influenced only by the SEO team.

Optimization may cover the following technical aspects of a site:

Site loading speed,

Specific elements to each page that correctly convey the meaning of the page to search engines (title, meta description, headings),

Page formatting,

Site architecture.

Another important aspect is the content. It must be useful, quality and as far as possible unique. Focus on unique content should be focused on these types of pages:

Homepage – clear presentation of the specifics of the store and why it is different from similar ones.

About us – users must gain confidence in the company behind the site to become loyal customers. Contact details and delivery details must be clear.

Category pages or main sections should have as detailed and, last but not least, useful descriptions as possible. Just as in a restaurant with a menu similar to others there is a waiter who can make recommendations to guide the customer, so product recommendations demonstrate the expertise of the site.

Blog – many restaurants choose to accompany their menu with stories about food, making the menu much more attractive. Similarly, the presence of a blog is recommended to draw attention to categories and products of interest.

External optimization (off-site optimization) – in the promotion does not directly belong to the SEO team, those soon the collective will of the Internet. This means that starting from an objective reality about the quality of a website – search engines always try to find measurable signals about the relevance and importance of the web page in relation to the search expression analyzed. These signals refer to quality, performance and popularity indicators, and straight examples can serve: the number and quality of links to the analyzed page, the number of social interactions (Facebook like, share, comment, Tweet, etc.), the context in which the mentions appear, the credibility and authority of sources, the overall and local volume of searches for those keywords, etc.

Optimizing a site is vital for any area that wants to have as much traffic as possible. Optimizing a site involves placing your company online in a location with a large view. For good optimization, the market of that domain is analyzed, the best keyword opportunities are identified, and the site is optimized in the Romanian language.

1.9 Internet advertising

The Internet has had a particular impact on communication among buyers and sellers, in recent years numerous digital communication tools have appeared, e-mail, banners, blogs, interactive television, search engine marketing, pop-up additions, online communities, web conferencing, etc.

The Website. The role of a Website is to get potential consumers to visit it, discover the information contained there and take the purchase step. Consumers often access a site because of the brand's classic marketing and communication activities, so timing and harmonizing with internet activities is essential. The role of a site is to determine as much visitor stake as possible and feedback from them in the form of mailing lists, forums, chats, etc.

The advertising banner is the most used online advertising tool. It is equivalent to conventional advertising panels or newspaper and magazine inserts and is an important promotional tool. The banner is a static or animated graphic image that is done with the aim of drawing the visitor's attention to a particular source or information page. For this reason, a first element that attracts is the design and simple, suggestive drawings with a clear and short message are used . Its creation and testing generally follows the rules for the creation of advertisements for print media or external advertising, plus the particularities required by the use of the Internet as a medium of communication. Typically, advertising banners broadcast on the Internet contain the following information: the name of the organization, its advertising slogan, the call to action for the visitor, the incentive for visitor action, a special price offer and the main advantage offered by the organization, product or service promoted through banner ad.

To increase the impact of the message transmitted through the ad banner, you can choose to create and broadcast animated, sound or multiple versions of it. Both animated and sound versions are more attractive compared to simple ones, thanks to the expansion of the banner content from its static visual dimension, but at the same time, they make the banner and page hosting it harder to load and view.

The best solution for creating an effective advertising banner involves following the rules of advertising creation, making multiple versions of the banner and testing them to identify the most efficient versions and the factors that increase or reduce its efficiency. Testing of different variants of advertising banner must be carried out in relation to two essential coordinates:

the degree of interactivity generated refers to the number of hits that the banner determined among consumers, its efficiency being all the greater the number of hits is also higher;

the level of impact generated refers to the number of consumers who have retained all or part of the message sent through the banner. The higher the act generated by the banner being tested, the greater the chances that the object of the banner will be searched by consumers.

Interstitial advertising refers to inserting one or more web pages with advertising content into the entire pages of a website, which are scheduled to open automatically when the site visitor reaches a specific page or activates a link corresponding to it. The creation and these advertising pages give the organization a very important advantage, the space available to present the object of the message is significantly larger, it can occupy the size of a computer screen.

Pop-up advertising takes into account the advertising windows that open when the visitor of a website activates a link to a specific page in the structure of a website, giving the organization, as in the case of interstitial advertising, the advantage of a significantly larger advertising space than that of a standard advertising banner.

However, the use of interstitial and pop-up advertising presents a huge disadvantage in the sense that consumers are annoyed by the appearance of these pages and the fact that they are embarrassed to browse through the content of a website, i.e. the need to perform maneuvers to close or disable these pages, causes them to look at them unfavorably.

Thus, advertising banners remain the only attractive and relatively effective online advertising tool for the organization.

The payment of a banner is based on the number of clicks that that banner has determined, and not relative to the duration of the banner, so the payment is generated by the specific behavior of consumers. Although the costs of a TV ad are much higher than those for placing a banner of the same kind on a high-traffic site, the seconds in which it is watched by a certain number of individuals are paid for, while the banner is paid per click.

The effectiveness of the banner may be greater than a TV or printed advertisement, as the potential engine comes into direct contact with the products and services marketed by clicking on the banner, obtaining on the spot all the product-related information it needs.

Rich-media ad messages appear as video images, which are used quite rarely because they greatly increase the upload time on the source server. Because the gaze is more strongly attracted to things on the move, this type of message attracts more attention to the user. They are used in cases where the other elements sufficiently explain the message to be sent.

Keyword buying is buying keywords and placing the site in a better position when searching for those keywords.

Online sampling is the way in which a simple click on the banner of the promotion microsite gives the user the opportunity to open an online form that he fills to receive, by post, the samples offered in the campaign.

A microsite represents an individual web page, created as un suplimment for de fundamental website. It can be specially designed for a certain campaign, for a special event suchs as the launching of a new product, endorsement a new marketing campaign. A microsite can also be udes by a small company whishing to give a sense of his presence online, through a small web site, with a powerfull visual effect.

When a product, empoyement or a company doesn`t have any site, the quickest solution for those who want to communicate through Internet is th creation of a fwe pages site.

Content module represents an integrated presentation text box in the editorial area of the site. The juxtaposition of the spot and the editorial content is meant to contribute to the increase of efficiency and credibility of the company.

The video ad is a video spot which runs within the site or portal. The recomanded duration of a video is 10 to 30 seconds. Instead of apearing in a certain broadcasta of at a certain time, the comercials are coupled, on the internet, to the fields of interest of the users. It contains, generally, between 20 to 65 words, written on one or three rows.

1.10 Largest social networking services

Table [1.10.1] Largest social network

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service)

1.11 LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social network for business relationships that aims to connect companies with potential employees and customers. LinkedIn has more than 3 million companies and over 200 million users worldwide.

People can have a page like a resume, while companies can have company pages. LinkedIn is where people expose their professional strengths, work experience or seek a professional community with common interests.

LinkedIn is a very useful tool for companies, being the perfect place for online recruitment, but also for B2B (business-to-business) relationships.

Keywords:

Followers: people who follow your company page.

Visitors: users viewing the page.

Interaction: measure clicks, likes, comments, shares, and followers you acquire on the page.

Companies can easily make an account called Company Page on which they can add information about the company, the services and the positions available; by adding the Careers tab, you can post the jobs that the company offers, and in the Services tab you can add banners and information about the services/products that the company offers. Once you create a profile on LinkedIn, it's very important that your profile is fully optimized and contains the information your audience needs.

Advantages of using LinkedIn in business:

Online recruiting- enables online recruitment, we search for the most suitable candidates and interact with them. You can also create paid recruitment ads to reach the right audience. Your own employees can have a profile on LinkedIn and connect with the company page, where they can leave reviews and opinions.

Brand notoriety- presence on this platform gives an added confidence in the authority and experience of the brand. Users who track the activity can also receive new brand information.

Interaction with the users- here you can get to know the audience and interact with users who post questions or reviews. This is a good opportunity to communicate the message and attitude.

Promoting events by interest groups- if your company organizes a conference, webinar, or any other professional event, the right audience can certainly be found on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn and SEO- the profile can be indexed by search engines (e.g. Google ) and can appear in the results of a search about the company.

B2B interaction- LinkedIn easily finds potential companies, vendors, partners.

Increased traffic on the website- you can display the website address for users who want to learn more about the company.

1.12 Facebook

Facebook is a social network through which people can connect with friends, relatives, acquaintances or, why not, even strangers. Facebook is used to stay in touch with the people you're connected to on this network. As a user, you can share information with your contracts and learn useful data from them.

Often, the targeted audience informs and makes purchase decisions in their spare time, searching the internet for data or asking for the recommendations of friends on the largest social network: Facebook. For this reason, it is important to create a company page to build a good image.

On their Facebook profile, the user can post information they want to make public (they will only present it to certain people, depending on their account settings).

This information includes both personal data and a history of all posts made on the profile page (the area called Timeline). The information outside in this area is under the direct control of the user. Every profile also has a Newsfeed. This is where all the news posted on Facebook by the people or pages you're connected to appear, as well as all the ads of companies that use Facebook Ads for promotion. The information that appears here cannot be fully controlled by the user.

The main differences between a personal profile and company page

Table [1.12.1] differences

Advantages of using Facebook

Access to a new audience. Facebook currently has nearly 1.9 billion active users worldwide and 9.6 million active users in Romania (according to Facebrands). Whatever the company profile (B2B or B2C), it is almost impossible not to find at least some of the potential customers on Facebook. Of course, this will also require an investigation into Facebook Ads. [17]

Strengthening the company's image. The Facebook page can help the company show the world its values and the benefits of its products or services.

Improving the relationship with existing and potential customers. Through a company page, users who are interested in the company's products or services can directly contact the company and ask questions, place orders or just read reviews from other customers that have been left on the companies Facebook page.

Helping potential clients that are in the informing phase. Before any buying decision the informing phase has to take place, a phase in which the future customer is searching and analyzing all the data that can be found and that is considered important by him regarding the product or service that he is looking to purchase. On the Facebook page anyone can inform about the opinions and recommendations of other users, they can also view the interactions between potential customers or just write information regarding the selling of the different products.

1.13 YouTube

YouTube is a site with billions of videos on all possible topics. Launched in 2005 by 3 Paypal employees and subsequently purchased by Google, YouTube is the largest video sharing channel in the world, with only user-uploaded videos.

Each video uploaded to the site can receive comments, likes or even dislikes, be incorporated into other sites or shared on social networks.

Keywords:

Playlist: Collection of videos running one after another.

Tag: Descriptive keywords used to help users find a specific video.

Subscribe: Button through which users subscribe to a specific YouTube channel, and then receive notifications for each newly uploaded video on the platform.

Embed: HTML code that allows you to play a video directly in a site or blog.

Share: By “sharing”, you'll share your videos on the most important social networks or copy the link to a video directly and post it where you want it.

Email: Distribution can also be done directly by email. In this case, all you will have to do will be to fill in the recipient's email.

YouTube's operating principle is a very simple one: unregistered users can view video content, and registered users can view, but also upload new videos. Uploading content is free and can be done by anyone. Normally, a video can last up to 15 minutes, but with appropriate settings you can upload videos up to 128GB.

YouTube is based on uploading videos directly by your own users, with free uploading. Like any search engine, YouTube has its own algorithm to choose which videos to show in results and which videos not.

To send a signal to YouTube to recognize the video posted as important, you can use:

keywords in the uploaded file. videos uploaded to YouTube must have a suggestive name.

appropriate title and description. It is recommended that they contain the keywords you want to appear for in the results. in the video description, you can even add links to your own site.

adding tags. Carefully tag the tags you want to be found for. Do not abuse them and use only the main tags that contain the keywords you want.

distribution of videos. To make it easier to share your videos, YouTube offers 3 simple ways: Share, Embed, and Email.

Youtube Advantages

Performing product demonstrations. Compared to an image, a video can contain many more aspects of a product and provide more details about it. In this case, it can clearly show what a product actually looks like and how it can be used.

Creating a community. YouTube provides all elements of a social network (like, comment, share, embed) through which users can interact with the business, and in addition to these common items, users have the option to subscribe to the YouTube account, using the Subscribe button that is under the videos presented. It's a good time to encourage your audience to sign up for the latest news on your media channel.

Adding links directly to your own site. YouTube provides the facility to add direct links to your own video. The facility is called "Annotations" and can be found on the "Enhancements" button.

Analyzing products that have been successful. YouTube has its own analytics to analyze video efficiency indicators. Through YouTube reports, you can see the number of views, the number of minutes tracked, demographic data, device types, traffic source, etc.

1.14 How social media affect your business

“As of January 2018, there are 4.02 billion internet users around the globe — that’s 53% of the world’s total population. Active social media users make up 3.2 billion, or 42% of the population. These numbers alone prove that social media is here to stay, if not to flourish further.

With such penetration, its significance to society cannot be ignored — especially in the marketing world. The reach and influence of social media is a treasure in the business and trade industries, where the need to engage and persuade the market is of top priority. With the slow death of print and radio, social media has taken over as one of the leading channels for marketing and advertising.

Effects Of Social Media On Brand Presence

According to We Are Social’s Digital in 2018 Global Overview, Facebook is the second most visited website in the world, followed by YouTube, with Google leading the list. Facebook was also the most searched query on Google, followed again by the video-sharing platform YouTube. These numbers prove that the four billion active internet users turn to social media platforms every single day.

As consumers spend more time on social media, the platforms also become the go-to source for product and brand information. With more than 60 million Facebook Pages, brands are reaching millions on the social media platform. In the same report by We Are Social, it was revealed that posts on a brand’s Facebook Page reach 10.7% more people than its current number of followers. It was also revealed that 4.2% of all Facebook users who see a Facebook Page’s post engage with it — be it by reading a status, liking a post, watching a video or clicking a link.

Twitter also offers similar effects on businesses using the platform. According to Twitter, the top reason people come to Twitter is to “discover something new and interesting.” The platform is also five times more likely to offer new videos to users than any other source. The intent of users to find something new, coupled with the platform’s design to offer new discoveries, allows for higher brand recall and awareness.

Effects of Social Media On Brand Loyalty

A 2017 survey of 5,700 marketers revealed that 69% are developing loyal fans for their brands via social media marketing. In the same vein, 66% of users between the ages of 18 and 24 years old are more loyal to the brands they follow on social media, while 60% of 25- to 34-year-olds favor the businesses they follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A recent survey completed by my company in Chicago confirmed the relationship between small businesses’ use of social media and building loyalty among their community of followers: 60% of respondents stated that they followed the businesses they regularly buy services from on Facebook. Additionally, 54% of them said that they believed businesses that engaged with clients and followers on Facebook were more focused on providing better service than those that did not.

Effects of Social Media On Sales

We Are Social’s Digital in 2018 Global Overview reported that 17% of the world’s population makes online purchases and pays their bills online. Strong economies like the UK (78%), South Korea (74%), Germany (74%), Sweden (70%) and the U.S. (69%) have the highest e-commerce penetration, or percentage of the population that has purchased online.

Interestingly, because the highest percentage of users — ages 18 to 34 years old — has the most buying power, they’re likely to make a purchase with the influence of social media. A Nielsen study commissioned by Twitter revealed that one in four new vehicle purchasers in the U.S. used Twitter to help them make their decision to purchase.

In a survey of more than 600 senior marketers, 39% said they saw a medium return on investment (ROI) from organic social media posts, while 20% said they received the highest ROI from this form of marketing channel. In addition, 36% said paid social media ads brought in medium ROI, while 17% said the channel provided high ROI.

With all these facts, data and statistics, it would be impossible to deny the influence social media has on the consumer. Whether it be through simple brand awareness or brand loyalty that equates to sales, social media has a big impact.” [3]

Chapter 2 – Presenting the company

Picture [2.1] Logo&Slogan of Bosch , https://www.bosch.com/

2.2 The Bosch Group

[2.2.1] Bosch Group Data , https://www.bosch.ro/compania-noastra/grupul-bosch-international/

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 402,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2017). The company generated sales of 78.1 billion euros in 2017. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.

As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected manufacturing.

It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.”

The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs roughly 64,500 associates in research and development.

2.3 Ownership structure and organization

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future.

Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

[2.3.1]Bosch Share capital , Bosch annual report , https://assets.bosch.com/media/global/bosch_group/our_figures/pdf/bosch-today-2020.pdf

2.4 Sustainability

For Bosch, preserving the basis of our existence is an obligation to future generations, as well as a question of entrepreneurial responsibility. Without a healthy environment, it will not be possible to do business successfully over the long term. Bosch has set itself clear sustainability goals that carry on the commitment shown so far, while also giving increased attention to social challenges. The “New Dimensions – Sustainability 2025” vision focuses on six megatrends.

By 2030, Bosch intends to have invested one billion euros in energy efficiency measures, and to systematically increase the share of new clean power it procures. This is power from new plants set up as a result of Bosch’s commitment to renewable energy.

[2.4.1] Picture New Dimension , Sustainability report. https://assets.bosch.com/media/global/sustainability/reporting_and_data/2019/bosch-sustainability-report-2019-factbook.pdf

Bosch has also set itself the goal of reducing emissions in the upstream and downstream value chain. In the major categories “purchased goods,” “logistics,” and “use of products sold,” it aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent by 2030.

Every day in our increasingly urbanized world, products are used that have an ecological impact, whether during manufacture, during use, or at the end of their useful lives. To keep this footprint to a minimum, Bosch already carries out lifecycle analyses for its main product groups, which account for roughly 50 percent of its sales. The aim is to discover potential ways of further reducing products’ ecological impact, true to the idea of a closed-loop or circular economy. When it comes to waste avoidance in manufacturing, Bosch will focus on reducing hazardous waste and increasing its recycling ratio.

As a globally operating company, Bosch also assumes responsibility worldwide. In 2020, the company aims to reduce its accident rate to a maximum of 1.7 accidents per million hours worked.

2.5 Bosch’s strategic approach

The starting point for our goals and strategies is the objective of securing the company’s future as enshrined in the will of founder Robert Bosch – in other words, ensuring the company’s development and securing its financial independence. We want to become a leading IoT company and provider of the mobility of the future. Our ambition is to always develop products that are “Invented for life,” that spark enthusiasm, that improve quality of life, and that help conserve natural resources. In this respect, “products” means not only physical products and services but also software-based solutions. We are driving innovation, opening up new business areas, and evolving our organization. At the same time, we are adapting our existing activities to market requirements.

The Bosch Group is currently seeing fundamental changes in technologies and markets. Besides digitization and increased connectivity, this is also due to global concern about climate change, geopolitical developments, and social trends such as increasing urbanization. Connectivity is affecting all our areas of business – from mobility solutions, industrial technology, and consumer goods through to building and energy technology. Another disruptive factor is increasing electrification, especially in automotive technology, but also in industrial technology and energy and building technology.

2.6 Mission statement and values

One of the strategic focal points of our “We are Bosch” mission statement is shaping change, taking into account the aspects of connectivity, electrification, automation, energy efficiency, and emerging markets. It is our ambition to play a part in molding the far-reaching changes in markets and technology. Additional key strategic focal points are customer centricity as well as entrepreneurial and innovative excellence. For us, customer focus means understanding the needs of our customers and, against this backdrop, finding the best possible solution for products and business models. Excellence is a prerequisite to reach our goals. We measure ourselves against our best competitors and always aim to take the lead. When putting our strategy into practice, we build on our strengths: our culture, our high level of innovation and quality, and our global presence. The Bosch values are the bedrock of our actions: future and result focus, responsibility and sustainability, initiative and determination, openness and trust, fairness, reliability, credibility and legality, and diversity

2.7 Products

Our products can be found in many areas of everyday life – at home or in the car, at work or at leisure. Our “Invented for life” ethos stands for quality, reliability, and safety – and for the fact that our products fascinate people and improve their quality of life. To ensure that it stays that way in the future, we conduct research and development work on innovative solutions and technologies that make life easier and safer, conserve resources, and create economic added value for our customers.

2.8 IT security and data protection

Trust that systems and data are protected against manipulation is a decisive determinant of success for IoT technology. Consequently, IT security is a fundamental element of Bosch’s quality standards. Our data protection and data security principles are documented in our IoT Principles. In this context, we take into consideration the requirements of our customers in particular: it is our duty to handle their data in a secure and transparent way and protect their privacy. Since mid 2018, overall responsibility for IT security at Bosch rests with the Chief Digital Officer. A separate steering committee meeting is devoted to reporting twice a year to the board of management.

2.9 Supply chain

Our supplier base is as heterogeneous and international as our range of products is varied and diverse. Against the backdrop of global challenges, we recognize and assume our responsibility for the entire supply chain. It is important to us also to involve our suppliers in this respect. Together, we advocate climate action, environmental protection, and conservation of resources. Fair working conditions and competitive practices as well as respect for human rights are likewise at the center of our attention and in line with the maxim of our company founder Robert Bosch: “Be human and respect human dignity.”

2.10 Employer of choice

We want to continue to be an attractive employer – an employer of choice. In a highly competitive labor market and above all in light of the digital transformation, it is vital for us to be able to win and retain the best talent. Besides acquiring new talent, we continuously further our associates’ qualifications, making adjustments on a needs basis, so that they can accompany us on our journey into new business fields. We analyze changes in skills profiles and pursue the aim of positioning Bosch as an employer of choice for digital talent. The “moments that matter” project that we carried out at some pilot locations in the reporting period helps us to achieve this aim. It enables associates to give us quick and direct feedback on HR tools such as onboarding, for example. To address digital talent in particular, we have developed a systematic approach based on market analyses, benchmarks, and surveys.

We create conditions for all associates that allow them to reach their full potential and unfold their creativity. We accompany each individual in their development (for further details on development, see the “Associates | Learning and development” section) and support them in reconciling their professional and personal commitments and mastering the various requirements of different life stages.

The fact that our associates rarely terminate their employment relationship speaks for itself, and the number of associates who hand in their notice is also very low compared with the industry as a whole. However, there are regional differences. While associates in India and China switch employers more frequently, associates in Germany remain loyal to their employer for a very long time. Owing to the low number of associates handing in their notice, Bosch does not record this metric or the turnover rate in detail.

2.11 Employee rights

Bosch has always maintained open and constructive dialogue with employee representatives to make decisions based on consensus to the greatest extent possible. We are convinced that we can implement the change processes needed to secure our competitiveness only in cooperation with employee representatives.

2.12 Our brands

The Bosch Group encompasses a number of different brands which are tailored to individual market requirements, and whose products and services are also designed to improve quality of life.

[2.12.1] Picture the Brands , https://www.bosch.ro/compania-noastra/grupul-bosch-international/

2.13 Business sectors of the Bosch Group

In the case of Mobility Solutions, the Bosch Group competes mainly with a small number of major automotive suppliers. Its chief customers are still globally operating automakers and large regional producers, particularly in China. This market is changing due to the increasing electrification, automation, connectivity, and multimodal mobility, with additional suppliers and customers entering the market.

The Mobility Solutions business sector accounts for 61 percent of total Bosch Group sales. Its main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, steering systems, safety and driver-assistance systems, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket.

The sector combines the group’s expertise in three mobility domains – automation, electrification, and connectivity – and offers its customers integrated mobility solutions that allow cars to interact with other means of transportation such as bicycles, trains, and buses.

Mobility solutions web portal-The Bosch mobility solutions web portal presents highlights from the areas of connected mobility, automated mobility, and powertrain systems and electrified mobility.

Auto parts and accessories -Bosch spare parts feature impressive quality and reliability, as well as innovative technology.

Bosch Car Service-At more than 16,000 Bosch certified car service garages, drivers benefit from first-class service, expert know-how, and ex-works quality automotive spare parts.

eBike systems -We develop, produce, and market products that fascinate people. Our systems enable mobility that is more individual, sustainable, and connected than ever before. Bosch eBike Systems stands for quality and reliability, cooperative partnership with customers, dealers, and manufacturers, as well as optimum service.

Workshop world- Bosch offers diagnostics software and hardware, training courses, and partner programs for repair shops. With the latest testing technology, Bosch helps repair shops diagnose more efficiently, more safely, and more quickly.

In the case of Industrial Technology, the Drive and Control Technology and Packaging Technology divisions operate as machinery and systems suppliers in fairly fragmented markets with many competitors and customers. The nature of these competitors and customers is also changing due to increasing connectivity.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions -Bosch Service Solutions is a leading international supplier of business process outsourcing solutions

Drive and control technology -Bosch is a globally active partner, with a one-of-a-kind portfolio for mobile applications, factory automation, and process plant engineering that features cutting-edge technology and matchless industry expertise.

Energy and building solutions-As your reliable partner, we provide connected and integrated solutions that make your buildings more secure, more efficient, and more comfortable.

Large thermal plants and system solutions -Bosch offers you individual solutions for process heat, steam, and decentralized energy management.

Packaging technology -Bosch Packaging Technology is one of the leading suppliers of process and packaging technology. At over 30 locations in more than 15 countries worldwide, a highly-qualified workforce develops and produces complete solutions for the pharmaceuticals, food, and confectionery industries.

Power tools for professionals -Bosch develops innovative, high quality power tools that are guaranteed to produce professional results in all fields of craftsmanship. Our tools are reliable, powerful and robust, fulfill the highest demands, and make your work easier.

Safety and security solutions -Protecting lives, buildings, and assets is our aim. Our product portfolio includes video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire detection, and voice evacuation systems as well as access control and management systems. Professional audio and conference systems for communication of voice, sound, and music complete the range.

Software solutions-The way the internet of things is transforming the world offers great opportunities for many sectors such as manufacturing, mobility, energy management, and more.

In the Consumer Goods business sector, Power Tools and BSH Hausgeräte largely market their products directly to end consumers. These divisions face intense competition from both global and regional providers. In this case as well, new suppliers are entering the market from the IT and internet domain, changing the market structures as a result.

The Consumer Goods business sector contributed some 24 percent of total Bosch Group sales in 2017.

Bosch Power Tools is a supplier of power tools, power-tool accessories, and measuring technology. The division has an extensive range of products aimed at both professional and do-it-yourself users. In addition to power tools such as hammer drills, cordless screwdrivers, and jigsaws, the product line also includes gardening equipment such as lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, and high-pressure cleaners. One of the division’s focal points is convenient, high-performance cordless tools, and increasingly also web-enabled tools and services.

Power Tools also offers laser measurement tools for both professional and DIY needs.

The Consumer Goods business sector also includes BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, which offers a broad range of modern, energy-efficient, and increasingly connected household appliances.

The household appliance manufacturer BSH Hausgeräte GmbH (BSH Hausgeräte) has a product portfolio that ranges from washing machines and tumble dryers through refrigerators and freezers, stoves and ovens, and dishwashers, to small appliances such as vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and food processors. The household appliance specialist sells its products under the global Bosch and Siemens brands (the latter under license), as well as under the Gaggenau and Neff brands.

In Energy and Building Technology, the Building Technologies (formerly Security Systems) and Thermotechnology divisions compete with a small number of international providers and many regional providers.

In 2017, the Energy and Building Technology business sector generated roughly 7 percent of total Bosch Group sales.

The Building Technologies division (formerly Security Systems) has two areas of business: the global product business for innovative security and communications solutions, and the regional integrator business. The latter offers solutions and services for building security, energy efficiency, and building automation in selected countries.

Both units focus on commercial applications. The product portfolio encompasses video-surveillance, intrusion-detection, and voice alarm systems, access-control and software management systems, as well as professional audio, conference, and fire-detection systems.

The Thermotechnology division supplies energy-efficient heating products and hot-water solutions, primarily in Europe. The division’s products are sold under international and regional brand names such as Bosch, Buderus, Worcester, and Junkers. The product portfolio ranges from heaters to heat pumps, solar thermal systems, and solid fuel boilers, to cogeneration plants and industrial boilers.

Connected solutions are making the competitive landscape even more diverse, while the different sectors involved in energy and building technology are converging. The Bosch Global Service Solutions division, which has been an independent division since 2016, competes with both large international rivals and smaller local providers in the fragmented business services market.

Solutions for commercial buildings

Solutions for airport facilities

Solutions for the automotive industry

Solutions for entertainment facilities

Solutions for hotel facilities

Solutions for the food and confectionery industry

Solutions for the pharmaceutical industry

Solutions for theatres

Solutions for railways train station facilities

Solutions for mining facilities

2.13.6 Opening up new areas of business

We are also developing new business fields. Our subsidiary company Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH, Waiblingen, Germany, offers customers connected products and services in the area of healthcare, medical technology, and personal security. The product portfolio includes Vivatmo, a system that allows sufferers of chronic asthma and their physicians to continuously monitor the inflammatory process.

The company is pursuing the vision of a digital guardian angel through its Bosch Emergency Assistant service and the accompanying Vivatar app. In addition, it will be debuting ceramic components for applications such as surgical instruments.

2.14 Overall risk assessment

We are not currently aware of any risks, beyond the economic and political risks mentioned in the outlook above, the risks of the business sectors listed in this report, and litigation risks, which could materially affect the net assets, financial position, and results of operations of the Bosch Group in 2018. Nor does the Bosch Group have any risk exposures that could jeopardize the group’s continued existence as a going concern. There are no significant differences from the previous year that would affect this overall assessment.

2.15 Ten-year summary of the Bosch Group

Chapter 3 .Communication for employer branding

3.1 Key message delivered:

-Bosch is a desirable employer (Bosch invests in its associates and in the education, career opportunities, international environment, benefits for direct and indirect associates, exciting job opportunities for software engineers, that are working on cutting edge technologies, corporate culture based on equality, diversity and quality of life at work, IWC, Bosch presence in Romania is stable and growing)

-Bosch is responsible – Bosch invests in its associates, education and local communities, CSR activities; Bosch is an environmental friendly company– through actions, production and products

-Bosch is involved in education – Bosch invests in educational projects (master program, dual school, different lectures and workshops, etc)

-Bosch is an innovation leader – a top-provider in the field of IoT/connectivity, leader in the fields of energy efficiency => Simply.Connected. Smart Home, Mobility, Smart Cities, Industry 4.0, for a better/simpler life, Bosch technology shapes change, is “Invented for Life” and makes daily life safer & easier

3.2 Content overview

-Facebook (Organizational culture & CSR) : 39 posts

12 exclusive articles that deliver employer branding messages

-Facebook (Education and hiring in focus) : 64 posts

-Technology and IoT : 55 posts 11 press releases that deliver employer branding messages

-LinkedIn : 43 posts in 2018

Live events & materials with employer branding component

-Youtube : 26 posts

3.3 Examples of related posts

-education- -long term orientation-

Picture[3.3.1] education Picture [3.3.2] long term orientation

-social responsibility- -technology-

Picture [3.3.3] social responsibility Picture [3.3.4] technology

– Internet of things- -tasks for the future-

Picture [3.3.5] IoT Picture [3.3.6] tasks

-good working environment-

Picture [3.3.7] good environment

3.4 Facebook Data:

A total of: 30,554 followers

Men between 25-44 represent the largest followers group, 35% from the total

Chart [3.4.1] followers by sex

People & Region

Table [3.4.2] people&region

Reach & engagement people reached and engaged per city in the last 28 days

Table [3.4.3] reach Table [3.4.4] engagement

We used ‘follower’ as a reference, not ‘like’, to quantify our audience.

Reach: Determines the number of people who had any content from your Page or about your Page enter their screen, in the past 28 days.

Engagement: Determines the number of people who had liked, commented on or shared your posts, or engaged with your Page, in the past 28 days.

Facebook data collected on 20.12.2018.

3.5 Facebrands data

This is also a website that keeps track of the different brands in Romania that keeps track of the followers of different brands on facebook pages. We took some metrichs and some general data from their website in order to see how Bosch is viewed by its fanbase, and if they are getiing better at attracting their customers in interacting with their page.

Currently the company has 40.780 fans, and they occupy the 4072nd position from 44785th brands advertising, however they occupy the 70th position out of 697 companies in the IT sector.

We also found that during last week the company attained more than 1357 new page likes.

Table [3.5] Facebrands Bosch (http://www.facebrands.ro/brand/51476/Bosch-Romania/week.html);

3.6 LinkedIn metrics:

Page views :5003

Graph [3.6.1] page source

Unique visitors :2528

Graph [3.6.2] unique visitors

Total followers : 14825

Graph [3.6.3] total followers

3.6.1 Visitors results :

Char [3.6.1.1] top jobs

Char [3.6.1.2] top seniorities

Char [3.6.1.3] top locations

Char [3.6.1.4] top industries

Char [3.6.1.5] top company sizes

3.6.2 Followers results :

Char [3.6.2.1] top functions

Char [3.6.2.2] top locations

Char [3.6.2.3] top seniorities

Char [3.6.2.4] top industries

Char [3.6.2.5] top company sizes

3.6.3 Bosch LinkedIn compare to others similar companies:

Table [3.6.3] Bosch compare to other similar companies

3.7 YouTube Metrics – 26 total videos

Graph [3.7.1] youtube data metrics

Table [3.7.2] first 10 videos

Picture [3.6.3] Top areas

Chart [3.6.4] age

Chapter 4 – Top Employer from Romania

4.1 Top employers from Romania 2016-2017(Catalyst Solutions reports)

Table [2.6.1] Top employers from Romania 2016-2017,

(https://www.catalyst.ro/which-are-the-most-desired-employers-in- 2016/

https://www.catalyst.ro/topul-celor-mai-doriti-angajatori-2017/)

4.2 About Bosch Romania as an employer

“The employer branding survey is the most complex instrument on Romanian market that assesses the perception and expectations of professionals, graduates and students.

18.247 people have nominated the employers they would desire the most to work for, along with their perceptions and expectations regarding the working environment. The survey not only measures the level of attractiveness, but also what defines the most desired employers and what is important to the relevant target group.” Official catalyst website position.

All analysis included drive insights about:

Employment Behavior: you will have an accurate image of the preferences and objectives of the pool of professionals, graduates and students;

Compensation & Benefits: provides you an overview of candidates’ salary expectations depending on their profile and the benefits they treasure the most;

Communication Channels: these insights will enable you to adapt your communication strategy to the targeted pool, as to maximize its impact;

Employer Perception: not only the employer rankings, but also the level of awareness and consideration of your company, conversion in job applicants and factors associated with your employer brand.

Chart [4.2.1] top 10 facts

(https://www.catalyst.ro/top-cei-mai-doriti-angajatori-2019-2/)

Chart [4.2.2] channels

(https://www.catalyst.ro/top-cei-mai-doriti-angajatori-2019-2/)

4.3 Top employers from Romania 2018-2019 ( Catalyst Solutions reports )

Table [4.3.1] Top employers from Romania 2018-2019,( https://www.catalyst.ro/top-cei-mai-doriti-angajatori-2019-2/)

4.4 Bosch is one of the most desired employers in Romania

According to the report, Bosch Romania ranks sixth in the top of the most desired employers in Romania..

The company is the first option for engineers in Cluj and the second option for candidates with a technical profile, respectively candidates speaking foreign languages.

Bosch addresses the needs of candidates with an adapted offer

Special attention paid to employees

Bosch became one of the most desirable companies to work for, it ranks sixth nationally in the top of the most desired employers, increasing by 19 positions compared to 2015 and by four positions compared to last year.

"Bosch has focused in recent years on actions that have led to the consolidation of the employer brand and the results are visible, today we are in sixth place in the preferences of Romanian employees," said Mihai Boldijar CEO of Robert Bosch SRL and Bosch Group representative in Romania. "25 years after the opening of the first branch in Romania, the company continues to strengthen its solid position in the country, whether we are talking about expanding operations, initiatives that support local communities and education or positioning in the top preferences of candidates," added Boldijar . The company is recognized as one of the most valued employers in the world, with approximately 410,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of 78.5 billion euros in 2018. "The employer brand is a priority for us, and the results from 2019 reflects the efforts of recent years and the long-term approach that underlies our strategy ", said Cristina Corello, human resources director at Bosch Romania. "The highly competitive market context challenges us to be better and better and to have a unified and localized approach in the strategy of the employer brand, being concerned to offer a valuable experience to both candidates and our employees, depending on their needs Corello added.

4.5 What made Bosch become such a desirable employer?

Bosch addresses the needs of candidates with an adapted offer

The employers appreciate the fact that Bosch is a top player in its field, which offers a secure job, but also new professional challenges, enjoys prestige in the market and offers innovative products and services. Potential candidates also associate the company with opening up international opportunities, access to state-of-the-art technology and expert guidance, with an attractive salary and benefits package and a friendly work atmosphere.

Special attention paid to employees

Bosch's strategy to increase the image of a good employer also focuses on the internal environment, the over 8000 employees in Romania being the main ambassadors of the Bosch brand. "Our employees can best say what Bosch is like as an employer, they are the ones who convey a positive image of our company to the outside world, acting as true ambassadors, and we thank them for that," Corello continued. In this regard, the company conducted an internal study in 2019 to identify the elements most appreciated by employees in their experience with Bosch. Thus, a motivating factor for employees is the fact that they can significantly contribute to the success of a company that shapes the world of tomorrow through its solutions, but also the fact that they feel appreciated and accepted as they are by the organization. Bosch's involvement in social responsibility actions is also an important element. The security and stability of the organization, cleanliness in the workplace or working atmosphere are also among the important aspects mentioned.

Benefits offered to the employees

Bosch pays special attention to employee satisfaction and offers them a modern, inspiring work environment and a package of flexible benefits, tailored to individual needs. Thus, employees can choose, among others, medical services, pension insurance, travel services or meal vouchers. In addition, the company offers access to sports activities, the opportunity to work from home, and in some locations, free daily transport. Moreover, the company promotes an open organizational culture, with an emphasis on diversity and responsibility.

Bosch invests in education and employee development

As part of its commitment to Romania, Bosch is constantly developing programs that support the relationship between education and the business environment: from master's programs or courses at major universities in the country, to dual school and even to set up its own Training Center in Cluj , in 2017. Bosch supports young graduates through programs such as Junior Managers (JMP), dedicated to future young managers. Moreover, over 700 students participated last year in specific programs at Bosch headquarters in Romania. In addition, the company invests in the professional development of its employees, in accordance with the "lifelong learning" philosophy.

Continuous development and highest-ranking increase in turnover

Employees also have a high desire to work for strong competitive companies that are able to ensure job security, that are able to develop them and more than anything companies that have a good position and that continue to develop and have higher turnovers each year. A well performing company is more likely to maintain its employees and to invest in their future development. In the next table it can be seen how the turnover of Bosch rose from year to year.

CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS

From the analysis of the literature and from the practical experience it is certain that the Internet has a major impact on marketing tools, offering multiple opportunities that were previously available through the use of traditional marketing tools. Each of the traditional communication channels has obvious advantages and continues to be used, but the Internet is a channel that is in continuous development, enjoying a high attention.

As such it can be clearly shown that Bosch has a great vision and has put the necessary work in order to ensure that their social networking and online marketing are well developed, thus ensuring a strong market presence and a high willingness of both customers to use their products and services and also for the employees to want to work for them and help the company maintain its current market position.

The website represents, above all, the interface between the visitor and the company. It is used from several perspectives, that of a means of online promotion, of marketing communication, of a distribution channel, but also of a sales tool.

In the particular case of the company studied:

The results of the analysis show that using the different social media networks like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn have a huge potential in ensuring that the company maintains its high brand awareness. National levels confirm that the choice of this promotion channels were appropriate, given the evolution of the number of social media platform users in Romania, the age of users coinciding with that of the target audience of the company.

The results of online promotion campaigns and brands awareness campaigns demonstrate obvious advantages of the online branding process. Among the most evident in the results of the study we mention: lower costs compared to traditional promotion, the speed of implementation of a campaign to promote and transmit information, the high importance given to the client, the increased interactivity and attractiveness of employees and customers alike, the rich volume of information provided by this environment, the overcoming of possible barriers to entry into a market, and the continued availability of this accessible environment 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Results throughout the campaign highlight a steady increase in the total number of likes to date; fluctuations in the number of total appreciations paid throughout the campaigns, with peaks associated with promotion periods promotion of new products; the relatively low costs of the campaign paid;

In the current context, any company that wishes to be successful must be concerned with creating a strong online presence in any field, including through social networks, increasingly used by staff categories of all ages and from all social classes. It also shows that even though the initial costs of branding and establishing the social networks can be seem as high the advantages and future gains of these marketing tools are incredible and act as a double bladed sword with a huge impact on both clients and employees alike. We can definitely say that a good establishment and usage of this tools will generate huge benefits for any company that knows how to appeal to its target groups.