EVENT PROMOTION THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING

APPLICATIONS AND SITES

VIVAAN SAXENA
2041117312

B.Sc. Hospitality and Hotel Administration (2020-2023)

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition
Pusa, New Delhi - 110012

2023
 INDEX

S.no Title Page No.

1 Abstract (ii)
2 Student Certificate (iii)
3 Mentor Certificate (iii)
4 Acknowledgement (iv)
5 List of figures (v)
6 Chapter 1: Introduction (2)
7 Chapter 2 : Review of Literature (5)
8 Chapter 3 : Methodology (9)
9 Chapter 4 : Result and Discussion (11)
10 Chapter 5 : Summary and Conclusion (xxiii)
11 Chapter 6 : References (Bibliography/ (xxv)
Webliography)
12 Chapter 7 : Annexure (xxviii)

(i)
 Abstract

This research focuses on exploring the effectiveness of promoting events through

social networking sites and applications. With the rise of social media platforms,
event organizers have increasingly turned to these platforms to promote their
events. The study aims to investigate the impact of social media promotion on
event attendance, user engagement, and overall success. The research will use
surveys and with young adults (age 18-27) using social networking apps and sites.
The findings of the study will provide insights into best practices for event
promotion through social media, helping event organizers to improve their
marketing strategies and maximize their reach to potential attendees.

(ii)
 STUDENT CERTIFICATE
The work embodied in this project titled “EVENT PROMOTION THROUGH
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND APPLICATIONS” has been carried out
under the supervision of Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition,
Pusa. New Delhi. This work is original and has not been submitted for any other
degree or to any other university.

PLACE- New Delhi STUDENT SIGNATURE

MENTOR CERTIFICATE
I hereby certify that the candidate VIVAAN SAXENA has planned and conducted
the research study entitled under my supervision and the report submitted herewith
is a bonafide work done by the candidate.

MENTOR SIGNATURE

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my great privilege to express a deep sense of gratitude to my guide, Ms. Divya

Bose, for her priceless support, personal attention and untiring help throughout the
period of investigation and preparation of the research.
I am grateful to Mr Kamal Kant Pant, Principal, Institute of Hotel Management,
Catering and Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi for providing facilities and
encouragement for this study.
I would like to thank Dr Anshu Singh for her teachings and guidance because of
whom all of this was possible.
I am short in expressing my gratitude to my family, friends & seniors whose
affection, cheerful and enthusiastic efforts have been my constant source of
inspiration and also like to thank the people who filled out my questionnaire and
had been part of my research without whom it would have been possible.

Vivaan Saxena

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 LIST OF FIGURES

S.No Title Page No.

1 Figure 1.1(Analysis of social networking sites and apps) 11

Figure 1.2(Analysis of frequency of visiting the social
2
networking apps/sites in a day)
12
Figure 1.3(Collection of information whether they have
3
come across event promotions)
13

4 Figure 1.4(Analysis of other mediums) 14

5 Figure 1.5(Analysis of media engagement) 15

6 Figure 1.6(Analysis of topics of engagement) 16

7 Figure 1.7(Analysis of sharing of media) 17

8 Figure 1.8(Analysis of likelihood of booking) 18

9 Figure 1.9(Analysis of user experience) 19

10 Figure 1.10(Analysis of influence of promotional media) 20

11 Figure 1.11(Analysis of shareability) 21

(v)
CHAPTER ONE

(1)
 Introduction
Social networking marketing, alternatively referred to as digital marketing or e-
marketing is the use of social networking apps and sites, the platforms on which
users build social networks and share information to develop a company's brand,
boost sales, and enhance website traffic. Marketing via social networking apps and
sites allows companies to gain a method to interact with the existing customer base
and attract new ones. It also contains data analytics that is specifically designed to
help marketers monitor the effectiveness of their campaigns and find new
opportunities for interaction (Hayes, A Social Media Marketing (SMM): What
It Is, How It Works, Pros and Cons by 2022). As a part of the Marketing
Industry, the Event Promotion Industry has also witnessed growth in recent years.
Event promotion can be done through multiple ways involving both online and
offline ways.
Past Scenario
In 2004, a young Harvard student founded a website called Thefacebook. Later, it
changed its name and became the behemoth we know today as Facebook.
Brands and business across the globe began to create brand pages to engage with
their customers. Thus began the age of social networking marketing and event
promotion.
New platforms began to emerge around the same time, such as Twitter (founded in
2006) and Instagram (founded in 2010). Event promotors also rushed to these
platforms once they saw the impressive growth figures.
Present Scenario
In the past two decades, there has been massive upsurge in the number of users of
social networking platforms. With new platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
entering the game, the ways to reach the customers have also expanded leading to a
more diverse social networking marketing strategy to be followed by event
promoters.

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Today, the majority of guests use social networking platforms. Whether you realize
it or not, attendees will likely be discussing the event on these social networking
platforms before, during, and after it.
This research aims to explore customer perceptions of event promotion ads on
social networking apps and sites.

Significance
The use of social networking marketing has changed the game and led to newfound
customer interactions because of customer reliance on customer feedback. With the
growing dependence of consumers on Social Networking Platforms, and the
widespread Event Promotion networking through them, it becomes imperative to
study how the consumers have had an impact from Event Promotion via Social
Networking apps and sites.
Objectives

1. To understand the perception of young adult consumers (age 18-26) in Delhi

NCR towards event promotion through mainstream social networking apps
and sites.
2. To analyze if it is reliable to promote events through social networking apps
And sites.

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CHAPTER TWO

(4)
 Review of Literature

Barger, Et al; 2016, did a study on Social Networking and Consumer

Engagement: A Review and Research Agenda with the objective of continuing the
discussion by reviewing recent literature on consumer engagement and proposing a
framework for future research. The paper reviews the marketing literature on social
networking, paying particular attention to consumer engagement, which was
identified as a primary area of concern in Schultz and Peltier (2013).

Cvent, 2018, made a report on The 2018 Event Marketing Benchmarks and Trends
Report. This report aims to provide insights into the current state of event marketing,
as well as emerging trends and best practices in the industry. The study was based
on a survey of more than 1,000 event marketers across the globe, with respondents
representing a variety of industries and organization sizes. One of the key findings
was that event marketing is on the rise: 80% of respondents said that their
organizations are planning more events in 2018 than they did in the previous year,
indicating that event marketing is becoming an increasingly important part of the
overall marketing mix.

Duffet, 2017, did a study on Influence of Social Networking Marketing

Communications on Young Consumers’ Attitudes with the objective of to examine
the influence of interactive social networking marketing communications on
teenagers’ cognitive, affective and behavioral attitude components in South Africa
using survey methodology. The study also considers the impact of a number of
additional factors such as usage (access, length of usage, log-on frequency, log-on
duration and profile update incidence) and demographic (gender, age and population
group) variables on young consumers’ attitudes toward social networking marketing
communications.

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Eventbrite, 2018, made a report on the topic Eventbrite Pulse Report: Event
Marketing in 2018. This report provides insights into the current state of the event
industry and best practices for event marketers. The report is based on a survey of
more than 1,200 event professionals from around the world. One of the main
findings was that event marketing is becoming more strategic: The majority of
respondents (69%) said that their event marketing strategies have become more
strategic over the past year, indicating that event marketing is becoming a more
important part of the overall marketing mix.

Moise and Cruceru, 2014, did an Empirical Study of Promoting Different Kinds
of Events through Various Social Networking Networks Websites. The Internet
serves billions of users worldwide, and it is a very important gateway of information
and socializing for mankind. The main problem is what kind of events should be best
promoted through some specific social networking networks websites, as the internet
provides us with a very large range of social networks, and which of them must be
used intensively or even exclusively in order that the organizer should advertise most
efficiently, so the message should get to the target audience, to trigger the wanted
response. An empirical study was conducted to see which of the social networking
networks are more suitable for advertising all sorts of events, as getting the right
message through to the target audience can sometimes be challenging, and for sure
to make sure that the content of the message has as result the conduct that the
organizations wanted, in our case attending and even promoting the event to others.

Quinnan, 2013, did a study on A Guide on Event Promotion: Internet Marketing

for a Live Musical Event in Las Vegas with the objective of to develop clear
knowledge and provide an instructional guideline for event companies and managers
on how to hold a successful live musical entertainment event in Las Vegas using
social networking using information from secondary data from Google Scholar. The
study concluded that there are countless ways for social networking to boost
awareness of events, encourage event attendance, and keep attendees coming
back for more.

(6)
Statista, 2021, made a report on the topic Social media usage of young adults in
India in 2021. This report aims to provide insights into the social media habits of
individuals aged between 18 and 24 years in India. The report is based on a survey
conducted in January 2021 and includes responses from more than 1,000 young
adults across India. Overall, the report highlights the growing popularity of social
media platforms among young adults in India, with WhatsApp, Instagram, and
YouTube being the most popular platforms.

Stephen, 2015, did a study on The Role of Digital and Social Networking
Marketing in Consumer Behavior. This article sheds light from many different
angles on how consumers experience, influence, and are influenced by the digital
environments in which they are situated as part of their daily lives. Much is still to
be understood, and existing knowledge tends to be disproportionately focused on
WOM, which is only part of the digital consumer experience. Several directions for
future research are advanced to encourage researchers to consider a broader range
of phenomena.

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CHAPTER THREE

(8)
 Methodology
1. RESEARCH DESIGN- An explanatory study was conducted by sending the
structured questionnaire to the respondents. Survey method was used to
collect the primary data.
2. LOCALE- The study will be based on the regions of Delhi NCR
3. SAMPLE SIZE- The study will be based on survey of 100 young adults
(Age Group 18-26)
4. TOOLS TO BE USED- The survey will be done by providing a
questionnaire to the subjects.

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CHAPTER FOUR

(10)
 Result and Discussion

Figure 1.1Which social networking apps/sites do you use?

The study shows that 49% people use more than one social networking apps and
sites, 38% people use all the social networking apps, 6% people use Instagram
only,3% people use WhatsApp, 3% people use YouTube and 1% people use
Snapchat.
According to the survey Social media usage of young adults in India in 2021 by
Statista, 2021, WhatsApp is the second most popular social networking app among
young adults in India, with 77% of respondents aged between 18 and 24 years using
the app. Instagram is also popular among young adults in India, with 68% of
respondents aged between 18 and 24 years using the app.
Thus we can infer, that not just one but multiple apps are used by young adults and
there isn’t one but Instagram still dominates the other apps in Delhi.

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 Figure 1.2 What is your frequency of visiting the social networking
apps/sites in a day?
The study indicates that 48% people use social networking apps for 2-4 hours,
19% people use these for 5-6 hours, 17% people use these for more than more
than 6 hours and 16% people use these for less than 2 hours.
According to a study on Social Networking and Consumer Engagement: A
Review and Research Agenda with the objective of continuing the discussion
by reviewing recent literature on consumer engagement a proposing a
framework for future research by Barger, Et al;2016, young adults are among
the leading consumers of social networking apps and sites
Thus we can infer that event promotions for young adults is the most suitable
on social networking apps and sites due to their high usage time in Delhi.

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Figure 1.3 Have you ever come across any event promotion media while
using these social networking apps/sites?

The study shows that 86% people have come across event promotion media
while using social networking apps and sites,9% people have not come across
event promotion media while using social networking apps and sites and 5%
people may or may not have come across event promotion media while using
social networking apps and sites.

According to a study A Guide on Event Promotion by Quinnan K, 2013,

social networking apps are one of the most preferred mediums for promoting
events.

Thus we can infer that it is being used by most event promotion companies
for promotion of events in Delhi.

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 Figure 1.4 Where else have you come across these event promotion media?

The study shows that people encounter promotions the most in Newspapers as 18%
people chose it, with close competition to billboards at 17%. 13% people chose the
option stating that they had seen promotions on all of the mediums.

Thus we can infer from this that event promotion through social networking sites
and apps are in competition with newspapers and billboards in Delhi.

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Figure 1.5 What do you do when you come across these event promotion
ads?

The study shows that 67% people go through event promotions when
encountered, 19% people skip through them and 14% people sometimes skip
or go through them. Majority of people engaged with the event promotional
feeds.

According to a study on The 2018 Event Marketing Benchmarks and Trends

Report by Cvent, 2018, just below half of the people 49% people engage with
promotional media on social networking apps and sites.

This means that there is a high engagement rate on event promotional media
on social networking apps in Delhi.

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 Figure 1.6 What kind of events do you generally get interested for?

The study shows that Entertainment Events promotions dominate the social
networking apps as 34% people voted for seeing those ads alone. The other
competitors being Social Gatherings and Exhibitions.

According to a study on Empirical Study of Promoting Different Kinds of Events

through Various Social Networking Networks Websites by Moise, F. Cruceru, 2014,
infers that Event promotion media dominates the Social networking marketing
space.

Also according to the study by Duffet, 2017, on the topic Influence of Social
Networking Marketing Communications on Young Consumers’ Attitudes, found out
that young consumers engaged more with ads based on their interests more, majority
of which were event promotions.

Thus we can infer that Social Networking marketing space is dominated by Event
promotion in Delhi as well.

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 Figure1.7 Do you share these promotional feeds with your friends or
family?

The study shows that 40% people they share the promotional feeds with their family
and friends, 33% replied positively to sharing promotional feeds and 27% replied
negatively to the question.
According to a study on The Role of Digital and Social Networking Marketing in
Consumer Behavior by Stephen, 2015 shows that the digital word of mouth is
entirely based on sharing of medias with other people.
Thus we can infer that a majority of people share these promotional medias with
their friends and family and is good for promotion of events because of digital word
of mouth.

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 Figure 1.8 How likely are you to attend/book tickets for the events whose
promotions you came across through social networking apps and sites?

The study shows that 58% people replied with somewhat likely,17% replied with
very likely 17% people replied with quite unlikely and only 8% replied with very
unlikely.
According to the article Eventbrite Pulse Report: Event Marketing in 2018, by
Eventbrite, 2018, found that 89% of millennials (ages 18-34) discover live events
online, and 76% of millennials buy tickets to events they discover online.
Thus we can infer that majority of young adults are interested and book/ attend the
promotion events in Delhi.

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 Figure 1.9 What was your experience while interacting with social networking
event promotion?

The study shows that 49% people were satisfied with the promotions, 46% people
were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and only 5% people were dissatisfied with
these promotions.
According to the study on Influence of Social Networking Marketing
Communications on Young Consumers’ Attitudes by Duffet, 2017, found out that
most young consumers were satisfied with their encounters with promotional ads on
social media.
Thus we can infer that young adults in Delhi are relatively satisfied with their
interactions with the event promotions on social networking apps and sites.

(19)
 Figure 1.10 Does event promotion through social networking apps and sites
influence your decision to book and event and to what extent?

The study shows that 61% people replied that their decision were seldom influenced
by the event promotions, 31% people replied that their decisions were influenced
greatly by event promotions and only 8% people that their decisions were never
influenced.
Thus, it can be established that people are influenced by the event promotions they
see on the social networking sites and apps.

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Figure 1.11 Would you refer booking of events through social networking apps
and sites to your friends and family?

The study shows that 51%people will refer booking of events through social
networking apps sometimes, 40% people replied positively and only 9% people
replied negatively to the question.
Thus implying that it is good for marketing of events and promotion.

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CHAPTER FIVE

(xxii)
 Summary and Conclusion

This research aimed to understand the perception of young adult consumers (ages
18-26) in Delhi NCR towards event promotion through mainstream social
networking apps and sites and to analyze if it is reliable to promote events through
social networking apps and sites.
To achieve the understanding, the study conducted a survey of 100 young adults,
asking about their experience of event promotions through social networking apps
and sites, their likelihood of engaging with these ads and other related questions.
The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis.
1. The results showed that almost 50% of the consumers surveyed use all of the
mainstream social networking apps and sites though mostly dominated by
Instagram. This shows that the most effective utilization of event promotions
in Delhi NCR will be via Instagram
2. The study showed that out of the 86% of people that had come across event
promotional media, a majority of them went through the ads. The study also
identified that almost only 5% people were dissatisfied with the event
promotions that they encountered, which tells us that which makes it clear that
the customer engagement ratio for event promotion through social networking
apps and sites in Delhi NCR is really high.
3. The study found out that out of all the promotions people come across social
networking apps, Event promotions dominated the field with close
competitors to social gatherings and exhibitions.
4. Results also showed that 40% people shared the feeds of events they got
interested in and 50% people will refer booking of these events through social
networking apps and sites to their friends and family.
5. In conclusion, this research suggests that Event promotion via mainstream
social networking apps and sites is reliable and very much effective in Delhi
NCR. Instagram and WhatsApp are among the best sites to promote events
through in Delhi NCR. The customers were found to be influenced by these
event promotions. These findings may help the event promotion firms and
freelancers growing their businesses and increase customers in Delhi NCR
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CHAPTER SIX

(xxiv)
 REFERENCES (Bibliography/ Webliography)
Bibliography
1. Barger V., Peltier J., Schultz D, 2016, Social Networking and Consumer
Engagement: A Review and Research Agenda
2. Cvent, 2018, The 2018 Event Marketing Benchmarks and Trends Report
3. Duffet G., 2017, Influence of Social Networking Marketing Communications
on Young Consumers’ Attitudes
4. Eventbrite, 2018, Eventbrite Pulse Report: Event Marketing in 2018
5. Mois, F. Cruceru, 2014, an Empirical Study of Promoting Different Kinds of
Events through Various Social Networking Networks Websites
6. Quinnan K., 2013, a Guide on Event Promotion: Internet Marketing for a Live
Musical Event in Las Vegas.
7. Statista, 2021, Social media usage of young adults in India in 2021
8. Stephen T., 2015, The Role of Digital and Social Networking Marketing in
Consumer Behavior

Webliography

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309655043_Social_media_and_co
nsumer_engagement_A_review_and_research_agenda
Access date – 23/10/22
2. https://www.bizzabo.com/blog/event-marketing-2018-benchmarks-and-
trends
Access date – 23/10/22
3. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/YC-07-2016-
00622/full/html
Access date – 23/10/22
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4. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/blog/academy/eventbrite-pulse-report-2018-
fds00/
Access date – 23/10/22
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260007966_An_Empirical_Study
_of_Promoting_Different_Kinds_of_Events_through_Various_Social_Medi
a_Networks_Websites
Access date – 23/10/22
6. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/2045/
Access date – 23/10/22
7. https://www.statista.com/topics/5113/social-media-usage-in-india/
Access date – 23/10/22
8. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/288288304.pdf
Access date – 23/10/22

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CHAPTER SEVEN

(xxvii)
 Annexure
A detailed study on consumer reaction on Event Promotion through Social
Networking Platforms.
Name: __________________
Gender: _____________
Age: ________
Read the questions and tick the correct option:
1. Which social networking apps/sites do you use:
i) Instagram
ii) Facebook
iii) Snapchat
iv) YouTube
v) WhatsApp
vi) LinkedIn
Others: _______________
2. What is your frequency of visiting the social networking apps/sites in a
day?
i) Less than 2 hrs
ii) 2-4 hrs
iii) 5-6 hrs
iv) More than 6 hrs
3. Have you ever come across any event promotion media while using
these social networking apps/sites?
v) Yes
ii) No
iii) Maybe
4. Where else have you come across these event promotion media?
vi) Newspapers
ii) Pamphlet
iii) Magazines
vii) Billboards

(xxviii)
5. What do you do when you come across these event promotion ads?
i) Skip through them
ii) Go through them
iii) Sometimes skip or go through them
6. What kind of events do you generally get interested for?
i) Social Gatherings
ii) Symposiums/Seminars
iii) Entertainment Events
iv) Exhibitions
7. Do you share these promotional feeds with your friends or family?
i) Yes
ii) No
iii) Sometimes
8. How likely are you to attend/book tickets for the events whose
promotions you came across through social networking apps and sites?
i) Very likely
ii) Somewhat likely
iii) Quite unlikely
iv) Very unlikely
9. What was your experience while interacting with social networking
event promotion?
i) Satisfied
ii) Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
iii) Dissatisfied
10.Does event promotion through social networking apps and sites
influence your decision to book and event and to what extent?
i) To a great extent
ii) Seldom
iii) Never
11.Would you refer booking of events through social networking apps and
sites to your friends and family?
i) Yes
ii) Sometimes
iii) Never

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