Social media in the context of marketing innovations—based on own research among service companies from Szczecin

Abstract

Based on observation of the market and the need for change the process of creating marketing innovations in service companies in Szczecin, the author adopted as the aim of the article the identification of new marketing solutions for the service market by way of an evaluation of the possibility of taking advantage of social media potential and social media activities carried out by local companies. In assessing the tools characteristic of new media and the attitude of companies towards these tools, an attempt was made to identify opportunities for companies to use social media. As part of the research, a questionnaire was used that was targeted at owners and managers of local companies from Szczecin. The study was expanded to include virtual ethnography, which involved observation of a company’s profile on social media. The article presents a proprietary classification of social media by social channels and their functions. The author has paid particular attention to breaking down social media not by the technology they use, but by their practical applications.