Cohort Analysis of Social Media Users in Nairobi: A Study of USIU and Coca-Cola Company Communities

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the demographic characteristics of the social media users in Nairobi, Kenya with a view of coming up with social media strategies that businesses can adopt when dealing with different generational cohorts and demographic groups that form part of their targets. The study was guided by three research questions: Do different genders and age groups have different social media engagement levels? Does Social Media influence the propensity to make a purchase or recommendation of an organization or a product? And to what extent does internet and social media influence the decision making of the different age cohorts? What social media platforms should organizations use to reach different targeted demographic groups to drive their (organizational) growth and build their businesses through social media? The study adopted a quantitative descriptive research design approach. The study population comprised of the entire 5362 USIU students registered in summer of 2013 and the 163 employees of the Coca-Cola Central East and West Africa Business Unit in Nairobi. This was narrowed down to a sample size of 373. The data was collected between June 15th and July 9th 2013 by use of a standardized questionnaire, the preferred tool for its stability, consistency and uniformity in collecting data. From a sample of 373 respondents, 330 complete questionnaires were received representing a response rate of 88.4%. Data analysis involved the use of SPSS software to generate the measures of central tendency in this case the mode was used to highlight the most frequent responses. A chi square test of independence was also applied to establish the statistical significance between any differences observed in the responses. Finally the data collected was presented in graphs, tables and figures. The study showed that different gender and age groups have different social media engagement levels and that women are more likely than men to learn about social media from friends. Similarly they use social media sites more than men. The study also revealed that younger people learn about social networks more from their friends than the older people. Apart from family and friends, older generations learn about the social media significantly from other sources (school, internet, television and other media sources). The usage of social media also declines with age. Age group 21-30 years is the most active with most of their time spent on getting new information, meeting new people, connecting with friends, and learning about new products in the order. Their level of activity is followed by those aged 31-40 years then those between 15-20 years and finally those aged above 40 years. Those aged above 40 years mostly spend time to learn about new products. The study showed that for a majority of the respondents, social media has no influence on their purchase making decision as well as their intention to recommend a product but younger cohorts are likely than older people to recommend a product on line. Older people are less likely to buy products recommended through social media than younger age groups. The study pointed out that the most frequently used social media platforms within the population of study are Facebook, followed by email services, then Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Myspace and lastly Pinterest. The study recommended market segmentation to effectively capitalize on the demographic differences and varying social media needs among the population members. Since Facebook stood out as the most used social media platform, it is recommended that its adoption as well as that of the other sites should be subject to demographic characteristic exhibited by the findings of this study. From this study, it was very evident that companies need to promote the use of social media and incorporate social media into their marketing tools by identifying the most frequently used platform and the category to which it appeals the most. In conclusion, it was evident that indeed age and gender have an influence on the engagement levels. An organization with strategic intent would be advised to segment its target audience on these grounds when communicating through social media. Further, younger people are more likely to be influenced through social media to purchase or consider a good or a service offered. Facebook stood out as the most popular platform across gender and age groups. For further research, the study recommends an in-depth evaluation of the role of social media on purchase making decisions and advocacy since this study showed conflicting findings from the previous studies. Since the study was more exploratory, an understanding is needed for the various differences within and across group variations.