Social Media Issues
Introduction
This paper highlights issues on various topics concerning social media. For instance, it discusses on the four components utilized by a legally astute social marketing manager. In addition, it shows how each component mitigates the risk involved in the business transactions carried out in cyberspace. It also lists and analyzes the alternatives deployed in dispute resolution and provides recommendations on the most effective methods of solving the genuine disputes that arise regarding social media. The strategies and methods installed by federal governments in order to control social transactions have also been explored widely and critically in this paper. Furthermore, the paper examines the three arms of government and determines the particular branch that has the most significant impact in regulations of the business transactions done through the social outlets such as Facebook and Twitter among others. Lastly, the paper explicates extensively on the agency relationship that exists between the businesses that make use of social sites for advertisements and the social media sites.
The Components of a Legally Judicious Social Marketing Manager
The four components of a legally astute marketing comprise of product, price, place and promotion, commonly referred to as the 4ps in the marketing mix. The first component of an astute social marketing is the product. Social marketing product refers to the main goals and benefits accrued from societal change (Wehner, 2011). Therefore, this implies that the social marketing manager identifies a behavioral change and packages the objectives already identified with attractive benefits, so as to attract more clients to the products resulting in increased number of sales. Explicit, attainable, and relevant social goals and the resulting benefits make up the product package, which can be transacted through available social outlets. The second component of a social marketing manager is the price of the product being transacted across the social outlets. The price in the social marketing media often involves inconveniences, risks and changes resulting from a shift in terms of lifestyle. The manager, therefore, minimizes the price of the product in the social market in order to make it more attractive to the society. This is exemplified by the social campaigns done to promote nutrition. The marketing manager can choose to inform the potential audience to moderate the quantity consumed rather than completely abstaining from consumption of the product. This not only reduces the price of the commodity, but also makes it more appealing to the audience. The third component of a social marketing manager pertains the place of marketing the product.
In social media, places may refer to locations where the target audience is likely to perform the expected social changes. Social managers are strictly precise on the places where the audience will perform social changes rather than just informing the public on performing the social changes. For example, the manager can recommend the audience to take healthy snacks while watching a program on television. The manager, therefore, addresses the potential for change with the intention of providing convenient places for the target audience. Lastly, the fourth component of an astute social marketing manager entails promotion. This generally involves promotional activities such as advertising that are done to increase the possibility of social changes to take place. The manager, therefore, creatively utilizes all the available and effective methods to increase the possibility of the changes succeeding.
Methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Most Effective Technique
A number of methods are used to solve disputes that may arise from social media transactions. Some of these methods include arbitration, mediation, negotiation, private judging and through summary jury trial. All these methods can be effectively manipulated to achieve a consensus between the two parties in a dispute. To start with, arbitration refers to a situation whereby the case is decided by a panel of professional and impartial persons. The decision made by this body is binding unless the parties have consented on an advisory opinion. The advantage of using arbitration in relation to other methods to solve disputes is that it is less costly and more flexible (Lunt & Livingstone, 2011). This means that the decisions made can be re-adjusted, if necessary to accommodate complaints of the parties involved. The other method that can be used to solve disputes is negotiation. Negotiation is a process through, which the parties in the dispute voluntarily attempt to reach a level ground that is most suitable to them. Negotiation is done through unstructured and informal discussions, unlike the other methods. Mediation is also similar to negotiation in that both methods are informal, unstructured and voluntary.
However, in this method, a third party is chosen to help the two parties come to an agreement. The third party, therefore, has the duty of listening carefully to the allegations brought out by the two parties and finally helping them to make a decision, which is binding. In this case, the mediator has no power to make a decision on behalf of the two parties who in this scenario are free to walk away if they feel aggrieved. The other method of solving disputes is by use of private judgments. Private judging is a process by which the two parties to the dispute employ a retired judge to help them solve the dispute. The retired judge has greater power when it comes to decision making, his or her decision is binding, and the parties have to adhere to the final ruling. Lastly, disputes can be solved by use of a summary jury trial. This refers to a process by which the dispute is heard in a real jury court because the parties substantially differ on how to solve the dispute. The verdict from the summary jury court is not binding. It only helps the two parties to reach an amicable solution in an effort to solve their dispute.
How the Federal Government Controls Consumer Transactions Thorough Social Media
The federal government controls consumer transactions through the social outlets by use of checks and balances as well as through adoption of better technological facilities within the state. The use of checks and balances is synonymous with the law courts in that they regulate business transactions carried out through the social outlets. Checks and balances established by the Supreme Court ensure that none of the consumers abuses the right to conduct businesses through the social outlets. Innovation and invention of new technological facilities improves the quality of the services offered by the federal state to the public. As a result of improvement in quality, the Federal Government can effectively impose the rules and regulations, hence, controlling the number of business transactions that happen through the social outlets.
Examination of the Three Branches of Government
The three branches of government comprise of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary branch. The executive is the most powerful branch of the government and it is formed of the president and the cabinet members or secretaries. They have the responsibility of running the affairs of the state on behalf of the citizens. The legislature arm of the government deals with the formulation of rules and regulations that govern the general conduct of the public. The judiciary arm of the government is responsible for enforcing the law and ensuring that it is maintained within the states. Therefore, the judiciary is the branch of government that has the most noteworthy impact on the regulation of consumer transactions through the social outlets, because it is empowered by the constitution to promote justice and to solve any disputes that may arise during the actual business of transaction.
The judiciary branch also has the responsibility of imposing fines on the offenders found guilty in business transactions. Through these legal measures, the judiciary branch is capable of minimizing and eliminating illegal business activities from taking place in the social media. The branch has the capacity to determine the type of business transactions that take place in the society and the capability of banning some business transactions. For that reason, it is the branch of the government that outrightly has the most significant impact on the business transactions done through the social outlets.
The Agency Relationship between Social Media Providers and Businesses
This entails the type of relationship that exists between the social media sites and businesses that utilize the sites to make advertisements. The agency relationship, therefore, provides the businesses with the capacity to make their own decisions and free choices independently without interference of the social outlet services providers. This implies that the businesses that use the social outlets can modify their products through packaging and advertise them through the social media without the providers meddling in their affairs (Cross, 2011). All parties are socially responsible for their actions and the ethical values of the society are taken into account when it comes to transacting the business deals through the social channels. However, the existence of the agency relationship between businesses and social outlets providers is largely dependent on the structure of the society.
References
Cross, B. F. (2011). The legal environment of business: Text and cases: Ethical, regulatory, Global, and corporate issues. New York: Cengage Learning.
Lunt, P & Livingstone, S. (2011). Media regulation: Governance and the interests of citizens and consumers. New York: Sage Publications.
Wehner, P.J. (2011). Social media at work: Defining new legal boundaries. (Workforce): An article from: Rural telecommunications. New York: Pearson.