RMG922: RETAILING 2.

0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Fall 2016

Table of Contents
1) INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION...............................................................2
2) CALENDAR DESCRIPTION...................................................................2
3) COURSE OVERVIEW...........................................................................2
4) COURSE OBJECTIVES..........................................................................3
5) EVALUATION SUMMARY......................................................................4
6) TOPICS TENTATIVE SEQUENCE & SCHEDULE......................................5
7) TEACHING METHODS.........................................................................6
8) RESOURCES: REQUIRED TEXT, ARTICLES, eNEWSLETTERS....................6
Required Text:......................................................................................................... 6
eNewsletters:.......................................................................................................... 6
9) COURSE EVALUATION.........................................................................6
Social Media Analysis of Retailer/Client (Group - 30%):..........................................6
Social Media Assignment (Individual 30%)........................................................7
Group Work (Individual 8%).................................................................................. 7
Class Participation (Individual 12%).....................................................................7
Multiple Choice Quizzes (Individual 20%).............................................................8
10) GROUPWORK....................................................................................8
11) ACADEMIC POLICIES AND COURSE MANAGEMENT................................9

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RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

1)INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name: Dr. Donna Smith
Office Telephone Number: (416) 979-5000, ext.4827
Office Location: TRS-3- 038
Consultation Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30 pm and Tuesdays 1-2 pm (Tentative)
Course Schedule: Tuesday, 10-1 pm, VIC205
E-mail Address: drsmith@ryerson.ca
Course Website: http://my.ryerson.ca
Methods of Posting Grades: Grades will be posted electronically on D2L.
E-mail Usage & Limits: Students are required to use Ryerson e-mail accounts
for all e-mail communications with the instructor. Skype and telephone meetings
may be scheduled. Please use RMG922 along with your topic in the subject line
to ensure a reply. Emails will be answered within 2 school days.

2)CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An explosion in the popularity of social media sites has created a new level of consumer
empowerment over even the most carefully managed brand messages. As the primary
point of interaction in bringing products and services to the public, retailers are well
positioned to carry customer relationships into this new online era. This course will
focus on how and why retailers should join the conversation with consumers to build
trust beyond the buzz associated with viral marketing and typical Internet campaigns.
Students will analyze the market reach of popular online communities and tools, the
legal and ethical implications, and the potential impact/integration of a multi-point
communications strategy into the overall retail operation and marketing mix. Lect. 3
hours; Pre-requisite: RMG200

3)COURSE OVERVIEW
This course takes both operational and strategic approaches to utilizing social media as
an integral component of retail marketing strategy. We will examine how retailers may
use available social media platforms to initiate positive social interactions with
consumers that result in engagement and purchase decisions. We will explore how the
voice of the consumer, through user-generated content, may influence retail strategy. A
major focus of the course will be on social media analytics through the use of Sysomos
MAP, a social media research and analytics tool used by North American and global
businesses (see sysomos.com). Students will work with an industry partner to monitor,
evaluate, and make recommendations on a current aspect of their social media
presence.

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RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

4)COURSE OBJECTIVES
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, students will:
7) Understand how to develop a social media campaign in the context of a marketing
plan in a retail organization.
8) Be able to set objectives for a social media marketing strategy in a retail context.
9) Build on his/her theoretical understanding of retail consumer insight by learning
theories and concepts related to social media marketing.
10)Learn how to use Sysomos MAP at an intermediate level to listen to conversations
across digital platforms and analyze traditional media in order to make meaningful
recommendations to a retailer/client.
11) Gain practical knowledge of social media platforms and their effectiveness in
consumer engagement, information search, and purchase decisions.
12)Understand social media metrics and apply them to measure social media
effectiveness.
13)Understand legal and ethical principles related to retail social media marketing.
14)Apply knowledge of social media marketing to solve real world retail or services
management problems.
1. Analytical Skills

2. Problem Solving

3. Communications
-Written Report
-Oral Presentation
4. Social Media Marketing

5. Retail Strategy
Specific to Social Media
Marketing

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Learning Objectives
Performance to be
demonstrated in specific
terms (see rubric)

Assurances of Learning
Assignment using social
media software (Sysomos
MAP)

Performance to be
demonstrated in specific
terms (see rubric)

Social Media Analysis of

Retailer/Client

Performance to be
demonstrated in specific
terms (see rubric)

Social Media Analysis of

Retailer/Client Assignment
using Sysomos MAP

Performance to be
demonstrated through
knowledge of theory and
practice (text book)
Performance to be
demonstrated in specific
terms (see rubric)

Class Participation

Class Participation
Multiple Choice Tests

Social Media Analysis of

Retailer/Client and
Assignment using
Sysomos MAP

RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

5)EVALUATION SUMMARY
The grade for this course is composed of the mark received for each of the following
components:
Element
Social Media Analysis Assignment
Class Participation
Groupwork
Multiple Choice Quizzes (2 @ 10% each)
Social Media Analysis Project (Retailer/Client)
TOTAL

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Group or
Individual
I
I
I
I
G

Marks
30
12
8
20
30

Due Date
Week
W8
Ongoing
Ongoing
W5 & W9
W11 & 12
(Tentative)

100

RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

6)TOPICS TENTATIVE SEQUENCE & SCHEDULE

Date/Week
Week 1
Sept. 6

Week 2
Sept. 13

Week 3
Sept. 20

Topic
Orientation & Course Overview
Strategies for Success in
RMG922
What is Social Media Marketing?
The Horizontal Revolution
Introduction to Sysomos MAP
Consumer Insight
Social Consumers
Sysomos & Boolean Search
Building a Query Exercise

Readings/DUE/Notes
Chapter 1

Chapter 3
Listen to a Sysomos On-Demand
Webinar available at sysomos.com.
(Go to Resources Webinars).
Students will be randomly assigned to
one of the webinars. Be prepared to
discuss what you learned in class.
Guest Speaker: Sysomos
Chapter 4
Complete Group Formation Form
at home and bring to class.
Chapter 5
Group Formation & Group Contract
in Class
DUE: Multiple Choice Quiz 1
(Chapters 3,4,5)
Chapter 9

Week 7
Oct. 25
Week 8
Nov. 1

Network Structure and Group

Influence in Social Media
Sysomos Real Time vs.
Historical
Social Community
Sysomos - Influencer
Identification
Social Media for Consumer
Insight
Sysomos Compare
Study Week
Social Media Metrics
Sysomos Twitter Competitive
Analysis
Social Commerce
Sysomos Sentiment Analysis
Sysomos In Class Scavenger Hunt or
Live Case Study

Week 9
Nov. 8

Any Questions on Projects?

Team Meetings

DUE: Social Media Analysis

Assignment. Submit through D2L
DUE: Peer Evaluation
DUE: Multiple Choice Quiz 2
(Chapters 8,9,10)

Week 10
Nov. 15
Week 11
Nov. 22

Team Meetings

Guest Speaker: TBA

Presentations Social Media Analysis

of Retailer/Client

Retailer/Client Projects &

Presentations DUE at start of class.
Submit your Slides and Reports
through D2L.

Week 12
Nov. 29

Course Wrap-Up or Presentations

(Tentative)

Week 4
Sept. 27
Week 5
Oct. 4
Oct. 11th 14th
Week 6
Oct. 18

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Chapter 10

Chapter 8

RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

7)TEACHING METHODS
This course is a 3- hour lecture with student participation and will incorporate the
following teaching/learning methods:
3 hour lectures with all students, including class participation
Discussions and exercises in class (individual and group)
Students will learn and use social media software
Multiple choice tests
Lectures and interaction with guest experts
Assigned readings

8)RESOURCES: REQUIRED TEXT, ARTICLES,

eNEWSLETTERS
Required Text:

Tuten, T. L. and M. R. Solomon (2015). Social Media Marketing. Thousand Oaks,

California, SAGE.

eNewsletters:
http://www.l2inc.com/
https://www.internetretailer.com/free-subscriptions/?cid=IR-FS-HP

9)COURSE EVALUATION
Social Media Analysis of Retailer/Client (Group - 30%):
Conduct an analysis of one aspect of a Retailer/Clients current social media marketing
activities, using the Sysomos MAP. Are the organizations social media marketing efforts
successful? Do you think their social media marketing activities are a
poor/good/excellent fit with the organizations overall marketing efforts? Justify your
answer. Make recommendations for improvement and/or future social media marketing
activities. Your group will do an in-class presentation to the organization using visuals in
Week 11 (and possibly Week 12, depending on the number of teams). The length of the
presentation will depend on the number of teams in the class. The presentation is worth
20 marks and the written component is worth 10 marks. Refer to the rubric for specific
requirements.
The written assignment (5-7-page overview of key points refer to rubric for specific
requirements) and visuals must be submitted through D2L prior to the start of class in
Week 11. After the site closes team members will receive a zero unless you have a
Ryerson medical certificate or a reason for your absence according to Ryerson Policy. It
is recommended that you plan to submit your assignment several hours prior to the
deadline in case of technical problems, TTC issues, other courses, or unforeseen
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RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

circumstances.

Social Media Assignment (Individual 30%)

There will be 1 assignment (Week 8 refer to rubric for specific requirements). It will
relate to comparing historical (6 months, last year) and real-time data with an advanced,
best practices search (OR multiple; NOT multiple). The report will be 5-7 pages
long (Bibliography excluded, but charts included) and will use the following format:
1. The Objectives
What were your objectives and the rationale for your objectives? Document this
with a credible source.
2. The Approach
In this section document your search process and analysis. Show screen shots
from Sysomos MAP to prove your points. Two charts are required.
3. The Theory
Does the report draw from retail, management or consumer insight theory? Cite
the theory here. Use 2-3 credible sources.
4. The Results
Draw a conclusion and include next steps in research and/or recommendations.
A bibliography must be in APA format will follow the Results section. When using APA
format please use the citation of the article, not the link to the Ryerson Library.
Following the bibliography, list 3 Sysomos tutorials you watched and write 1-2
sentences on what was learned and incorporated into the assignment.

Group Work (Individual 8%)

See 10) GROUPWORK below. Students are required to participate in Group Formation,
Group Contracting, and Peer Evaluation activities (all have specific dates Weeks 3,4,8
respectively). In addition, each group will have one formal update meeting (Case
Competition) with the instructor and all group members are expected to attend (in class
in Week 9 or 10 or during the Instructors Office Hours). Each element is worth 2 marks
and will be graded Pass/Fail. Completion of all forms on time and attendance for the
meeting is expected. To Pass, a student must complete an entire form, providing
meaningful specifics related to their roles or responsibilities.

Class Participation (Individual 12%)

The dates for Class Participation are Weeks 3-12. The weights for class participation
opportunities are as follows:
Individual Participation - Weight= 2.0
Group-oriented Participation - Weight = 1.25
Individual class participation opportunities may include a combination of the following:
short answers based on guest speakers or class material; an exercise in class using
Sysomos MAP; a blog/reflection on your experience using social media software; a
response to a problem/question posed based on course material.
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RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Group-oriented opportunities may include group exercises/presentations based on a

short case study/exercise, problem presented in class, or an exercise using Sysomos
MAP.
A given class may offer more than 1 opportunity for class participation. The calculation
will be weighted as per above, given the number and combination of class participation
opportunities during the Fall Semester. Note that the maximum grade is 20, although
the total grade may be above 20. This will allow for unforeseen absences. Based on
this, students may not make up class participation grades. Note that each
participation effort is graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Generally, students who fail a
participation opportunity do not pay attention in class or have not done the
readings, resulting in responses that do not answer the question at hand.

Multiple Choice Quizzes (Individual 20%)

There will be 2 multiple choice quizzes (Week 5 & Week 9). Each quiz will cover 3
chapters (See TOPICS TENTATIVE SEQUENCE & SCHEDULE). If significant
deficiencies are found in Quiz 1, Quiz 2 may contain questions from Chapters 3,4,5.
Each closed book test will be relatively short, containing approximately 10-15
questions/chapter. Each quiz is worth 10 marks.

10) GROUPWORK
Step 1: Group Formation: Groups of 5-6 people will be formed. Please review the
rubric for this project and complete the Group Formation form. Students may identify a
small group of 2-3 people, given complementary strengths and weaknesses. The
balance of the team will be randomly assigned based on self-identified strengths and
weaknesses.
Step 2: Group Contract: Complete a detailed Group Contract with specific noncompliance guidelines. Identify a team leader who will be responsible for liaising
between the group and Dr. Smith or the GA. You will be given time to work on this in
class its important to be involved in this activity.
Step 3: In-Class Presence: You will be given time in class to work on your group
project. Your involvement in group activities in class is crucial to getting the job done in
a way that creates a positive experience, feedback from the instructor or peers, and
most likely a better assignment.
Step 4: Peer Evaluation: Take this seriously. Each group should provide the instructor
with an envelope containing the individual Peer Evaluations, in Week 8 before the end
of class. You may submit the envelope to the instructor directly, or you may leave the
envelope in the instructors mailbox outside of the School office.
Additional Notes: If there are signs that the group is not functioning well, students are
encouraged to resolve group issues on their own, as per the Group Contract, as soon
they occur. Failing that, the instructor should be contacted immediately. Although a Peer
Evaluation is due in Week 8 a group may decide to do additional Peer Evaluations
before or after Week 8.
Each student is required to keep a log as well as a documentation of his/her personal
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RMG922: RETAILING 2.0 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

contribution to the group effort. In the event that all students do not contribute equally to
the group effort, the instructor reserves the right to request the log and documentation,
in order to evaluate each students work, equitably. If a given student cannot readily
produce the requested material within 24 hours, it will be assumed that the substance is
not there and the student will be marked accordingly.

11) ACADEMIC POLICIES AND COURSE MANAGEMENT

All courses in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management (RMG/CRMG codes) are
subject department-specific as well as university polices.

Note:
Late Assignments
Students must submit assignments on time. Assignments are due at the beginning
of the class scheduled on the due date. Failure to do so will result in a mark of 0 on
the assignment, unless the student presents university-approved documentation prior
to the deadline.

Standards for Written Work

All written assignments must be hard copy, typed, double-spaced, stapled, in 12 point
font, with 1 margins on all sides, use APA style guide references, and attach a
standard cover page. Please see handbook for template and full details.
Use of Turnitin.com
Selected assignments will be submitted to Turnitin via D2L. Students who do not want
their work submitted to this plagiarism detection service must, by the end of the
second week of class, consult with the instructor to make alternate arrangements.

The Retail Students Handbook (http://www.ryerson.ca/tedrogersschool/rm/students/currentstudents/student-handbook) includes full details about the above policies and includes
information and expectations related to all of the following items:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)

Course feedback and methods of communication

Late Assignments
Use of Turnitin for plagiarism detection
Standards for Written Work
Academic Consideration and Make-up Exams
Course Management Policy
Student / Classroom Expectations
Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity
Academic Appeals
j) Grading Policy / GPA
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