recherch method

Introduction In the past, companies did not need to promote their products for several reason. First, because the demand was higher than the supply. So, all the production were sold all their product without any problem. Indeed, in this time, they were not too much companies, that means there was no too challenges. But at around 1920, when we noticed the equality between the demand and the supply, companies have started integrating marketing and communication in their global strategy. Then, starts the race to get more client than the competitor. All the tools available at this time were used to get in touch with the potential client and to push him to the purchasing action. Among these tools, we can name the radio (1922), the television advertising who's the first recorder has been done at 1941, the telephone marketing, the street marketing, etc. However, the apparition of internet at 1983 will change the done, will change the way to do marketing. At the beginning, internet was exclusively reserved for military use. But over time, it has been opened to civilian use. At 2004, Facebook has been launched and the companies have find a new way of marketing: The social networks. The past tools like Television, Radio, print, display are now considered like traditional, like obsolete by still useful. With the technological progressing, internet is now a platform that contains all other media. On internet, it is possible to watch Television, listen radio, read newspapers. So, it is a powerful communication tool. The new form of marketing, the internet, has been quickly integrated by occidental and multinationals companies. But in Africa, the situation is not the same. First, internet appears at 1995 in Senegal. In addition, the cover rate was too weak. We have also to consider the low level of education. Internet appeared like a magical tool for African population. They had not knowledge to use it. And the main problem was not internet but the access to computer before to get internet. At this time, computer was too expensive. Rare are those who were able to pay one. All these factors did not make efficient the using of internet in the companies' global marketing strategy. But this, it was several years ago. Today, we may notice the presence of several African brands, companies, celebrity, books, and traders' and so on social networks. They post news, pictures, get in touch with users and even chat. In the light of this observation, we would like to do a research. But first, we need a research question in order to canalize our research. 1 Chapter I- Research Question Research consist to investigate a given problem in order to solve it. But before to investigate, we need to find out the problem. Without issue, investigation is not able to take place. That's why it is important to find out the issue, the true one. And for that, we need to follow some steps to choose the appropriate one. The first step is the interest. Before to choose a research question, it is primordial to know what we want to write about, on which field of study we are more comfortable. It's only by this way we will do a good and full work. The second step concerns the manageable of the research question. Sometimes, we are interested by a research question but this one is not manageable. So, we also need to ask ourselves if we will have enough time to investigate the issue, if we have necessary human and financial resources, which place is concerned by our study, and so on. That's kind of manageable questions we need to elucidate before to take action. The third one is to see if the research question is measurable. In order to be credible, we need to do a scientific study. And a scientific study refers to a work that is measurable. Relevant is the fourth step. It is important to check if all things are in correlation. All things we will speak about in the work should have a link with the other things and with the research question itself. The next step, the level of expertise, is surely one of the important one. In this step, we need to check our own expertise in order to determine our own limits, our strengths and weaknesses. Self-checking will allow us to take measures to overcome limits. The following quote, one of San Su, shows it: "Know you yourself, know your adversary and you will be invincible." The sixth step concerns the availability of data. Literature review is important in every work because it allows to explore the findings of other persons who have done more or less the same topic. So, it is important to know before if the research question we want to choose have already data available or not in order to know if we will do a literature review or an original work without literature review. The seventh and last step is the ethical of the research question. Ethical means something that is morally acceptable. For example, doing a research to see how to improve weapons sales is not ethical. We need to choose something that will allow society to go ahead. 2 It is also important to add that the research question should be precise, concise, and attractive. Considering all these steps, we have decided to choose the following research question: "Are social networks really effective for Senegalese companies"? This research question comes from an observation. We have noticed that several for-profit and non-profit organizations are present on at leas...