MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF NEPAL TRIBUNE

MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

By:
Prakash Marasini
Kathford International College of Engineering and Management
Exam Roll Number: 15519/15
T.U. Registration Number: 5-2-50-190-2013

An Internship Report Submitted to

Office of the Dean
Faculty of Management
Tribhuvan University

in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

at the
Kathford International College of Engineering and Management
Balkumari, Lalitpur

August, 2019
 STUDENTS DECLARATION

I, Prakash Marasini, hereby declare that I have completed internship work in the Nepal
Tribune Media Private Limited from 7th May 2019 to 5th July 2019 and prepared the
Internship Report entitled “Marketing Department of Nepal Tribune Media Private
Limited” under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Neeran Dhaubhadel in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration
(BBA) at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University. It is my original work and I
have not submitted it earlier elsewhere for any other purposes.

………………....

Prakash Marasini

Examination Roll Number: 15519/15

T.U. Reg. No.: 5-2-50-190-2013

Date:

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The internship report has been prepared in the partial fulfilment of the requirement of
the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). The completion of this
report highlights the success with those helping hands, without which I would have
accomplished a very little. I would like to thank Tribhuvan University and Kathford
International College of Engineering and Management for integrating internships into
the BBA Program.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the internship report supervisor, Mr.
Neeran Dhaubhadel, Senior Lecturer of our college, for his continuous support,
patience and motivation during the preparation of this report. And my deepest gratitude
to Er. Manoj Panthi, CEO of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited and internship
supervisor, who has always been there to listen and give advice. Special thanks to all
the staffs of Nepal Tribune Media for their kindness and cooperation during my
internship period. Without their help, I would not be able to learn about teamwork and
organizational operation.

Lastly, I am deeply thankful to all my friends and also all those who have encouraged
me during the internship and during the preparation of this report.

Sincerely,

Prakash Marasini

iii
INTERNSHIP COMPLETION LETTER

iv
 CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR

This is to certify that Prakash Marasini had completed his internship work in Nepal
Tribune Media Private Limited from 7th May 2019 to 5th July 2019 and prepared the
internship report entitled “Marketing Department of Nepal Tribune Media Private
Limited” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of
Business Administration (BBA) at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University
under my supervision and guidance. To the best of my knowledge, the internship report
is an original work of the student and the information presented by him in the report
has not been submitted earlier anywhere for any other purposes. The report is based on
the activities accomplished by him during the internship work.

……………………

Neeran Dhaubhadel

Senior Lecturer

Date:

v
 APPROVAL LETTER

This is to certify that the internship report

Submitted by

Prakash Marasini

Kathford International College of Engineering and Management

Exam Roll Number: 15519/15

T.U. Registration Number: 5-2-50-190-2013

Entitled

Marketing Department of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited

has been prepared as approved by this Department in the prescribed format of Faculty
of Management. This internship report is forwarded for examination.

……………………….

Mr. Neeran Dhaubhadel

(Supervisor, Coordinator - BBA Department)

vi
 TABLES OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Students Declaration ......................................................................................................ii

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii

Internship Completion Letter ........................................................................................ iv

Certificate from the Supervisor ...................................................................................... v

Approval Letter ............................................................................................................. vi

Tables of Contents........................................................................................................ vii

List of Tables ................................................................................................................. ix

List of Figures ................................................................................................................ x

List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... xi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1

1.1 Background ..................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................ 2

1.3 Methodology ................................................................................................... 3

1.3.1 Organization Selection ............................................................................. 3

1.3.2 Placement/Duration/Activities ................................................................. 3

1.3.3 Work Procedure ....................................................................................... 5

1.3.4 Tools Used ............................................................................................... 6

1.4 Limitations of the Study .................................................................................. 6

CHAPTER II: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA INDUSTRY .................................. 7

2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7

2.1.1 Marketing ............................................................................................... 11

2.1.2 Social Media Marketing ......................................................................... 13

2.2 Brief Introduction of Industry in Nepal......................................................... 16

vii
CHAPTER III: INTRODUCTION TO NEPAL TRIBUNE MEDIA................... 19

3.1 Overview of Nepal Tribune Media ............................................................... 19

3.1.1 Vision/Mission of the Company ............................................................ 20

3.1.2 Goal of the Company ............................................................................. 20

3.2 Organizational Structure ............................................................................... 20

3.2.1 Organizational Hierarchy ....................................................................... 21

3.2.2 Hierarchy of Decision Making Process ................................................. 22

3.2.3 Ownership Structure .............................................................................. 24

3.2.4 Services Offered by Nepal Tribune Media ............................................ 24

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS OF ACTIVITIES AND PROBLEMS SOLVED .... 25

4.1 Introduction to the Departments .................................................................... 25

4.1.1 Marketing Team ..................................................................................... 25

4.1.2 Social Media Marketing Team............................................................... 26

4.2 Activities Performed in Each Department .................................................... 26

4.2.1 Activities Performed in the Marketing Department............................... 26

4.2.2 Activities performed in Social Media Marketing Department .............. 28

4.3 Problem Faced ............................................................................................... 29

4.4 Problem Solved ............................................................................................. 30

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND LESSON LEARNT .................................... 31

5.1 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 31

5.2 Lesson Learnt ................................................................................................ 32

5.3 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 33

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 34

APPENDICES

viii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1: Internship Duration in Different Departments .............................................. 4

ix
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: Organizational Hierarchy .......................................................................... 21

Figure 3.2: Decision Making Process .......................................................................... 22
Figure 3.3: Simplified Decision Making Process ........................................................ 23

x
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BBA – Bachelors in Business Administration

CEO – Chief Executive Officer

CV – Curriculum Vitae

NTM – Nepal Tribune Media

NTV – Nepal Television

OB – Outside Broadcasting

T.U – Tribhuvan University

TV – Television

xi
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
The scope of BBA has grown as an important academic discipline with practical
dimension. This has grown according to the needs of the institutions with the growth of
financial sectors in particular and other professional organizations in general. With a
view to providing qualitative and proficient education in management, Tribhuvan
University (TU) introduced Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in 2002 A.D.
BBA, a four year, hundred and twenty credit hours, is an object-oriented business
management program. BBA aims at building self-confidence, self-motivation, and self-
discipline of students by emphasizing on quality education, and other curricular
activities. The internship stimulates creative and critical thinking and helps in
developing interpersonal communication skills among the students in terms of business
and public administration. It is a great opportunity to start a career gaining some
experience in the working environment and participating in supervised work. Internship
in Nepal is the best choice where you can enroll yourself according to your interest and
get experienced in that particular field. The education system at every level like school
or college level mainly focuses on theoretical knowledge. The practical implementation
is equally important in the modern world. Knowledge is useless if it has no
implementation. In this way, we are making a bridge for your future carrier throw
internship in Nepal and provide an opportunity to implement your knowledge in
developing society.

Students are required to work in any organization for eight weeks in their final semester
(Eight Semester). This internship program is designed with the aim of providing an
opportunity to learn how to translate the knowledge into actions through exposure to a
real organizational environment. It will also help the student to assess themselves in a
real-life situation and serving in various professional areas. It helps in gaining work
experience and develops relations with potential employers. The program stimulates
creative and critical thinking and helps in developing interpersonal communication
skills.

1
Furthermore, an internship helps to bring out the hidden capability of students and
makes them able to face internal as well as external environmental challenges. Through
the provision of the internship, one can understand the real scenario of the organization
by being a member of that same organization for a predetermined period. Moreover, it
not only helps the students but also benefits the organization to assess fresh graduates.

The internship was carried out at Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited, the
organization which has been working in the field of Media Production from the day of
establishment. This internship report provides information about Nepal Tribune Media
regarding the working environment, organizational culture, the activities that intern has
been doing through this internship period in the organization, what problems intern had
faced and how those problems were solved. It helps to know how internship programs
support the students to understand, identify and analyze the importance of
organizational process, business environment and real work environment problems.

1.2 Objectives
An internship offers students a period of practical experience in the industry relating to
their field of study. This experience is valuable to students as a means of allowing them
to experience how their studies are applied in “real world”, and as work experience that
can be highly attractive to potential employers on a candidate’s CV.

The major objective of the internship program is to acquire the real-life work experience
and utilize the knowledge gained in the college.

Following are the specific objectives of the study:

• To know the effectiveness of marketing and social media marketing over

potential customers.
• To gain insight into different activities done in the process of marketing and
social media marketing.
• To understand the process of management and the decision-making process
in the organization.

2
1.3 Methodology
The methodology signifies the process to be followed to collect useful knowledge and
information for completing the study. This report is prepared on the ground of an
intern’s placement in various departments of the organization, as well as the primary
and secondary data.

A. Primary Data
The sources of primary data for this study comprise the intern’s personal
experience and observation within the organization, discussion with the
supervisor, influencer team, brand team, marketing team and other staffs.

B. Secondary Data
The secondary data have been collected from the horizon of information readily
available on the internet including the organization’s website and various
published books.

1.3.1 Organization Selection

Specializing in Marketing, the internship had to seek in firm relating to the same field
in order to utilize the learned experiences properly. Rather than going for a bunch of
organizations at once by sending resume, the intern decided to do research and
fortunately found the announcement of interns wanted at Nepal Tribune Media Private
Limited. The media production has been influential for many countries’ economy.
There were two vacancy seats for interns, and by having the interview gone well, the
intern received an early response from the company.

1.3.2 Placement/Duration/Activities
During two months’ period of internship, the intern was guided through the activities
of various departments of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited under the special
supervision of CEO, Er. Manoj Panthi. The open communication and the friendly
working environment largely helped the intern to quickly get absorbed into the
organizational culture and get along with most of the staffs within the first week of
internship.

3
The internship was carried out for two months as prescribed by the Faculty of
Management, Tribhuvan University. The internship started on 7th May, 2019 and was
concluded on 5th July, 2019.

Table 1.1: Internship Duration in Different Departments

Department/Week 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Marketing Department
Social Media Department

As the organization operates under team-concept, the intern was allowed to take
initiative to work in various departments. A brief account of the activities performed by
the intern at Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited is summarized below:

A. Marketing Department
The marketing department is responsible for bringing in the clients; they are the brands
who want to advertise their product or service through the media platform or video
platform. The marketing department creates high-impact conversations with clients
about their brand by helping out them to sort out the problem through advertisement.
Delivering what their client needs was the key part during proposal making.

• Creation of proposal for Gorkha Brewery, Yeti Arna Beer, Nepal Tourism
Board, Prime Times Television, and many institutions through research on
internet and documents provided by departments’ head.
• Preparing a presentation for marketing lead in field and market visit.
• Doing research on potential clients and providing enough information to a
marketing lead.
• In the 5th week, visited few potential clients to know how to deal with them
and had some video presentation of the company’s program going to be
telecasted in Prime Times Television.
• Monitored marketing activities in ‘Trello’, a file-sharing platform which
allows the team to work on project and time management.

4
B. Social Media Marketing Department
Social Media Marketing work for enhancing the reach of the company’s video content
in the market. Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited was based on social media like
Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Web. Social media has become a part of
peoples’ life. More than half of the Nepalese people are accessible to social media.
Emerging of e-commerce creates help for social media marketing.

• Graphics creation through Canva; an online tool for creating attractive

templates, pictures and so on.
• Regularly updating contents and increasing the reach of social media.
• Replying the message of clients, potential clients and stakeholders in a good
sense of humour and creative thinking.
• Updating YouTube videos’ tagline to increase the reach, watch time, views
that may be helpful during marketing.
• Monitoring comments, likes and insights of social media accounts and
informing updated information to the department head.

1.3.3 Work Procedure

The internship is hard job assigned to the students without any practical work. The work
procedure was the same as other regular staffs of the company. Some rules and
regulation were:

i. Formal dress during the internship

ii. 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM was the internship period.
iii. Leave can only be taken after application; prior to 2 days only.
iv. Signed non-discourse agreement for Intellectual Property.
v. The decision-making process was under the supervision of the
internship supervisor.

5
1.3.4 Tools Used
As per the student of BBA and modern world, tools knowledge is important to make
work smoother, faster and effective manner. During my internship, I got the opportunity
to use several tools. The few tools, I got the opportunity to use are given below.

vi. Canva - Designing graphics for social media

vii. Trello - Project Management and File Sharing Platform
viii. Clockify - Time Management
ix. Adobe Photoshop - Photo/Image editing software
x. YouTube Analysist - YouTube analytics which helped to boost the
videos and monitor their performance
xi. Personal Official Mail Service (Outlook) - For mailing the formal
request for business proposal and fixing time and place for meetings.

Besides this software, I got to use different kinds of hardware that are used in media
production company like cameras, gears, high-end editing setups, scanners, printers,
projectors and many more.

1.4 Limitations of the Study

There have been some limitations on the report despite the hard work to make it fully
approved. They are listed below:
• Limited availability of information regarding media marketing as it is very
limited to the Nepalese market.
• Lack of previous works by scholars in this area.
• Limited knowledge on my part which created hindrance to understand the
jargons and technical procedures of the media production.

6
 CHAPTER II

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA INDUSTRY

2.1 Introduction
Since the 20th Century, the diversity of media and advertising has increased
considerably. The period of time required for new technologies to form part of everyday
life has become much shorter than before. It is also a fact that in today’s world, children
easily outperform their parents in the use of such technologies. The Internet has grown
(and still has much more to grow) faster than any other media platform. In the 20th
Century, music and cinema replaced books as the main form of mass medium. Now, in
the early part of the 21st Century, it’s the Internet that has become the most widely used
medium. The fundamental factors that have led to this state of affairs, in addition to the
rapid expansion of personal computers, are the increasing number of broadband
connections; an exponential improvement in computer technology; and the constant and
progressive rate of growth of telecommunications. All this has resulted in radical
consequences for the media industry, including the areas of business management and
the development of business models (Faustino, 2015).

Although the media industry has some marked and very specific differences in relation
to other industries, such as visibility, and its cultural and social impacts, media
organizations are increasingly adopting more market-orientated management practices,
particularly in the areas of marketing and sales, all of which are being focused on
economic and financial profitability. This situation also includes a tendency for media
products to be perceived as a commodity or raw material. Moreover, management
practices adopted by media companies appear to be increasingly picked up by other
industries (Faustino, 2015).

One of the aspects that have contributed to the fact that the management of media
companies has become more aligned with the practices observed in other industries, is
the impact of convergence (at the level of business models, distribution and production,
for example), and the increasing competitive pressure generated by the growing number
of competent communication products and substitutes (Trebilcock, 2008).

7
Growth in the implementation of models of multimedia products also implies that there
is a growing view by media managers of the specific characteristics and
complementarity between the different segments within the universe of
communications media. In this sense, one can say that, as they are aware that there is a
transition from a mono-media production and distribution logic to a multimedia logic,
operators are also shifting from one form of mono-management to a more multi-
management format, in the sense that they need to acquire more knowledge about the
various media businesses, rather than focus solely on a particular type, as often
happened in the recent past (Trebilcock, 2008).

Furthermore, technology, through the creation of software and other models supporting
business management, has also contributed thanks to the homogenization of certain
management processes and operations. In this context, managers have a wider range of
tools available to promote and administer their products. For example, the promotional
tools used by the media and telecommunications industries are now more similar to
each other, particularly as both sectors make use of advertising, retail display and
promotion, trade promotion, marketing and public relations, sponsorships, direct
marketing, entertainment products, indirect advertising (product placement), personal
sales, product registration and viral marketing (Trebilcock, 2008).

One aspect that has differentiated the media industry from other industries is the fact
that content creators (journalists, for example) and media business managers (i.e.
marketing professionals) work separately and autonomously. However, this idea (that
advertising and news are separate activities and that printed news journalism and
broadcast journalism are part of different businesses) has been altered significantly,
particularly from 1990 onwards, with the emergence of communication, distribution
and production technologies, all enhanced by the Internet. Information and knowledge
are about to become critical factors of production, and new virtual products (which
respond to the needs of consumers and industries) have entered the market and are
building new areas of businesses such as consultancies, services and the possibilities of
cross-media (Harcourt, 2005).

8
In general terms, media markets are now finding themselves located in an area of
convergence determined by various factors, particularly:

i. the specific characteristics of the sector, such as technological

developments,
ii. the legal and possibly regulatory structure and
iii. the internal market and external success factors.

There are various factors pressuring the informational markets (e.g., regulation,
technological innovation, communications platforms, etc.) making them increasingly
volatile and competitive. As a result of these pressures, routine behaviour, traditional
skills and the resources of mass media companies have become insufficient, and many
practices are now obsolete, a fact that demands new forms of management and
adaptation in the search for new forms of production and distribution of content. In this
new competitive environment, companies need to acquire and develop new skills, new
resources and new management practices that force them to become more market-
oriented, just like the competitive pressures that affect other industries; this is to say,
the need for competitiveness is contributing to greater standardization of management
practices of the mass media, drawing them closer to the practices adopted in other
industries. In turn, the convergence of mass media and telecommunications
technologies leads to another type of convergence: on the one hand, it contributes to
bringing together more and more characteristics and similarities between the media
companies themselves, and on the other, it helps standardize the management practices
and business strategies used in different business segments (Jacobs, 1961).

That is to say, management practices applied to different media companies are

becoming more similar to each other, to the extent that convergence can be observed in
the following:

i) business models;
ii) distribution platforms
iii) means of production
iv) marketing tools and
v) interaction with the consumer.

9
Finally, and regardless of the type or size of media, these practices are being confronted,
and at varying levels of intensity, with similar challenges at the level of management
strategies and practices, as highlighted by the following:

i. the creation of new products

ii. diversification of formulas
iii. the reorganization of work
iv. brand management
v. investment in technology
vi. cooperation between companies
vii. costs reduction
viii. project management
ix. portfolio management
x. attracting talent
xi. multiplatform content
xii. the articulations between management and drafting of content
xiii. continued training
xiv. the conquest of customer loyalty and
xv. production synergies.

Summing up, it is possible to conclude that the Internet not only represents a system or
distribution channel (similar to, for example, radio and television), but also a
technology and a platform for acceleration in the transition of media activities into a
new era. This is a fact that reinforces the need for new skills and professional profiles
in media organizations, given that business management in this industry will have to
pay special attention to the impact of technology on their respective business models
and professional skills. The changes introduced by digital technology have been felt
intensely, and the media executives of companies have been progressively adapting. In
this context, it is possible to say that technologies have helped to dilute the borders
between each type of media and also to standardize similar forms of business
management practices, regardless of the type or size of media communications
businesses observed (Faustino, 2015).

10
2.1.1 Marketing
Marketing is the study and management of exchange relationships. Marketing is the
business process of creating relationships with and satisfying customers. With its focus
on the customer, marketing is one of the premier components of business management.

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as "the activity, set of

institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging
offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large". The term
developed from the original meaning which referred literally to going to market with
goods for sale. From a sales process engineering perspective, marketing is "a set of
processes that are interconnected and interdependent with other functions" of a business
aimed at achieving customer interest and satisfaction" (AMA, 2009).

The process of marketing is that of bringing a product to market, which includes these
steps: broad market research; market targeting and market segmentation; determining
distribution, pricing and promotion strategies; developing a communications strategy;
budgeting; and visioning long-term market development goals. Many parts of the
marketing process (e.g. product design, art director, brand management, advertising,
copywriting etc.) involve the use of the creative arts (Drucker, 1954).

2.1.1.1 Marketing History: An Overview

Historians of marketing tend to fall into two distinct branches of marketing history - the
history of marketing practice and the history of marketing thought. These branches are
often deeply divided and have very different roots. The history of marketing practise is
grounded in the management and marketing disciplines, while the history of marketing
thought is grounded in economic and cultural history. This means that the two branches
ask very different types of research questions and employ different research tools and
frameworks. Historians of marketing have undertaken a considerable investigation into
the emergence of marketing practice, yet there is little agreement about when marketing
first began (Levine, 1998).

11
Some researchers argue that marketing practices can be found in antiquity while others
suggest that marketing, in its modern form, emerged in conjunction with the rise of
consumer culture in seventeenth and eighteenth-century Europe while yet other
researchers suggest that modern marketing was only fully realized in the decades
following the industrial revolution in Britain from where it subsequently spread to
Europe and North America. Hollander and others have suggested that the different dates
for the emergence of marketing can be explained by problems surrounding the way that
marketing has been defined - whether reference to 'modern marketing' as a planned,
programmed repertoire of professional practice including activities such as
segmentation, product differentiation, positioning and marketing communications
versus 'marketing' as a simple form distribution and exchange (Levine, 1998).

2.1.1.2 History of Marketing Practice

The practice of marketing may have been carried out for millennia, but the modern
concept of marketing as a professional practice appears to have emerged the post-
industrial corporate world. In addition to the studies of specific cultures or time periods,
discussed in the preceding section, some historians of marketing have sought to write
more general histories of marketing's evolution in the modern era. A key question that
has preoccupied researchers is whether it is possible to identify specific orientations or
mindsets that inform key periods in marketing's evolution. Marketers disagree about
the way that marketing practice has evolved over time (Levine, 1998).

2.1.1.3 History of Marketing Thought

Dating the history of marketing, as an academic discipline, is just as problematic as the
history of marketing practice. Marketing historians cannot agree on how to date the
beginnings of marketing thought. Eric Shaw, for instance, suggests that a period of pre-
academic marketing thought can be identified prior to 1900. Other historians suggest
that the theory of marketing only emerged in the 20th century when the discipline began
to offer courses at universities. Nevertheless, the birth of marketing as a discipline is
usually designated to the first decade of the twentieth century when "marketing
courses" appeared in universities (Keith, 1960).

12
In 1902, the University of Michigan offered what many believe to be the very first
course in marketing. The University of Illinois also started offering coursework in
marketing in 1902. In the academic year, 1904-1905, the University of Pennsylvania
commenced teaching marketing. Other universities soon followed, including the
Harvard Business School. Prior to the emergence of marketing courses, marketing was
not recognized as a discipline in its own right; rather it was treated as a branch of
economics and was often called applied economics. Subjects, which today might be
recognized as marketing-related, were embedded in economics courses. Early
marketing theories were described as modifications or adaptations of economic theories
(Keith, 1960).

The impetus for the separation of marketing and economics was due, at least in part, to
economics’ focus on production as the creator of economic value and general failure to
investigate distribution. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, as markets
became more globalized, distribution began to assume increasing importance. Some
economics professors began to run courses examining various aspects of the marketing
system, including "distributive and regulative systems." Other courses, such as the
"marketing of products" and the "marketing of farm-products" followed. As the first
decades of the 20th century progressed, books and articles concerning marketing topics
began to emerge. In 1936, the publication of the new Journal of Marketing gave
marketing academics a forum for exchanging ideas and research methods and also gave
the discipline a real sense of its own distinct identity as a maturing academic discipline
(Bailey, 1990).

2.1.2 Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects
and customers. Your customers are already interacting with brands through social
media, and if you're not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms
like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, you're missing out! Great marketing
on social media can bring remarkable success to your business, creating devoted brand
advocates and even driving leads and sales. Social Media Marketing, is a form of
internet marketing that involves creating and sharing content on social media networks
in order to achieve your marketing and branding goals (Arthur, 2011).

13
Social media marketing includes activities like posting text and image updates, videos,
and other content that drives audience engagement, as well as paid social media
advertising. Social media, which relates to the sharing of information, experiences, and
perspectives throughout community-oriented websites, is becoming increasingly
significant in our online world. Thanks to social media, the geographic walls that divide
individuals are crumbling, and new online communities are emerging and growing.
Some examples of social media include blogs, forums, message boards, picture- and
video-sharing sites, user-generated sites, wikis, and podcasts. Each of these tools helps
facilitate communication about ideas that users are passionate about and connects like-
minded individuals throughout the world. Social media marketing is a process that
empowers individuals to promote their websites, products, or services through online
social channels and to communicate with and tap into a much larger community that
may not have been available via traditional advertising channels. Social media, most
importantly, emphasizes the collective rather than the individual. Communities exist in
different shapes and sizes throughout the Internet, and people are talking among
themselves. It’s the job of social media marketers to leverage these communities
properly in order to effectively communicate with the community participants about
relevant product and service offerings. Social media marketing also involves listening
to the communities and establishing relationships with them as a representative of your
company. As we will discuss later in this book, this is not always the easiest feat. In
essence, social media marketing is about listening to the community and responding in
kind, but for many social media marketers, it also refers to reviewing content or finding
a particularly useful piece of content and promoting it within the vast social sphere of
the Internet (Arthur, 2011).

2.1.2.1 History of Social Media: Then and Now

The roots of social media stretch far deeper than you might imagine. Although it seems
like a new trend, sites like Facebook are the natural outcome of many centuries of social
media development.

14
Social Media Before 1900

The earliest methods of communicating across great distances used written

correspondence delivered by hand from one person to another. In other words, letters.
The earliest form of postal service dates back to 550 B.C., and this primitive delivery
system would become more widespread and streamlined in future centuries. In 1792,
the telegraph was invented. This allowed messages to be delivered over a long distance
far faster than a horse and rider could carry them. Although telegraph messages were
short, they were a revolutionary way to convey news and information. Although no
longer popular outside of drive-through banking, the pneumatic post, developed in
1865, created another way for letters to be delivered quickly between recipients. A
pneumatic post utilizes underground pressurized air tubes to carry capsules from one
area to another (Hendricks, 2013).

Two important discoveries happened in the last decade of the 1800s: The telephone in
1890 and the radio in 1891. Both technologies are still in use today, although the
modern versions are much more sophisticated than their predecessors. Telephone lines
and radio signals enabled people to communicate across great distances
instantaneously, something that mankind had never experienced before (Hendricks,
2013).

Social Media in the 20th Century

Technology began to change very rapidly in the 20th Century. After the first
supercomputers were created in the 1940s, scientists and engineers began to develop
ways to create networks between those computers, and this would later lead to the birth
of the Internet (Hendricks, 2013).

The earliest forms of the Internet, such as CompuServe, were developed in the 1960s.
Primitive forms of the email were also developed during this time. By the 70s,
networking technology had improved, and 1979’s UseNet allowed users to
communicate through a virtual newsletter. By the 1980s, home computers were
becoming more common and social media was becoming more sophisticated. Internet
relay chats, or IRCs, were first used in 1988 and continued to be popular well into the
1990s (Hendricks, 2013).

15
The first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees, was created in 1997. It enabled
users to upload a profile and make friends with other users. In 1999, the first blogging
sites became popular, creating a social media sensation that’s still popular today
(Hendricks, 2013).

Social Media Today

After the invention of blogging, social media began to explode in popularity. Sites like
MySpace and LinkedIn gained prominence in the early 2000s, and sites like
Photobucket and Flickr facilitated online photo sharing. YouTube came out in 2005,
creating an entirely new way for people to communicate and share with each other
across great distances (Hendricks, 2013).

By 2006, Facebook and Twitter both became available to users throughout the world.
These sites remain some of the most popular social networks on the Internet. Other sites
like Tumblr, Spotify, Foursquare and Pinterest began popping up to fill specific social
networking niches (Hendricks, 2013).

Today, there is a tremendous variety of social networking sites, and many of them can
be linked to allow cross-posting. This creates an environment where users can reach the
maximum number of people without sacrificing the intimacy of person-to-person
communication. We can only speculate about what the future of social networking may
look in the next decade or even 100 years from now, but it seems clear that it will exist
in some form for as long as humans are alive (Hendricks, 2013).

2.2 Brief Introduction of Industry in Nepal

Even though the right to information and press freedom is guaranteed in the Interim
Constitution of Nepal, 2063, Nepali media still face plenty of challenges. Most of these
media, whether owned by the government or the private sector, are controlled by the
political parties, directly or indirectly. Those parties who are in the government may
control the media directly whereas those who are not in the government may control
them indirectly. Nepali media are facing economic or financial challenges as well (Rai,
2012).

16
According to Department of Industry, they register industries under three categories-
small (up to Rs. 3 crore investment), medium (from Rs. 4 to 10 crore), and large (above
Rs. 10 crores). He further said Nepali media fall under these three types of industries.
Nepali market is not huge but the number of media organizations is large so apparently,
it is becoming hard for the media to survive. Due to the limited income of the general
readers, one newspaper may be read by at least ten persons (Rai, 2012).

Until 2007, the Nepali media's worth was estimated to be over $30-million industries.
The latest data provided by Office of the Company Registration shows that there are
1,961 media-related registered companies, and their total investment in the media sector
amounts to Rs 1.8 billion (the exact figure is 1,80,77,99,220). However, this figure is
only the declared amount listed as investment monies during the registration of the
companies. Actual worth of the entire industry may be several times higher, especially
when we consider reports that the leading media house Kantipur Publications alone is
valued to be over Rs 2 billion (Rai, 2012).

Similarly, the lack of the latest technologies and skilled manpower are hindering the
growth of Nepali media. Both of these aspects play an important role in media
development. Without the latest technology, none of the work can be done effectively
and efficiently. The use of technology, such as the internet and social media is still
driven by individual journalists' interest rather than institutional commitment. The use
of Facebook, Twitter or Skype in reporting purposes is still limited in the mainstream
media. In broadcast technology, the use of OB Van, an outside broadcasting mobile
unit which delivers quality images, is still limited to only a few media houses, for
example, Kantipur TV and NTV. Most other TV stations rely on optical fiber transport
system (Rai, 2012).

Likewise, skilled manpower is the backbone of any organization, beyond the media
sector. Data shows that most media professionals, about 50%, are relatively young (19-
30 years), having at least a Bachelor's degree. However, they don't remain in the job for
long, and change their professions. Specialized training for media professionals is rare.
Despite these drawbacks or challenges, with the growth of Nepali media, and because
of their increased focus on social ills and conflict, in recent times people have become
more aware of their rights. Not long ago, even educated people used to remain less
informed about the conflict or violence in our society (KC, 2019).

17
Today, they are constantly updated with current news/ information on such issues.
Ideally, the role of media is to broadcast or publish the voice of the voiceless. The media
are helping to convey their grievances to the concerned departments. If we did not have
these media it is possible that those people's voices would have been suppressed.
Therefore, we may say media are playing the role of the watchdog. They are warning
the government in case of wrongdoings and at the same time, they are raising the issues
of people who have a little say in the policy process. New media have changed the way
we learn about things. Before the advent of the internet, it was impossible to physically
attend a class for education but now anyone can earn an academic certificate via distant
education, or e-learning. For the educational purpose, the internet has played a vital
role. The invention of the internet has made this easier. Now the world has become a
global village. And entertainment has become every individual's basic need. We all are
fond of entertainment whether we are in sorrow or in a celebration. More than a hundred
movies are produced every year in Nepal. Television shows abound (KC, 2019).

With the establishment of a large number of media houses, more people are getting jobs
than in the past. Like any other organization, media houses also need a big number of
staff members to work from a top-level management position to first-line supervision.
Media have a great potential to contribute to the development of our society but they
still have not played a sufficient role in doing that. To this day, our government's reach
is limited; there are still many places where its services are not available. The media
have to cover new places and carry stories that portray the actual state of development
in the country (KC, 2019).

It appears that many people believe that development means construction of roads,
clearing of jungles or deforestation for new farmlands or housing areas. But such
notions, although in some regards may be true, can be wrong. Here is an opportunity
for our media to play a pro-active role, to be responsible for making people aware of
issues like these. Although it is said that accuracy, balance, and credibility are the major
news values embraced all over the world, these are not followed in an appropriate way
in Nepal. Most of the media seem to give priority to political news. Politics gets front-
page space or the prime time. Social news is given less value. However, at present, with
a gradual increase in the coverage of other issues, it seems things are improving a bit.
But the situation is not satisfactory yet. Still, more space has to be given to social issues
(Rai, 2012).

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 CHAPTER III

INTRODUCTION TO NEPAL TRIBUNE MEDIA

3.1 Overview of Nepal Tribune Media

Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited is a News/Media Production company whose
core focus is the investigative news. Nepal Tribune Media Pvt. Ltd. (NTM) is focused
on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers and
businesses throughout the world. The company aims businesses across a range of
media, currently including news and information services through Kathmandu Tribune
and Nepali Tribune. At the NTM, we exist to make communities stronger by helping
people and businesses make meaningful change to Nepal’s evolving democracy.

As a media company we will continue to connect people to content that matters, and
businesses to the customers that they want to reach. We help to make clients stronger
who wants more leads, more customers, and more revenue. We are part of the
communities we serve and we want a great business relationship and the best deals too.

It is not easy to run an independent media in Nepal. NTM runs Kathmandu Tribune and
Nepali Tribune without resorting to corporate, political and other external forces. We
are aware that press freedom is essential to strengthening Nepal's young democracy.
And, at the same time, make state actors accountable. As Nepal is ranked 122nd in the
Corruption Perception Index (2017), media is under severe pressure from corporations
and political actors in Nepal. We desire to keep our newsroom free from such pressures.
Your support is greatly appreciated.

The various content in the web platform has been an asset for the company. Tourism-
related videos, Lead to Change Nepal’s personality story-based video, motivational
videos, event coverage and many more service has been the strength of services that
Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited possess.

19
The values of the company are

1. Independent
2. Ethics
3. Quality
4. Transparency
5. Community Commitment

3.1.1 Vision/Mission of the Company

The visions of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited are:

• The platform for the Truth

• High-quality Content
• Welfare of People

The mission of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited is “We comply with true
journalism ethical values. We are committed to providing accurate and impartial
information and services.”

3.1.2 Goal of the Company

The goal of the company is “We connect people to content that matters, and businesses
to the customers they want to reach.”

3.2 Organizational Structure

Every organization has its own unique hierarchy and decision-making system. In Nepal
Tribune Media, the hierarchy is not complicated like other organization which has
helped in employee co-operation and higher efficiency.

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3.2.1 Organizational Hierarchy

The hierarchy of the Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited is

CEO

Administration Department Video Production Department

Managerial Head Production Head

Resource Manager Editors
Cameramen
Reporters

Marketing Department IT Department

Marketing Executive IT Head

Marketing Associates IT Associates

Social Media Manager

Figure 3.1: Organizational Hierarchy

There are four departments in Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited;

A. Administrative Department - looks on the monetary parts and inventory

management.
B. Video Production Department - looks after the video production and the
effectiveness of their employees.

21
 C. Marketing Department - responsible for public relation and media marketing
with clients.
D. IT Department - responsible for all the IT-related websites, applications and
development of platforms.

3.2.2 Hierarchy of Decision Making Process

The decision-making process is a complicated process for the organization. The

decision making depends upon the tasks and objectives to be achieved. Mainly
administrative decisions are taken by top-level management. But functional
assignments are taken by the highly dedicated process.

Functional Assignments

Yes
No
Peer’s Review No No

Yes

Department Head’s Review

Yes

Administration Final Review

Finalizing the Assignment

Figure 3.2: Decision Making Process

22
As a media production company, the decision of every department can affect the whole
organization, so when the assignment is done by the designated employee, the review
system is a long process which minimizes the chance of error. During the review
process, the employee has to do another assignment given to him, which increase
efficiency and productivity.

The simplified decision-making process is given below.

Start

Assigned Job

Process

Final Draft Rejection of Draft

Approval of Draft Rewrite

Save and Start New Task

Figure 3.3: Simplified Decision Making Process

When an individual is assigned the work, then he/she starts to process a final draft, if
this final draft is rejected, then he/she has to rewrite the final draft and if it is approved,
then an individual has to save it and provide it to the concerned person and start newly
assigned tasks and this is the same for all departments.

23
3.2.3 Ownership Structure

Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited is owned by Er. Manoj Panthi and Mr. Arun
Budhathoki respectively. Er. Manoj Panthi is working as CEO and Mr. Arun
Budhathoki is working as Chief Editor in the company.

In 1st of June, the company was acquired by Balance Group of Companies Private
Limited through the purchase of all the share, although the ownership hasn't been
transferred to the new company. After the legal procedure, the company would belong
to Balance Group of Companies Private Limited and will be named as 'Balance Media
Network'.

3.2.4 Services Offered by Nepal Tribune Media

The services provided by the Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited are:

• Content Creation - Video Production

• Content Marketing
• News Coverage
• Events Coverage
• Video Advertisement
• News Portal Advertisement
• Print Media Advertisement
• National Media Coverage

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 CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS OF ACTIVITIES AND PROBLEMS SOLVED

Being a part of Nepal Tribune Media for two months as an intern was a great
opportunity to learn about the marketing sector of the media industry. The intern started
with the marketing department. The internee got to work in social media marketing
later on. The internee learned how the theoretical knowledge learned in college is
practically applied. In the beginning, it took time to learn and be familiar with the
environment of the company, but the kind of cooperation, understanding and help from
the seniors made it easier.

4.1 Introduction to the Departments

The intern was involved in two departments i.e. marketing team and social media
marketing team.

4.1.1 Marketing Team

Marketing team brings in the business. They meet with the persons of different sectors
and convince them for choosing Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited for the business-
related activities; like promotion and advertisement on YouTube. This team is highly
effective in convincing the clients for choosing them. The marketing team consist of
highly creative people who are responsible to make a proposal for specific business so
that they can easily attract potential clients. Every time they go in the market,
brainstorming was done for innovative proposal so the rate was high. The best part in
marketing team was the availability of a platform called ‘TRELLO’ which enables to
communicate different people to create the needed proposal and rectify the error. There
was no need to search for the person to review the documents and their results.

25
4.1.2 Social Media Marketing Team

Social Media Marketing team looks after the social media accounts and their content.
They work for enhancing the reach of the company’s video content in the market. This
team was responsible for the creation of attractive graphics for social media account,
the conversation in their accounts, regular update of YouTube tags and many more
related to social media. This team was highly ideal for the organization because Nepal
Tribune Media Private Limited was based on social media like Facebook, YouTube,
Instagram, Twitter and Web. They even act as the bridge for the video production team
and marketing team by linking the communication gap that was needed to bring an
effective marketing campaign.

4.2 Activities Performed in Each Department

The intern had to deal with various activities in different departments. The intern was
placed in two teams.

4.2.1 Activities Performed in the Marketing Department

The activities that were performed in the marketing department are as follows.

A. Monitoring Marketing Activities

The intern was assigned to monitor the weekly updates, activities and progress
of the marketing department. The intern has to communicate all the personnel
related to the marketing department which was made easy by the sharing
platform called ‘TRELLO’. The updates were then finally presented to
administration head at the end of the week. Sometimes, the intern has to present
the weekly update and how the marketing department has been working with
new clients and the progress of that work which was collected through
marketing executive.

26
B. Presentation
The intern was assigned to prepare a presentation about how Nepal Tribune
Media works. This presentation is supposed to be pitched by a marketing
executive in front of the potential clients for letting them know how the
company functions and every time the presentation was different according to
the nature of clients.

C. Research
The intern was assigned to find out the potential clients for the company and
find out their contact number, email address and so on for contacting them.
Sometimes, an intern has to contact them through emails or direct telephone
calls. An intern was provided with the official email address with the company’s
domain, which makes it easy to email to the potential clients.

D. Proposal
The intern after 3 weeks, the intern was assigned to prepare the business
proposal for the potential clients or related clients. This proposal creation was a
tough task as it needs huge detailed research on the clients and the service they
are taking from other business and their further needs. During 2 weeks’ periods,
intern was responsible to prepare the proposal for Prime Times Television for
broadcasting their one of the content (Lead to Change Nepal), Proposal for
Nepal Tourism Board for the promotion of tourism year 2020 which is planned
to be broadcast through Prime Times Television and different proposal for
advertisement and promotion through YouTube and other services.

E. Potential Client Visit

The intern got the opportunity to visit potential clients with the marketing
executive to learn how to deal and communicate your service to potential
clients.

27
4.2.2 Activities performed in Social Media Marketing Department

The activities that were performed in the social media marketing department are as
follows.

A. Graphics Designing
The intern has to create creative graphics for social media like Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Posting a single post in Facebook needs
brainstorming research, before posting content, he/she has to go through
detailed research because it is seen by every stakeholder. Grammatical mistakes,
post content and so on related to social media are checked and reviewed before
final posting.

B. Social Media Account Handling

Posting the contents, regularly updating graphics (cover pages, profile picture
and photo uploads), account security is concerned with this task. The main
responsibility of the intern was to reply to the message of clients or stakeholder
of the social account which will create a good relationship with the client
through effective communication. Managing YouTube tags with social media
needs a lot of research and creative execution.

C. Facebook Boosting
An intern was assigned to boost the post that needs to be reached to more people
or Facebook users. This helps the company to promote the client’s
advertisement and the company itself. During the intern period, $20 was
provided to boost the post reach in Facebook which was regarded as the most
effective work in social media marketing during the internship period.

28
4.3 Problem Faced

Internship challenges do hit hard because it is the first time in such an environment. An
intern wasn’t familiar with the work-life issues. Some of the problems faced during the
internship period have been below.

• As an intern, the job done went unnoticed. Its wasn’t for very long, but the
first few weeks had been discouraging.
• Managing time was a really difficult task. The balance between work,
academics and personal life was quite challenging.
• Allotment of trivial work. The intern was often offered with just the assisting
jobs to the seniors and mentors.
• The research part was quite challenging because the content of the company
was too diverse. Sometimes, I had to research for several hours for the
potential client.
• With the fear of being judged and the organizational evaluation, the pressure
created hesitation in the first few weeks.
• Presentation and proposal preparing part were difficult, as I had to ask the
senior’s about their work progress and prepare in accordance to their field.
• Communicating with several departments was quite challenging especially
video production department.
• Research part consists of many potential clients but I was facing difficulty
to choose appropriate potential clients respective to the contents.

29
4.4 Problem Solved

During the internship period, the various problem was faced as being the intern had few
or no knowledge about various aspects of the marketing and social media marketing.
Er. Manoj Panthi, CEO of Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited was my supervisor
during my internship period and he assured my work would be effective as the mentor
in his best manner and his best knowledge. The problems faced were basically solved
by following ways.

• Following the principle of no assumption and frequently asked for the

guidelines, ideas and feedback to improve the task.
• Communicating with the departments’ head helped me to solve the problem
easily in research areas.
• Allocating others’ media clients helped me in research areas and create a
proposal as their potential needs.
• The use of sharing platform ‘TRELLO’ helped me to increase
communication skill and problem-solving skill.
• Cultured not only to work together but also to get motivated by people
around, in order to bring out a great collective result as a team.
• Organizational culture of the company is highly motivated by western
culture. Use of latest applications helped me a lot in monitoring time, work
and its progress.
• My mentor provided me with the official email which makes my formal
contact very easy and clients easily answered me, making my work more
effective than personal email.
• The marketing executive was responsible to deal with clients and the
marketing associates help him/her through a channel of communication,
which allowed me to do proposal work more effectively and with better
knowledge of their needs.

30
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND LESSON LEARNT

5.1 Conclusion

Marketing and social media marketing has been an effective means of communicating
the brand/products/service to potential clients. Marketing is one of the major function
of a media company like production. Its core values help them for making their
production more efficient and effective to their clients and company

Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited had been a great place to learn and evaluate self-
growth. During the course of the internship, intern worked in the various department;
marketing and social media marketing which provided overall knowledge about how
media company’s marketing actually works.

Creativity is a key component of marketing. The video content and the potential
customer was well communicated by the creative team of the company. Approaching
technique was unique which differentiate Nepal Tribune Media Private Limited from
other media production. The creative and knowledgeable administration is the key to
their success. The relationship with their clients was well managed by marketing
executive and errors were equal to minimal zero. Company’s structure and culture are
the main aspects of the success of the business, which was well managed by the western
approach of working and use of technology. The misunderstanding is very low, which
is creating self-belief and trust among the co-workers which have increased the
efficiency of the company.

Nepal is the potential market for every kind of business. Knowing the right formula or
ingredient will help marketers to grow their business in the competitive market. The
concept of believing ‘Clients’ success as the company’s success.’ has been a principle
of the business growth.

31
5.2 Lesson Learnt

An internship provides the platform to put classroom theory into practical use.
Knowledge is simply worthless unless it is applied in real work. Experience is necessary
to deal with the problems. But we learn by trial and errors. One thing that the intern
learnt during the internship is to make mistakes. If we are not making mistakes, we
aren’t learning anything new.

Following points summarize the intern’s major learning during the two-month
internship at Nepal Tribune Media.

• Learnt that the real working environment and practical exposures are quite
different from the theoretical knowledge that we have learned in the
classroom.
• Got to know the procedures of marketing team and social media marketing
team.
• Team spirit is a powerful tool to solve problems.
• Co-operation helps in synergy which increase effectiveness and efficiency.
• Various types of skills such as communication skills, leadership skills,
presentation skills, research skills, etc. are essential for a professional career
and to be a successful person in the industry
• Creativity is very important in social media marketing and marketing.
Clients aren’t attracted by traditional advertisement anymore.
• Clients are the greatest assets of any organization. So, the organization
should focus to maintain a favourable relationship with them focusing on
long-term.
• Gain an understanding of Canva; a tool to create designs, Trello; a file-
sharing platform for business company, Clockify; time monitoring platform
for work progress, and many more. Experienced the techniques used for
time management, project management, designing, proposal making and
many more in an effective and efficient manner.

32
5.3 Recommendations

The experience at Nepal Tribune Media has been a good learning experience with great
exposure. Despite that, here are some recommendations that could enhance their
business.

• It is quite difficult for someone with no previous experience to keep up with

the place. Time management, prioritize tasks, multi-tasking skills, etc. are
must perform well in such an environment. So, it would be better if the
company could have organized some training session beforehand.
• Too much flexibility among the employees. The lunch break time should be
strictly maintained to increase productivity in the organization.
• More employee benefit schemes are needed to motivate and sustain the
employees.

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