The impact of social media marketing on brand perception and purchase intention of South African consumers

Abstract

This study examines the use of social media marketing (SMM) tactics employed by businesses and how these impact consumer perceptions of brands and purchase intentions within the South African context. Grounded in the Uses and Gratifications model, the Theory of Reasoned Action and De la Roche’s conceptual model, the study aims to explore the intricate relationships among social media marketing activities (SMMAs), consumer brand perception (CBP), and purchase intention (PI). The intention was to collect quantitative data from a minimum of 100 participants, primarily university students, utilising a convenience sampling technique to ensure varied perspectives from a demographically diverse population sample. As part of the data collection process, participants received self-administered online questionnaires via email invitation. The research hypotheses sought to reveal a positive correlation between SMMAs and consumer brand perception (CBP), consumer brand perception (CBP) and purchase intention (PI), as well as between SMMAs and consumer purchase intention (PI) with CBP as a mediator. The study results suggests that CBP is positively impacted by SMM efforts, particularly through electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Moreover, CBP significantly impacts purchase intention. That being said, it's important to highlight that brand perception only mediates the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention. The outcomes of this research will contribute valuable insights to the existing body of information on SMM, and consumer behaviour and brand management. This will empower businesses to make informed decisions when formulating their SMM strategies.