ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE ON THE PURCHASE INTENTION OF PERSONAL AND HOME CARE CONSUMERS WITH IMPACT OF COVID'19

Abstract

Purpose: This exploratory research examines how the COVID-19 outbreak increased social media marketing tactics among Pakistani consumers. Prior research on the impact of a pandemic has mostly focused on preventive health behaviors; however, less attention has been made to the impact of a pandemic on consumer habits, especially when it comes to personal and hygiene products. To overcome this gap, it examined the interactions between four concepts: social media product knowledge, convenience and quality, information adoption, and purchase intention. Based on the idea of planned behavior and the Consumer Decision-Making Model, the conceptual framework investigates changes in consumers' social media habits as they engage in different consumer decision-making processes. The fundamental objective of this research, is to investigate the effects of factors such as exposure to social media, product knowledge, convenience and quality, information adoption, and attitude on purchase intention, with an emphasis on the indirect effect of attitude. Methodology & Design: Proposed hypotheses were examined using structured questionnaires and SPSS on a sample of 538 Pakistani respondents. The structural modeling approach utilized to examine the associations between the variables evaluated (social media product knowledge, convenience and quality information adaption, and attitude with purchase intention) Consumers are increasingly using social media to locate items, get information about products, evaluate products, and make product purchases, according to the data. As a result, the data show that social media marketing has become more important since the COVID-19 outbreak started. Findings: The results are likely to be generalized across many countries since pandemic is a worldwide issue. Social network groups are part of business strategy. Many items are required. Customer engagement improves a company's trustworthiness. Customer satisfaction is increased through providing new and intriguing content, responding quickly to client demands, and monitoring the dialogue. Recommendations : Socially aware enterprises may attract community-minded customers. Facebook and Twitter are insufficient for the industry. Increasing offline brand social media posts may mitigate this danger. Outsiders may be prohibited at stores. The company may organize a social media photo contest. Love is expressed via tags. CSR requires organizations to avoid negative social media effects while promoting positive ones