Impact of Social Media on Consumer Buying Behavior

This study explores the impact of social media on consumer buying behavior, focusing on Primark. It examines the concept of social media use and consumer buying choices, the application of social media in influencing buying patterns, and the challenges and implications of using social media in affecting consumer behavior.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Background.............................................................................................................................3
Reason for choosing the topic................................................................................................3
Aim.........................................................................................................................................3
How to attain aim...................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Background
In this highly competitive world it is very necessary for the companies to adapt to all the
latest changes taking place within the global business environment. This is majorly because of
the reason that the business exists in the environment which is very dynamic and ever changing
(Erkan and Evans, 2016). Hence, it is very necessary for the companies to adapt to all the latest
changes in order to grow and develop. The current trend in the highly competitive world is the
use of social media in the business. The social media are the different websites through which
the people can communicate with other people living anywhere within the world.
The social media is generally being used for the advertisement of the products and
services within the highly competitive market with help of social media. The present report is
based on the company Primark which was founded in the year 1969 by Aurther Ryan as a retail
company. The present study will start by outlining the fact that how the company uses the social
media and how it affects the buying choice and pattern of consumers. The proposal will start by
outlining the aim of the study and then reviewing the relevant literature with help of different
views of authors.
Reason for choosing the topic
The major reason for the selection of the topic of impact of social media over the buying
pattern and choices is that this is the latest trend and study of this will help the researcher in
gaining and enhancing their knowledge. This is majorly because of the reason that this research
will help the company in analysing the importance of use of social media in increasing the
consumers. Also, the another major reason for the selection of this topic was the personal interest
of the researcher. This is majorly because of the reason that researcher also want to gain the
knowledge relating to the impact of social media over the buying habits of consumers. Hence,
these were the main reason for the selection of influence of social media over consumer buying
habit.
Aim
To investigate the influence of social media over the buying pattern and choices of consumers. A
study on Primark?
Achievement of aim

 By understanding the concept of social media and consumer buying choice.
 By critically examining the application of social media in affecting the buying pattern of
consumers.
 By evaluating the future challenges and implication of use of social media in affecting
consumer behaviour.
 By recommending some of the measures of increasing the use of social media and
developing it for future growth.
Research question
1. What is the concept of social media and consumer buying choice?
2. What are the applications of social media in influencing buying pattern of consumer?
3. What are the challenges and implication of using social media in influencing consumer
behaviour?
How to attain aim
Once the aim is being formulated then it is easier for the company to attain the aim. This
is easier because of the fact that the tough part is the formulation of the aim. Hence, this will
simplify the attainment of the aim (Shivakumar, 2018). Another way of accomplishing the aim is
reviewing and analysing different data and information relating to the aim of the research. This
analysis will help the researcher in doing the research in right manner and attain the aim of the
project. This will include making of the questionnaire and then sending it to the respondent to
gather and collect the data. Also, another method of secondary research will be used in order to
complete the data collection. Here different views and writing of different authors are being
studied and analysed and then the conclusion is drawn in the end of the research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of social media use and consumer buying choices
In the words of Varkaris and Neuhofer, (2017) there are many different changes taking
place in the pattern and the strategies of doing the business as compared to the traditional ways.
This is majorly because of the reason that because of globalization there are many different and
latest trends are coming within the business environment. Hence, it is very important for the
business to take into consideration all these latest changes. The social media is referred to as the
different types of websites which are being used in order to communicate with the other person.

In this type of communication, it is not necessary that the person is present physically and this
communication event take place in form of messages or video call or even voice call.
But in against of this Nash, (2019) argues that the use of social media is being done in
order to market the goods and services all over the world. This is majorly because of the reason
that the consumers are very keen and busy in operating the social media websites to a great
extent. Hence, when the company market the goods and services with the help of social media
marketing then the consumers look at the advertisement which less time.
On the other hand, Ramanathan, Subramanian and Parrott, (2017) states that the buying
choice or habit is defined as a pattern or the factors which influences the consumer to either buy
the product or service or not. This is the pattern by which the consumer buys the goods and
services of the company. The buying habit is defined as the tendency or the probability that
whether the consumer will buy the goods and services of the company. If the consumer is having
a positive buying behaviour towards the product, then it can be said that company is very popular
and it can attract more of the consumers. In contrast to this if the consumer is not compelled to
purchase the product by seeing it, then it can be said that the product has not much capability to
attract the consumers.
Duffett, (2017) articulates that social media has a great influence on the buying capability
and pattern of the consumers. This is majorly because of the fact that social media helps the
company in marketing the goods and services all over the globe with help of social media
websites. This has a great influence over the buying habit and pattern of the consumers. This is
majorly because of the fact that if the social media will not support the product and if the other
consumers posts negative review for the product then this will create a bad impact over the
consumers. Hence, they will not buy that product who has low rating or reviews on the social
media websites.
Application of social media in influencing the buying pattern of consumers
As per the views of Sharma, Ahuja and Alavi, (2020) the use of social media has a great
impact over the buying pattern and behaviour of the consumers. This is majorly because of the
reason that whatever is on the top list of social media becomes the trend and consumers wants to
use that only. This is majorly because of the reason that consumer wants to buy what is latest in
the industry and the market. The knowledge of the latest products and services is taken from the

help of social media only. This can be taken in many different ways like reviews of the existing
consumers, quiz and review competition by companies and many other ways.
In against of this Akman and Mishra, (2017) criticizes that the different types of deals
and offers which are provided by the social media sites are also one of the major application
which impacts the buying pattern of the consumers. This is majorly pertaining to the fact that if
the business will provide option of different coupons or discount vouchers at time of shopping
through e- commerce and social media sites then this will attract consumers to buy. This is
majorly because of the fact that discount will influence consumer to use the sites. Thus, their
buying behaviour will be directed towards the purchase of the goods and service which provides
for different options of discount.
On the other hand, Hynes and Wilson, (2016) states that another option of giving referral
is also a factor which influences the buying behaviour of the consumers. This is majorly because
of fact that referral is defined as referring a product to another consumer and this will add to the
benefit or discount of the consumer referring to the other. This impacts the buying behaviour of
the consumer because the person will only refer the product if they like it. Hence, if the product
or service has high referral then the consumer will be influenced to purchase the product.
As per the views of Dabija, Bejan and Tipi (2018) another major influence over the
buying behaviour of consumer is the reviews and blogs of other consumers as well as high
profile people. This is also a feature of social media website and this majorly impact the buying
behaviour of the consumers. The reviews and blogs are commented by either the existing
consumers of the product and services or the experts and professionals who are expert in the field
of the product or the service. If the reviews and blogs of other people are more than this impact
the buying behaviour in positive manner and the consumers are attracted towards the purchase of
the goods and services. In the same manner if the reviews and comments are negative then this
will demotivate the consumers and they will be influenced to not buy the goods and services of
the company.
Challenges and implication of use of social media in affecting consumer behaviour.
Stephen (2016) in the published paper author highlights that communication and bonding
with the customer in market, is one of the biggest challenges which will be affecting the
consumer behaviour in the market. As social media used to improve the level of communication
with the different consumer in the market but as organization is not in touch with the consumer

in the market, it gets difficult for the organization to build the trust with them in the market. This
will eventually impact the consumer behaviour toward the product of the company in the market.
Rana and Paul (2017) highlights that not only communication is the challenge, there are
many other challenges of social media as well which can impact the consumer behaviour in the
market. Interpreting customer need for the future, it is the another challenge which can be faced
due to implication of social media, as it can get difficult in understanding the future need of the
consumer in the market. As social media used to change or make the consumer behaviour too
flexible. This eventually used to create the situation in the organization in which they will find it
hard to understand the consumer need of the customer, due to flexibility of consumer behaviour.
Also supporting the same view point Xiang and et.al., (2017) explain that it also can create the
wrong image of the company in the mind of the consumer in the market, this eventually used to
impact the consumer behaviour in the negative way. As there are many different statement which
are made on the social media platform, which used to impact the consumer behaviour in negative
way. For instance, competitor can make a false statement on the social media platform against
the different offering of competitor. This can build the wrong perception of the company offering
in the mind of the consumer, which eventually will have the negative impact on the buying or the
consumer behaviour in respect of buying the product of the company in the market.
Hofacker, Malthouse and Sultan (2016) having the opinion that there are many negative
impact will be also brought on the performance of the business, which will eventually impact the
consumer behaviour of the consumer in the market. As social media used to give opportunity to
variety of the different small entrepreneur to sell the product of their, this used to increase the
competition for the already establish organization in the organization. This used to impact the
revenue and operation of the organization in a long run. Also, it has seen that increased
competition used to offer the variety of the option to the consumer in the market to select from
the product. This makes the consumer confuse about the different variety product. On the other
hand, author also highlights that it has seen that the product which are sold by the small
entrepreneur on the social media platform generally used to lack in the quality prospect.
CONCLUSION
In the end it is summarised that the competition is very high and intense within the
globally connected business environment and because of this company need to be active and
adaptable to all the changes taking place in environment. The major change taking place in

global environment is the use of social media in different activities of business. This is the latest
trend which needs to be adapted within the business so that all working of business is clear and
in effective manner. The major change is the use of social media within the business and its
marketing. Hence, this impacts and influences the buying behaviour of the consumers to a great
extent. This is majorly because of the reason that the people and consumer are mostly directed
with the patterns going on in the social media.
Hence, it is concluded that the social media impacts the behaviour of the consumers to a
great extent. This is pertaining to the fact that if any product of Primark is in trend over the social
media then the consumers will like to buy that product and services in any condition. In the
similar way if the consumer found the product of Primark is having negative rating and reviews
over social media marketing then this will negatively impact the growth and development of
product. Also, with the help of the above discussion it was outlined that the social media has a
great impact over the buying pattern and behaviour of the consumer.
With this it was outlined that the major influence of the use of social media over the
buying behaviour is because of the reviews, offers, referral points and many other features of
social media which influences the buying habit of the consumers. Hence, this influences the
buying behaviour of the consumers to a great extent as what is trending on social media will only
be liked by the consumers and they will purchase that only.
Also, the current world is very technologically advanced and this makes the use of social
media more popular and common and a need for the success of business. The major reason
underlying this fact is that social media connects the people with one another and this enables
them to share their views and opinions relating to the use of goods and services and this
increased the sharing of the experience of the use of goods and services. And because of this the
consumer can share their experience and review relating to the use of product of Primark over
the social media.
But, other than the positive influence it was also discussed that there are some challenges
which the companies face in order to use the social media. With the discussion it was outlined
that the major challenge which is faced by Primark at time of use of social media is that there are
chances of miscommunication as here the messages are sent and there is possibility that people
may misinterpret the message. Also, another major challenge outlined was that the people might
spread bad reviews and there is not any way of finding who has done this.

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