Impact of Digital Marketing on Consumer Behavior - ABU Zaria, MBA 2019

This dissertation explores the effect of digital marketing on consumer buying behavior, focusing on the Nigerian context. The study identifies digital media platforms influencing consumer behavior, categories of products purchased online, and the overall influence of digital marketing on consumer decisions. Utilizing a survey research design with questionnaires administered to 460 respondents, the research reveals a profound impact of digital marketing, particularly through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. The findings suggest that companies should leverage digital channels to enhance brand awareness and remain competitive, while also conducting in-depth market research to understand the evolving consumer decision-making process in the digital age. The study concludes with recommendations for businesses to optimize their digital marketing strategies and for future research to further explore this dynamic relationship.

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS ON EFFECT OF DIGITAL
MARKETING ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR
BY
EKERUKE UNENABASI GODWIN
ABUMBA02015001506
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA,
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AUGUST, 2019

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AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS ON EFFECT OF DIGITAL MARKETING ON
CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR
BY
EKERUKE UNENABASI GODWIN
ABUMBA02015001506
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA,
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF MASTERS DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA
AUGUST, 2019

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DECLARATION
I declare this dissertation titled AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECT OF
DIGITAL MARKETING ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR was carried out by me
under the supervision of Dr. Isa Ardo in the Department of Business Administration, Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria. The information derived from other literatures has been duly
acknowledged in the text and a list of references provided. No part of this dissertation was
previously presented for another certificate, degree or diploma at this or any other institution.
EKERUKE UNENABASI GODWIN
___________________________ ______________________ __________________
Name of Student Signature Date

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CERTIFICATION
This dissertation report entitled AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS ON EFFECT OF DIGITAL
MARKETING ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR BY EKERUKE UNENABASI
GODWIN meets the regulations governing the award of Master in business Administration,
and is approved for its’ contribution to knowledge and literary presentation.
DR. ISA ARDO 5th September, 2019
___________________________ _____________________ ___________________
Project Supervisor Signature Date
PROF. HASSAN ZOAKA
___________________________ _____________________ _________________
Director, Distance Learning Centre Signature Date
PROF. S. Z. ABUBAKAR
___________________________ _____________________ _________________
Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies Signature Date

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DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to the Almighty God, my beloved parents of blessed memory, Late
Rev. and Mrs. Godwin Ekeruke.

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ACKNOWLEGDEMENT
I am forever grateful to the Almighty God for the gift of life, grace and wisdom.
I am grateful and indebted to my wonderful supervisor, Dr Isa Ardo for his effective
supervision, dedication, availability and professional advice.
My profound gratitude goes to my lovely siblings, Jenny, Sifon, Idara and Edikan Ekeruke,
my beloved friends Idorenyin Uko and Omena Egedi for their love and support at all times.
I want to thank my course mates, Bamiyo, Tolulope, Ilyas, Kyola, Adesuwa and Rukky for
their encouragement and all my friends for being a source of inspiration and strength.
I want to thank Mr. and Mrs Ephraim Etokudo, Mr. Anthony Usifo, Engr. Kayode Olaitan
Mrs Bose Ogedengbe, Mr. Justus Obaoye, Mr. Ololade Lateef and for their contribution
towards my career and personal development.
I also extend my appreciation to our lecturers, e-tutors, respondents and everyone that
contributed to the success of this study.
Finally, I will like to thank myself for putting in all the work, persevering and refusing to quit
despite all the difficulties that life has thrown at me.

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ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of digital marketing on consumer
buying. The study was guided by the specific objectives; to examine the various digital media
platforms in Nigeria that could influence consumer behaviour, identify the categories of
products that consumers buy on digital media platforms and to analyse the influence of
digital marketing on consumer behaviour. A survey research design was adopted, and
primary data were collected through questionnaires administered to 460 respondents.
Secondary data were collected from newspapers, Journals, magazines and websites.
Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Data was presented and
described using frequency distributions and percentages. The findings of the survey reveal
that that digital marketing has a profound effect on consumer buying behaviour. Hypothesis
test revealed that there are various digital media platforms being patronised in Nigeria that
influences consumer behaviour, Nigerian consumers buy different categories of products on
digital media platforms and digital marketing influences consumer decision making process.
Further survey reveals that digital media channels and platforms which directly influence
consumer behaviour and buying decision process include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Google, Instagram, Websites/ Blogs, Multimedia Advertising, Emails, LinkedIn. The study
recommends that companies should adopt strategies to utilize the digital universe and
technology, maximize brand awareness through digital platform to remain competitive in
today’s business environment. Businesses are also encouraged to carry out in-depth market
research, to enable them gain deep insights on the influence of digital marketing on
consumer behaviour and decision-making process.
Keywords: Digital Marketing, Social Media, Consumer Buying behaviour, Consumer purchase
decisions.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATION ................................................................................................................... iii
DEDICATION .......................................................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. ix
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..………..1
1.1 Background to the Study ...................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of Problem ........................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study ....................................................................................... 5
1.4 Hypotheses ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 5
1.6 Scope of the Study ............................................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………7
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Digital Marketing ................................................................................................................. 7
2.3 Digital Marketing channels .................................................................................................. 9
2.3.1 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) .............................................................................. 9
2.3.2 Email Marketing ........................................................................................................... 9
2.3.3 Social Media Marketing ................................................................................................ 9
2.3.4 Mobile Marketing ....................................................................................................... 10
2.3.5 Online Affiliate Marketing ......................................................................................... 10
2.3.6 Pay per Click Advertising ........................................................................................... 10
2.3.7 Display Advertising .................................................................................................... 11
2.4 Consumer behaviour .......................................................................................................... 11
2.5 Consumer Behaviour in the Digital Era ............................................................................. 13
2.5.1 Access to Internet ........................................................................................................ 13
2.5.2 Access to information ................................................................................................. 14
2.5.3 Online Shopping ......................................................................................................... 14
2.5.4 Online Reviews and Word of Mouth .......................................................................... 15
2.5.5 Brand Loyalty ............................................................................................................. 15
2.5.6 The Need for Personalization ...................................................................................... 16

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2.6 Factors that influence consumer buying Decision in the Digital Era. ............................... 17
2.7 The Influence of Digital Marketing on Consumer Decision Making Process ................... 17
2.7.1 Consumer Decision Making Process .......................................................................... 17
2.7.1.1 Need Recognition..................................................................................................... 19
2.7.1.2 Information Search ................................................................................................... 19
2.7.1.3 Evaluation of Alternatives ....................................................................................... 20
2.7.1.4 Purchase ................................................................................................................... 20
2.7.1.5 Post Purchase ........................................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS……………………………………...22
3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 22
3.2 Research Design................................................................................................................. 22
3.3 Study Population ................................................................................................................ 23
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Technique ............................................................................... 23
3.5 Data Collection Methods ................................................................................................... 24
3.6 Data Analysis Techniques .................................................................................................. 24
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION………………………………………..25
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 25
4. 2 General Information .......................................................................................................... 26
4.3 Results ................................................................................................................................ 26
4.3.1 Hypothesis Testing.......................................................................................................... 27
4.4 Discussion of Findings ....................................................................................................... 32
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION……………………………………...35
5.1 Summary and Conclusion .................................................................................................. 35
5.2 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 35
5.2.2 Recommendations for Further Studies........................................................................ 36
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 37

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: Active Internet Users, Social Media Users, Mobile connection and Active social
media users in Nigeria………………………………………………………………………... 4
Figure 2.1: Active Internet Users, Social Media Users, Mobile connection and Active social
media users around the world ………………………………………………………..............14
Figure 2.2: Five-stage model of the consumer buying process………………………………18
Figure 4.1: Categories of products that consumers buy on digital media channels..........…...30
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Sample Size table…………………………………………………………….....24
Table 4.1: Demographic profile of respondents…………………………………………… 26
Table 4.2: Digital media platforms that influence consumer behaviour…………………27-28
Table 4.3 Categories of products that consumers buy on digital media channels………….30
Table 4.4 Influence of Digital Marketing on Consumer Behaviour ……………………….31
Table 4.5 Influence of Social media on consumer decision making process……………....31

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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Over the years, technology has revolutionized the world we live in. The impact of technology
on every sphere of human life is tremendous and fast paced. Technology has created amazing
tools and resources, putting each person’s most useful information at their fingertips. We
carry in our pockets enough technology to give us access to the world’s knowledge, as well
as immediate information on happenings across the globe (AgingInPlace.org, 2019).
Today, technology is changing the ways in which marketers and consumers interact as well
as offering a wide range of new options. The advent of the internet and the web has changed
the dynamics of businesses; with a click of a mouse you can have an amazon package sitting
on your doorstep within 48 hours, consumers have 24/7 access to brands, and companies are
scrambling to listen, respond to, and engage with their customers in a timely manner, while
also working to adequately address customer concerns (Osman, 2017)
The digital age and rise of online shopping have driven an unprecedented business model
shift for product manufacturers and retailers. Digital marketing and advertising has been built
in a way that allows you to easily measure return on investment (ROI). This is an
achievement in itself, because prior to the digital age, there were no clear numbers as to how
many people advertising reached (and what characterized these people) (KPMG, 2017).
The new 2018 Global Digital suite of reports from We Are Social, a global conversation
agency and Hootsuite, a social media management and analytics platform reveals that there
are now more than 4 billion people around the world using the internet (The number of
internet users in 2018 is 4.021 billion, up 7 percent year-on-year), the number of social media
users in 2018 is 3.196 billion, up 13 percent year-on-year, the number of mobile phone users
in 2018 is 5.135 billion, up 4 percent year-on-year.
With the rise of web and the internet, the boom of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and digital
technology, transformation of marketing is underway, digital marketing is on a steady rise
and will continue to soar.

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The Internet has given consumers more control in accessing information on products and
services. There are several factors that contribute to consumers pull for online content—
consumers are the one who decide when, where, what, and how much commercial content
they wish to view (Korgaonkar and Wolin, 2002). The Internet enables consumers to access
an unlimited range of products and services from companies around the world, and it has
reduced the time and effort they spend on shopping (Ko, Jung, Kim and Shim, 2004).
Traditional marketing no longer lies at the forefront of a campaign. Whilst it is still integral to
raising and maintaining brand awareness, digital marketing has risen through the ranks to sit
parallel with offline (Bella Design and Marketing, 2014).
Digital Marketing is an important platform in brand development, brand promotion and brand
management and encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the
internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and
their websites to connect with current and prospective customers. The main advantage of
digital marketing is that a targeted audience can be reached in a cost-
effective and measurable way. Other digital marketing advantages include increasing brand
loyalty and driving online sales (Alexander, n.d).
The digital age and rise of digital marketing has elicited a paradigm shift in consumer
behaviour. We live in turbulent times. We see tremendous changes in marketing, which has
already shifted from the mass communication model – when marketers used to tell consumers
what was best for them. Today’s consumers are more enlightened and empowered. They are
constantly being flooded with more digital content than ever before. A huge number of
brands are available at consumer’s fingertips. Consumers have become more
demanding. They know more than ever about what they want, how they want it and from
whom they want (Singh, 2017).
Consumers desire and expect a consistent and personalized service experience, personalized
messaging from brands. The prime change in consumer behaviour is that consumers,
increasingly turn away from anything they perceive as marketing. As consumers are
becoming tech savvy, they are becoming impatient towards intrusive or irrelevant content and
messages. Instead, they look towards reviews of friends, influencers, experts and users,
ratings, testimonials, website reviews, google search on the brand etc. to make purchasing
decisions (Singh, 2017).