Abstract

Digital Marketing is a new form of marketing and opportunities for enterprises to communicate with potential customers. Digital marketing campaigns are becoming more prevalent as digital platforms are increasingly incorporated into marketing plans and every digital device instead of going to a physical shop.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of digital marketing on the buying behaviour of the youths in the Buea Municipality. Specifically, the study assesses the extent to which digital marketing is used by consumers in Buea Municipality, identifies the factors influencing the buying behaviour of the consumers of digital products and services in Buea Municipality, and studies the effects of digital marketing on consumer buying behaviour in the Buea Municipality.

In order to achieve the study objectives, the study sampled of 100 users of MTN mobile digital services using a structured questionnaire by means of convenient simple random and sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0.

Findings revealed that a majority of the consumers are aware of digital marketing and often make use of digital marketing channels such as websites social media, multimedia ads, and emails. The major products and services purchased online by consumers were convenience goods, specialty goods, shopping goods, and many others.

Major reasons for using digital channels for purchasing marketing channels for purchase decision making were low prices, displayed of a variety of products, options for various modes of payment, and easy buying procedures. Major factors affecting consumer purchasing decision in consumption of digital marketing products were due to its conveniences such as easy delivery on time, option for comparison between products, and displayed of detailed information.

Time-saving was another major factor that influences consumer buying decision making, as digital shopping takes less time to access the varieties of products. Also, sense of security was another determining factor that influences consumers buying decision making as the most individual wants to buy only from safe and secure digital channels and channels they have a sense of trust to it.

The study concluded that most of the consumers are satisfied by the usage of digital marketing for their purchase of goods and services. It was suggested that MTN and other digital marketing cooperation should provide a secure and safe method of payment of online products and services for its consumers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Today’s time of Internet has opened the gateway of tremendous digital marketing opportunities for businesses. By utilizing different channels of digital marketing, businesses cannot just share their product and services online; additionally, they can gain clients for their business, entice them and can convert them to boost their return of investment (ROI).

The world is super nowadays and all things considered, marketing and advertising are no more the same as they once were. This is particularly valid because of the ascent of online networking, which has changed how organizations speak with potential and existing customers.

The digital market helps corporate organizations to reach target customers via different channels like E-commerce, social media, websites interactive marketing. The marketer can conduct an online survey to get the required information from customer and analyses the response and correspondingly take based on the response of customers to meet their needs.

Digital Marketing is a new form of marketing and opportunities for enterprises to communicate with potential customers. Digital marketing campaigns are becoming more prevalent as digital platforms are increasingly incorporated into marketing plans and everyday l digital devices instead of going to physical shops.

With the emergence of digital marketing, it is not an easy task anymore to woo consumers. To match the consumer-set standards, every brand has to make sure to be on their toes and every one has its presence on the social media platforms changed and so the mindset of the consumers. Consumers are now welcoming new products with fresh and good quality features with applause.

With so many options available in the market, it becomes difficult for consumers to become loyal and switching becomes easy to decide which social media platform the brand must use to expand its business. If the mass consumers are on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc., it becomes mandatory for the brands to have their presence on these platforms if they want to be close to their prospects and a step ahead of their competitors, by interacting with their consumer’s buzz of their brand among them.

Delafrooz, et al., (2010), opined that online shopping has been a growing phenomenon in all four corners of the world, in particular among countries possessing highly developed infrastructure available for marketing activities through the internet. Marketing over the internet creates a basic change not only in business but also in customers` behavior. Internet marketing provides a unique platform for firms to understand the need of the customers and make them free from time and place encumbrances. It also reduces cost by omitting unnecessary transaction cost (Sheth and Sharma, 2005). Integrating competitive strategies and the internet are progressively becoming a crucial factor for firms not only in the physical marketplace but also in the electronic environment (Goodarz et al., 2012).

In developing countries like Cameroon, marketers and their clients are becoming aware of the need and underlying effects of online marketing via the internet; the trend has started to build where agencies ignorantly advise clients to use banner ads and display ads for the campaign on Facebook, Yahoo, local news and entertainment sites, as opposed to looking critically at what the clients want to achieve and advising them on all the various digital marketing platforms available and what each of them can achieve and how to use them (Asoto, 2010).

Based on the facts above, it is pertinent to ask if online marketing is important for Cameroon while discovering the influence of this means of marketing on individuals to make purchases of electronic devices.

In digital marketing, understanding consumer behavior is key for marketing success as consumers have embraced utilizing the internet and online socializing tools (Vinerean, Cetina, Dumitrescu, and Tichindelean, 2013). Consumer purchase behavior is influenced by having knowledge and being brand-oriented.

Also, brand awareness is coupled with good brand perception and loyalty result with a stronger brand image in consumer’s mind, which will influence the consumers positively and becomes part of their purchase behaviour (Malik et al., 2013). Consumer purchase behaviour is how individuals, organizations, and groups select, buy and make use of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy their needs and wants (RasoolMadni, 2014).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In the development of science and technology, today’s innovation becomes obsolete tomorrow. The tastes and preferences of consumers are also changing at a rapid rate. Marketers are finding it difficult to cope up with the changing need of the customers. These changes in the expectations of the customers are due to many reasons, but one of the main reasons is changing buying behaviour. Buying behaviour changes are more seen among the youth than the younger children and old age people.

The buying behavior of the younger generation not only influences their buying behaviour but also it influences the buying behaviour of the family. As a marketer one needs to understand the changing needs of the customers and produce the goods and services accordingly.

In Cameroon, e-commerce is still growing but there are still some prospects showing that the country is ready for it. As to a report from the International Telecommunication Union, 73% of the country’s voice expenditure has dropped to 55% while data increased by 24%. However, some factors influence the adoption of e-commerce in the country of security, trust, cost of service, usefulness, accessibility, age, gender, education, and marital status which play a great influence on consumer attitude. (Andrew, 2019).

Nevertheless, as people spend more time in front of screens; digital marketing has become the most important tool to reach customers effectively. You need to make use of different types of digital marketing in other to successfully promote and engage your audience online. Buea Municipality has been educational and technological zones within the country, most youths currently depend on ICTs on a daily basis, which normally, influences their consumption pattern and lifestyles.

Digital Marketing has brought astonishing changes in the way in which the marketers market the product and how the customers are buying the same. Buying behavior of an individual influences many factors and these factors invariably affects the marketer to match the needs of the customers in general and youth in particular. So it is realized that there is a need to study Digital Marketing and its impact on buying behavior of the youth.

1.3 Research Question

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the impact of digital marketing on the buying behavior of youths in Buea Municipality?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. To what extent is digital marketing been used by consumers in Buea Municipality?
2. What factors influences the buying behavior of consumers in Buea Municipality?
3. How does digital marketing impact consumer buying behavior in Buea Municipality?