The Influence of Digital Marketing Strategies on Consumer Purchase Psychology and Decision Making in Urban India

Description

Moni Mishra and Sushant Mishra (Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi)

This qualitative study investigates how digital marketing strategies affect Indian consumers’ purchasing behavior and decision making processes. To conduct this research, the investigators conducted 28 semi structured interviews of participants, and then applied Reflexive Thematic Analysis using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Stimulus Organism Response (S-O-R) model, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model to discover five theme areas; cognitive overload resulting in selective attention, building trust through social proof, cultural resonance and emotional engagement, dual process decision making mediated by involvement, and privacy paradox toward personalization. The data indicates that Indian consumers have developed high degrees of digital literacy, enabling them to navigate their own unique and personalized ecosystems of Digital Marketing Strategies (DMS). Consequently, trust previously established through institutional brands has now been transferred to micro-influencers and peer reviews. Further, the research suggests that cultural adaptations to DMS will be required to produce effective outcomes. Thus, this study adds theoretical insight to the rapidly evolving emerging markets and consumer psychology, while also providing useful insights for practitioners and policy makers involved in the rapid digitalization of India’s marketplace.