Impact of Social Media and Digital Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intentions for Vape Products in Nepal: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of several digital marketing variables on the consumers in Nepal. A questionnaire survey on a five-point Likert scale related to digital marketing was done with a total of 221 respondents based on a simple random sampling technique. Through correlation analysis, it was identified that all the independent variables, i.e., warning compliance (r=0.227), content promotional intensity (r=0.520) and exposure frequency (r=0.406), had positive and significant relations with the purchase intention, where content promotional intensity was most positively related, whereas warning compliance had the least positive relationship. Multiple regression analysis results showed that frequent exposure (= 0.17, p=0.035) and promotional content intensity (= 0.45, p < 0.001) had positive and significant effects, whereas both watching influencers (= 0.04, p=0.566), warning compliance (= 0.01, p=0.885) and message framing, i.e., performance and battery life (= 0.10, p=0.220), had no significant influence on the purchase intention of vape products by youth in Nepal. This study is significant for operational marketing decisions. Keywords: digital marketing, social media, purchase intention, vape products, consumer behavior, quantitative study