JongRoul Woo, Joongha Ahn, Jongsu Lee and Yoonmo Koo
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors determining which communication mediums influence a given consumer deciding to purchase a specific product.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors determining which communication mediums influence a given consumer deciding to purchase a specific product.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a consumer survey and a multivariate probit (MVP) model, the authors explore consumer information searches related to purchases in nine categories: milk, instant noodles, shampoo, mobile phones, televisions, cars, mobile communication services, credit card services, and life insurance.
Findings
The media channels that motivate a given consumer to make a given purchase vary depending on both socio-demographic variables and product categories.
Practical implications
As consumers can now obtain product information through different and multiple media channels according to their personal characteristics and the category of the product they seek to purchase, these findings will help companies develop media planning strategies that will effectively target specific market segments.
Originality/value
Unlike previous studies, the authors consider which media channels actually affect a consumer’s product purchase decisions, and the authors do so across product categories and media types to provide practical implications for media planning. Furthermore, this is the first application of the MVP model in this context.