The effects of digital marketing strategies on purchase intention: Mediating role of brand awareness in the aviation industry

Abstract

Digital marketing strategies (DMS) increasingly affect brand awareness (BA) and purchase intention (PI) of customers in the aviation industry with increasing competition and digitalization. This study examines the impact of DMS on PI and the mediating role of BA. Focusing on the airline industry in the Gambia, comprehensive DMS, BA and PI scales were developed and a pilot study was conducted with 70 passengers prior to collecting the survey data from 240 passengers flying out of Banjul International. The PLS-SEM is employed to run the analyses. The results show that DMS have a significant impact on BA and PI, especially through search engine optimization, social media marketing, email marketing and mobile marketing. Additionally, BA has partial mediation influence on the impact of DMS on PI. These findings provide important insights for airlines operating in the Gambia and other emerging markets to better understand the impact of DMS on their business and to enhance their digital strategies, offering a localized perspective within the unique context of the aviation industry.