Ranking Up The Social Media Factors on Purchasing Decision of Malaysian Generation Y Customers

Abstract

Social media platforms offer marketing, information dissemination, direct customer contact and optimised availability of product and service information, which influences consumer behaviour, especially among Generation Y. Therefore, this study ranking up the social media factors such as electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), customer engagement, trust, brand image and advertising on the purchasing decisions of Generation Y consumers in Malaysia. 193 data were collected using Google Forms and face-to-face questionnaires. The data was then analysed using the Best-Worst method, which ranks the most important factors according to respondents' gender, income, and education level. One response was rejected because the value of consistency ratio (CR) was above the associated threshold value of 0.3062. Across all demographics, trust was found to be the most important factor in the purchase decision. Brand image and advertisement, on the other hand, are the least important, indicating a departure from traditional marketing strategies. A detailed explanation of these findings is presented in the paper. This study provides further insight and deepens knowledge for businesses by enabling them to adapt their marketing approaches and gain an understanding of the changing buying patterns and behaviours of Malaysian Generation Y consumers.