Turning laughs into buys: The influence of meme marketing on consumer purchase intentions in e-commerce using media richness theory

Meme marketing has emerged as a cost-effective and high-impact strategy for brand promotion, requiring minimal resources while engaging audiences through creative content. This study applies multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) and structural equation modelling (SEM) within the media richness theory (MRT) framework to examine how meme marketing influences consumer purchasing decisions on e-commerce platforms. Study 1, based on 356 valid responses, employs DEMATEL (decision making trial and evaluation laboratory) and DANP (DEMATEL-based on analytic network process) to map relationships among key factors. Findings indicate that language variety (LV) requires the most adjustment, followed by personal focus (PF), multiple cues (MC), and immediate feedback (IF). DANP results highlight IF as the most critical factor in driving purchase intention, with MC and PF also exerting significant influence. Study 2, based on 516 responses, confirms these relationships through SEM analysis, demonstrating that IF, MC, and PF positively influence purchase intention, while LV has a negative effect. These findings provide empirical evidence on the role of meme marketing in consumer decision-making, guiding e-commerce platforms in refining content strategies to enhance engagement and optimise consumer interaction.