Social media as a tool to grow brand preference amongst millennials in the greater Durban area

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate social media as a tool to grow brands amongst millennials in the greater Durban area. Social marketing has proved to be crucial in creating brand preference and brand exposure, considering its inexpensiveness and capability to reach a greater number of potential customers. Some of the social media websites that have a great influence on millennials are Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, SnapChat and TikTok. Social media marketing marks the current advancement in marketing created by the use of social media websites as a way of empowering customers to interact on the internet concerning brand preference. This study is crucial because social media currently affects economic growth in many aspects, such as boosting brand image, increasing demand, and hence increasing productivity in the country. Social media is also responsible for the growth, survival and collapse of many businesses. Currently, access to personal computers, smartphones, the internet and e-commerce has increased so much to the extent that many providers are now advertising on social media, linking their websites with social media platforms, which is more effective and efficient. The sustainability and survival of small businesses also depend on how social media presents the brand image of their products and how well they are able to market on social media. This study anticipates adding new knowledge on using social media effectively to grow brand preference. This study contributes new knowledge to the literature on effectively closing the gap between millennials' perceptions of social media and its performance in growing brand preference. Furthermore, this study provides the social media content creator’s perspective on the effectiveness of social media as a tool to grow brand preference. Despite the tremendous progress in social media marketing and the increase in users’ numbers, the economic feasibility of these social media websites still needs to be studied and explored. Research on the use of social media to promote growth in brand preference amongst the millennials is very scanty at best; hence, little is understood about the millennials and their purchase behaviour, most specifically in regard to the social media websites used by many brands. Moreover, it is very difficult to monitor what customers post on social media, despite the fact that many brands have been affected both positively and negatively, which highlights the need for more research on social media as a tool to grow brand preference positively and effectively. The objectives of the study are to assess various ways in which social media develops and enhances positive awareness and brand preference; to examine the influence of social media on the buying decision-making process of millennials in Durban; To identify the perceptions of millennials on social media and social media performance in Durban; and to suggest strategies for managing and monitoring social space activities towards a positive brand preference. A mixed-methods approach was used for the study to achieve the research objectives. The target population were the millennials in the greater Durban area. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 400 participants for quantitative data and 10 participants for qualitative data collection. The study presents a regression model that highlights the factors significantly affecting social media and customer satisfaction, emphasising the importance of managing and enhancing various aspects of social media interaction to improve overall customer satisfaction levels. The study results indicate that brand awareness and recognition are critical factors for growing brand preference, and maintaining a consistent brand identity and leveraging social media are effective strategies for enhancing these aspects. However, it is important to recognise that the significance of brand recall may vary, and businesses should consider their specific context and continuously assess consumer sentiment to make informed branding decisions. The study concludes that businesses may improve their brand awareness, communicate with customers, and favourably influence purchasing decisions by understanding and properly exploiting social media. Social media has been found to be an effective tool to grow brand preference.