Exploring the Impact of Social Media Marketing Features on Purchase Intention in the Fast-Food Industry

Abstract

This study was directed towards testing the effect of four social media marketing activities on purchase intention in the fast-food industry. The required data was obtained from several customers of different fast-food restaurants in the United Arab Emirates via a survey method. During data analysis, the partial least squares structural equation modelling was used for checking the reliability as well as validity of research instrument and then verify the proposed hypotheses. The results confirmed the significance of selected social media marketing activities in affecting purchase intention. Particularly, the results showed that interactivity, entertainment, informativeness, and perceived relevance have significant positive effects on consumer purchase intention. These outcomes suggest that marketing practitioners should be regularly engaged in social media advertising activities to create value for customers and influence their purchase behaviours. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the existing literature by testing the role of selected social media marketing features and consumer purchase intention with new insights from a Middle East country owing to the lack of empirical studies on this topic in this region.