BUS631: Brand Management

The present study showed that consumers exhibit increased reliance on a particular selection of digital touchpoints throughout their buying journey. However, the significant impact of gender and generation on digital touchpoint reliance may provide important directions for digital marketing practice. Although research on the subject is scarce, the study's findings appear to challenge existing theoretical expectations about the uses and effect of different digital devices on consumers' perceived importance of digital touchpoints. Consumer reliance on digital touchpoints does not appear to be significantly affected by the use of smartphones or laptops, and heavy smartphone users were found to be more likely to rely on digital touchpoints to make purchases than laptop users. Hence, it is suggested that marketers acknowledge smartphones as a digital platform which consumers are likely to employ throughout the buying process and not just for information search. With respect to personal characteristics, results did not confirm differences in digital touchpoint reliance on the basis of educational level. Although highly educated consumers (e.g., Master or PhD degree holders) may desire to retain control over the brand information they access, as evinced by their substantial dependence on web enquiries, the present research did not detect any other significant differences. On the other hand, in line with existing literature about the importance of age, generation appears to shape consumer behavior on digital media, as younger consumers rely significantly more on digital touchpoints throughout the buying process than older consumers.

Apart from its theoretical value, the identification of differences in user preferences of digital touchpoints based on gender and generation may direct digital marketing planning and targeting with appropriate tactics. In view of the study's findings, marketers can develop Instagram content to enhance need identification among female consumers and consequently motivate them to enter the buying process. In contrast, brands are advised to use YouTube to provide detailed information and demonstrate the superiority of products targeted at male consumers, with the purpose of instigating the buying process and facilitating user progression up to the purchase stage. Although available data indicate the lack of substantial differences in the number of male and female users using Instagram and YouTube, the study's findings suggest that these two digital touchpoints can be used for gender-based targeting. Moreover, the present research confirms that brands ought to use digital touchpoints, and in particularly Instagram and YouTube, as primary methods of interaction with Generation Z consumers.

Finally, limited consumer reliance on digital touchpoints in the post-purchase stage of the buying process suggests that traditional channels of interaction with consumers remain significant in the digital era. Considering that post-purchase evaluation is critical for the establishment of profitable and ongoing relationships with market segments, brands ought to acknowledge the importance of traditional channels in their efforts to limit post-purchase conflict.