The influence of digital versus traditional advertising media on consumer behaviour in the Durban Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The increase in the use of the Internet has pushed companies to shift their marketing strategies from traditional to digital techniques. The use of advertisements has significantly increased in the 20th century with the expansion of industrialisation. However, during the late 1980s, advertisements were fairly limited to television, radio, billboards and newspapers. Today, businesses are leaning towards digital advertising. Companies are now focusing on social media and mobile advertising to the extent that they may takeover television advertising. The growth of digital platforms has facilitated the way humans act, their habits and their interactions. Previous studies have been conducted on effectiveness of advertising from the company’s point of view. Hence, in this study, the aim is to investigate the impact of digital advertising versus traditional advertising by examining their influence on consumers’ behaviour. The main research question for the study is ‘What is the impact of digital advertising versus traditional advertising on consumer behaviour?’ The study aims to investigate digital advertising versus traditional advertising based on the consumers’ point of view. The rationale of the study is to provide new insights to local marketers on consumer behaviour with regards to advertising, while the results gave marketers access to information on the influence of digital advertising as compared to traditional advertising. In addition, the study was important in providing information with regards to digital advertising versus traditional advertising and consumer behaviour. The study helped to upack these three together whereas they have always been studied separately with no comparison to digital and traditional advertising. The performance of digital advertising and traditional advertising when it comes to consumer behaviour needs to be revealed in order to assist marketers when making advertising choice decisions. In addition, the study added to the literature, thus closing the knowledge gap. The research was carried out in the Durban Metropolitan Area. A quantitative approach was adopted, with the research being descriptive in nature and cross-sectional. Consumers in the Durban Metropolitan Area were the research population for this study. The study’s findings revealed that both traditional and digital advertising media play an important role in influencing the way consumers behave. Traditional advertising offers one-way communication, whilst digital advertising offers two-way communication. This allows consumers to ask if they need more information and thus influences the decision they make. Traditional advertising media platforms are seen as credible sources of information, whilst digital advertising platforms are seen as misleading, exaggerating and not credible. This study recommends that marketers should not underestimate the influence of traditional advertising media on consumer behaviour. Marketers should improve and continue to use traditional advertising platforms, especially for products and services that require a lot of credibility, because customers trust traditional advertising platforms more as compared to digital advertising platforms.