Effects of Social Media Marketing on Brand Awareness Based on the Stimulus Organism Response Model in Developing Countries

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess how social media marketing (SMM), which includes trendiness, eWOM, interactivity, and informativeness, affected brand awareness in the education services industry in Lusaka, Zambia, with a focus on the University of Zambia. The study’s theoretical foundations were the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) and Customer Bonding theories. A structured survey questionnaire was used in data collection, and Pearson’s R was used to analyze the effect of SMM on brand awareness. The University of Zambia’s 277 students were the study’s target population. The method of simple random sampling was applied. The study found that SMM significantly increased brand awareness in the education services industry in trendiness, eWOM, interaction, and informativeness. The study also found that poor scheduling for SMM and problems with internet access affect how effective SMM is at raising brand awareness in the Lusaka, Zambia, education services industry. The SMM framework for increasing brand awareness was designed based on the findings. According to the study’s findings, social media marketing (SMM) is an essential instrument for market communication in the Lusaka, Zambia, education services industry, helping to raise brand awareness. Accordingly, the study suggested that Zambian educational institutions consistently invest in social media marketing (SMM) to build and enhance brand recognition.