Impact of Digital Marketing Innovation in Competitive Event Industry During Covid-19: Evidence from Malaysia and The United States

Abstract

Events are crucial to the industry’s growth and economic benefits. Nearly 1.5 billion people visit corporate events each year across the world. Even though the event was formerly regarded as the industry’s fastest-growing segment, it is currently undergoing a significant transformation and shift because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Businesses are embracing digital marketing to communicate with their customers during this pandemic catastrophe. As a result, the pandemic has an impact on core ideas and marketing innovations. The objective of the research is to look at the effects of digital marketing in the event industry in Malaysia and the United States (USA) during covid-19. Samples of the study were consumers who attended virtual events in Malaysia and the United States (USA) for a period of two years following the pandemic Covid-19 from 2019 to 2021. This study used a survey questionnaire to obtain the primary data. The study’s findings revealed that digital marketing had an impact on attitude, brand awareness, and trust. Whereas trust is the most critical factor for Malaysian participants, attitude is the most important factor for American participants in generating an intention to attend the event. This study recommends that event planners to develop digital marketing strategies that keep up with new technology developments and shifting customer expectations