Background of the Study
Historically, communication has facilitated the relationship between sellers and buyers, with sellers using words, signs and symbols for drawing the attention of potential customers to their products and persuading them to buy them. While the underlying goals of marketing communications— differentiate, remind, inform, and persuade (Fill, 1999)—remain unchanged, the nature of marketing communications has changed with the development of new media systems, ever-growing in scope and complexity. Web 2.0 technologies, specifically the social media, have added the element of real-time interactivity, removing the traditional restrictions of time and geography. The most significant consequence of social media has been the shift of power from the institution to the individual. Social media gave users a voice, an open platform where they could connect, collaborate and cocreate content for themselves and others. This user-generated content is perceived to be more trustworthy and has been found to be a bigger influence on consumer behavior and purchase decisions.
