Social Media Advertising: How Effective Are You on Gen Y and Gen Z Consumers in Malaysia?

Abstract

The paper aims to assess the effectiveness of social media advertising on brand awareness, interest, desire, and action (AIDA) among Gen Y and Gen Z consumers in Malaysia. Ego involvement and brand popularity were incorporated into the study as a moderator and mediator respectively. An online questionnaire was disseminated through social media and instant messaging platforms. Gen Y and Gen Z consumers were purposively sampled. Snowballing method was included to further enhance data collection. A total of 435 (229 Gen Y and 206 Gen Z) usable samples were collected and analyzed using structural equation modelling via SPSS AMOS. Social media advertising is effective in creating brand awareness and brand interest. However, the effect on brand desire and brand action was significant on Gen Zs. Ego involvement positively moderates the relationship between brand awareness and brand interest for both Gen Y and Gen Z consumers. However, brand popularity only mediates brand awareness and brand action constructs for Gen Y consumers. This study adopted Social Cognitive Theory to explain the influence of social media advertising on brand AIDA. The understanding of the AIDA framework is further enhanced by the moderating effect of ego involvement and the mediating effect of brand popularity. The findings suggest the need for marketers to craft different social media advertising and brand popularity strategies to influence Gen Y and Gen Z consumers at different levels of brand AIDA.