The Impact of Advertising Appeals on Purchasing Intention with Special Reference to Social Media Advertisements of Mobile Data Packages in Sri Lanka

Abstract

In today's highly competitive business environment, marketers heavily rely on advertising to maintain a competitive edge. The mobile data service market in Sri Lanka is a sector where market players predominantly compete through advertising. The selection of the most suitable advertising appeal is crucial when designing and executing advertisements, as inducing purchase intention is a primary objective. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of social media advertising on purchase intention within the mobile data market in Sri Lanka. This research focuses on quantitative data, with a sample of 384 respondents selected on a convenience basis. The sample comprised Sri Lankan mobile data package users or potential users residing in the Western Province, primarily between the ages of 18 and 35. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 26. Factor analysis was employed to assess the reliability and validity of the study, while regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact and significance of various advertising appeals on purchase intention. The findings indicate that both rational and emotional appeals significantly influence purchase intention. However, it was found that rational appeal has a substantially greater positive impact on purchase intention compared to emotional appeal in the context of mobile data package advertising in Sri Lanka.