Identifying the Most Preferred Digital Communication Channels During the Buying Journey of Consumers: Evidence from Rohtak

Abstract

This study examines the adoption and preference for digital communication channels among consumers during their product buying journey. Data was collected from 801 respondents in Rohtak, Haryana. Findings indicate that 75% of respondents used at least one digital channel of communication (such as websites, social networking sites, smartphones and digital TV) alongside traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, dealer visits), while 25% relied exclusively on traditional channels. Among digital users, websites emerged as the most preferred medium (87%), followed by social networking sites (45%) and smartphones (42%). Emerging channels such as YouTube (41%), digital TV (31%) and digital outdoors (30%) also gained traction, while emails and feature phones were least used. A binomial test confirmed that there was a statistically significant preference for digital channels, with websites being dominant. The study contributes to literature on consumer technology adoption, validating constructs from Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) and Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), indicating that perceived usefulness and ease of use drive adoption. Insights from this research are valuable for marketers and strategists aiming to optimize multi-channel communication strategies.