The psychological impact of social media marketing on consumer willingness to pay for tech gadgets: A study on brand perception and decision-making

In today's competitive digital landscape, social media marketing has become a powerful mechanism for shaping consumer perceptions and influencing purchase behavior. However, limited research has examined how social media marketing activities (SMMAs) drive consumers' willingness to pay premium prices for technology products, particularly in emerging markets. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study aims to clarify how five SMMA dimensions, including informativeness, interactivity, personalization, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), and trendiness, affect brand awareness, brand image, and brand trust, which subsequently shape consumer attitudes and willingness to pay premium prices for tech gadgets. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 371 Vietnamese consumers through an online survey. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study tested the hypothesized relationships among SMMAs, brand-related outcomes, and consumer responses. The findings reveal that informativeness, personalization, and eWOM significantly enhance brand awareness, image, and trust, while interactivity positively influences awareness but has no significant impact on image or trust. Moreover, brand image and brand trust emerge as critical determinants of consumers' willingness to pay premium prices. The results advance theoretical understanding by refining the S-O-R framework and extending personalization theory, highlighting the contextual roles of interactivity and trendiness in shaping brand-related outcomes. Practically, the study provides valuable insights for digital marketers in the tech gadget industry, emphasizing the need for transparent information, personalized marketing, and the amplification of positive eWOM to strengthen brand trust and increase consumers' willingness to pay premium prices.