The Effect of Targeted Digital Advertising on Customer Purchase Behavior with the Mediating Role of Perceived Benefits: A Case Study of a Telecommunications Company in Herat
Keywords:
Targeted digital advertising, customer purchasing behavior, perceived benefits, digital marketing, Herat Telecommunication CompanyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of targeted digital advertising on customer purchase behavior and to determine the mediating role of perceived benefits among customers of a telecommunications company in Herat.
Methodology: This applied study employed a correlational design based on a causal modeling approach. The statistical population consisted of customers of Roshan Telecommunications who had been exposed to the company’s digital advertising at least once. Data were collected from 279 respondents using a structured questionnaire scored on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument assessed three principal constructs: targeted digital advertising, perceived benefits, and customer purchase behavior. Content and construct validity were examined, while internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. The alpha coefficients were 0.881 for targeted digital advertising, 0.886 for customer purchase behavior, and 0.946 for perceived benefits. Path analysis/structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized direct and indirect relationships among the study variables.
Findings: Inferential analysis indicated that targeted digital advertising had a positive and significant direct effect on customer purchase behavior (β=0.60, t=8.34). Targeted digital advertising also significantly predicted perceived benefits (β=0.52, t=7.34), while perceived benefits exerted a positive and significant effect on purchase behavior (β=0.16, t=3.78). Furthermore, the indirect effect of targeted digital advertising on purchase behavior through perceived benefits was positive and significant (β=0.42, t=5.73), confirming the mediating role of perceived benefits. The strongest direct path in the model was observed between targeted digital advertising and customer purchase behavior.
Conclusion: Targeted digital advertising influences customer purchase behavior both directly and indirectly by enhancing customers’ perceptions of functional, economic, informational, and psychological benefits. Accordingly, telecommunications firms can improve digital marketing effectiveness and stimulate purchase behavior by developing personalized, relevant, and value-creating advertising messages.
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