The Effect of Digital Marketing on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Awareness among Domestic Tourists in Myanmar

The Effect of Digital Marketing on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Awareness among Domestic Tourists in Myanmar

Authors

  • Thaingar Aung Soe Research Scholar, Azteca University, Division of International Programmes
  • Sui Reng Liana Professor, Division of International Programs, Azteca University, Palma No. 61, Barrio San Antonio Chalco, Edo. de Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6053-6120
  • Ricardo Saavedra Director, Division of International Programs, Azteca University, Palma No. 61, Barrio San Antonio Chalco, Edo. de Mexico

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21772639

Keywords:

Digital Marketing, Brand Awareness, SOR, Purchase Intention, eWOM

Abstract

The study looks at how digital marketing practices shape consumer buying behavior, but it kind of passes through brand awareness as a mediating variable. The reason this topic feels worth looking into is that Myanmar domestic tourism businesses are now more and more using digital platforms, still there isn’t much solid empirical evidence that clearly shows how these practices influence tourists purchase intention.  In this research, the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework is used, basically it says external stimulation works its way into internal psychological stuff and then turns into some sort of behavioral action. Here digital marketing practices are treated as the stimulus, brand awareness becomes the organism, and purchase intention is the response. Digital marketing practices are measured through entertainment, interaction, trendiness, advertisement, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). The data came from 300 domestic tourists using a structured questionnaire, then it was analyzed using SPSS and AMOS via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results suggest that all dimensions of digital marketing have a positive influence on brand awareness, and eWOM shows up as the strongest predictor among them. Also, most of those dimensions do not directly affect purchase intention, except eWOM which does. Meanwhile, brand awareness itself positively affects purchase intention, and it also mediates the links between digital marketing practices and purchase intention.

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Published

2026-07-31

How to Cite

Aung Soe, T., Liana, S. R., & Saavedra, R. (2026). The Effect of Digital Marketing on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Awareness among Domestic Tourists in Myanmar . Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21772639

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