BRAND POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON YOUTH’S PRODUCT PREFERENCE: A STUDY OF ADVERTISERS AND STUDENTS PERSPECTIVES ON ENERGY DRINKS

In spite of growing literature on social media advertising, little is known about the influence of social media platform on student preference and consumption of energy drinks. Moreover scant academic research exists that examine how advertisers use social media platform of advertising and communicating about brand consumed by students. This study examines how students navigate such platform to make informed choices about energy drinks. Drawing on an interprevist epistemology and qualitative research approach, interview guide for advertising on consumer brand preference. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with advertisers, although students expressed some negative sentiments about the monster energy drinks, they had positive affirmations of play energy drinks, which they perceived to boost their energy levels. Advertiser conceived social media advertising as an invaluable tool when seeking to understand how students feel about their products, their preference and consumption of energy drinks. As such, the results demonstrated that electronic word of mouth via social media platforms influenced student preferences for brands amongst the youth. In view of student’s moderate use of social media for making informed choices and encouraged to proactively develop and mature dynamic and persistent relationships with consumers such as students through fostering durable social media interactions. This study provides a crucial point of departure for investigation and motivations for the growth, popularity of social media advertising, and for developing effective strategies of postering lasting bonds between particular brands and consumers.