Online promotional content, business image, and purchase intention toward informal clothing enterprises: a pre–post survey study in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between exposure to online promotional content and changes in business image evaluations and purchase intention toward informal clothing enterprises in Bangladesh. Based on the O-S-O-R framework, the study conceptualizes online promotional content as the stimulus, post-exposure business image as the post-orientation construct, and purchase intention as the response, considering age group and frequency of social media usage as pre-orientation factors. Using a nonprobability purposive sampling approach with self-selected participation, the study implemented a one-group pretest-posttest design through an online questionnaire administered to 391 respondents in Bangladesh. Analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability tests, exploratory factor analysis, paired-samples t tests, Spearman correlations, and linear regression. Results indicated statistically significant increases between pre-exposure and post-exposure for business image (mean difference = −1.297, t = −50.945, p < .001) and purchase intention (mean difference = −1.254, t = −39.308, p < .001). Age group was negatively associated with post-exposure business image, whereas frequency of social media use was positively associated with it. Post-exposure business image was also a strong predictor of purchase intention (β = .486, p < .001, R² = .236). This study contributes to the literature by extending extant research on digital consumer response in informal small-business clothing retail in Bangladesh and suggests that well-designed promotional content is positively associated with business evaluations and purchase-related intentions. Since this study used a one-group pretest-posttest design, the results should be interpreted as evidence of association rather than causation.

Keywords: {'name': 'online promotional content'}, {'name': 'business image'}, {'name': 'purchase intention'}, {'name': 'informal clothing enterprises'}, {'name': 'O-S-O-R framework'}, {'name': 'Bangladesh'}

Authors & affiliations

Md. Shahidur Rahman Khan
Z. H. Sikder University of Science and Technology

Fatema-Tuz Zohora
University of Barishal

Md. Amimul Ehasan
Z. H. Sikder University of Science and Technology

Md. Mohiuddin
Z. H. Sikder University of Science and Technology

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