Abstract
BACKGROUND: The evolution of the marketing environment has been influenced primarily by two factors: the increasing relevance of digital technologies and the ever-increasing importance of social media. PURPOSE: This investigation seeks to identify the neuroscientific mechanisms that contribute to how social media marketing (SMM) can influence purchase intention, specifically through the mechanism of consumer engagement (i.e., emotional attention and cognitive appraisal). This research also investigates the extent to which different types of engagement may have a greater or lesser effect, and whether the effects differ amongst different subgroups of users. METHODS: This research is survey-based, collecting data from 485 respondents who actively use social media in India, utilising standardised questionnaires. Statistical analyses were employed to analyse the quantitative data collected in this study using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation testing with the PROCESS macro. A set of hypotheses was proposed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships among the variables examined. RESULTS: The results indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between SMM and purchase intention. Additionally, it was demonstrated that consumer engagement serves as a significant mediator for this relationship. It is posited that when consumers view persuasive content online, the corresponding neural pathways are related to the processing of rewards, motivation, and memory activation. These activated neural pathways increase the level of consumer engagement and ultimately influence the development of purchase intentions. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide an integration of existing knowledge and theory regarding digital marketing, consumer psychology, and neuroscience.