Consumer Perception and Engagement with Digital Marketing in Pune City

Abstract

This study examines customer perceptions and participation with digital marketing tactics in Pune, India. The study looks at how consumers view the efficacy, trustworthiness, and relevance of several digital marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, search engine ads, and influencer advertising. Structured surveys were delivered to 200 customers from various demographic backgrounds in Pune. The findings show that social media marketing and influencer endorsements have the highest engagement rates, while worries about privacy and information overload remain significant hurdles to trust. Content customisation, brand transparency, and interactive communication all have a significant impact on customer perception. In order to build lasting relationships, the study highlights the necessity for companies to implement consumer-centric digital marketing strategies that prioritize user interaction, authenticity, and data protection. There is also discussion on the implications for marketers and suggestions for further study.

Introduction

The rapid growth of digital technologies has transformed marketing, enabling companies to connect with audiences through data-driven, real-time strategies such as social media, email, SEO, and online ads. In India, particularly in urban hubs like Pune, this shift is significant due to increasing digital literacy, internet penetration, and smartphone usage.

Context: Pune as a Digital Marketing Hub

• Pune, a major center for education and IT, has a young, tech-savvy population including students, professionals, and entrepreneurs.

• Social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) are widely used, making Pune a strong case for studying digital consumer behavior.

Research Objective

To examine:

1. How consumers in Pune perceive digital marketing.

2. What motivates or deters them from engaging with digital ads.

3. How demographics (age, gender, education) influence perception and engagement.

Key Themes from Literature

• Consumer perception is shaped by trust, personalization, content relevance (Hajli, 2015).

• Engagement is reflected through likes, shares, comments, and purchases (Brodie et al., 2011).

• Challenges include privacy concerns, content overload, and ad intrusiveness (Goldfarb & Tucker, 2011).

• There's a research gap in localized studies, particularly in cities like Pune with diverse demographics.

Methodology

• Sample Size: 200 respondents from Pune.

• Method: Mixed-method (quantitative surveys + qualitative interviews).

• Tools: Google Forms, SPSS, Excel.

• Criteria: Frequent digital platform users who have seen digital marketing in the last 6 months.

Key Findings

Demographics

• Age: Majority (80%) were between 18–35 years.

• Gender: 52% male, 48% female.

• Occupation: 40% students, 45% professionals.

Digital Platform Usage

• Instagram (75%), Facebook (68%), YouTube (60%) were the most used.

• 80% encountered digital ads daily.

Consumer Perceptions

• Credibility: 45% trust digital ads, 35% are cautious.

• Personalization: 60% find it relevant; 25% find it intrusive.

• Privacy: 55% are uncomfortable with data usage.

• Transparency: Only 40% feel companies provide clear digital communication.

Consumer Engagement

• Likes/Shares: 50%

• Comments: 20%

• Direct Purchases via Ads: 35%

• No Engagement: 40%

Note: Overlapping engagement behaviors were possible.

Insights and Implications

• Digital marketing in Pune is growing rapidly, but trust, privacy, and content relevance remain key drivers of consumer engagement.

• There's a disconnect between consumer expectations and marketers’ strategies, particularly regarding transparency and personalization.

• Demographics like age and profession influence engagement more than gender.

• Privacy concerns and ad fatigue need to be addressed to maintain trust.

Conclusion

With an emphasis on how various demographic groups react to different digital marketing methods, this research looked at customer perception and engagement with digital marketing in Pune City. The results show that the most popular routes for customer involvement with digital marketing material are social media sites, particularly Facebook and Instagram. When appropriate, consumers often like tailored information; nevertheless, privacy issues and a lack of brand transparency undermine consumer confidence in digital ads. Perceived content relevance and engagement behaviors like likes, shares, and direct purchases were found to be positively correlated. Nonetheless, there is still little active participation (such as commenting), suggesting a passive user base.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. Prasanna Ganpatrao Chavan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.