THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL MARKETING ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR OF BUYING OTC PRODUCTS IN HYDERABAD

Management

The rapid digitalization of healthcare marketing has significantly transformed the way consumers search for, evaluate, and purchase over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare products, particularly in urban India. This study investigates the influence of digital marketing on consumer buying behaviour for OTC products in Hyderabad, a major metropolitan and digitally active city. With the increasing penetration of social media, mobile applications, and e-pharmacy platforms, consumers are now highly exposed to online advertisements, influencer endorsements, and targeted promotional campaigns. The study adopts a quantitative research design using primary data collected from 210 respondents through a structured questionnaire distributed via digital platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google Forms. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, including Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between influencer trust and purchase decisions, one-way ANOVA to evaluate differences in brand awareness across digital platforms, and Chi-square tests to examine demographic variations in advertisement responsiveness. The findings reveal a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between influencer credibility and consumers’ purchase intentions toward OTC products. Instagram emerged as the most effective platform in building brand awareness, followed by YouTube. Younger consumers, particularly those in the 18–25 age group, showed significantly higher engagement and responsiveness to digital advertisements compared to older age groups. The results further indicate that digital exposure enhances brand recall, trust, and willingness to purchase. The study concludes that digital marketing, especially influencer-led and social-media-based promotion, plays a decisive role in shaping OTC consumer behaviour in urban India. These insights provide valuable guidance for pharmaceutical marketers to design data-driven, segmented, and platform-specific digital strategies to improve consumer engagement and conversion in the evolving healthcare marketplace.

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