COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISING: AN ANALYSIS OF YOUTH PERCEPTION

Abstract

As the digital world has quickly become the main avenue for communicating, advertising has become highly competitive between social media and print media. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of social media advertising and print media advertising of university students theoretically through the means of Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT). The quantitative survey research design was used and 284 university students were selected as the respondents for the data collection. Questionnaire was developed using a 5-point Likert scale to collect information about their preferences and opinions about different aspects of both genres of media. The results showed that the social media advertisements are more frequently seen and interacted by students as compared to print media advertisements. While print media advertising was seen as more credible, social media was seen as more interactive, informative, personalized and influential for purchase intent, the latter being more frequently used. The statistical analysis showed that students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the two advertising media were significantly different, with social media media better in attracting attention, engaging consumers with the product, and influencing consumer purchasing. The survey also reveals that most people—52% strongly agreeing—think social media advertising is more successful, interesting, and impactful. Additionally, social media advertisements are thought to affect brand reputation and buy intentions more strongly and to reach a wider audience. On the other hand, attitudes on advertising in print media are more split, even though most people agree that it affects brand reputation and how an advertisement's design influences consumer behavior. These results highlight the pervasiveness of social media in the lives of young consumers and recommend that digital platforms be given top priority by marketers to effectively reach this market.