The Effect viral marketing strategies on consumer behavioral intentions

Exploratory Study in Imam Jaafar Al-Sadiq University (AS)

Abstract

Modern technologies and fast-evolving Internet create interesting and innovative ways to provide and add value to consumers. Viral marketing strategies describe all the ways that people are encouraged to convey a marketing message to others. she is the key to the success of marketing in the present century, which determines the determining factor on the basis of "WORD OF MOUTH" technology based on the Internet.

The research problem was that most of the private universities focused on the offer and did not realize the importance of integrating the customer's voice during the development and formulation of viral marketing strategie. This leads to a weakening in advertising campaigns and a decrease in attracting consumers to the offers they offer and this negatively affects their behavioral intentions .The objective of the study is to highlight the impact of viral marketing strategies as an independent variable on the behavioral intentions ofthe consumer as an approved variable,and It is important for the University to formulate individual strategies based on the perceptions of its clients about these strategies that enable it to obtain sustainable competitive advantage.

The study used the descriptive analytical methodology and questionnaire to collect data from a sample (55) individuals from the director, official and employee in the department of the advertising department of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq University (AS) and (70) students in Baghdad and the rest of the branches in the provinces and used (Spss.V.26) Statistical program ready for data processing : To perform multivariate descriptive analyzes including correlations, regression analyzes.

   The results indicated that consumers have negative perceptions of the viral marketing strategies tested. In addition, all three variables of prediction (informatics, entertainment and source credibility) were positively correlated with the behavioral intentions of consumers. Recommendations and further gaps were presented in the context of viral marketing strategies, the most important of which should be the university's increased interest in the application and development of strategies that were found weak during this study.