How Does Digital Marketing Drive Customer Attraction? Evidence From Traditional Msme
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37385/ceej.v7i6.11377Keywords:
Digital Marketing, Consumer Attraction, MSMEs, SCOT, S-O-R Model, Case StudyAbstract
Traditional MSMEs often struggle with promotion due to budget constraints, making digital marketing a necessity to build attraction and survive. While quantitative data shows statistical success, in-depth understanding of how digital content builds consumer trust remains limited. This exploratory case study analyse the digital marketing strategies of a traditional cowhide cracker business, MSMEs in Sukoharjo, evaluating both consumer experiences and the owner’s perspective. Data were gathered over a two-week period via semi-structured in-depth interviews with the owner and consumers (loyal, new, and passive), digital observations on TikTok and Instagram, and documentation. Data validity was checked through source and technique triangulation, and analysed using Thematic Analysis. The results demonstrate that the MSME's consistent deployment of trend-based videos and interactive Q&A responses functions as an environmental Stimulus (S). Evaluated through Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) theory and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, these digital practices do not act deterministically; rather, they serve as a negotiated space where platform meanings are contested between the owner’s push for business survival and the consumer’s internal Organism (O) processing of trust and authenticity. Consumer attraction stabilizes into a positive behavioural Response (R) manifesting as purchase intentions and digital storefront transactions only when the aesthetic appeal of the content is met with functional clarity and structural product details. The study concludes that socially constructed digital stimuli successfully transform initial cognitive curiosity into long-term affective trust and conative purchasing actions.
References
Az-Zahra, P., & Sukmalengkawati, A. (2022). PENGARUH DIGITAL MARKETING TERHADAP MINAT BELI KONSUMEN. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, Ekonomi, & Akuntansi (MEA), 6(3), 2008–2018. https://doi.org/10.31955/mea.v6i3.2573
Bijker, W. E. ., Hughes, T. P., & Pinch, T. J. . (1993). The social construction of technological systems : new directions in the sociology and history of technology. MIT Press.
Bilro, R. G., & Loureiro, S. M. C. (2020). A consumer engagement systematic review: synthesis and research agenda. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 24(3), 283–307. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-01-2020-0021
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B., & Ilić, A. (2011). Customer Engagement. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2016). Digital Marketing. Pearson. www.pearson.com/uk
Chandra, M., & Andrian, T. (2024). Do Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Culture, and Environmental Uncertainty Enhance Sustainable Performance? Exploring the Role of Social Media Moderation. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 19(10), 3861–3870. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.191014
Douglas, D. G. (2012). The social construction of technological systems, anniversary edition : new directions in the sociology and history of technology. The MIT Press.
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Eggers, F. (2020). Masters of disasters? Challenges and opportunities for SMEs in times of crisis. Journal of Business Research, 116, 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.025
Fauzi, A., Hardjosoekarto, S., Radhiatmoko, R., Herwantoko, O., Darwan, D., Manik, E. E., & Romli, Z. (2023). Digital-social construction of willingness to pay in online marketplace: Economic sociology of the digital functional food market in Indonesia. International Sociology, 38(4), 517–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/02685809231183328
Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M., & Daly, T. (2017). Customer engagement with tourism social media brands. Tourism Management, 59, 597–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.09.015
Hochreiter, V., Benedetto, C., & Loesch, M. (2023). The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Paradigm as a Guiding Principle in Environmental Psychology: Comparison of its Usage in Consumer Behavior and Organizational Culture and Leadership Theory. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Development, 3(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.18775/jebd.31.5001
Klein, H. K., & Kleinman, D. L. (2002). The Social Construction of Technology: Structural Considerations. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 27(1), 28–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/016224390202700102
Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2021). Marketing-5.0-Technology.forHumanity_Kotler,Kartajaya,Setiawan-2021. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kraus, S., Durst, S., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P., Kailer, N., & Weinmann, A. (2022). Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo. International Journal of Information Management, 63, 102466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102466
Lan Anh, N. (2025). The Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: A Mixed-Methods Approach. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17347322
Li, J. (2025). Applying the S-O-R Model to Algorithmic Commerce: How TikTok’s Recommendation System Stimulates Impulsive Consumer Behavior. Academic Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 13(3), 863–871. https://doi.org/10.54097/gm717639
Li, L., Su, F., Zhang, W., & Mao, J. (2018). Digital transformation by SME entrepreneurs: A capability perspective. Information Systems Journal, 28(6), 1129–1157. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12153
Mahmudah, N., & Madja, E. (2021). New Media and Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) on Cak Ed Online Delivery Service in Lamongan Regency. Jurnal Dakwah Dan Sosial, 4(01), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.37680/muharrik.v3i02.819
Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. . (1976). An approach to environmental psychology. M.I.T. Press.
Miles, M. B. ., Huberman, A. M. ., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis : a methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Nawastha, C. H., & Alversia, Y. (2020). Pengaruh Customer Engagement di Media Sosial terhadap Brand Intimacy pada Produk Fashion Lokal Indonesia. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Usahawan Indonesia, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.7454/jmui.v43i2.1005
Prashar, S., Sai Vijay, T., & Parsad, C. (2017). Effects of Online Shopping Values and Website Cues on Purchase Behaviour: A Study Using S–O–R Framework. Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, 42(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0256090916686681
Ramdani, I. ., Kirom, N. R. ., Paransa, R. P. J. ., Haryanto, A. ., Firdania, M. S. ., Bahtiar, D. ., & Yuliani, W. (2025). PEMASARAN DIGITAL (W. Yuliani, Ed.). CV BRAVO PRESS INDONESIA. www.bravopress.id
Sabur, M. (2025). KETERLIBATAN KONSUMEN DALAM PEMBELIAN PAKAIAN (W. Yuliani, Ed.). CV LUMINARY PRESS INDONESIA. www.luminarypress.id
Schiffman, L. G. ., & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer behavior (ed 12). Pearson.
Scott, N., Moyle, B., Campos, A. C., Skavronskaya, L., & Liu, B. (2024). Updating Tourism Theory (pp. 31–43). https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-504320240000027004
Setyadarma, B., & Poernomo, T. T. (2020). THE ANALYSIS OF ATTITUDE STRUCTURE DIFFERENCES (COGNITIVE, AFECTIVE, CONATIVE) INTAKO’ CONSUMERS, TANGGULANGIN SIDOARJO. Research In Management and Accounting, 3(2), 86–93. https://doi.org/10.33508/rima.v3i2.3052
Sheth, J. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die? Journal of Business Research, 117, 280–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.059
Siregar, C. S., & Ilham, R. (2022). Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Model: Observing Purchase Intention of Social Commerce Consumers in Indonesia. In International Journal of Humanities Social Science and Management (IJHSSM) (Vol. 2, Number 5). www.ijhssm.org
Taiminen, H. M., & Karjaluoto, H. (2015). The usage of digital marketing channels in SMEs. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 22(4), 633–651. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-05-2013-0073
Tambunan, T. (2021). UMKM di Indonesia : Perkembangan, Kendala, dan Tantangan. Prenada.
Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Qi Dong, J., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 122, 889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
Wang, Q. (2023). The Impact of Expert Endorser in Electric Vehicle Advertising on Consumers’ Purchase Intention. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences, 41(1), 106–110. https://doi.org/10.54254/2754-1169/41/20232051
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications, Design and Methods. Sixth Edition (L. Fargotstein, Ed.; 6th ed.). SAGE
Template
