Impact of aggressive online digital marketing on sales in the Latin American and Caribbean regions

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study how aggressive online digital marketing improves sales. The study was implemented across 27 countries, 15 countries in Latin America and 12 islands in the Caribbean regions, over a period of 2 years. Professional advertising images were shared monthly with 27 different distributors of a US textile company specialised in interior design. The showrooms were expected to promote their businesses via email and on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter and through their own websites. Data were collected from the 27 participant firms with the help of interviews. The results of the study showed a strong connection between the use of professional digital advertisement and the growth of these businesses, while the showrooms that used little or no digital marketing strategies decreased or stayed low on profits. The study also showed that the quality and the content of the advertisement received by customers and how often they received it had an impact on their perception of the brand and the new products offered by the company. Data also showed that the most professional and attractive websites belonged to the most successful businesses. This research has also made recommendations to businesses and to future researchers at the end of the article.   Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, digital marketing, email, online marketing, social media.