The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Customer Satisfaction and the Mediating Role of Impulsive Buying Behavior among Gen Zalpha in the Sri Lankan Fashion Industry

Abstract

"This study investigated the impact of Social Media Marketing (SMM) on Customer Satisfaction (CS), with Impulsive Buying Behavior (IBB) serving as a mediating variable among Gen Zalpha consumers in Sri Lanka’s fashion industry. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O R) model and Theory of Planned Behavior, the research explored how digital marketing stimuli (SMM) influences internal psychological states/impulse purchases (IBB) and subsequent satisfaction responses (CS). A quantitative methodology was adopted, using a structured survey with Likert-scale items administered to 387 valid respondents, and data was analyzed using SPSS, including regression analysis, correlation tests, and PROCESS macro (Model 4) for mediation. The findings revealed that SMM has a significant positive effect on IBB, and IBB has a significant negative effect on CS, while the direct relationship between SMM and CS is statistically insignificant. However, the mediation model confirmed that IBB significantly mediates the effect of SMM on CS. The study highlights that visually persuasive fashion content on social media drives impulsive purchases but has led to post-purchase dissatisfaction. These insights offered practical implications for marketers to adopt more ethical, satisfaction-focused engagement strategies. The study’s original contribution lies in integrating emotional and behavioral responses into digital marketing effectiveness models tailored for emerging Gen Zalpha fashion consumers."