A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL CONTENT MARKETING ON BRAND AWARENESS OF APPLE AND SAMSUNG SMARTPHONES

Abstract

The smartphone industry has moved decisively from conventional advertising toward digital content marketing as its primary tool for building brand awareness. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of the digital content marketing strategies of Apple and Samsung and examines their influence on consumer brand awareness. A descriptive and comparative research design was adopted, and primary data were gathered from 200 respondents in Ballari using a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale, supplemented by secondary data from journals, company reports, and academic literature. The independent variable, digital content marketing, was studied through dimensions such as social media marketing, content quality, video marketing, influencer marketing, customer engagement, and product launch campaigns, while brand awareness was examined through brand recognition, recall, familiarity, preference, trust, and purchase intention. The findings indicate that digital content marketing, particularly through platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, product demonstration videos, influencer collaborations, and official websites, has a strong and positive influence on consumer brand awareness, trust, and purchase intention for both brands. The study concludes that sustained investment in consistent, informative, and platform-specific digital content is essential for smartphone brands seeking to strengthen brand awareness and long-term consumer loyalty. Keywords: Digital Content Marketing, Brand Awareness, Smartphone Industry, Apple, Samsung, Social Media Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Consumer Perception