The merits of using digital platforms for marketing and creating awareness for a new product or service.

ABSTRACT Digital platforms have become useful tools in marketing and creating awareness for products or services. Unlike traditional media, digital platforms create a level field where businesses can thrive as they grow close to the customers through effective communication. This research aimed to scrutinise the major benefits of digital platforms in marketing and creating awareness for new products or services. Social media was used as a case study for digital platforms. Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp social media platforms were also used for narrow research. The study analysed potential benefits for businesses in Nigeria when they use social media as a tool to advertise their new products or services. The research utilised qualitative content analysis to analyse textual data gotten through semi-structured interviews. Audio data was transcribed and the following codes were used to analyse; brand awareness and loyalty, globalization, consumer positioning, improvement in creativity and efficiency, increase in customer base, generation of new ideas through ideas, rapid communication, advertisement cost reduction, product rework risk reduction, better business-customer relationship, fast consumer feedback, and better product adoption. The result showed that the aforementioned codes were identified as benefits of digital platforms by respondents. It also found that advertisement cost reduction is not generally realistic but relative to the business' financial capabilities. Furthermore, fast consumer feedback is linked with better product adoption, increase in efficiency and creativity, generation of new ideas, and product rework risk reduction. The research outcome also highlighted that cordial business-customer relationship, brand awareness and loyalty, and advertisement cost reduction are the most important of the benefits of digital platforms. The research concludes that digital platforms are an efficient tool in many ramifications as opposed to traditional media, hence, businesses need to leverage this tool to make profitable sales. The commissioning party for this thesis is (Name of the commissioning party)