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Hello BOP! Getting socially and economically connected through social media

Social Media Adoption Among Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) Consumers

Social media has emerged as an all-inclusive technology with the potential to integrate with the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) consumers to provide manifold benefits, ranging from education to retailing. Though the presence of BOP on social media has increased lately, the desired level of adoption by BOP consumers is still far from reality.

There is a need to understand what motivates BOP consumers, primarily engaged in small-time retailing (STR), to adopt social media in their daily lives and for what purposes. Using the Gioia method and grounded theory approach, the study interviewed 52 BOP participants to investigate the motivational themes that drive them towards social media adoption. The mined themes were found to align with the Uses and Gratification 2.0 (UGT 2.0) theory, which were classified into four sub-elements of UGT 2.0: agency, modality, navigability, and interactivity.

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The main factors that were identified under the sub-elements of UGT 2.0 include FOMO (fear of missing out), social connect, personalization, social influence content diversity, content section, 12 affordability, accessibility, and availability under agency sub-element; (loss of) data, (lack of) content control, (lack of) parental control under the interactivity sub-element, realism, novelty, enhanced communication under modality sub-element; and escapism, comforting content variety, learning support, and scaffolding under the sub-elements of navigability.

These classifications provide interesting insights into what gratifies the BOP consumer to adopt social media as a tool for self-expression and growth. Social influence and connection were seen as the primary drivers for adopting social media by BOP consumers engaged in STR to build and spread a community feeling. The ability of social media to provide enhanced communication mode with the impression of power in hand makes it “cool” for the consumers engaged in STR.

This allows the BOP users to communicate their feelings with ease and a sense of realism, thus making the whole experience cool and happening. Moreover, the affordability and availability of technology played a crucial role, making social media adoption feasible for BOP consumers without straining their finances.

Additionally, the study revealed how social media serves as a scaffold for learning and offers a diverse range of content, contributing to its desirability among STR participants. The study provides theoretical and practical insights for academicians and industry to understand better why BOP consumers engaged in STR adopt social media.

Group Discussion Topics

The study highlighted the significant role of BOP consumers in choosing and using social media platforms, driven by their motivations and desire for gratification. In addition, the study highlighted the social and psychological aspects of social media usage. The study acknowledged the impact of social factors, including peer recommendations, social norms, and online communities, on BOP consumers’ media preferences and behaviours.

Furthermore, the study explored various facets of social media use among BOP consumers, offering valuable insights into a relatively new form of media in its infancy. Overall, this study represents a unique endeavour in examining social media practices among BOP consumers and identifying the driving factors behind their adoption of social media.

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The full research paper can be accessed here Kumar, J., Katiyar, G., Mehrotra, A., Attri, R., & Vishnoi, S. K. (2024). Connecting BOP consumers and retailers: What drives small-time retailing through social media? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103679 DOI- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103679

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