Festive Digital Marketing Campaigns and Consumer Impulse Buying in Indian E-Commerce: The Mediating Role of Emotional Engagement

This study set out to examine the effectiveness of festive digital marketing campaigns on consumer impulse buying behaviour on Amazon India, with emotional engagement as a mediating variable. The findings confirm all four hypotheses: festive campaigns significantly predict impulse buying (H1); emotional engagement partially mediates this relationship (H2); discount depth and urgency cues are the dominant campaign drivers (H3); and cultural narrative alignment enhances emotional engagement (H4). The study makes a theoretically grounded contribution by operationalising and testing the S-O-R framework in the festive e-commerce context of India — an emerging market characterised by price sensitivity, cultural distinctiveness, and rapid mobile adoption. The partial mediation of emotional engagement establishes that impulse buying in festive e-commerce operates through both rational (economic incentive) and affective (emotional arousal) pathways, calling for dual-track campaign strategies. For platform strategists and digital marketers, the practical takeaway is clear: festive campaign effectiveness is maximised when price promotions are paired with time pressure mechanisms and wrapped in culturally resonant narratives delivered through mobile-optimised social media channels. For policymakers, the study's findings on promotional influence and impulse buying also raise questions about consumer protection during high-stakes festive sales, particularly concerning adequate cooling-off periods and transparent communication of original versus discounted prices. The study has limitations that future research should address. The sample of 50 respondents, though adequate for an exploratory study, limits generalisability. Future research should replicate the study with larger, geographically diverse samples, employ SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) for simultaneous path estimation, and incorporate longitudinal designs to capture post-purchase evaluation and regret. Additionally, the study did not examine platform-specific differences (Amazon vs. Flipkart) or category-specific effects (electronics vs. fashion vs. FMCG) — both promising avenues for extended research. In conclusion, this study contributes to the growing body of digital marketing literature by establishing empirical evidence that culturally aligned, emotionally engaging festive campaigns on Amazon India are significant drivers of consumer impulse buying — not merely through rational price incentives but through the affective mechanisms of excitement, cultural belonging, and urgency. These insights advance the theoretical understanding of digital marketing effectiveness in India's unique and rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape.

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