THE EFFECT OF CONTENT MARKETING ON BRAND AWARENESS OF DOMESTIC FASHION BRANDS IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

The research investigated the effect of content marketing on the brand awareness of domestic fashion brands in Addis Ababa. It explores five key attributes of social media content entertaining, aspirational, actionable, joinable, and payoff content and their effect on brand awarness. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as the Consumers' Online Brand-Related Activities (COBRA) framework and the Social Media Engagement Scale for Adolescents (SMES-A), the study used a quantitative approach to assess data collected from 368 respondents via structured questionnaires containing 24 questions and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the findings. The mean value for Entertaining content suggests a neutral perception, Aspirational content was perceived positively, Actionable content showed neutral engagement, Joinable content demonstrated moderate mean value and Payoff content received the highest mean proving that consumers highly value tangible benefits such as loyalty rewards and exclusive offers. Overall findings indicate that all five attributes positively influence brand awareness, with payoff and aspirational content emerging as the most significant contributors. The study recommends that domestic fashion brands should emphasize the creation of visually appealing and interactive content, ensuring content aligns with consumer interests through periodic surveys or engagement analytics can further strengthen consumer-brand relationships. Additionally, brands optimize their content strategies by leveraging influencer collaborations and by crafting campaigns that inspire their audiences by showcasing motivational stories and aspirational lifestyles. By focusing on these areas, domestic fashion brands can enhance their market presence and achieve sustainable growth in the evolving digital landscape.