An Optimization Model for Mapping Organization and Consumer Preferences for Internet Information Channels

The evolution of information technology has resulted in increasingly fragmented digital media and multiple information channels. Organizations can develop comprehensive insights into consumer behavior and preferences by evaluating customers' perceptions of the various Internet channels that are available. Such insights can be used to identify which information channels can be employed to effectively reach and communicate with a target market and, thus, to optimize marketing strategies. This paper commences with a comprehensive literature review of existing research on consumer information search patterns and strategies, with a particular focus on Internet channels. The literature review is employed to develop a set of criterion by which consumer search preferences can be better understood. This criterion is subsequently used to develop a optimization model for organization that can effectively align marketing practices with customers' search processes and preferences during their pre-purchase information search.