Messenger Marketing Platforms and Performance of Tour Operating Companies in Kenya

Abstract

Messenger marketing is part of global digital trend that acts as a new avenue for tour firms to adopt based on convenience in interaction, ability to reach more audiences and collaboration with customers. The study aimed to examine the effect of messenger marketing on performance of tour operating companies in Kenya. The study was anchored on diffusion innovation theory. Cross-sectional and correlational research design were utilized. The study applied census approach to a target population of 212 general managers of tour operating companies. Online and physical questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The supervisors and experts were used to examine validity of the instrument while Cronbach Alpha was adopted to test reliability was 0.783 which was above a threshold of 0.7, hence reliable. Descriptive statistics consisting of mean and standard deviations were used to summarize data while simple linear regression was used to test significance at 5%. The results revealed that messenger marketing platform was practiced by the tour operating companies through using mobile services platform for sending messages, chatting and soliciting sales. It also assisted in obtaining customer feedback, blogging and chatting with customers. However, the Chatbots were hardly used by firms which adopted artificial intelligence in communicating, sending random messages and could be integrated to existing online platforms. The results indicated that messenger marketing had positive significant effect on the performance of tour operating companies (β1=0.428, P = 0.000<0.05). The study concludes that messenger marketing platform marketing significantly influenced performance of tour operating companies. The study recommends tour operating companies should apply Chatbots, mobile service, mobile commerce and conversation commerce to enhance customer relationship and improve performance.