Vol. 2, Issue 3, Part D (2016)

Abstract
Online shopping has taken over urban India in a big way. Every morning, we see advertisements in newspapers for the so-called ‘big deals’ on online shopping websites. Television channels and social media are also flooded with advertisements for online shopping sites. This phenomenon had literally reached a crescendo with the onslaught of heavy duty advertising for the Diwali season 2014. Bangalore is the IT hub of India. It is a growing city with a large young, trendy, upwardly mobile population primarily employed in the IT sector and its allied industries. These young people are brand-conscious, tech-savvy and have a regular disposable income and are the target audience of many online shopping sites. This quantitative study has sought to find out how mass media advertising for online shopping sites has influenced consumer preference for online shopping as against traditional offline shopping among IT professionals in Bangalore during Diwali season 2014. The study throws light on advertising’s role in promoting online shopping among IT professionals and the shopping preferences (online Vs offline) of IT professionals. It also seeks to identify certain aspects of consumer behaviour with regard to online shopping by the said consumer group. A study of this nature would help advertisers, marketers and online shopping companies understand the preferences and shopping behaviour of IT professionals. This would help them create more effective advertising campaigns and marketing strategies in order to influence IT professionals better.