Volume 12, Issue 8 (August 2025), Pages: 70-79

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 Original Research Paper

Enhancing market access and consumer engagement through digital marketing in the agricultural sector

 Author(s): 

 Abdelrehim Awad *

 Affiliation(s):

 Department of Business Administration, College of Business, University of Bisha, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3649-430X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.08.007

 Abstract

This study investigates the role of digital marketing strategies in improving market access and consumer awareness among producers in Egypt’s black honey (molasses honey) sector. With market dynamics and consumer behavior increasingly shaped by digital transformation, understanding these relationships is critical for the agricultural industry. Data were collected through surveys of 50 stakeholders from 13 molasses honey companies using purposive sampling to include marketing managers, production supervisors, and quality assurance officers. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the relationships between digital marketing strategies, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder collaboration (independent variables) and market access (dependent variable). The results showed that digital marketing strategies significantly enhanced market access (coefficient = 0.35, 99% confidence level) and that consumer awareness was a strong predictor (coefficient = 0.28, 95% confidence level). Regulatory compliance and stakeholder collaboration also had positive effects, with regulatory compliance approaching significance (p = 0.080). Mediation analysis confirmed that both regulatory compliance and collaboration mediated the relationship between digital marketing and market access. As one of the first studies in Egypt to explore these links in the agricultural sector, this research provides new insights into how producers can improve visibility and accessibility in competitive markets. The findings highlight the importance of investing in digital marketing initiatives and fostering collaboration to strengthen market performance. Policymakers are encouraged to support producers in building digital capabilities and promoting partnerships to enhance competitiveness and adaptability in a rapidly changing environment.

 © 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Digital marketing, Market access, Consumer awareness, Regulatory compliance, Stakeholder collaboration

 Article history

 Received 9 March 2025, Received in revised form 1 July 2025, Accepted 8 July 2025

 Acknowledgment

The authors are thankful to the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the University of Bisha for supporting this work through the Fast-Track Research Support Program. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

Ethical approval for the study was obtained prior to data collection. Participants were fully informed about the research objectives, data confidentiality, and their voluntary participation. Written informed consent was secured, and participants were reassured of their right to withdraw at any point without consequences.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Awad A (2025). Enhancing market access and consumer engagement through digital marketing in the agricultural sector. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(8): 70-79

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 Figures

  Fig. 1

 Tables

  Table 1  Table 2  Table 3  Table 4  Table 5  Table 6  Table 7  Table 8  Table 9  Table 10   Table 11

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