Consumer preferences of information search channel and the role of information technology

As information technology has evolved, digital media has become increasingly fragmented and has started to proliferate multiple information channels. In order to optimize on the various digital channels that are available, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of gaining solid insights into consumer behavior and preferences that can be translated into marketing strategies. Specifically, they are keen to identify which information channels they can use to effectively reach and communicate with their target market. This paper describes how fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS can be used to develop a new method of decision making that will enable an effective and systematic decision process. This paper provides a demonstration of the underpinning working methodology of the proposed model by examining an illustrative example that is based on the decision process Internet users employ during their online search for information.