Bridging attention and behavior: insights from the AIDRA and SOR models in social media advertising

Purpose This study examines how key elements of social media advertising influence consumer attitudes and purchase decisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 205 regular social media users chosen through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.0 to ensure reliable and valid results. Findings The study found that interest, desire and relevance significantly influence purchase decisions in social media advertising. Furthermore, consumer attitudes were found to effectively mediate the relationship between relevance and purchase decisions. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to theory by showing how AIDRA elements, especially relevance, shape consumer attitudes and purchase decisions. The integration of the AIDRA model and the SOR framework generates new insights by connecting advertising elements with psychological processes and revealing how consumers in underexplored markets process multiple stimuli simultaneously. Practical implications This study offers practical implications for marketers, advertisers and businesses engaged in social media advertising by highlighting the need for interactive, story-driven and culturally relevant content that strengthens purchase intention in markets like Sarawak. Originality/value This study is original in combining the attention, interest, desire, relevance and action (AIDRA) model with the stimulus, organism and response (SOR) framework to better understand how consumers respond to social media advertising. This shows how attention, interest, desire and relevance work together, offering a clearer picture of consumer interaction with digital content. It also adds new insights by focusing on Sarawak, an emerging market that is often overlooked in existing research.