Short-Video Marketing and Impulse Buying Among Young Indian Consumers

ABSTRACT Short-form video has become one of the most influential marketing environments for young Indian consumers, combining entertainment, social interaction and product discovery in a single scrolling feed. Brands, creators and platforms increasingly use this format to move audiences from attention to purchase within seconds. This paper examines how short-video marketing may stimulate impulse buying among young consumers and what psychological, social and technological mechanisms sit behind the process. Drawing on published secondary material from academic journals, regulatory documents and industry commentary, the study develops a conceptual framework based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response model, supported by flow theory, uses and gratifications theory and the elaboration likelihood model. The analysis argues that impulse purchases arise less from any single advertisement than from the interaction of rapid content pacing, creator credibility, scarcity cues and a shortened path from viewing to payment. The paper also discusses ethical concerns, including blurred disclosure of paid promotion, financial strain among young buyers and post-purchase regret. Managerial and policy suggestions are offered, and five propositions are presented for future empirical testing. The study contributes a structured explanation of an emerging marketing phenomenon and a research agenda for scholars working in consumer behaviour and digital marketing.