Digital Trust and Brand Acceptance of IoT Devices Among Farmers: Implications for Agritech Marketing

Abstract

The recent rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the agricultural industry has turned the conventional approach to farming into data-driven. Nevertheless, even though the implementation of the IoT device can lead to higher productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, the adoption of these devices by farmers remains rather fragmented and largely relies on their levels of digital trust. This paper evaluates the role of digital trust (including data security, reliability of the device, privacy guarantee, and transparency) on acceptability of IoT-based agritech solutions among farmers. This study uses a systematic survey where 240 farmers were surveyed in three agricultural regions to reveal the main psychological, technological, and socio-economic factors influencing the use of IoT. The results show that, even more important than costs and ease-of-use, digital trust is a major predictor of the intention by farmers to buy and keep using IoT devices. Additionally, the findings also show that brand reputation, peer influence, and history of exposure to digital agriculture tools have a positive impact on the perceptions of trust. The research paper is valuable to the agritech marketing strategies because it provides a framework upon which businesses can build digital trust to enhance brand acceptance. It is recommended to improve the transparency of communication, provide localized training, improve the assurance of cybersecurity, and co-develop technologies with farmers. The research can offer practical conclusions to marketers, policy makers, and agritech developers who want to accelerate the implementation of IoT in rural agricultural systems.