DETERMINANTS OF MOBILE ADVERTISING ADOPTION: A CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISON OF INDIA AND SYRIA.

Khan, Mohammed Naved; Allil, Kamaal

The ubiquity of mobile phones is creating new opportunities for marketers. However, the factors that induce consumers to accept and adopt mobile phones as an advertising medium are not yet fully understood across cultures and countries. In this backdrop, the present research investigated the factors that affect intention to adopt mobile advertising in India and Syria. Using a convenience sampling technique, an undisguised structured questionnaire was administered to 1,200 students enrolled in business schools located in and around the capital cities of the two countries. It resulted in 899 usable responses. Two sets of statistical techniques were employed. The first set of techniques was used to refine and test the reliability and validity of the research instrument by using Cronbach Alpha, inter-item correlation, item-total correlation, and principal component analysis. The second set was used to estimate interrelated dependence relationships by using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). An advertising adoption model was proposed for each country (viz., Mobile Advertising Adoption Model for India (MAAMI) and Mobile Advertising Adoption Model for Syria (MAAMS)). Results suggest that, in the case of India, six factors help to promote and increase the adoption of mobile adverting. On the other hand, in case of Syria, only three factors emerged that influence intention to adopt mobile advertising. These findings can be of a vital importance to academic researchers, marketing practitioners, and telecommunication companies. The study also opens up several avenues for further research in the domain of mobile advertising adoption.

INDIA; SYRIA; CELL phone advertising; INNOVATION adoption; AWARENESS; TECHNOLOGICAL innovations

International Journal of Mobile Marketing, 2010, Vol 5, Issue 1, p41

1939-1161

Academic Journal