Mobile marketing: exploring the new wave of innovation in marketing

Abstract

As the use of mobile devices among Irish consumers proliferates and becomes ever more integrated within their lifestyles, it is important for Irish managers to understand how they can effectively integrate Mobile Marketing into their overall marketing strategy. The objective of this research was to explore the current use of mobile marketing by Irish businesses and to investigate consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing. This process included a thorough review of Mobile Marketing theory, its application, use and attitudes towards it in order to develop an effective research approach. In-depth interviews, focus groups and online surveys were designed, developed and conducted with managers and consumers and their findings were comprehensively analysed. The findings identify that managers are largely unclear about how they should use Mobile Marketing. There is a lack of structure within organisations in terms of a Mobile Marketing strategy for implementation into the overall marketing strategy. There appears to be very little consumer engagement or interactivity taking place over the mobile medium. Thus consumers have grown to feel generally negative towards Mobile Marketing. The outcome of these findings is presented in the form of a set of guidelines for managers which make a contribution to the literature and to practitioners by encouraging the more considered and strategic use of MM. These guidelines are subject to further testing and refinement.