Do Mobile Phone Service Consumers in the US Have Media Preference as Their Source of Information on Competing Mobile Phone Service Plans?

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhen communicating product-related information to consumers, companies must often choose among different media types. Understanding how consumers seek media as their source of information when making purchase decisions is highly important for marketers to optimize their media-selection decisions and achieve maximum communication results. However, an extensive review of the literature indicates that little is known about the advertising media preferences of consumers of technology-based services. This research examines the media preferences of mobile phone service consumers in the United States as their source of information regarding competing mobile phone service plans. The study also addresses whether the advertising media preferences of mobile phone service consumers vary across demographic characteristics. The survey data were collected from 471 employees and students of two higher education institutions. Descriptive statistics including medians and quartiles are calculated for media preferences. Frequencies are used to summarize demographic characteristics. Chi-square tests are used to determine if relationships exist between demographic characteristics and advertising media preferences. The results indicate that for mobile phone service buyers in the United States, the most important media they consider as their source of information on competing mobile phone service plans is word of mouth. Moreover, consumers ranked provider's website as second, search engine marketing as third, and social media as the fourth preferred source of information for competing mobile phone service plans. Also, the research results reveal that media preference as a source of information on competing mobile phone service plans differs by respondent age, but not by gender. The implications of the research findings on theory and practice are discussed.