Mobile Marketing in the Retailing Environment: Current Insights and Future Research Avenues

Abstract

Mobile marketing, which involves two- ormulti-way communication and promotion of an offer between a firmand its customers using themobile, a term that refers to themobilemedium, device, channel, or technology, is growing in importance in the retailing environment. It has the potential to change the paradigm of retailing from one based on consumers entering the retailing environment to retailers entering the consumer's environment through anytime, anywhere mobile devices.Wepropose a conceptual framework that comprises three key entities: the consumer, the mobile, and the retailer. The framework addresses key related issues such as mobile consumer activities, mobile consumer segments, mobile adoption enablers and inhibitors, key mobile properties, key retailer mobile marketing activities and competition.We also address successful retailer mobile marketing strategies, identify the customer-related and organizational challenges on this topic, and outline future research scenarios and avenues related to these issues.

Keywords: Mobile marketing, Retailing, Interactivity, Wireless, Strategy, Marketing communications