Title: Effects of SMS teaser ads on product curiosity

Authors: Hsuan-Yi Chou; Nai-Hwa Lien

Addresses: Institute of Communications Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, 70, Lien-hai Rd., Kaohsiung City, 804, Taiwan ' Department and Graduate Institute of Business Administration, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan

Abstract: Mobile advertising using short messaging service (SMS), also referred to as text messaging, has become very popular in recent years. However, many consumers regard SMS advertisements as junk mail, and SMS ads show mixed ad effects. This study explores the effects of SMS ads when used as a teaser campaign and conducts two experiments to reveal how brand familiarity, spokesperson likeability and spokesperson familiarity influence product curiosity in consumers with different SMS attitudes. Results indicate that for SMS teaser ads featuring high-familiarity brands, a more likeable/familiar spokesperson reduces consumer curiosity. For ads pertaining to low-familiarity brands, spokesperson likeability/familiarity positively affects curiosity for consumers with more favourable SMS attitudes. Spokesperson variables, however, do not influence reactions from consumers with less favourable SMS attitudes.

Keywords: mobile communications; SMS advertising; teaser advertising; product curiosity; knowledge gap; brand familiarity; spokesperson likeability; spokesperson familiarity; SMS attitudes; short messaging service; text messaging; SMS ads; teaser ads; consumer attitudes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2014.063651

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2014 Vol.12 No.4, pp.328 - 345

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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