An Integrative Perspective of Mobile Advertising for SMEs

Mobile advertising (m-advertising) is a subset of mobile marketing and refers to all forms of advertising via mobile phones or other mobile devices. M-advertising is becoming an important marketing channel for any type of company, notably for SMEs and small entrepreneurial start-ups and their media and communications portfolio. However, it is still unclear how to best use m-advertising for the benefit of both end-consumers and advertisers. This study explored a field experiment of new m-advertising system conducted in Finland and based on a qualitative explorative study of the critical value elements of m-advertising were identified. The findings show that the active participation of both the advertisers and end-consumers is a key determinant in making m-advertising a viable service; unless both advertiser and end-consumer actively engage in the co-creation of a m-advertising service, value creation will not reach its full potential. In addition, this study provides practical implications for the retailers on how to use m-advertising service successfully in their marketing.