A Three Campus Comparison of Bundled Cellular Telephone Features and The Young Consumer

Useable surveys were completed and returned by 507 (174 rural, 156 urban, and 177 Historic Black College and University) consumers at three Midwestern universities. Regression analysis revealed selected demographic variables were predictive of the evaluation of bundled cell phone features; furthermore, stepwise regression models showed among features young consumers reported available on the phones they owned, DIGCAM, EMAIL, WARRANTY, and INSTANTM were significantly predictive (p.001) of perceptions of importance of digital media bundles on cellular telephones. Moreover, ANOVA tests revealed young consumers’ perceptions of the importance of cellular telephone features were significantly different among rural, urban, and HBCU young consumers, males and females, and among age groups, grade level, and states where cell phones were purchased (p.05; p.01; p.001). Recommendations are offered that could help marketers develop strategic marketing mixes of phone features targeted to young consumers, rural or urban.