A New Way of Reaching Customers : An exploration of the differences between mobile and email marketing

Sammanfattning: Background: Since the mid 1990s the usage of mobile phones has been increasing exponentially (Bauer, Barnes, Reichardt and Neumann 2006) and many firms are aware of the upraising potential with mobile marketing. Thus, the impact of mobile marketing is not yet fully exploited and in need of investigation to fully understand its potential. E-mail is another marketing channel that is claimed to be decreasing in effectiveness. This thesis explores where these channels stands today. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore differences in advertising response between mobile marketing through applications and electronic mails. Research question: What differences can be identified in the consumer buying process when exposed to an offer trough the mobile marketing channel compared to the e-mail marketing channel? Method: We have implemented a qualitative and deductive study where we expose one sample for an offer coming from the mobile marketing channel and one sample exposed to an offer coming from the e-mail marketing channel. The thesis is of a comparative character and the selection is a non-probability sampling. Conclusions: Offers coming through the mobile marketing channel are easier to recall, perceived as more attractive and lead to purchase decisions at a higher rate than offers coming from the e-mail marketing channel.