Factors Influencing Consumers' Attitude, Intention and Behavior Towards Short Message Service-Based Mobile Advertising in Pakistan

In Pakistan, the total number of Short Message Service (SMS) exchanged during 2014-15 was 393.1 billion. Even though several studies have been conducted regarding consumer attitude towards SMS marketing in countries like India, Jordan, Iran, UK, Bahrain and Canada, etc., an empirical study in the context of Pakistan was still lacking; and this research paper fills this gap. The required data was collected from 245 university students in Pakistan. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the relationship among variables and for model testing through path analysis. The results show that credibility, informativeness and entertainment have positive impact, while irritation and personalization have negative influence on the dependent variable, i.e., attitude towards SMS advertising. The variable 'perceived benefits' has a weak effect on intention towards receiving advertising messages. As the SMS marketing industry is still at a growth stage in Pakistan, this research paper will prove to be a unique contribution for both marketers and academicians.