Which Products Are Best Suited to Mobile Advertising? A Field Study of Mobile Display Advertising Effects on Consumer Attitudes and Intentions

TLDR

Mobile advertising is a rapidly expanding format, with global spending rising from about $16.7 billion in 2013 to an expected $62.8 billion by 2017, and mobile display advertising—banners on mobile web pages and apps—being the most common type. This study investigates which product characteristics predict mobile display advertising campaigns that boost consumers’ favorable attitudes and purchase intentions. A large‑scale test‑control field experiment of 54 U.S. campaigns (2007‑2010) involving 39,946 consumers found that MDA campaigns significantly increased favorable attitudes and purchase intentions only for higher‑involvement, utilitarian products versus lower‑involvement, hedonic ones.

Abstract

Mobile advertising is one of the fastest-growing advertising formats. In 2013, global spending on mobile advertising was approximately $16.7 billion, and it is expected to exceed $62.8 billion by 2017. The most prevalent type of mobile advertising is mobile display advertising (MDA), which takes the form of banners on mobile web pages and in mobile applications. This article examines which product characteristics are likely to be associated with MDA campaigns that are effective in increasing consumers’ (1) favorable attitudes toward products and (2) purchase intentions. Data from a large-scale test-control field experiment covering 54 U.S. MDA campaigns that ran between 2007 and 2010 and involved 39,946 consumers show that MDA campaigns significantly increased consumers’ favorable attitudes and purchase intentions only when the campaigns advertised products that were higher (vs. lower) involvement and utilitarian (vs. hedonic). The authors explain this finding using established theories of information processing and persuasion and suggest that when MDAs work effectively, they do so by triggering consumers to recall and process previously stored product information.