Mobile Advertising

For my latest entry, I decided to pull from a project I have been working on in my Cultural Studies class. This is an excerpt from a working paper that is set to examine perceptions of mobile advertising among American youth markets. I seem to be growing an affinity for non-traditional advertising media and mobiles are an outlet that really have received little attention in the U.S. The passage below reviews some of the cultural influences of mobile phones. And let's all be honest here...something you read will characterize you in some shape or fashion.

Describing the mobile phone as a social network takes a twofold approach.  The first, and most obvious approach is that mobile phones provide individuals with a constant connection to the outside world (de Souza e Silva, 2006; Green, 2002).  Because a mobile phone can easily fit into a purse or pocket, it is intrinsically understood that the possibility to call, text, or even email someone is within grasp.  Likewise, the possibility also exists that one can receive a call, text or email at any moment, essentially making every mobile phone carrier constantly “on call” (Green, 2002).  The second, and perhaps not so obvious, approach is that the mobile phone has become a cultural status symbol through both the style purchased and functions utilized (Grant & O’Donohoe, 2007; Kjeldgaard & Askegaard, 2006; Muk, 2007; Rolfe & Gilbert, 2006).  Whether business professionals or teenage kids, the type and functionality of the mobile phone appears to be reaching similar status to that of clothing and cars, ultimately serving as a visual cue of one’s cultural and technological prowess.  This is most notable due to the fact that people create and maintain close relationships with their mobile phone, as the way it is used and the selected style embody the owner and no one else (Vatanparast & Asil, 2007).  This helps to explain why mobile phones are rarely shared, as the personalizing nature of this tool transforms the mobile phone into a private accessory.

Understanding the cultural and status implications of the mobile phone can be best examined by reviewing how the youth market utilized this device in formulating their perceptions of acceptance and community.  Grant and O’Donohoe (2007) provide a fairly in-depth examination of the cultural impact of mobile technology among youth markets by identifying the five factors which influence mobile phone use by these audiences: convenient entertainment, social stimulation, experiential learning, escapism, and purchase information and advice.  Ultimately, Grant and O’Donohoe (2007) concluded that mobile audiences depend on these devices for social interaction and cultural acceptance.  One means of generating this acceptance is an individual’s technological aptitude.  Rolfe and Gilber (2006) discovered that ones technical knowledge was a strong indicator of their cultural standing among youth audiences.  In greater detail, those expressing little knowledge of communication technology were most likely of a lower class as opposed to the technologically adept individual, who class standing was found to be much higher.  This finding stemmed from the sentiments of technology expressed by both the individuals and their parents, who would often share similar attitudes.

In addition to representing ones technological prowess and possible cultural standing, mobile phones have also been used as a tool to promote ones popularity or group status.  Grant and O’Donohoe (2007) discuss this concept by alluding to the jubilation expressed by participants when receiving a call or text message.  According to their study, such an occurrence is highly influential within groups of friends as one’s involvement or social status within their group can be influenced by the number of calls and/or texts they receive.  These findings suggest that by virtue of having an audience hear a ring tone, which is an attention grabber within a public space, one’s status is raised among youth cultures. 

Also extending from this concept is that of the “mobile flasher” (Thorngren et al., 2004).  Though by no means an official term or title, the mobile flasher is described as the person who interacts with their mobile device in a public space as if they were in a private space.  This includes talking at a very high level, pacing around a room, and other occurrences that attempt to draw audience attention to the individual’s mobile conversation. According to Thorngren et al. (2004), these actions serve to augment an individual’s personal sense of popularity and/or importance by information the general public that they are engaged in a mobile activity.  While mobile flashers can exist in virtually any public space, within the youth consumer market the flasher may most likely operate in a realm occupied by fellow peers or acquaintances, such as a campus, bus stop, or even a cafeteria.

Citations for the included works are found below. Please let me know your thoughts on this topic.

de Souza e Silva, A. (2006). Interfaces of hybrid spaces. In A. Kavoori & N. Arceneaux (Ed.),The cell phone reader: Essays in social transformation (pp. 19-43). New York: Peter Lang.

Grant, I. & O’Donohoe, S. (2007). Why young consumers are not open to mobile marketing communication. International Journal of Advertising, 26(2), 223-246.

Green, N. (2002). On the move: Technology, mobility, and the mediation of social time and space. The Information Society, 18, 281-292.

Kjeldgaard, D. & Askegaard, S. (2006). The glocalization of youth culture: The global youth segment as structures of common difference. Journal of Consumer Research, 33, 231-247.

Muk, A. (2007). Cultural influences on adoption of SMS advertising: A study of American and Taiwanese consumers. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing,16(1), 39-47.

Rolfe, J. & Gilbert, M. (2006). Youth, new media, technology and communication. Young Consumers, 2, 15-21.

Thorngren, B., Andersson, P., Bohlin, E., & Boman, M. (2004). Seamless mobility: More than it seems. Info, 6(3), 169-171.

Vatanparast, R. & Asil, M. (2007). Factors affecting the use of mobile advertising. International Journal of Mobile Marketing, 2(2), 21-34.