Improving viral marketing campaign via mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications

The emergence of new media provides new opportunities for marketing. Mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications such as WhatsApp and Viber are growing in both number of users and popularity. These applications can be used for viral marketing campaigns. The success of these campaigns depends on recipients’ willingness to forward the advertisement message to others. Hence, it is important to recognize and analyze the factors that influence individuals’ intention to forward a viral message. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the factors that motivate individuals to participate in viral marketing campaign via MIM applications. The paper argues that the predictors (entertainment and purposive value of message, market mavenism, social identity, and MIM applications) influence individuals’ intention to forward a viral message and it is anticipated that all the contributing factors have a positive effect on it. A paper survey will be given to 400 students of University Technology Malaysia (UTM). The data will be subjected to statistical analyses with SPSS. The study will provide guidelines to the improvement of viral marketing campaign through MIM applications.

[1]  J. Jacoby,et al.  Consumer Behavior , 2024 .

[2]  Carl B. Welker.  The paradigm of viral communication , 2002 .

[3]  S. Jurvetson.  What exactly is viral marketing , 2000 .

[4]  Shintaro Okazaki.  Determinant factors of mobile‐based word‐of‐mouth campaign referral among Japanese adolescents , 2008 .

[5]  P. Leeflang,et al.  Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Marketing , 2012 .

[6]  Johannes Schöning,et al.  Falling asleep with Angry Birds, Facebook and Kindle: a large scale study on mobile application usage , 2011, Mobile HCI.

[7]  A. Persaud,et al.  Innovative mobile marketing via smartphones , 2012 .

[8]  Eun-Ju Lee,et al.  The effects of utilitarian and hedonic online shopping value on consumer preference and intentions , 2006 .

[9]  David G. Taylor,et al.  Friends, Fans, and Followers: Do Ads Work on Social Networks? , 2011, Journal of Advertising Research.

[10]  Miriam J. Metzger,et al.  Internet use in the contemporary media environment. , 2001 .

[11]  Nicola Stokburger-Sauer,et al.  Consumer advisors revisited: What drives those with market mavenism and opinion leadership tendencies and why? , 2009 .

[12]  Debashis Singh,et al.  Friends , 1999, BMJ.

[13]  Wei Dong.  Mobile Instant Messaging in the Workplace: Research and Design , 2014 .

[14]  H. Yang.  Market Mavens in Social Media: Examining Young Chinese Consumers' Viral Marketing Attitude, eWOM Motive, and Behavior , 2013 .

[15]  Qinghua Zhu,et al.  Understanding Post Adoption Switching Behavior for Mobile Instant Messaging Application in China: Based on Migration Theory , 2014, PACIS.

[16]  Key Pousttchi,et al.  Mobile word-of-mouth – A grounded theory of mobile viral marketing , 2009, J. Inf. Technol..

[17]  Bin Xu,et al.  Collaboration using Instant Messaging tool: A chat log analysis , 2012, 2012 World Congress on Information and Communication Technologies.

[18]  Rodrigo de Oliveira,et al.  What's up with whatsapp?: comparing mobile instant messaging behaviors with traditional SMS , 2013, MobileHCI '13.

[19]  Martin Spann,et al.  Consumer Decision-making Processes in Mobile Viral Marketing Campaigns , 2014 .

[20]  J. Cacioppo,et al.  Central and Peripheral Routes to Advertising Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Involvement , 1983 .

[21]  G. Lilien,et al.  A multi-stage model of word-of-mouth influence through viral marketing , 2008 .

[22]  Berend Wierenga,et al.  A Viral Branching Model for Predicting the Spread of Electronic Word of Mouth , 2009, Mark. Sci..

[23]  P. Lance,et al.  From Subservient Chickens to Brawny Men , 2006 .

[24]  G. Soutar,et al.  Word of mouth: measuring the power of individual messages , 2012 .

[25]  Linda L. Price,et al.  The market maven: A diffuser of marketplace information. , 1987 .

[26]  Michael Bourlakis,et al.  Internet-induced marketing techniques: Critical factors in viral marketing campaigns , 2008 .

[27]  David K. Perry,et al.  Viral Marketing or Electronic Word-of-Mouth Advertising: Examining Consumer Responses and Motivations to Pass Along Email , 2004, Journal of Advertising Research.

[28]  Matthew K. O. Lee,et al.  Online social networks: Why do students use facebook? , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[29]  R. Bagozzi,et al.  Self-categorization, affective commitment and group self-esteem as distinct aspects of social identity in the organization. , 2000, The British journal of social psychology.

[30]  Mengxiang Li,et al.  Analyzing Mobile Instant Messaging User Satisfaction And Loyalty: An Integrated Perspective , 2013, ECIS.

[31]  Ori Schwarz,et al.  Who moved my conversation? Instant messaging, intertextuality and new regimes of intimacy and truth , 2011 .

[32]  Tao Zhou,et al.  Examining mobile instant messaging user loyalty from the perspectives of network externalities and flow experience , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[33]  Abed Abedniya,et al.  The Impact of Social Networking Websites to Facilitate the Effectiveness of Viral Marketing , 2010 .

[34]  Nan Zhou,et al.  Making your online voice loud: the critical role of WOM information , 2011 .

[35]  Liuning Zhou,et al.  Predicting young Chinese consumers' mobile viral attitudes, intents and behavior , 2012 .

[36]  N. Ellemers,et al.  Self‐categorisation, commitment to the group and group self‐esteem as related but distinct aspects of social identity , 1999 .

[37]  H. Tajfel.  Social identity and intergroup relations , 1985 .

[38]  Zhifeng Zhao,et al.  Understanding the Nature of Social Mobile Instant Messaging in Cellular Networks , 2014, IEEE Communications Letters.

[39]  K. Krentler,et al.  Teen internet mavens: influence in family decision making , 2005 .

[40]  R. V. Krejcie,et al.  Determining Sample Size for Research Activities , 1970 .

[41]  A. Kaikati,et al.  Stealth Marketing: How to Reach Consumers Surreptitiously , 2004 .

[42]  Shintaro Okazaki.  Social influence model and electronic word of mouth , 2009 .

[43]  Liuning Zhou,et al.  Extending TPB and TAM to mobile viral marketing: An exploratory study on American young consumers’ mobile viral marketing attitude, intent and behavior , 2011 .

[44]  R. Bagozzi,et al.  A Social Influence Model of Consumer Participation in Network- and Small-Group-Based Virtual Communities , 2004 .

[45]  K. Seltman.  Marketing for management. , 2004, Marketing health services.

[46]  Jinshyang Roan,et al.  Snowball to avalanche: Understanding the different predictors of the intention to propagate online marketing messages , 2014 .

[47]  Zhaohua Deng,et al.  Understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical study of mobile instant messages in China , 2010, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[48]  Elizabeth B. Goldsmith,et al.  EXTENDING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF MARKET MAVENISM , 2006 .

[49]  Sabrina Helm,et al.  Viral Marketing - Establishing Customer Relationships by 'Word-of-mouse' , 2000, Electron. Mark..

[50]  Mohd Azam Osman,et al.  A STUDY OF THE TREND OF SMARTPHONE ANDITS USAGE BEHAVIOR IN MALAYSIA , 2012 .

[51]  Elizabeth B. Goldsmith,et al.  Market mavenism and consumer self‐confidence , 2008 .

[52]  K. Gwinner,et al.  WHAT MAKES MAVENS TICK? EXPLORING THE MOTIVES OF MARKET MAVENS INITIATION OF INFORMATION DIFFUSION , 2004 .

[53]  A. Hausman,et al.  The effect of web interface features on consumer online purchase intentions , 2009 .

[54]  Angela R. Dobele,et al.  Controlled infection! Spreading the brand message through viral marketing , 2005 .

[55]  Jason Ho,et al.  Viral marketing: Motivations to forward online content , 2010 .