The role of marketing in the adoption of new mobile services: is it worth the investment?

Marketing as a method to increase product exposure is widely assumed to have a positive influence on the acceptance and adoption of new technology. This is especially the case with new mobile services, where significant investments are being made in an effort to spread awareness of new products and services available, with the purpose of positively influencing attitudes towards their adoption. This article, however, presents a different view. It illustrates that attitudes towards services available through a new mobile portal were not only unchanged, but became less favorable despite increased exposure to these services including continuous mass-marketing efforts. This poses the question if investments in mass-marketing are indeed fruitful in the mobile services arena.