The Influence of Short Message Services (SMS) Advertisements on Purchase Intentions by Mobile Telecommunication Consumers in Tanzania

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Short Message Services (SMS) advertisements on the purchase intention among mobile telecommunication consumers in Tanzania using the AIDA model. Data were collected in Dar-es-Salaam from 303 mobile telecommunication users using self-administered questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation, and multiple regression analysis techniques. The result concluded that consumers' attention to, interest in and desire for SMS advertisements do positively and significantly influence consumer purchase intention. The sample is constituted of respondents who were first and second-degree holders aged between 20 and 40 years.  The results contribute to the existing literature on the influence of Short Message Services (SMS) advertisements on purchase intention among mobile telecommunication consumers in Tanzania. Managerially, the results shed light on possible areas of improvement to enhance the purchase intentions of their customers through short message services.  The study expands on the intellectual discourse of the AIDA model by taking Action, one of the model’s components, and treating it as a consumer purchase intention variable. One of the key limitations of the study was that the respondents were only those who could fill out online questionnaires. It is strongly recommended that further studies are more inclusive.