Strategic Marketing Planning for Mobile Commerce Diffusion and Consumer Adoption

Recognizing the need for consumer behaviour research initiatives in business-to-consumer mobile commerce (m-commerce), this paper investigates consumer attitudes and behaviours in this fast evolving business landscape. An online consumer survey was conducted in Finland, Germany and Greece and a major classification between “mobile users” and “mobile shoppers” was attempted, using as a tool the consumer adoption and diffusion of innovation theory. Mobile shoppers are characterized as “innovators” and mobile users as “early adopters”. Significant differences between these groups from the same country and between different countries were observed regarding the importance they attach to security, ease of use interface, customer service, price, and comfort of device. Correspondingly, m-commerce service providers should design their strategic marketing planning by adapting their marketing mix elements to the specific requirements of each target market towards supporting m-commerce diffusion and consumer adoption in Europe.