Abstract

The intersection of mobile marketing and shopper marketing, known as mobile shopper marketing, is a rapidly evolving area. We formally define mobile shopper marketing as the planning and execution of all mobile-based marketing activities that influence a shopper along and beyond the path-to-purchase: from the initial shopping trigger, to the purchase, consumption, repurchase, and recommendation stages. However, not much is known about mobile shopper marketing. We plug this gap by first discussing mobile shopper marketing and its scope in depth and then presenting a process model that connects the mobile shopping journey with four key entities, i.e., shopper, employee, organization, and mobile technology. For each of these themes, we identify the challenges that offer future research opportunities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while mobile shopper marketing—the planning and execution of all mobile-based marketing activities that influence a shopper along and beyond the path-to-purchase—is growing rapidly, not much is known about it. In this paper, we have addressed this gap by discussing the scope of mobile shopper marketing and the issues of focal concerns to marketers with regard to mobile shopping and by identifying a key entity (shopper, employee, organization, and mobile technology) framework. The plethora of unanswered questions presents exciting opportunities for future research on mobile shopper marketing.