| Abstract: | The rapid growth of mobile phone value-added services has increasingly attracted marketing attention. The real-time location-based advertising service (RTLBAS) being developed by VIETMAP, a leading mapping company in Vietnam, employs positioning technology to locate a user and provide advertising information. An empirical case study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was conducted to examine the acceptance of RTLBAS. Data were collected by 12 VIETMAP salespersons who conducted a questionnaire-based interview of the subjects. The sample consisted of 315 respondents. Data analysis revealed three important findings. First, perceived compatibility is the main concern, and will make mobile phone users more likely to use RTLBAS. Customers become increasingly function-sensitive and function-compatible as the number of service types increases. Second, mobile phone users are uncertain about adopting VIETMAP's RTLBAS, preferring to try it first even if they think it is useful. Finally, a privacy policy should be developed as a concern of the social relevance of RTLBAS development. Managerial implications were also addressed. |
