Who avoids location-based advertising and why? Investigating the relationship between user perceptions and advertising avoidance

This study investigates how perceptual factors are associated with mobile consumers' avoidance of location-based mobile advertising (LBA), and whether the relationships between the perceptual factors and LBA avoidance are influenced by consumers' mobile device usage levels. The results of a national web survey with 605 Singaporean mobile consumers show that those who find LBA impedes goals, requires sacrifice, and lacks utility are more likely to avoid it. When examining the differences of heavy, medium, and light mobile device users, the analyses reveal that the effects of perceived utility and entertainment on LBA avoidance are greater for medium and heavy users than for light users. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed, as are the limitations and suggestions for future research.