Mobile Phone Choice: Technology Vs Marketing. The Brand Effect in the Italian Market

The main research question of the paper is to determine whether technology nowadays is overcome by customer references and needs. In particular, the role of the brand is to be analysed with respect to its influence in shifting customer preferences from the technical performances (tangible elements) to the emotional/symbolic ones (intangible elements). Consumer behaviour was analysed by interviewing a random (but well stratified) sample of mobile phone users in order to study their consumption style and the motivations underlying the buying process in order to understand, on the one hand, the variables that influence people in the usage of mobile phones and, on the other, those that influence firms in launching new products, both from a technological point of view and from a marketing one. The findings show various dimensions that are relevant in consumer minds when considering decisions regarding technological products. Brand attitudes do relate positively to consumer intention to use (purchase) specific mobile phones over others. The study, though exploratory, has underlined the importance of brand and the dualism between marketing and technology in the adoption and diffusion of technological products. Certainly, the analysis has some limitations, but it provides an initial perspective into understanding brand issues. Future research should focus on the effects of the cooperation between mobile operators and mobile manufacturers. This paper provides an analysis of the brand attitude and perception tested and viewed through user eyes.