Claudia Brauer, Julia Pronnet, Anita Zehrer

Examining Adoption and Effectiveness of WhatsApp as a Marketing Tool: An Example of an Austrian Fitness and Health Center

Introduction

Examining adoption and effectiveness of whatsapp as a marketing tool: an example of an austrian fitness and health center. This study examines WhatsApp's adoption and effectiveness as a B2C marketing tool for an Austrian fitness center. Discover key user acceptance factors like perceived value, attitude, and ease of use.

Abstract

This study explores the factors influencing user acceptance and intention to use WhatsApp as a business-to-consumer (B2C) communication and marketing tool in the fitness industry, using an Austrian fitness center as a case study. Given WhatsApp's growing commercial relevance, understanding customer interaction determinants is crucial. Despite the overall growth of the fitness sector, businesses face challenges that necessitate innovative communication strategies. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Theory of Reasoned Action, this research identifies twelve key acceptance factors. A quantitative deductive approach was applied, and survey data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The findings reveal that perceived value, attitude towards use, and perceived ease of use significantly influence the intention to use WhatsApp. Additionally, perceived usefulness correlates positively with perceived ease of use and the perceived informational and entertainment value. These insights highlight WhatsApp's potential as a marketing and communication tool in the fitness industry. The study offers a foundation for further research and provides practical implications for optimizing business performance through targeted marketing and customer engagement strategies.

Review

This study offers a timely and relevant investigation into the adoption and effectiveness of WhatsApp as a marketing tool within the fitness industry, using an Austrian center as its focus. By integrating established theoretical frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Theory of Reasoned Action, the research establishes a robust foundation for identifying key factors influencing user acceptance and intention to use this communication channel. The application of a quantitative deductive approach, utilizing survey data and multiple linear regression, lends methodological rigor to the findings. The identification that perceived value, attitude towards use, and perceived ease of use significantly predict intention to use, alongside the positive correlation between perceived usefulness and perceived informational/entertainment value, provides valuable insights into customer engagement in a rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. The strengths of this work lie in its focused examination of a specific, yet increasingly important, B2C communication channel within a sector facing unique challenges. The theoretical underpinning is well-chosen, providing a comprehensive lens through which to analyze user acceptance. The findings are clear and concise, highlighting actionable areas for businesses looking to leverage WhatsApp – particularly the emphasis on creating perceived value, ensuring ease of use, and fostering positive attitudes. Furthermore, the exploration of perceived informational and entertainment value as drivers of usefulness adds a nuanced understanding of consumer motivation beyond purely functional benefits. This makes a tangible contribution to both academic literature on digital marketing and practical strategies for fitness and health centers. While the study provides a strong foundation, its generalizability might be an area for further consideration. As it focuses on "an example of an Austrian Fitness and Health Center," future research could explore the cross-cultural validity of these findings across different geographical contexts or business types within the fitness industry. The abstract mentions identifying "twelve key acceptance factors," yet primarily details only the significant ones; a full paper would ideally elaborate on the broader set and why some may not have reached significance, offering a more complete picture of acceptance drivers. Additionally, while practical implications are stated, deeper, more concrete examples of optimized strategies stemming directly from the findings would further strengthen the impact and actionable utility for practitioners.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.