Perceptions of mobile plan unit pricing and terms and conditions McQuilken, Lisa, Robertson, Nichola, Polonsky, Michael, Harrison, Paul and Bednall, David 2016, Perceptions of mobile plan unit pricing and terms and conditions, Marketing intelligence and planning, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 734-753, doi: 10.1108/MIP-08-2014-0153. Attached Files Name Description MIMEType Size Downloads Title Perceptions of mobile plan unit pricing and terms and conditions Author(s) McQuilken, Lisa orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-7502 Robertson, Nichola orcid.org/0000-0002-9564-0945 Polonsky, Michael orcid.org/0000-0003-2395-1311 Harrison, Paul Bednall, David orcid.org/0000-0001-7549-770X Journal name Marketing intelligence and planning Volume number 34 Issue number 6 Start page 734 End page 753 Total pages 20 Publisher Emerald Place of publication Bingley, Eng. Publication date 2016 ISSN 0263-4503 Keyword(s) consumer perceptions telecommunications informational advertising content mobile phone plans terms and conditions unit pricing Summary Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the efficacy of disclosing unit pricing and increasing the type size of complex terms and conditions in advertising. This is in line with recommendations made by global telecommunications regulators, including in Australia, to protect consumers in selecting mobile plans. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employed a 2 (unit price disclosed: no, yes)×3 (type size: nine-, 12- and 15-point terms and conditions) full factorial, between-subjects experimental design using a scenario and fictional advertisements for 24-month mobile phone plans. This was complemented by 24 in-depth interviews with consumers who had recently purchased “real” plans and their assessment of these. Findings: Extra information in the form of unit pricing has a positive influence on consumers’ value perceptions, but not on perceived confusion or risk. Presenting complex terms and conditions in larger type increases consumers’ perceived confusion and risk, but not perceived value, as consumers have difficulty understanding the complicated information presented. Research limitations/implications: This study focused on a single country market for one product type of mobile phones, using a limited range of mobile plans. Practical implications: Public policymakers and providers are advised to pre-test planned changes to advertising’s informational content prior to implementation to identify the efficacy of proposed changes to protect consumers. Consumers may also need to be educated to accurately interpret complex plans. Originality/value: The study contributes to the domain of informational content in advertising as a form of consumer protection. The effect of unit pricing and larger type for terms and conditions on consumer perceptions has not been examined previously in complex product settings. Language eng DOI 10.1108/MIP-08-2014-0153 Field of Research 150502 Marketing Communications 1505 Marketing Socio Economic Objective 890104 Mobile Telephone Networks and Services HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal ERA Research output type C Journal article Copyright notice ©2016, Emerald Group Publishing Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30087006 Document type: Journal Article Collection: Department of Marketing Related Links Link Description Connect to published version Go to link with your DU access privileges     Unless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in DRO is owned by the author, with all rights reserved. Versions Version Filter Type Wed, 12 Oct 2016, 10:06:17 EST Thu, 13 Oct 2016, 04:01:59 EST Sat, 15 Oct 2016, 05:12:34 EST Thu, 27 Oct 2016, 14:40:53 EST Thu, 27 Oct 2016, 14:43:03 EST Thu, 27 Oct 2016, 14:43:52 EST Mon, 28 Nov 2016, 08:18:37 EST Filtered Full Citation counts:   Cited 0 times in TR Web of Science Cited 0 times in Scopus Search Google Scholar Access Statistics: 245 Abstract Views, 1 File Downloads  -  Detailed Statistics Created: Wed, 12 Oct 2016, 10:06:17 EST

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