Motivators for the intention to use mobile TV

This research tests the effects of gender on attitude and intention to use mobile TV. Gender is frequently identified as a key moderating variable in consumers’ behaviour and in the usage of media. Studying the case of mobile TV in the early stage of Korean digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) development is important because Korea is the first market where mobile TV is commercially available. The findings can provide useful implications not only for theory in the adoption of new media but also for marketing practitioners in countries that are rolling out mobile TV. Five motivation factors – entertainment, social interaction, permanent access, pass time and fashion/status – were drawn from uses and gratifications theory to test their relationship with attitude and intention to use mobile TV. For the purposes of the study, a total of 256 undergraduate students in South Korea participated in the survey. Overall, uses and gratifications theory is found to be a valid approach to explain people’s attitude and intention to use a mobile TV. Regarding gender effects, the results indicate that motivation for fashion/status is most important for males, while social interaction has the highest impact on female attitude and intention. Theoretical and practical implications are offered; they suggest that the advertising concept needs to be targeted by consumers’ gender.