Are you talking to me? Generation X, Y, Z responses to mobile advertising

This study explores intergenerational differences in attitudes toward mobile advertising (addressing their informativeness, irritation, trustworthiness, entertainment, and intrusiveness) and actual response to mobile advertising messages in Israel. Using an online survey (N = 408) and drawing on Congruence Theory and Generation Cohort Theory, we focus on three generations: X, Y, and Z. Findings show that all generations responded negatively when receiving an advertisement via smartphone. However, the generations differ in their patterns of association between mobile advertising attitudes and responses to mobile ads. Findings suggest that incongruence between each generation’s scheme and the five dimensions of advertising attitudes results in unfavorable responses to mobile advertising. These findings provide guidelines for future research and implications for marketers who intend to design behavioral targeting to consumers of various generational cohorts while using mobile platforms as an advertising channel.