Response to Personalized Marketing Communication: An Empirical Investigation Comparing Users and Non Users of Surrogate Shoppers

This research tests the personalized marketing communication (PMC) model and examines the difference in response to PMC by users and non users of surrogate shoppers. Data was gathered through a PAN India online survey from users and non users of surrogate shoppers in the travel and finance sectors. Using the conceptual lens of stimulus organism response theory, and the analytical techniques of structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, this study finds that even though many hypothesized relationships in the PMC model do not hold, usefulness emerges as an important construct even in the face of privacy concerns, and that users and non users of surrogate shoppers differ in their response to PMC with users of surrogate shoppers not showing the responses expected typically of consumers. While targeting non users of surrogate shoppers especially, marketing managers should infuse PMC with usefulness and address privacy concerns of the target market.