The emergence of mobile communication in sub-Saharan Africa: Descriptive analysis of Cameroonian mobile consumers reactions and conditions of acceptance of advertising SMSs

Mobile communication is very often materialized by the use of mobile Internet, SMS and MMS by companies to send advertising messages via mobile phones. SMS and MMS are a genuine social phenomenon. Furthermore, companies have found a new opportunity to operate in terms of targeted communication. Indeed, mobile communication is a fast and effective way of communication at lower cost. Many studies have already been undertaken on this topic in Europe, America and Asia. These studies have indicated that mobile marketing is more efficient than other contact modes with the permission that is in standards given in advance by the consumer to be sought. But in Sub-Saharan Africa in general and in Cameroon in particular, there is still a timid interest among the researchers on the field of mobile marketing. Despite a high penetration rate (71% in 2014) of mobile phone holders and a growing use of more advertising SMSs by enterprises, there is not yet legislation text in the sector of mobile communication in Cameroon. This explains why there is a misuse of advertising SMSs by Cameroonian enterprises. That is why the objective of this paper is to describe the reactions of Cameroonian mobile phone consumers toward advertising SMSs and the conditions of acceptance of advertising. The results have shown that the way Cameroonian mobile companies exploit this means of communication push them to adopt negative behaviors or negative reactions towards mobile advertising. For instance, 22.7% of Cameroonian mobile phone consumers delete advertising SMSs without reading them. In addition, in the absence of permission, the consumers condition receiving advertising SMSs by their entertaining and informative character.   Key words: Mobile marketing, advertising SMSs, intrusiveness, consumer’s reactions, conditions of acceptance, privacy, behavioral control.