Enabling smartphone push notifications: the effect of a framed opt-in request

Abstract

The use of push notifications is one of the most relevant strategies to proactively communicate with a user from within various apps. Europe has adopted an opt-in requirement wherein users have to explicitly express that they agree to receive push notifications from apps. This paper examines the influence of two different approaches for framing this opt-in request: focusing on the experiential value the user would eventually receive through the information provided by the notifications (moderated by the personal involvement with the app) and focusing on the social proof aspect, i.e., the behaviour of the majority of the app users (moderated by the user's susceptibility to interpersonal influence). The results indicate that improving the quality of the information provided to the user help firms attain higher levels of user participation. This research deepens the understanding of the consumer's decision process in the context of mobile advertising.