Recall effect of short message service (SMS) as a complementary marketing communications instrument

A quasi-experimental study was designed to investigate the recall effect of Short Message Service (SMS) as a complementary marketing communications instrument. An experimental group (EG) was formed, consisting of people who had called an SMS number mentioned in a car brand campaign. A control group was formed using respondents who replied on a television quiz question through SMS. For both groups unaided and aided recall for two similar car brand campaigns was recorded. In campaign 1 no SMS support was used; campaign 2 was the original SMS-supported campaign. Using an omnibus x2 test, the data show a statistically significant effect supporting the hypothesis that SMS, as a relatively cheap complementary instrument, can boost the recall effect of an advertising campaign. Furthermore, two limitations of the study are discussed: limited control regarding respondents’ exposure to the communication campaigns and the relatively long time elapsed between exposure to the campaigns and recall measurement, which necessitate further research.