Decoding digital influence: The role of mobile advertising message content in shaping purchase intention for sustainable building business strategy in Malaysia

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of mobile advertising message content on consumers’ purchase intention in Malaysia. It investigates how specific message attributes, credibility, informativeness, relevance, timing convenience, and consumer permission affect purchasing decisions in a digitally driven marketplace. Adopting a positivist research philosophy and a deductive approach, the study is grounded in a guided research onion model. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilizing non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected from 385 Malaysian consumers through structured questionnaires distributed via social media platforms. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0, involving both measurement and structural model assessments. The results confirm strong measurement reliability and validity, supported by composite reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, Average Variance Extracted (AVE), the Fornell-Larcker criterion, and the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio. Four message attributes, credibility (β = 0.338, p < 0.001), informativeness (β = 0.205, p = 0.001), relevance (β = 0.165, p < 0.001), and timing convenience (β = 0.169, p = 0.003), exert significant positive effects on consumers' purchase intention. However, consumer permission to receive mobile ads was found to have an insignificant impact (β = 0.071, p = 0.083). The model explains 62.3% of the variance in purchase intention (R² = 0.623), indicating strong explanatory power. The study concludes that effective mobile advertising messages, particularly those perceived as credible, informative, relevant, and delivered at a convenient time, significantly enhance consumers' purchase intention. Conversely, obtaining prior permission to send mobile advertisements does not substantially influence consumer behavior in this context. Marketers targeting Malaysian consumers should prioritize crafting mobile advertisements that emphasize message credibility, informativeness, and relevance while optimizing the timing of message delivery. These factors are key drivers of consumer engagement and purchase intention in an increasingly competitive and digital advertising landscape.