A Look at Interactivity from a Consumer Perspective

Abstract

U.S. homes are adopting computer mediated technology at a very high rate. Approximately 40 percent ofU.S. homes own a computer, 21 percent own a modem and 3 7 million individuals use the World Wide Web (Find/SVP, 1997; SRDS, 1996). Conservative grow1h projections indicate that 50 percent ofU.S. homes will own a computer by the year 2,000, and 22 to 31 million will have Internet access (Toner & Gipson. 1997; Krugman, 1995). The growth of technology has fostered the potential for direct marketers to “interact” with consumers via in-home technologies, and the field of direct marketing is becoming increasingly dependent on in-home technologies to reach consumers. Advocates of this type of marketing laud the ability of the computer to facilitate a more "interactive" relationship between marketers and consumers. However, despite the amount of attention that has been paid to interactive marketing, how consumers define the term “interactivity” has been investigated only on a limited basis. No studies have examined the implications that consumer perceptions ofinteractivity have on direct marketers. The purpose of this article is to illuminate how consumers perceive and interpret the concept of interactivity with respect to computer mediated technology.