Investigating Consumer Confusion from a Cultural Perspective: Evidence from the Saudi Arabian Smartphone Market

Abstract

With the increase of digital media, there is an excess of information about products and services in the marketplace. In addition, products are becoming more complex. These factors are contributing to consumer confusion, which is an uncomfortable psychological experience caused by exposure to marketing information that could be similar, misleading, ambiguous, or unnatural. Such a problem could increase in the future, as rapid developments in technology are contributing to multiply sources of information. In recent years, many studies have concluded that consumer confusion proneness, as it has several influences on behavioural outcomes, is a topic in need of ongoing investigation. With this in mind, the present study seeks to shed light on the phenomenon of consumer confusion in the Saudi Arabian smartphone market by identifying and analysing the cultural factors contributing to consumer confusion.