Does cluttered social media environment hurt advertising effectiveness? The moderation of ad types and personalization
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing
ISSN: 2040-7122
Article publication date: 5 July 2021
Issue publication date: 15 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to figure out the factors (i.e. ad type and ad personalization) that diminish the detrimental advertising clutter effects in terms of ad attention and ad clicks.
Design/methodology/approach
To fulfill the purpose, an eye-tracking study using real-time Facebook accounts of the participants was conducted.
Findings
The findings suggest that not all types of ad format face attentional competition. Consumers have a tendency to selectively care of native advertising area, where clutter becomes a significant issue. Additionally, personalized advertising is beneficial for attracting consumer attention regardless of the clutter level.
Originality/value
This less-artificial study setting with an eye-tracker makes up for the findings from previous ad clutter studies based on self-reported data; this study was able to observe real-life interaction between consumers and social media. The personalized native format may benefit advertisers in grabbing more attention. However, the careful use of native ads is recommended, because excessive ads could increase the attentional competition among native ads.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Doris Westmoreland Darden Professorship through the Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University.
Citation
Jung, A.-R. and Heo, J. (2021), "Does cluttered social media environment hurt advertising effectiveness? The moderation of ad types and personalization", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 592-606. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-11-2020-0238
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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