Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising· 2026Q2
Online Ads That Follow Us from Site to Site—Are They Persuasive or Merely Annoying?
- 1citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Online retargeting ads are perceived as helpful, boosting effectiveness and lowering avoidance, but only when the ad system is not transparent about its targeting mechanism.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Consumers perceive retargeting ad systems as helpful, which enhances ad effectiveness.
- Higher retargeting persistence and non-transparent targeting mechanisms reduce ad avoidance.
- Transparency about ad targeting mechanisms triggers consumer surveillance concerns.
- The study used a 4 (retargeting persistence) x 2 (transparency) between-subjects experiment.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
While repetitive or persistent ads arising from algorithms tracking our online behaviors are annoying, consumers may see them as helpful because they provide personally relevant information. To explore when consumers find such ads helpful or annoying, we conducted a 4 (retargeting persistence: non-retargeting, low persistence, medium persistence, and high persistence) × 2 (transparency: absence and presence) between-subjects experiment. Data indicate that consumers see the ad system as a helper, which boosts ad effectiveness and lowers avoidance. However, if the system is transparent about its targeting mechanism, it triggers surveillance concerns. We discuss theoretical and practical ideas for strategic use of persistent retargeting and transparency.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 2026 · DOI ↗
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