Abstract
Technological developments considerably affect the lives of individuals in many ways. Advertisement sector and those targeted by advertising companies are largely prone to this effect. Online behavioral advertisement (OBA), as one of these practices, is based on the principle of tracking internet users' web footprints and delivering them advertisements that match their areas of interest, needs, preferences, etc. Despite technological advancements, internet users tend to avoid advertisements while surfing on the internet. This study aims to explore variables that affect OBA avoidance.
TopIntroduction
Rapid developments in technology inevitably affect advertisement sector. Thus, there is a current enhanced trend towards digitalization in the sector; especially in innovative advertisement applications. Therefore, digital advertisement market is increasingly growing day by day. According to the report published by Advertisers Association of Turkey titled Estimated Media and Advertising Investment in Turkey, digital advertising market grew by 14.8% in 2018 and total investment reached 2.47 billion TL (Marketing Türkiye, 2019). As part of this process, the change in internet advertising occurs in the form of personalized advertising applications being developed for each user.
Contextual advertising, which is the simplest version of personalized ads, is based on showing ads that are appropriate to the content of the web page. In the more complex online behavioral advertising (OBA), ad networks create user profiles based on their online activity, such as websites that internet users visit over time. Ad networks then use this profile information to serve ads that are likely to attract more attention from a particular user (Ur, Leon, Cranor, Shay, and Wang, 2012, p.1).Online behavioral advertising (OBA) is believed to play a significant role in the future of advertising sector since it provides various opportunities to reach more specific target audience and allows more personal interaction so that advertisements become more personal and more efficient (Keller, 2016; Kumar and Gupta, 2016; Beales, 2010; Chen and Stallaert, 2014; Schultz 2016; Rust, 2016). On the other hand, in addition to all these advantages, OBA applications require the collection, use and sharing of personal data and raise concerns about consumer privacy and confidentiality (Boerman, Kruikemeier and Zuiderveen Borgesius, 2017, p.363).
Considering the rapid growth in the digital advertising market, it could be noted that digital advertising applications will further increase in the upcoming years. It will not be wrong to say that the attitudes of internet users towards OBA will determine the success of advertising practices. It is understood that the studies conducted on this subject are mainly aimed at this directionand there are limited studies on OBA avoidance. In this respect, this study aims to explore the variables leading to OBA avoidance by internet users.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Goal Impediment: The perception that an individual’s goal while online (e.g., doing shopping, searching for information) cannot be fulfilled due to an online ad on screen.
Advertisement Avoidance: The situation when viewers/readers or internet users intentionally and deliberately ignore advertisements they are exposed to.
Advertising Clutter: Too much volume of advertising that viewers/readers or internet users are exposed to in any type of media.
Perceived Personalization: The perception that the content of an OBA has been tailored to one’s personal needs, preferences, interests etc.
Attitude Towards Advertisements: All negative and positive ways of thinking or feeling about advertisements.
Negative Experience: Internet users’ undesirable and unpleasant past experiences about internet advertisements.
Privacy Concern: The concern that one’s personal information is being used by advertisers.