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Journal of Strategic Marketing

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Perceived intrusiveness in digital

advertising: strategic marketing
implications
a b
Yann Truong & Geoff Simmons
a
Strategy and Marketing, ESC Rennes School of Business , 2 rue
Robert d'Arbrissel, 35065, Rennes Cedex, France
b
Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, University of Ulster ,
Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Belfast, BT37 0QB, UK
Published online: 23 Jun 2010.

To cite this article: Yann Truong & Geoff Simmons (2010) Perceived intrusiveness in digital
advertising: strategic marketing implications, Journal of Strategic Marketing, 18:3, 239-256, DOI:
10.1080/09652540903511308

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09652540903511308

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 Journal of Strategic Marketing
Vol. 18, No. 3, June 2010, 239–256

Perceived intrusiveness in digital advertising: strategic marketing

implications
Yann Truonga and Geoff Simmonsb*
a
Strategy and Marketing, ESC Rennes School of Business, 2 rue Robert d’Arbrissel, 35065 Rennes
Cedex, France; bMarketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, University of Ulster, Shore Road,
Newtownabbey, Belfast, BT37 0QB, UK
(Received 26 March 2009; final version received 11 June 2009)
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With the growth of advertising utilizing digital media, negative consumer perceptions
relating to intrusiveness are believed to be challenging the claimed added-value of this
medium over traditional media. Building from this context, there has been little
empirical work that addresses inherent strategic marketing challenges – indeed this can
be applied more generally to strategic marketing challenges surrounding various
aspects of new media, such as blogs and social networks. Building from this, internet
and mobile digital media platforms form the locus of a qualitative study of 20
consumers, which explores perceptions of digital advertising within the intrusiveness
context. A unique contribution of this study is the linking of perceived consumer
intrusiveness, with strategic marketing implications relating to the push/pull context.
Key outputs of this study then, are strategic implications for marketers in utilizing
digital media for advertising, while also providing a unique contribution to extant
thinking in the area, and a basis for further study in a formative – yet increasingly
important – area of strategic marketing.
Keywords: advertising; digital advertising; internet advertising; mobile advertising;
intrusiveness

1. Introduction
The ascension of digital media has been radically impacting upon the marketing discipline
for more than a decade now. Digital media, or new media, refers to any video or audio
content that exist in digital formats and are distributed via the internet (Ming, Kumar, &
Whinston, 2008), or more generally to any media that publish or diffuse information goods
in digital formats (Shapiro & Varian, 1999). Within the wider context of marketing spend
online, advertising spend on digital media was approximately $25 billion in 2006 and is
forecast to surpass $60 billion by 2011 (Lane, 2008).
While advertising spend on digital media appears to be increasing rapidly there is an
awareness among commentators that push approaches are becoming less effective.
Traditional push advertisements follow a scripted flow within a one-to-many
communication model, in which a single promotion is sent by one source, and seen by
many recipients without the opportunity for immediate feedback (Rowley, 2004).
However, the internet has empowered consumers, allowing them to take the lead within
non-linear communication, pulling from a free flow and exchange of information, and

*Corresponding author. Email: gj.simmons@ulster.ac.uk

ISSN 0965-254X print/ISSN 1466-4488 online

q 2010 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/09652540903511308
http://www.informaworld.com
 240 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

pursuing opportunities for two-way flows with firms, and with other consumers, on a one-
to-one or many-to-many basis (Phippen, 2004; Pitta & Fowler, 2005; Rowley, 2004).
Essentially then, significant strategic challenges are being presented to marketers due
to increasingly empowered and digitally enabled consumers – particularly as ad agencies
often lack the required strategic competencies (Jensen, 2008). Digital technologies and
marketing objectives need to be integrated to increase the effectiveness of firms’
consumer-directed communications approach (Boudreau & Watson, 2006). However,
there is a lack of academic enquiry relating to these challenges from a strategic marketing
perspective (Clarke, 2008; Ha, 2008). Recent work has begun to call for more focus upon
this. For example Brady, Fellenz and Brookes (2008) attempted to integrate the digital
platform into the Contemporary Marketing Practices (CMP) framework of Coviello,
Brodie, Danaher and Johnston (2002). Other recent work has reviewed extant literature
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relating to digital advertising and its strategic impact upon consumer behavior (see, for
example, Ha, 2008).
More generally, there is a marked lack of academic work relating to strategic
marketing issues surrounding various aspects of new media, such as blogs and social
networks (Brady et al., 2008; Simmons, 2008). A particularly critical strategic challenge
for marketers within this context is intrusiveness. The potentially negative long-term
effects of intrusiveness in digital advertising are believed to be challenging the claimed
added-value of this medium over traditional media (Chatterjee, 2008). Building from this,
internet and mobile digital media platforms form the locus of a study of 20 French
consumers, which explores perceptions of digital advertising within the intrusiveness
context. A unique contribution of this study is the linking of perceived consumer
intrusiveness, with strategic marketing implications relating to the push/pull context.
The rationale for focusing upon the internet and mobile digital platforms, is that they are
considered to be the most promising field of development in the advertising context for
the next decade (Okazaki, 2006). Additionally, digital advertising effectiveness is
increasingly being viewed as dependent upon brand equity (Newman, Stem, & Sprott,
2004) – implying more integration within strategic marketing approaches.
Key outputs of this study then, are strategic implications for marketers in utilizing
digital media for advertising, while also providing a contribution to extant thinking in the
area, and a basis for further study in a formative – yet increasingly important – area of
strategic marketing.

2. Literature review
The literature review will be directed on extant work relating to the two platforms of
digital media advertising that form the focus of the research aim: the internet and mobile
platforms.

2.1 Online/internet advertising

Harker (2008, p. 296) defines online or Internet advertising as, ‘any form of commercial
content available on the internet, delivered by any channel, in any form, designed to
inform customers about a product or service at any degree of depth’.
Jensen (2008) states that internet advertising consists of three primary constituents:
display advertising – which includes banners, pop-ups and interstitials; search engine
optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) – including paid and unpaid
SEO and SEM (e.g. Google Adwords); and, affiliate programs, where a marketer’s link
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 241

(e.g. Amazon) is provided on a host’s website. A further constituent is email, paid for
advertising in that most firms utilize email marketing hardware/software, and customer
lists that are bought in (Merisavo & Raulas, 2004).
Several authors have recently suggested that consumer perceptions of digital
advertising have become increasingly negative, due to certain formats being considered
intrusive by consumers (Chatterjee, 2008; McCoy, Everard, Polak, & Galletta, 2007;
Rotfeld, 2006; Shavitt, Vargas, & Lowrey, 2004). In assessing perceived intrusiveness, Li,
Edwards and Lee (2002) identified specific constituents: distracting; disturbing; forced;
interfering; intrusive; and obtrusive.
With the rise of online advertising, early studies predicted it to be less intrusive than
television commercials (Rust & Varki, 1996). Indeed, despite potential annoyance
produced by internet-based advertisements, these latter are believed by some researchers
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to be more effective than print advertisements in building positive brand evaluation

(Sundar & Kim, 2005) and purchase intention (Kimelfield & Watt, 2001). If used
correctly, online advertising is argued to improve the perception and credibility of a
product, by linking this latter with relevant content, or a credible website (Choi & Rifon,
2002; Shamdasani, Stanaland, & Tan, 2001). Several studies suggest that pop-up ads in
particular, can generate higher levels of ad perception, recall and click-through/purchase
intention when compared to banner ads (Chatterjee, 2008; Cho, Lee, & Tharp, 2001; Diao
& Sundar, 2004).
Contrastingly, several studies have revealed that pop-up and banner advertisements
were perceived as intrusive to users, interrupting and intruding upon their online tasks
(Li et al., 2002). Pop-up advertisements, for example, may potentially lead to advertising
avoidance and irritation among the majority of consumers (Edwards, Li, & Lee, 2002).
From the brand perspective, negative effects caused by pop-up ads can lead to lower brand
attitudes, and a tendency by consumers to avoid over time – suggesting that smaller sized
more non-intrusive pop-up ads should be employed (Chatterjee, 2008). Relating to banner
ads, Newman et al. (2004) state that a balanced state of consistency is expected by
consumers, with product class associated with a banner ad and the website in balance, to
ensure positive brand associations.
While researchers have explored perceived intrusiveness outcomes under low
involvement for television advertising, impacts for cognitive or physical (zipping or
zapping) ad avoidance on the long-term impact of internet advertising exposure have not
been fully investigated (Chatterjee, 2008). The unique nature of the online environment
gives this aspect additional relevance for marketing managers, where advertisements are
delivered differently – co-existing or intruding upon browsing – resulting in default
avoidance. Cognitive ad avoidance is an automatic process, involving actual visual
screening out of ad stimuli within content, without requiring a conscious decision or
behavioral response from a consumer (Chatterjee, 2008). Physical ad avoidance derives
from a conscious decision by a consumer to avoid advertisements, leading to varying
degrees of psychological reactance (Brehm & Brehm, 1981). Interestingly, recent
browsers come with pop-up ad blockers, which represent an impenetrable physical
avoidance approach by consumers.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing can be organic or paid for. Organic
SEO represents the achievement of high listings on a search engine without payment. Paid
for SEO, also referred to as search engine advertising (SEA) is commonly identified as
Google Adwords. Under this approach, marketers use keywords to indicate what the ad is
about – subsequently paying not for the appearance of the ad, just when someone clicks on
it. In effect, consumers are affirming that the ad is relevant and not intrusive to their
 242 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

interests at the time (Clarke, 2008). Affiliate-based ads – Amazon were pioneers – make
space available on often vast numbers of websites for relevant advertisements, directing
click-through consumers to, for example, Amazon’s website. However, Clarke (2008)
defines the consumer aspect as consisting of – if clicked: receiving an ad in their web
browser that may contain web-bugs, long-term cookies and interlocking data made
available to the advertising firm. The intrusive aspect represented in this context could be
argued to be much more insidious than that contained within banner or pop-up ads,
threatening privacy to a greater extent.
Emailed advertisements have emerged as a popular tool for marketing managers to
raise awareness of their products and services (Rowley, 2004; Simmons, 2007). They
can facilitate brand encounters and deepen consumer –brand relationships, with loyal
customers over and above seeking additional sales (Merisavo & Raulas, 2004). Marketers
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are advised to target consumers who are engaged with their brand, who seek two-way
personalized email interactions with them (see Simmons, 2007, 2008). However, some
marketers have failed to manage email marketing optimally, viewing it as a means of
digitizing direct marketing techniques. Crucially, the threat of spamming customers can
lead to blacklisting from leading search engines, requiring marketing managers to ensure
that emails intended to inform customers about products/services are permitted.
Marketers are advised to go beyond gaining permission from nominally opt-in consumers,
sourced from seemingly relevant bought-in lists, to utilizing email for facilitating the
creation of positive brand associations and relationships with consumers (Merisavo &
Raulas, 2004).
The above internet advertising approaches are, to a large extent, predicated on the
traditional advertising model: following a scripted flow, within a one-to-many
communication model in which a single paid for promotion is sent by one source, and
seen by many recipients, without the opportunity for immediate feedback (Rowley, 2004).
However, new models of consumer/firm interactions have arisen, facilitated by the rise of
Web 2.0. These new models represent a significant threat to traditional approaches toward
advertising that have been transferred, to a large extent, onto the digital platform.
Specifically, they represent a shift in market power to ‘info-mediaries’, whose primary
affinity is toward consumer-members. Expressed variously as ‘utilizing collective
intelligence’ and ‘the surging wisdom of crowds’ (Madden & Fox, 2006, pp. 1, 2), user
involvement/collaboration within the Web 2.0 architecture is central. User involvement
takes on two main guises: self-published; and, collaboratively published. Self-published
contexts center upon the rise of social networks and blogs.
A plethora of online social networks have developed, based upon four essential
elements identified by Johnson and Ambrose (2006): people; purposes; protocols; and
technology. These communities consist of members with shared purposes and beliefs,
interacting socially by adhering to tacit and explicit protocols, rituals and roles using
internet technologies that support interaction (Preece, 2001). Johnson and Ambrose (2006)
view the key characteristics of such technology as its ability to: facilitate synchronous
and asynchronous interaction; enhance information richness through multimedia; provide
a range of information for various processing needs; and be ubiquitous, as well as
impervious to spatiotemporal limitations. For marketers, at a basic level, opportunities
exist to utilize social network sites such as Bebo and Facebook as spaces for affiliate and
banner advertising.
However, the real value is being realized beyond the direct control of marketing
managers and the traditional advertising model. Firms are realizing that to create brand
awareness and positive associations, it is not the pushed advertising approach that
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 243

will work within social networks. They need to pull consumers into brand narratives
that appeal to them within their online social networks, or within developed brand
communities (Simmons, 2008). For marketing managers, building brand communities
online is about providing a virtual platform, centered around the brand, where like-minded
consumers can discuss their opinions on anything and everything (see Cova, Pace, & Park,
2007). Since this participative platform is built around the brand personality, the
community riding on it has a direct and non-intruded upon connection with the brand
(Cova & Pace, 2006). Similarly within the collaboratively published context – for
example Digg and Wikopedia – marketers are realizing that generating positive
associations toward their brand – through consumers – has viral marketing potential,
which is potent (see Datta, Chowdhury, & Chakraborty, 2005).
While the internet has attracted the greater interest relating to digital advertising, the
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mobile platform has recently been attracting increasing interest as a channel, with its own
unique strategic implications.

2.2 Mobile advertising

Mobile advertising is a recent phenomenon, which provides significant potential
opportunities for marketers (Ferris, 2007; Okazaki, 2006). Mobile advertising allows
marketing managers to connect directly with individual consumers (through mobile
phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or laptop computer), in real time, without spatial
or wiring constraint (Frolick & Chen, 2004). The receiving device attracting most
attention is the mobile phone (Sultan & Rohm, 2008). In 2007, mobile phone sales reached
1.1 billion worldwide, while several countries in Europe and Asia have penetration rates
that surpass 100% (Idate, 2008a, 2008b).
One of the main advantages of mobile advertising is the possibility for marketers to
utilize SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) smartcards as a mobile database, allowing
users to run customized applications and marketers to identify consumers, since each
mobile phone number is associated with a unique individual. This permits more
personalized and targeted mobile advertising (Ranchhod, 2007). However to work, Mort
and Drennan (2002) emphasize the need to integrate it with the development of effective
databases, which consist of opt-in consumers. Then marketing managers can begin to
transform mobile content, utilizing location technologies – such as the Global Positioning
System (GPS) – that take a consumer’s location into account, providing them with access
to localized and personalized advertising copy (Simmons, 2008).
Additionally, mobile technologies provide real-time performance metrics, which
measure the effectiveness of campaigns (Vollmer, 2008). For example, marketers can
have access to the number of users who read text messages (SMS) during an advertising
campaign. Past studies have shown that some of the positive effects to be gained
from mobile advertising include: improved attitudes and better recall (Okazaki,
Katsukura, & Nishiyama, 2007); higher levels of consumer acceptance and responsiveness
(Barwise & Strong, 2002); and increased purchase intent for mobile services (Nysveen,
Pedersen, & Thorbjørnsen, 2005).
However, consumers hold a very personalized relationship with their mobile phones,
which accompany them everywhere and connect them to their community (Li & Stoller,
2007). For this reason, they can potentially be more easily irritated when receiving
intrusive pushed advertising on their mobile phones, without their express consent
(Heinonen & Strandvik, 2003). Recent studies on mobile advertising have posited that
intrusiveness would become a major issue, if marketers kept replicating traditional pushed
 244 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

internet advertising formats on mobile phones (Ferris, 2007; Maneesoonthorn & Fortin,
2006; Merisavo et al., 2007).
For marketing managers therefore, while mobile technologies are expanding the
horizon of value offerings to internet users, through their unique value propositions,
significant strategic implications are presented. Critically, these relate to a need to
complement, and not intrude upon, the personalized relationship consumers have with
their mobile devices. Sultan and Rohm (2008) argue for a permission-based approach to
mobile advertising, consisting of an opt-in program and taking cognizance of the critical
role of delivering value and trust. Central to achieving this is the development of effective
databases, which consist of opt-in consumers (Mort & Drennan, 2002). This presents new
opportunities for strategic marketers to differentiate the mobile internet offering from the
mainstream, through leveraging its unique value propositions: convenience – where
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consumers can have personalized and relevant advertising content from any location and
at any time; and, localization – utilizing GPS technology to accurately identify the
location of users so that they can have relevant advertising content provided relative to
their specific location (Clarke, 2008).
Reviewing these strategic opportunities, it is evident that while providing new digital
advertising opportunities for marketing managers, the ‘killer application’ that can create
new market space for marketers may reside within the pull context. ABI Research
forecasts that by 2013 more than 140 million subscribers will be accessing mobile versions
of social networks (Anonymous, 2008). Although an area lacking in relevant academic
work, this study will attempt to probe further, in order to create new insights within this
strategic context.
While extant literature tentatively links intrusive aspects of digital advertising to the
push/pull strategic context, there is currently a marked lack of focused, integrated and
coherent work on this aspect – providing strategic and theoretical implications for the
marketing profession and Academy. The next section introduces the research approach
adopted to address this.

3. Methodology
The aim of this study is to explore consumer perceptions toward digital advertising on the
internet and mobile platforms, focusing on intrusiveness and subsequent push/pull
strategic issues for marketing managers. In achieving this aim, and in view of the
formative nature of the field of enquiry, an exploratory research approach was adopted.
The research was focused on an area of enquiry, where phenomena are not well understood
and the interrelationships between phenomena are not well known. This made an
inductive-based, qualitative research methodology most appropriate within the
exploratory approach adopted (Carson, Gilmore, Perry, & Gronhaug, 2001; Eisenhardt,
1989, 1991; Perry & Coote, 1994; Riege & Perry, 2000).

3.1 Data collection

Given the emergent nature of the research problem, in-depth interviews were considered
an appropriate data collection tool. In-depth interviews are appropriate when the
researcher attempts to collect information on emerging themes (Marshall & Rossman,
2006). There was also a need to probe consumers’ perceptions of intrusiveness in digital
advertising. Qualitative interviewing tends to be much less structured than the more
structured interview tool used in quantitative research (Bryman & Bell, 2003).
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 245

Researchers are more concerned with attempting to probe and understand the
interviewee’s point of view. Patton (1990) states that the purpose of qualitative in-depth
interviewing is to allow the researcher to enter the other person’s perspective; while
Carson et al. (2001) suggest that it allows researchers to find out things like feelings,
memories and interpretations that cannot be observed or discovered in other ways. In-
depth interviews, as a data collection method, have a broad scope of ways in which they
can be applied. Within this scope, two main tools are normally employed by researchers;
unstructured and semi-structured interviews (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, & Lowe, 2003).
A semi-structured approach was adopted in this research. The research aim, while
focused upon consumer perceptions of intrusiveness in digital advertising, sought to reveal
a linkage to strategic marketing implications, relating to push/pull aspects. An
unstructured in-depth interview approach was judged by the researchers to be less
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inclined to provide a focus, for extrapolating push/pull strategic implications from the data
collected. A semi-structured approach, while flexible enough to allow consumers to
present their perceptions of intrusiveness, could be based upon broad themes that related to
strategic aspects of push/pull identified in the literature – this is expanded below.
Although guided by what is in essence often an ‘interview guide’, based upon often
broadly based literature themes in an emerging research area, Bryman and Bell (2003)
point out that interviewees within a semi-structured approach are left with leeway in how
they may reply in a semi-structured interview – questions may not follow on exactly in the
way outlined in the schedule. Easterby-Smith et al. (2003) point out that the emphasis must
be on how the interviewee frames and understands issues and events – that is, what is
important for the interviewee in explaining and understanding phenomena and behaviors.
For this research, 20 participants from a list of panels provided by a large market
research agency in France were selected. Sampling criteria consisted of two themes. The
first criterion was creating a balance in terms of age, gender and income. These
demographic factors have been revealed by past studies to be relevant – for example,
relating to adoption of emerging online phenomena such as social networking and mobile
(Okazaki, 2006; Pitta & Fowler, 2005). The second criterion was a requirement that
respondents must have had experience with digital media – internet and mobile platforms.
In total, 10 females and 10 males were selected. Of these, 11 were aged below 30, while
nine were aged above 30. Additionally, nine interviewees were considered as higher –
middle class members, while 11 were considered as middle –lower class members. The
threshold determining the distinction between higher– middle and middle– lower class
members was a monthly disposable income of 1443 euros for singles and 3029 euros for
couples (Insee, 2004).
Interviews began with the researchers asking each participant to describe the
information search process for their last three high-involvement purchases, including one
online purchase. The objective was to initially identify the role of digital advertising
through internet and mobile devices within the purchase process. The researchers then
probed perceived intrusiveness on each of the two digital media platforms. In assessing
perceived intrusiveness, the researchers utilized the specific constituents identified by Li
et al. (2002): distracting; disturbing; forced; interfering; intrusive; and obtrusive. These
constituents were incorporated as guidelines within the semi-structured interview format
employed. Additionally, the interviewers attempted to frame interviews within strategic
push/pull areas. For example, questions would orient around occasions when digital
advertising was pushed onto interviewees – for example, pop-up advertisements.
Interviewee perceptions of intrusiveness were then elicited, utilizing the constituents of
Li et al. (2002) to guide. From the pull perspective, occasions when firms invited
 246 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

complemented consumer empowerment and freedom online were raised, with perceptions
again elicited – for example, mobile platform-based strategies allowing consumers to
complement purchase behavior, at a convenient time, and relevant to geographic location
and need. The phraseology and exact vocabulary of each informant was captured through
dictaphone and transcription into a word processing package.

3.2 Analysis approach

In analysis of interview transcripts, participants’ perceptions of the two media platforms
were coded using a recently developed approach. King (2004) developed a qualitative
analysis technique known as template analysis. The template approach allows codes and
categories to be presented hierarchically, to aid the analytical process in categorizing and
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unitizing data. The broadly based themes in this study relating to internet/mobile,
intrusiveness and the push/pull strategic framing reference, were suited to this coding
approach. While bearing some resemblance to grounded theory, template analysis is less
prescriptive and more flexible in its approach to analysis, allowing the researcher to amend
its use to the needs of the research project.
When more than one researcher is involved in analyzing qualitative data there can be
significant issues of coder integrity, training or inter-coder reliability. The template analysis
approach introduces structure and consistency into the categorizing and unitizing of
qualitative in-depth interview transcripts. Both researchers ensured they were thoroughly
versed in applying the template approach, attending workshops grounding within the relevant
literature. While this addresses issues of inter-coder reliability, there is a level of flexibility
within the template approach that is conducive to the nature of qualitative data analysis. In
line with the interactive nature of qualitative data analysis, as data collection proceeds, the
template can be subject to revision. The process of analyzing interview transcripts or
observation notes will often result in certain codes being revised, and potential changes made
to their place or level in the template hierarchy (King, 2004). The flexibility of this technique
means that the template may be continually revised, until all of the data collected have been
coded and analyzed carefully. The template approach may also assist researchers, in
selecting key themes to explore and to identify emergent issues that arise through the process
of data collection and analysis – these may not have been acknowledged, or known about,
when the researcher commenced the research project (King, 2004).
In this research, transcript data were coded initially utilizing the push/pull framing
references of this research as figureheads of two hierarchies, within the predetermined
template. For example, push represented by the code PH was linked to identified push
digital advertising tools, relevant to the internet (PHI) and mobile platforms (PHM). The
template hierarchy then branched toward specific tools recognized as being push, or pull-
based. For example, PHI/BA represented a push approach implemented on the internet
through employment of banner advertisements. Additionally, a further branch of the
template hierarchy led to assessed consumer perceptions of intrusiveness – represented by
low, medium and high. So, PHI/BA(H) signified push digital advertising on the internet
implemented through banner advertising, with a high consumer perception of
intrusiveness. Appendix 1 presents an excerpt of the template analysis coding framework
utilized in this research. This template was used to analyze and explore themes, patterns
and relationships within the considerable mass of transcript data derived from the 20
interviewees. Transcripts were examined with codes assigned to relevant paragraphs. The
coding approach taken allowed the analysis to link perceived consumer intrusiveness, with
strategic marketing implications relating to the push/pull context.
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 247

4. Research findings
The research findings relating to consumer perceptions of intrusiveness in digital
advertising are presented within the two digital media platforms central to the study:
online/internet and mobile.

4.1 Perceptions of intrusiveness in online/internet advertising

Participants made a clear distinction between ‘helpful’ internet advertisements (those
considered to be objective sources of information) and ‘misleading’ internet
advertisements (those considered to provide benefits that were subsequently found to be
non-existent). Examples of helpful internet advertisements included permitted emails
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from designer clothes stores with attached product catalogues providing detailed
descriptions, and emails that related to specific and recently enquired about
products/services. Examples of misleading internet advertising included erroneous benefit
information, relating to certain products/services located on banner advertisements. Also
raised by participants were situations when prices displayed on banner and pop-up
advertisements had been used to capture attention, which subsequently led to unavailable
stock of products or services.
More significantly, the findings revealed that trust was a major determinant of
perceptions relating to online advertising. Two key issues were raised by participants
within this context. The first issue highlighted by several participants, was that the
internet is perceived as being less regulated and controlled by government agencies than
other marketing channels. Participants connected this to potentially threatening and
intrusive advertising. The second reason was directed toward websites perceived as
gathering copious amounts of consumer data, which was stored on databases and
subsequently sold on or exchanged with third parties. Participants believed that these
third parties were then responsible for sending intrusive emails. Specific online
advertising formats were singled out by participants as being intrusive, leading to
stated negative brand associations. Most participants confessed that they rarely looked
at banner advertisements and systematically closed pop-up advertisements when they
appeared. Many of them installed pop-up blockers, which are now integrated into
most web browsers. Similarly with spam emails, most participants did not open them,
or created a secondary email account to handle them. A typical comment, which
also emphasizes the empowered nature of online consumers was, ‘When I was looking
for clothes for my kids, there was a bunch of banners flashing other products for kids,
but I kept ignoring them. I wanted to choose where and what information to get
for my needs.’
Another comment was:
When I go online, I have a goal and try to stick to this goal. So when I get interrupted
or annoyed by banner or pop-up advertisements, it makes me angry and gives me
a feeling of wasting my time. Also, the more a seller spams me with email, the more I hate
him.
Generally, most participants held a negative perception of the internet as a conveyor
of impersonal, one-way and irrelevant advertising. However, they appreciated the
medium when they had control over what they searched for and wanted to view. Within
the context of control, a significant number of participants sought out – pulled – and
utilized online social networks (MySpace etc.), in order to source peer-relevant information
about products/services. Social networks online were utilized for up to five hours per day by
 248 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

certain respondents – specifically those from the sample aged below 30. One informant
stated:
My network on MySpace can be represented as pseudo advertisers for certain products. . . . In
many instances they will make me aware of a certain new product or special offer and, of
course, I will question them further on the specifics. . . . This has led to a purchase as my
online network have very similar tastes to me, which is a powerful, convincing, advertising
tool don’t you think?
Respondents also revealed a desire to source live video streams online (e.g. Youtube),
where experts gave impartial advice on products/services that allowed them to make
judgments as to potential purchases. Comparative sites – infomediaries – were also
highlighted as important. Websites such as Hotel.com were viewed as a means of
controlling the type and validity of product/service information, providing access to
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consumer views relating to their experiences. Participants emphasized the strong feelings
of trust engendered in brands that were portrayed positively by third party sources online.
One respondent stated in this regard:
Why should I believe what an advertiser is trying to communicate to me? I mean it is in their
interest to hide the warts and promote what are, often in my view, slightly stretched truths
pertaining to their product or service. . . . If I go searching for non-firm communicated
experiences with a hotel through TripAdvisor, considering the comments people post on the
bed that is too hard or the attentive waiters, I am much more inclined to select my hotel, based
upon this.
Collaborative filtering was also discussed by a number of respondents as being a
positive online tool, which was perceived as not being a pushed advertising format. It was
viewed more as a means of personalizing particular products/services that may be of
interest to them, based upon their previous purchasing behavior. Participants believed that
it complemented their empowerment and freedom to pull product/service information
online, was non-intrusive and a significant means of increasing their purchase frequency
and brand associations.

4.2 Perceptions of intrusiveness in mobile advertising

Participants all highlighted the intrusive nature of advertisements displayed on their
mobile devices. The smaller size of the screen was raised as an issue that made participants
more sensitive to intrusive advertising formats on their mobile phones, as compared with
other digital receiving devices such as computers. A typical comment was:
When I connect to the internet on my mobile, it’s because I need to do something specific and
quick. So I don’t like being interrupted by ads. . . . There are more ads now than before,
they’re everywhere and take up half of the screen.
Furthermore, several participants showed signs of increasing mistrust toward mobile
operators and doubted their adherence to government regulations on privacy. One
participant systematically refused to communicate non-necessary personal data, when
enquiring about an offer or requiring service:
I don’t like providing personal data to a mobile operator. I know that if I do it, I’ll receive tons
of offers from him and most of these offers would be irrelevant. . . . So it happens that
sometimes I give wrong information, like a wrong email or a wrong phone number.
In general, the majority of participants appeared highly sensitive to mobile advertising,
although a minority conceded that they would be partial to receiving such advertisements
that were relevant to their needs. However, this minority emphasized the need for gaining
permission. To gain this permission, some interviewees suggested mobile advertisers
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 249

provide them with a relevant value proposition (such as useful mobile applications or
discount coupons). Nonetheless, the level of mobile advertising that they were willing to
be exposed to appeared limited:
I’m OK with receiving text messages if they inform me of something valuable to me. . . . My
bank sends me about two messages per month to tell me that my checkbook has arrived or that
there is a great offer for car loans because I told them I needed a new car. . . . But I don’t like
to be disturbed too much.
On a more positive note, participants were unanimous that the added mobility of the
mobile online platform allowed them to access relevant information on their terms, and
from various locations. They revealed a sense of freedom and empowerment from
controlling when and where they collected information to inform their purchases. The
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geographic aspect mixed positively with this empowerment, as respondents proactively

extracted in many cases third party verification of a particular product or service from
their mobile internet device, while at the product/service location. One respondent revealed:
For a bigger purchase, say a new sound system, I often will – while in a store – get the low-
down from Which?, on the internet via my Blackberry. Of course, there are actual consumer
reports here on Which? as well, which provide further verification.
For price-sensitive purchases, other respondents revealed how they utilized price
comparison sites through their mobile internet while shopping at a particular geographic
location. They would locate the store providing the most competitive price, before making
the purchase.
The increasing access to social network sites through the mobile internet platform was
raised by respondents as increasingly relevant in sourcing product or service information,
again on their terms and from whatever location they were at. Some respondents belonged
to brand communities, which were viewed as important in keeping them informed of new
product/service developments, and of opportunities for them to further engage with the
brand. The ability to access this ‘unbiased’ information and content, from such a
personalized and flexible device as their mobile, was viewed as significant to purchasing
behavior and brand associations.
Table 1 summarizes these findings providing an overview of participant perceptions,
and associated positive and negative points relating to intrusiveness in online/mobile
advertising.

Table 1. Summary overview of participant perception.

Overall
percep-
tion Positive points Negative points
Internet Neutral Comparative reviews, discussion Intrusive banners and pop-ups,
forums and third-party product/ spam emails, misleading emails
service information empowering
consumers
Mobile Negative Mobility, mobile Internet, instant Any ad format is perceived
phones access to valuable information highly intrusive if permission has
upon permission, location-based not been granted, limited
control of product/service exposure possibilities given
information screen size and consumption
habits
 250 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

5. Discussion – strategic marketing implications

The findings of this research present strategic marketing implications for marketing
managers. These relate to strategic aspects of their role concerned with informing
consumers of their products, and communicating the essence of their brands – non-
intrusively. Whether they manage digital advertising in-house, or through a specialist
advertising agency, the strategic implications derived from this research and presented in
this section will help to inform them of specific aspects that could be critical in ensuring
they contribute positively, and not negatively, to brand equity and potential revenues,
online and offline.

5.1 Push/pull strategic implications

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A key finding from this research was that pushed digital advertisements on the internet and
mobile platforms were largely viewed as intrusive. Inappropriate use of intrusive pushed
advertising on the internet and mobile digital formats can lead to a negative impact upon
brand equity – interviewees stated clearly that this would lead to them forming negative
brand associations. Pop-ups, banners and non-personalized and irrelevant email marketing
were viewed as intrusive and negative in relation to brand association. Importantly trust
was a central issue, with perceived lack of government protection and misuse of personal
data specific concerns for informants. Interestingly, some interviewees stated that in return
for permission to push digital advertising to them, advertisers should provide specific and
relevant value propositions. This will require marketing managers to develop databases,
which facilitate them in selecting opt-in consumers for the exchange of value, and
advertisements. On the mobile platform, the findings reveal this permission aspect is
perceived particularly acutely – confirming other studies (Maneesoonthorn & Fortin,
2006; Ranchhod, 2007).
Importantly, this study confirms the assertions of Nunes and Cespedes (2003) that
from the traditional advertising perspective, the customer has escaped. Respondents
were positive in relation to brand associations, when they had control over what, when
and how they source product/service information on internet and mobile digital
platforms. This presents for many strategic marketers what Brady et al. (2008) describe as
a transformational challenge – going beyond utilizing the internet as a tool to support or
even extend/improve existing advertising effort, toward its redefinition and
transformation. Marketing managers will need to be creative in how they respond to
this challenge, effectively tapping into the empowerment and control that consumers
now have and want, in the digital world. An example from this study relates to colla-
borative filtering – widely utilized by Amazon and iTunes. Collaborative filtering is
developed from tracking consumers’ actual preferences online and: associating their
preferences with similar observed patterns of relevant others; tracking their behavior
as they surf online; and paying attention to the context of keywords used in searching.
Respondents in this study revealed that it complemented their empowerment and
freedom online, with personalized product/service suggestions based upon their
purchasing behavior. This resulted in increased purchasing frequency and positive brand
associations.
Respondents in this research expressed enthusiasm toward opportunities to become
more involved in the co-creation of digital advertising. This corresponds with the rising
popularity of user-generated content (UGC) online and new revenue-sharing models,
which are presenting strategic opportunities for creative marketers to pull consumers
toward co-creation of digital advertisements. Allied to the ubiquity of digital photo and
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 251

film technology with easy-to-use desktop editing software, this has created a consumer
that is ready, willing and able to co-create advertisements/brand experiences, from
their mobile or desktop. For example, McDonald’s launched an advertising strategy in
2007, where consumers auditioned through the company website to have their faces
appear on cups and bags in McDonald’s outlets, with the potential to be viewed by
50 million consumers globally on a daily basis. To audition, consumers uploaded
essays and digital photographs illustrating what they loved about life. This fitted with
McDonald’s strategic marketing approach to create a ‘lust for life’ association around
their brand.
Importantly, evidence from creative advertising approaches taking place globally
cautions against a total abandonment of push digital advertising approaches. While
marketing managers may be well advised to direct resources increasingly to engaging with
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empowered digitized consumers, there remain strategic opportunities to utilize digitally

enabled push approaches in ways that will connect – and not intrude upon – empowered
consumers. For example, AOL wanted to banish consumer perceptions of its brand as
‘safe’, ‘bland’ and ‘too American’. From this basis the strategic marketing aim of their
campaign was to attract a new type of consumer, who traditionally would not gravitate
toward such an established mainstream internet brand – that is, a significant segment of
the online community. AOL created TV, cinema, press and online push advertisements
that used the strapline, ‘What do you think?’. The push campaign highlighted
controversial contemporary issues related to the internet and was integrally linked with a
specially created online blog, where consumers were encouraged to debate and discuss
their views. This sparked further discussions on hundreds of independent sites and blogs –
tapping into the viral marketing phenomenon and pulling a wider audience into the AOL
brand narrative (see Datta et al., 2005).

5.2 Social network strategic implications

Respondents revealed that the benefits of products/services are positively appraised when
they actively source information/content from credible virtual sources – participants
revealed a desire to seek more objectively based and enriched information. These findings
emphasize that empowered consumers preferred to pull information from unbiased third
party sources online. Social networking sites (e.g. Youtube, Facebook) and comparative
websites (e.g. TripAdvisor), provided the perfect source of such information about
products and services – information that is objective and enriched. Significantly,
respondents aged below 30 were utilizing social networks for up to five hours per day in
some cases – making them strategically challenging for marketing managers targeting
markets containing this demographic.
While perceived as a significant strategic challenge, in effect this provides a significant
strategic opportunity for marketing managers – managing advertising in-house or working
with advertising agencies – to create campaigns that engage empowered consumers
lurking or participating within social networks (see Simmons, 2008). For example, AOL
utilized a blog to pull targeted consumer groupings, through relevant and stimulating
topics, into a communal discussion around their ‘Discuss’ campaign. This approach raised
further topics and debate that would not normally be discussed by traditional ad
campaigns – harnessing viral potential in raising brand awareness and creating new, more
sustainable firm –consumer relationships.
For marketers, an ability to utilize the focused consumer data coming from these – in
effect – massive focus groups, in order to creatively engage with consumers and their
 252 Y. Truong and G. Simmons

networks (see Kozinets, 2002; Langer & Beckman, 2005), will facilitate strategies that can
complement their empowered search for relevant product/service information. For
example, collaborative filtering software provides strategic opportunities for marketers to
develop links at the bottom of consumers’ social network pages, relating to them what
they have previously purchased from the company, or may be interested in purchasing.
These links could provide objectively based recommendations for products – backed by
informative and relevant content (Choi & Rifon, 2002; Harker, 2008).
Respondents in this study were particularly enthusiastic about increasing opportunities
to access social networks through their mobile devices. A recent end-user survey by ABI
Research has revealed that mobile users of social networks are likely to consume two, to
three times as much digital content (e.g. pictures, music, videos and games) than their
‘asocial’ peers (Anonymous, 2008). The personal and geographic freedom gained
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from owning a mobile internet-connected phone, in conjunction with the availability of

mobile-accessed social networking sites, presents significant strategic opportunities for
marketers. For example, pulling consumers into brand narratives within mobile accessed
social networks could potentially be integrated (perhaps even simultaneously) with
pushed communications, utilizing GPS technologies to target selected consumers –
selected from observations within social networks – when in the vicinity of a store, or
relevant promotion.

6. Theoretical implications/future research

Due to the emergent nature of digital advertising as an academic area of enquiry –
particularly within the Web 2.0 context – extant research has not addressed specific
strategic aspects that require consideration by marketers. A unique contribution of this
study has been the linkage of perceived consumer intrusiveness, with specific strategic
push/pull considerations for marketing managers.
The findings provide support for past research, revealing that consumers have developed
a generally negative attitude toward intrusive digital advertising on online and mobile
platforms, from a traditional push perspective (Li et al., 2002; McCoy et al., 2007;
Ranchhod, 2007; Reed, 1999). New insights reveal that individual respondents in this
study perceived digital advertisements in differing ways, depending upon their informa-
tion search behavior and stage in the decision-making process. However, there is a need
for further research to redefine the traditional decision-making process – in order to fit
evolving consumer behavior on internet and mobile platforms, and provide direction as to
specific tools/applications that can facilitate optimal digital advertising strategies.
Empirical work could be focused upon proposing a viable cross-media model of
decision-making process, and how various advertising formats fit within this process –
particularly relating to how they can complement and not intrude upon the empowered
digital consumer.
The requirement for digital advertising to engage and complement empowered
consumers participating within social networks has been developed from the findings, and
discussed from specific strategic perspectives. The new insights presented, provide an
important contribution to the academic literature in an emergent field of enquiry. Various
authors have revealed a marked lack of academic work relating to strategic marketing
issues surrounding various aspects of new media, such as blogs and social networks
(Brady et al., 2008; Simmons, 2008). From the mobile platform context, new insights from
this study reveal consumers have an accentuated sense of freedom and empowerment,
relating to brand associations derived through mobile internet accessed social networks.
 Journal of Strategic Marketing 253

While not predisposed to pushed mobile advertising, the personal and geographic freedom
gained from owning a mobile internet-connected phone, in conjunction with the
availability of mobile accessed social networking sites, opens up significant opportunities
for further research to probe how marketers could advertise to complement, and not
intrude upon, this context.
Finally, this research utilized a relatively new approach to qualitative data analysis –
the template analysis approach (King, 2004). This approach was found to be flexible
enough to develop the depth of insight expected from a qualitative data collection
approach. The flexibility of the template analysis technique meant that the template could
be continually revised, until all of the data collected had been coded and analyzed
carefully. However, while flexible, the researchers utilized the template coding framework
to induce meaning in a more structured way, from the mass of information relating to the
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in-depth semi-structured interviews, while still ensuring that the richness of the data was
allowed to develop. This paper provides support for the template analysis tool, which will
hopefully encourage further research that incorporates it in varying research contexts –
expanding and developing, potentially, its remit and application.
With regards to research limitations, as with many qualitative studies, it is not possible
to generalize the research findings to the general population. Moreover, the study was
carried out in France, which could be considered as one of the more advertising skeptical
countries in the world.

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Appendix 1. Template analysis framework – excerpt

PHI – Push Digital Advertising Internet
PHI/BA – Push Digital Advertising Internet/Banner Advertisements
– PHI/BA(H) – High perceived intrusiveness
– PHI/BA(M) – Medium/neutral perceived intrusiveness
– PHI/BA(L) – Low perceived intrusiveness
PLI – Pull Context Internet
PLI/SN – Pull Context Internet/Social Networks
– PLI/SN(H) – High perceived intrusiveness
– PLI/SN(M) – Medium/neutral perceived intrusiveness
– PLI/SN(L) – Low perceived intrusiveness
PHM – Push Digital Advertising Mobile
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PHM/EM – Push Digital Advertising Mobile/Emails

– PHM/EM(H) – High perceived intrusiveness
– PHM/EM(M) – Medium/neutral perceived intrusiveness
– PHM/EM(L) – Low perceived intrusiveness
PLM – Pull Context Mobile
PLM/TP – Pull Context Mobile/Third Party Information
– PLM/TP(H) – High perceived intrusiveness
– PLM/TP(M) – Medium/neutral perceived intrusiveness
– PLM/TP(L) – Low perceived intrusiveness