A Structural Model of Determinants of Online Behavioral Advertising Avoidance

The increasing prevalence of online behavioral advertising (OBA), driven by the widespread use of smart devices and advancements in big data, presents a dual challenge. While it facilitates personalized and efficient marketing, consumers often find it intrusive, leading to advertising avoidance. This study investigates the factors influencing OBA avoidance, considering both the positive and negative dimensions of personalized advertising. Our findings reveal that perceived usefulness and personalization do not significantly mitigate negative experiences, perceived intrusiveness, or advertising avoidance. Conversely, advertising fatigue substantially increases negative experiences, perceived intrusiveness, and avoidance behaviors. Privacy concerns heighten negative experiences but do not directly impact intrusiveness or avoidance. Ultimately, both negative experiences and perceived intrusiveness are significant drivers of advertising avoidance. These results indicate that OBA avoidance is primarily driven by negative experiences and perceived intrusiveness, rather than a lack of perceived benefits. Consequently, reducing advertising fatigue and perceived intrusiveness is crucial for minimizing advertising avoidance.