Click, click, ad: the proportion of relevant (vs. irrelevant) ads matters when advertising within paginated online content

Applying the ad-context congruence framework, priming theory, and associative network of memory model, two experimental studies (N1 = 445; N2 = 449) investigated the effects of displaying different proportions of thematically relevant and irrelevant ads in online paginated stories on brand recognition memory (sensitivity and criterion bias), ad and brand evaluations, ad clicking intentions, and brand purchase intentions. Studies 1 and 2 found that the brands advertised in context-irrelevant ads were recognized better than the brands advertised in context-relevant ads. Encoding of irrelevant ads was associated with a conservative criterion bias, especially when these ads were presented in the condition with the high proportion of relevant ads. Ratio of relevant to irrelevant ads affected recognition of these ad types differently. Attitudes and behavioral intentions toward relevant ads were more positive than toward irrelevant ads. Theoretical implications of the study are connected to the advancement of the two-dimensional construct of thematic ad-context congruence. Practical implications are discussed in relation to paginated web formats, contextual advertising, and programmatic buying.