Perceptions and Attitude Toward Advertising on Social Networks and Search Engines: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract Excessive online advertising and the advent of its new media and formats, challenge the understanding of how to use them effectively in order to break the clutter. This study adopts a model that evaluates the effectiveness factors of the advertising in two online media – social networks and search engines – from the consumer’s perspective, namely how they perceive and assess advertising. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on an online questionnaire with a sample of 406 individuals. The results demonstrate that the consumers measure the value of advertising in social media based on perceived informativeness and entertainment, and in search engines on perceived informativeness and interactivity. In addition, perceived credibility has a more important role within social networks, and perceived irritation is processed differently in the two media. In turn, the mediating role of the perceived value in the relationship between determinants and attitude varies between the media. This study brings to light the effectiveness factors of online advertising, highlighting the moderating role that media play in the consumers response to advertising. Moreover, it provides important insights about the way companies should adapt their advertising messages to meet consumers' expectations in a web environment.