Consumers’ Ad Engagement in Social Media: Conceptualising a Holistic Model

Abstract

Interactive nature of social media has transformed how consumers engage with advertisements. This conceptual paper examines the theoretical foundations of ad engagement and attempts to model consumers’ engagement with social media advertising. The paper is guided by the question “How do consumers engage with social media advertising? In addressing this question, we bring together disparate strands of engagement research and present a holistic model of consumers’ ad engagement. Our analysis indicates that the effectiveness and value of SMA are determined by the engagement process. We advanced a conceptual model that presents ad engagement as a holistic experience of consumers when exposed to ads in social media. We have revealed that the S-D logic of marketing best underlies the ad engagement process theoretically. Moreover, our model posits that consumers’ ad engagement is determined mainly by the attitude towards social media advertising and informational influence. Attitude is determined by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of access, irritation feelings, and entertainment value. The relationship between attitude and ad engagement is moderated by privacy concerns, ad experience, and willingness to co-create value. Ultimately ad engagement enhances co-advertising and the likelihood of actual purchase. The implications of the model to marketers and policymakers are also discussed. As a conceptual paper, this study is limited to extant theoretical and empirical literature in social media, consumer behavior, and engagement. Despite this limitation, the current paper contributes to ad engagement literature by integrating diverse engagement literature into a holistic conceptual model of ad engagement. Moreover, it uniquely amalgamates academics and experts' perspectives of engagement.