Examining the influence of social media advertising on advertising avoidance and attitude toward sports brand : how collectivism and individualism affect perceptions of online SNS advertising and how such advertising eases advertising avoidance

The ubiquity of online advertisements has become a serious nuisance for many Internet users. When online, consumers are often goal- and interactivity-oriented. Previous studies have suggested that customers think online ads are more intrusive and negative than ads in other media. This exploratory study is designed to provide insight into why people avoid SNS advertising and how the sports industry utilizes such advertising. Through in-depth interviews and an online survey, this research examines the factors that affect advertising avoidance levels. Based on collectivism-individualism theory, this study analyzes the impact of these factors in the U.S. and compares it with that found in South Korea. The study examines three latent variables of online ad avoidance and attitude toward brand--value, self-concept clarity, and impulsive buying tendency. This research found that these constructs are able to explain why people avoid advertising on social networking sites (SNS) and what the differences are between colleges students in the U.S. and their South Korean counterparts.