Effects of undesired online video advertising choice on user behavior and attitude

Abstract

Although online video advertising is currently a pervasive medium, its effectiveness is still in great doubt. This study examines the effects of undesired choice on user behavior and attitude in the context of online video advertising. We propose that offering people a choice of video advertisements will motivate them into paying more attention to the chosen advertisement, which in turn leads to better memory of the information contained in the advertisement. Additionally, the choosing behavior will encourage viewers to form a favorable attitude towards the chosen video advertisement and their purchase intention towards the advertised product will also be enhanced. We posit that differentiability of choice-set is able to moderate the choice effect. This work is one of the first to investigate the impact of making an undesired choice regarding video advertisements. It extends our understanding of the impact of choice and presents significant implications for both researchers and practitioners.