Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Effect of Web Advertising Visual Design on Online Purchase Intention: Insights on Generations Y and Z

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Digital Marketing and eCommerce (DMEC 2020)

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Web advertising is a fast-growing industry in which brands fight for the attention of the most attractive consumers: Millennials and Centennials. This study aims to test the impact of Web Advertising Visual Design (WAVD) on the consumers’ Online Purchase Intention (OPI) and, simultaneously, analyze if such influence differs across those generations. Participants (N = 318) filled in an online questionnaire. Data revealed a direct impact of visual design on consumers’ OPI as well as an indirect impact via Attitude Toward the Brand (ATB). Moreover, results showed that generations Y and Z do not differ significantly in their intentions, although Centennials exhibit a higher coefficient for the influence of WAVD on OPI. Regarding the theoretical implications, the results tend to confirm the Theory of Visual Rhetoric and partially confirm the Theory of Reasoned Action. Managerial implications and research limitations are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bolton, R.N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., Solnet, D.: Understanding generation y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda. J. Serv. Manag. 24(3), 245–267 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D., Ellison, N.B.: Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship. J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 13(2), 210–230 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brosdahl, D.J.C., Carpenter, J.M.: Shopping orientations of US males: a generational cohort comparison. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 18(6), 548–554 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, C.H.: How advertising works on the WWW: modified elaboration likelihood model. J. Curr. Issues Res. Advert. 21(1), 33–50 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cyr, D.: Modeling web site design across cultures: relationships to trust, satisfaction, and e-loyalty. J. Manag. Inf. Syst. 24(4), 47–72 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delfanti, A., Arvidsson, A.: Introduction to Digital Media, p. 178. Wiley Blackwell, Malden (2019)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dreze, X., Zufryden, F.: Testing web site design and promotional content. J. Advers. Res. 37(2), 77–91 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffett, R.G.: Facebook advertising’s influence on intention-to-purchase and purchase amongst Millennials. Internet Res. 25(4), 498–526 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elwalda, A., Lü, K., Ali, M.: Perceived derived attributes of online customer reviews. Comput. Hum. Behav. 56, 306–319 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erkan, I., Evans, C.: The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions: an extended approach to information adoption. Comput. Hum. Behav. 61, 47–55 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein, M., Ajzen, I.: Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganguly, B., Dash, S.B., Cyr, D.: Website characteristics, trust and purchase intention in online stores: an empirical study in the Indian context. J. Inf. Sci. Technol. 6(2), 22–44 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodrich, K.: Anarchy of effects? Exploring attention to online advertising and multiple outcomes. Psychol. Mark. 28(4), 417–440 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, H., Xu, H., Chen, H.: Social commerce: a systematic review and data synthesis. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 30, 38–50 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, K.T.: Generational marketing. Mark. Manag. 7(3), 6–9 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Himmel, B.: Different strokes for different generations. Rent. Prod. News 30(7), 42–46 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Z., Benyoucef, M.: The effects of social commerce design on consumer purchase decision-making: an empirical study. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 25, 40–58 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, Y.M., Lee, K.C.: Using an eye-tracking approach to explore gender differences in visual attention and shopping attitudes in an online shopping environment. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact. 34(1), 15–24 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, V., Stoel, L., Brantley, A.: Mall attributes and shopping value: differences by gender and generational cohort. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 18(1), 1–9 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabadayi, S., Gupta, R.: Managing motives and design to influence web site revisits. J. Res. Interact. Mark. 5(2/3), 153–169 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ko, H.-C.: Social desire or commercial desire? The factors driving social sharing and shopping intentions on social commerce platforms. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 28, 1–15 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korgaonkar, P., Wolin, L.D.: Web usage, advertising, and shopping: relationship patterns. Internet Res. 12(2), 191–204 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labrecque, L.I., Milne, G.R.: To be or not to be different: exploration of norms and benefits of color differentiation in the marketplace. Mark. Lett. 24(2), 165–176 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, S.B., Lutz, R.J.: An empirical examination of the structural antecedents of attitude toward the ad in an advertising pretesting context. J. Mark. 53(2), 48–65 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pappas, I.O., Sharma, K., Mikalef, P., Giannakos, M.N.: Visual aesthetics of e-commerce websites: an eye-tracking approach. In: Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Big Island, Hawaii (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou, P.A., Fygenson, M.: Understanding and predicting electronic commerce adoption: an extention of the theory of planned behavior. MIS Q. 30(1), 115–143 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phelps, J.E., Hoy, M.G.: The Aad-Ab-PI relationship in children: the impact of brand familiarity and measurement timing. Psychol. Mark. 13(1), 77–105 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pieters, R., Wedel, M., Batra, R.: The stopping power of advertising: measures and effects of visual complexity. J. Mark. 74(5), 48–60 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priporas, C.-V., Stylos, N., Fotiadis, A.K.: Generation Z consumers’ expectations of interactions in smart retailing: a future agenda. Comput. Hum. Behav. 77, 374–381 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PwC: Perspectives from the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2017–2021: Curtain up! User experience takes center stage (2017). (www.pwc.com/outlook)

  • Quintal, V., Phau, I., Sims, D., Cheah, I.: Factors influencing generation Y’s purchase intentions of prototypical versus me-too brands. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 30, 175–183 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, L.M.: Images in advertising: the need for a theory of visual rhetoric. J. Consum. Res. 21(2), 252–273 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaouf, A., Lü, K., Li, X.: The effect of web advertising visual design on online purchase intention: an examination across gender. Comput. Hum. Behav. 60, 622–634 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shimp, T.A.: Attitude toward the ad as a mediator of consumer brand choice. J. Advert. 10(2), 9–48 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, J.S., Bruner, G.C., Kumar, A.: Webpage background and viewer attitudes. J. Advert. Res. 40(1–2), 29–34 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suh, J.-C., Yi, Y.: When brand attitudes affect the customer satisfaction-loyalty relation: the moderating role of product involvement. J. Consum. Psychol. 16(2), 145–155 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, A., Noseworthy, T.J.: Place the logo high or low? Using conceptual metaphors of power in packaging design. J. Mark. 78(5), 138–151 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wellner, A.S.: Generation Z. Am. Demogr. 22(9), 60–64 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K.C., Page, R.A.: Marketing to the generations. J. Behav. Stud. Bus. 5, 1–17 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K.C., Page, R.A., Petrosky, A.R., Hernandez, E.H.: Multi-generational marketing: descriptions, characteristics, lifestyles, and attitudes. J. Appl. Bus. Econ. 11(2), 21–36 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, S.I., Wei, P.L., Chen, J.H.: Influential factors and relational structure of Internet banner advertising in the tourism industry. Tour. Manag. 29(2), 221–236 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y.: Responses to humorous advertising: the moderating effect of need for cognition. J. Advert. 25(1), 15–32 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UID/ECO/00124/2013, UID/ECO/00124/2019 and Social Sciences DataLab, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022209), POR Lisboa (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007722, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022209) and POR Norte (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022209). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IPAM Lisboa and UNIDCOM/IADE, Universidade Europeia, Lisbon, Portugal

    Luisa M. Martinez

  2. Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa V. Neves & Luis F. Martinez

Authors
  1. Luisa M. Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Teresa V. Neves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luis F. Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luisa M. Martinez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration 1, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Francisco J. Martínez-López

  2. School of Management and Marketing, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, TAS, Australia

    Steven D'Alessandro

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Martinez, L.M., Neves, T.V., Martinez, L.F. (2020). The Effect of Web Advertising Visual Design on Online Purchase Intention: Insights on Generations Y and Z. In: Martínez-López, F.J., D'Alessandro, S. (eds) Advances in Digital Marketing and eCommerce. DMEC 2020. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47595-6_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation