ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to fill a significant gap in the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of ad relevance on the previously unstudied relationship between irritation, privacy concerns, and attitudes towards digital media advertisements. The study was conducted to test the above relationship in three practical scenarios of digital media advertisement: either irritation or privacy concerns are available, and both are present together in an ad. Using a sample of 754 respondents, structural equation modelling (PLS SEM) results indicate that ad relevance plays a pivotal moderating role. Both irritation and privacy concerns negatively impact attitudes towards ads, and relevance has a significant positive impact. In scenarios where either irritation or privacy concerns acted as ad inhibitors in digital media ads, but at a slightly lower level, ad relevance significantly mitigated their negative effects. When both factors were present in the ad, the combined negative effect was high. Ad relevance continued to play a vital moderating role, reducing the negative effects on consumer attitudes towards digital media ads. These findings emphasise the importance of incorporating ad relevance into digital advertising strategies and theoretical models to improve ad effectiveness and consumer perceptions.
