Advertising effectiveness in TripAdvisor: a neurophysiological study
(A2020-64181)

AUTHORS

Enrique Bigne, Universitat de Valencia; Carla Ruiz-Mafé, Universitat de Valencia; Aline Simonetti, Universitat de Valencia; Shobhit Kakaria, Universitat de Valencia

KEYWORDS

Visual attention; TripAdvisor; Advertising effectiveness

ABSTRACT

Visual attention and consumer engagement are relevant factors in analysing the value of online ads embedded in user-generated content. Drawing on Cognitive Load Theory and Dual Processing Models, the purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of online advertising when interacting with social media content. An eye-tracking and EEG analysis is conducted of three stimuli contained in TripAdvisor: (i) general heuristic information cues (e.g. star rating, volume of comments, consensus), (ii) specific heuristic cues (e.g. ratings of the specific features of the restaurant, reviews of other consumers, location), and (iii) an online advertisement embedded in the TripAdvisor page to identify their influence on visual attention patterns and engagement. Our findings show how social media content and advertising content have synergies in enhancing users’ attention.

REFERENCES

This research has been partially funded by Rhumbo project (EU Horizon 2020)