Preattentive Processing of Web Advertising By Chan Yun Yoo

To provide the conceptual background for the rest of the study, it is essential to explore the framework of how Web advertising works. By doing so, we can identify what are the important constructs to be investigated in the context of preattentive processing. The reviews of prior Web ad effects models and a new conceptual model of how Web ads work will be presented in the next section.

Other Web Ad Effects Models: Contributions and Limitations

Some of the Web ad effects models published to date have their roots in the information processing framework. Among them, Rossiter and Bellman (1999) proposed a four–stage model of Web ad effectiveness by applying a traditional hierarchy of effects model to the Web: exposure, ad processing and Web ad schema formation, communication effects (belief, attitude, and intention), and action. The latter three stages (i.e., ad processing and Web ad schema formation, communication effects, and action) became the focus for their hypotheses. They suggested that Web ad schema should mediate consumers’ ad processing (i.e., attention, learning, emotions, and acceptance), which, in turn, influence attitudinal responses. In the model, attitudinal responses generate communication effects, which later influence consumers’ actions such as brand inquiry and brand purchase. Web ad schema formation is influenced by the Web advertising content and structure variables during exposure and moderating variables such as individual differences in Web navigation ability, category need, category expertise, and situational factors [See Rossiter and Bellman’s figure 1 for the detailed model].