Advertising in Freemium Services
Lack of Control and Intrusion as the Price Consumers Pay
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21422937 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aimee Riedel (0000-0003-1776-8561, Griffith University, corresponding author), Rory Mulcahy (0000-0002-6056-3249, University of the Sunshine Coast), Amanda Beatson (0000-0001-7741-2060, Queensland University of Technology), Clinton S Weeks (0000-0002-6107-9432, Queensland University of Technology), Clinton Weeks (Queensland University of Technology) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 322-341 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Advertising (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-3367 • E-ISSN: 1557-7805 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00913367.2024.2393078 |
| OpenAlex | W4402434063 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 51 |
Freemium services such as music streaming, video sharing, and mobile games are often supported using advertisements, whereby consumer attention to these advertisements can be considered a proxy form of payment for using the service. The current research develops and empirically tests a conceptual model underpinned by cognitive appraisal theory, examining the influence of control features within freemium services, such as offering consumers choice over when to view advertisements and timing prompts (countdowns indicating length of advertisement). This research considers the influence of these control features on perceived advertising intrusiveness and psychological reactance, as well as the impacts on the advertising outcomes of brand recognition and attitudes toward the advertisement, toward the freemium platform, and toward the brand advertised. Three experimental studies (n = 178, n = 123, n = 224) showed control features significantly decrease perceived advertising intrusiveness. Results revealed that when control features are not provided, there is a significant indirect negative effect on advertising outcomes (recognition and attitude) via the mediators of advertising intrusiveness and psychological reactance. This research is one of the first studies to demonstrate both theoretical and empirical understanding of how control provided to consumers via choice and timing prompts can mitigate the negative effects of advertising within freemium services
Advertising · Business · Control (management) · Economics · Intrusion · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Marketing
Measuring the Intrusiveness of Advertisements
Understanding ad avoidance on Facebook
The Role of Emotions in Marketing
Forced Exposure and Psychological Reactance
Attentive Turkers
Stress, appraisal, and coping
G*Power 3
Common method biases in behavioral research
Perceived Control or Haptic Sensation? Exploring the Effect of Image Interactivity on Consumer Responses to Online Product Displays
Dealing with intrusive ads
Multitasking and location-based advertising
Leveraging Social Media Advertising to Foster Female Consumers’ Empowerment and Engagement
Advertising during Covid-19
Measuring the Involvement Construct
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |