Internet Advertising: An Assessment of Consumer Attitudes to Advertising On the Internet

To date, limited empirical research has been undertaken to explore Internet consumers’ attitudes to the rise of commercialisation and specifically, the increase in advertising on the Internet. This paper investigates consumer attitudes to commercialisation of the Internet, and specifically focuses on Internet users’ belief and attitudes about Internet advertising. Is there a relationship between Internet consumers’ attitudes to advertising on the Internet and their online experience with new technology? The major findings from the research identified the existence of relationships between attitudes towards advertising and online experience: Internet users with ‘one year or less’ experience (newer users) have a less negative attitude to advertising on the Internet than users with four or more years experience (older users). Differences are apparent between new and older users on issues concerning advertising’s function and role in providing product information, social role and image of advertising, and like or dislike of Internet advertising. Internet users have strong negative attitudes toward advertising in general and the societal effects of advertising, in particular.