That Creepy Feeling From Targeted Ads May Not Be Just Your Imagination

Personalized ads are supposed to make purchases easier. Instead, in many people, they trigger a visceral feeling of unease that is the opposite of what marketers want.

We’ve all been there: You search for a product or casually mention it in conversation, and suddenly ads for that exact item follow you from site to site. While the technology behind this targeting can be impressive, the experience often feels intrusive.

According to a new study published in Psychology and marketingThis discomfort is not just an annoyance, it is a measurable emotional response that can significantly reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase.

“Consumers do not like to be monitored. This is seen as an invasion of privacy,” Wayne Hoyer said in a statement.

Learn more: Scrolling social media, shopping online, and gaming can be more stressful than checking email or the news

Why Personalized Ads Seem Creepy

The study calls this emotional response “scary” and identifies it as a two-step reaction. First, consumers face ambiguity: uncertainty about how and why a particular ad appeared. Then, this uncertainty can turn into a feeling of being watched, where the ad seems less helpful and more threatening.

“When consumers are exposed to these ads, they evaluate the ambiguity like: ‘What is this? and if it’s intrusive surveillance, like “Are they watching me?” “, Hoyer explained. “If the answer is yes, it creates a negative emotion that can negatively affect purchasing intentions. »

Once people feel monitored rather than assisted, their confidence and interest in purchasing the product begins to dissipate.

Some consumers are particularly sensitive to this effect. People who are skeptical of advertising or concerned about technology are much more likely to interpret personalization as invasive.

How did researchers measure fright?

To test consumer reactions, the team conducted three experiments involving 1,800 participants. Researchers exposed some participants to targeted ads for products such as headphones and sneakers, often shortly after discussing or searching for them. Others served as control groups and saw non-personalized ads.

Participants rated how uncomfortable the ads made them and explained why. Perceptions of ambiguity and surveillance accounted for 75 percent of reported emotional discomfort. Additionally, personalized ads almost doubled the feeling of being watched compared to non-personalized ads.

Can cute kittens cure goosebumps?

In a final experiment, the researchers tested strategies designed to mitigate negative reactions. These included transparency about data use, assurance of good intentions, discounts, charitable donations and even positive images in the form of an Internet classic: cute photos of kittens.

The kittens helped somewhat, as did the monetary incentives. But overall, the fixes were limited.

“Fear is robust and difficult to alleviate once triggered,” Hoyer explained.

Ultimately, the study focused on prevention rather than repair. Avoiding overly intrusive targeting can be more effective than trying to repair the damage afterwards. Suggested marketers are developing a “creepiness level index” to help monitor when personalization goes too far.

However, the creepiness of personalized ads may not be a feeling we experience for much longer.

“It is possible that the creepiness will diminish as consumers become more accustomed to personalization and more accepting of AI technology,” Hoyer concluded in the release.

Learn more: When we go shopping with friends, our brain synchronizes on decisions

Article sources

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