Table 3. Future directions for research... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3.

Future directions for research in in-app advertising

TCCM	Research Gaps	Future Directions for Research
Theory	Only nine theories in marketing and psychology were applied to examine issues in in-app advertising literature. Need for more empirical studies with a theoretical foundation in in-app advertising	• Application of interactive advertising model, perceptual load theory, media engagement framework, theory of interactive media effects and psychological reactance theory
Context (Industry, country, ad format)	Studies from the industry sectors such as financial services, retailing, hospitality, media, and entertainment are non-existent. These sectors use in-app advertising extensively Studies from US consumers are prominent. Lesser understanding of users from Asia-Pacific and European regions Lack of understanding of issues concerning the buy-side or publishers of in-app ads Scarce literature comparing user behavior in different types of mobile apps and ad formats	• Comparative studies examining app user behavior across different industries • Cross-cultural comparative studies across different countries examining user behavior • Country-specific issues on regulation and compliance of app developers • Impact of publisher-controlled elements such as ad types, formats and ad position on ad effectiveness, information processing and behavior • Which type of in-app ad type is more effective if the advertising objective is to gain higher reach versus higher engagement with consumers? • Effects of different forms of in-app advertising on brand engagement • What formats of in-app advertisements lead to ad avoidance? • Research novel formats of in-app advertising such as reward ads, native ads, video ads, emoji ads, virtual reality ads and audio ads • Ad formats that have high ad fraud rate and mitigation
Characteristics (Antecedents and outcomes)	Studies examining user psychology and behavior constructs in in-app advertising are scarce Personal characteristics and their impact on in-app advertising are not examined	• Impact of content inappropriateness and data sharing in mobile apps on the brand • Effect of moderating variables such as age and gender on attitude and behavior toward in-app advertisements • Impact of motivation, attention and involvement on cognitive and emotional processing of in-app advertising • Possible outcomes of in-app advertising avoidance • User characteristics such as demographics, personality traits, culture on attitude toward the in-app advertisement
Methodology	Lack of mixed-method empirical research and qualitative research	• Empirical research with a strong theoretical foundation • Mixed method research • Qualitative research and case study • Effective machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence to mitigate ad fraud

TCCM	Research Gaps	Future Directions for Research
Theory	Only nine theories in marketing and psychology were applied to examine issues in in-app advertising literature.Need for more empirical studies with a theoretical foundation in in-app advertising	• Application of interactive advertising model, perceptual load theory, media engagement framework, theory of interactive media effects and psychological reactance theory
Context(Industry, country, ad format)	Studies from the industry sectors such as financial services, retailing, hospitality, media, and entertainment are non-existent. These sectors use in-app advertising extensivelyStudies from US consumers are prominent. Lesser understanding of users from Asia-Pacific and European regionsLack of understanding of issues concerning the buy-side or publishers of in-app adsScarce literature comparing user behavior in different types of mobile apps and ad formats	• Comparative studies examining app user behavior across different industries• Cross-cultural comparative studies across different countries examining user behavior• Country-specific issues on regulation and compliance of app developers• Impact of publisher-controlled elements such as ad types, formats and ad position on ad effectiveness, information processing and behavior• Which type of in-app ad type is more effective if the advertising objective is to gain higher reach versus higher engagement with consumers?• Effects of different forms of in-app advertising on brand engagement• What formats of in-app advertisements lead to ad avoidance?• Research novel formats of in-app advertising such as reward ads, native ads, video ads, emoji ads, virtual reality ads and audio ads• Ad formats that have high ad fraud rate and mitigation
Characteristics(Antecedents and outcomes)	Studies examining user psychology and behavior constructs in in-app advertising are scarcePersonal characteristics and their impact on in-app advertising are not examined	• Impact of content inappropriateness and data sharing in mobile apps on the brand• Effect of moderating variables such as age and gender on attitude and behavior toward in-app advertisements• Impact of motivation, attention and involvement on cognitive and emotional processing of in-app advertising• Possible outcomes of in-app advertising avoidance• User characteristics such as demographics, personality traits, culture on attitude toward the in-app advertisement
Methodology	Lack of mixed-method empirical research and qualitative research	• Empirical research with a strong theoretical foundation• Mixed method research• Qualitative research and case study• Effective machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence to mitigate ad fraud