Research Focus: Online User Behavior; Ad-blocking Technologies; Digital Strategy; Online Advertising 

Research Methods: Empirical Methods; Econometrics; Machine Learning

DISSERTATION

• Dissertation Topic :  Ad-blocking Technologies and the Internet Economy

• Dissertation Committee (in alphabetical order): 

Vilma Todri (Chair), Panagiotis Adamopoulos, Jesse Bockstedt, Ramnath K. Chellappa, Anindya Ghose

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

1. “Demanding a Better Online Experience: Why Users Adopt Ad-blockers?” (with Vilma Todri) [Presented at WISE 2023, Hyderabad, India]

Ad-blocking technologies pose significant challenges to the digital economy and its primary business model. As ad-blockers become increasingly prevalent, and their negative effects become more pronounced, understanding the factors driving their adoption is crucial. This paper investigates the key drivers behind the adoption of ad-blockers, specifically examining whether web experience factors and user characteristics are significant determinants of ad-blocker installations. We also conduct additional analyses to uncover the underlying mechanisms of the key factors. Our findings reveal that higher ad loads significantly increase ad-blocker installations, particularly on cognitively demanding web pages typically associated with higher-quality content. Moreover, the increased use of third-party cookies drives the adoption of ad-blocking technologies, particularly when there is an extensive collection of personal data and an increased risk of irrelevant targeting. Other factors that negatively impact users’ web experience, such as lower speed percentile, large ads, and pop-up ads, also increase the likelihood of ad-blocker installations. Our results also indicate that younger individuals, those with higher education levels, and those with higher incomes are more likely to adopt ad-blockers. This study is the first to examine the antecedents of ad-blocker adoption, making a significant contribution to the literature. Overall, the findings offer important managerial implications for online publishers, advertising networks, and advertisers aiming to mitigate the impact of ad-blocking technologies and develop strategies to counter their adverse effects, fostering sustainable practices that balance business objectives with user experience.

2. “Blocking Ad-blocking Technologies: Protecting the Business Model that Drives the Internet Economy” (with Vilma Todri) [Presented at WISE 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark]

To counteract the adverse effects of ad-blockers, online publishers have started to employ anti-ad-blocking strategies that prompt web visitors who employ ad-blocking technologies to disable them. In this paper, I examine the impact of the increasingly popular anti-ad-blocking strategies within the Internet economy. Specifically, this paper investigates whether and when anti-ad-blocking tactics affect user engagement. The analyses reveal that while these strategies are designed to encourage ad-blocker users to whitelist or uninstall ad-blockers, they are less effective in certain scenarios; for instance, their effectiveness depends on factors such as website popularity and user loyalty. Intriguingly, the results also show that anti-ad-blocking strategies have additional unintended consequences since they seem to increase the ad-blocker users’ engagement with the competitors’ websites. This study makes significant contributions by addressing a critical gap in the literature and extending our understanding of the effects of anti-ad-blocking techniques and their potential impact on the Internet economy. At the same time, the study yields important practical implications for publishers, digital advertisers, and the rest of the online advertising ecosystem.

3. “On the Threat of Digital Advertising: Do Advertising Scheduling Strategies Affect the Adoption of Ad-blocking Technologies?” (with Vilma Todri)

Digital advertising has become an important and effective communication channel between advertisers and customers as the digital advertising market has grown substantially over the recent years. Because many businesses and advertisers rely on digital advertising to deliver information on their products and services, the increasing prevalence of ad-blockers decreases the reach of online advertising and increases the cost of effective ads. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence suggests that advertisers might engage in questionable advertising practices that could create bad user experiences and motivate users to install ad-blocking technologies. While the repetition of an ad campaign can increase content recognition and brand familiarity, excessive ad repetition can trigger annoyance. Hence, focusing on the perspective of advertisers, I investigate what type of advertising practices and scheduling decisions might contribute to the installation of ad-blockers. I especially focus on the impact of ad frequency, ad variety, and advertisers’ brand familiarity on installing ad-blockers. This study aims to gain a deep understanding of the antecedents of ad-blocking technologies and their potential impact on the Internet economy from the perspectives of users and advertisers.

4. “The Impact of Cloud Computing on Entrepreneurship” (with Vilma Todri)

Cloud computing has the potential to reduce IT entry barriers, enabling individuals, startups, and small and medium-sized enterprises to meet the needs for IT infrastructure efficiently and flexibly. Despite the widespread adoption of cloud computing and its potential to facilitate entrepreneurship, surprisingly little is known about the impact of cloud computing on fostering entrepreneurship. This paper addresses this important research gap by examining the impact of cloud computing technologies on fueling entrepreneurship, especially tech-oriented entrepreneurship. The empirical analyses yield significant policy and business implications related to cloud computing technologies and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

RESEARCH METHODS