Banner advertisements through a new lens

This article examines the impact of brand familiarity and internet user experience on banner-ad effectiveness. The results from a large empirical study show that there are major differences between the performances of banner ads for familiar and unfamiliar brands. Advertisements for familiar brands tend to wear out quickly, whereas banner ads for unfamiliar brands need multiple exposures to wear in. Major differences are also found between novice and expert internet users regarding their susceptibility to web advertising. Novice users are more affected by banner ads than are expert users. Implications based on the findings are discussed.