Consumers’ response to format characteristics in native advertising the interaction between format similarity and format novelty

The key characteristic of native advertising is that it simulates the format of the editorial content. The current study examines how format similarity—the extent to which the format of an advertisement is similar to the format of the editorial content—affects consumers’ responses to the advertisement and whether the effects differ by format novelty, the extent to which the format of the editorial content is novel or familiar to consumers. Results showed that format similarity increased perceived deceptiveness, and format novelty reduced advertising recognition and perceived irritation while inducing greater click intentions. Additionally, there was a significant interaction effect between format similarity and format novelty such that the negative impact of format similarity on perceived irritation was found when format novelty was low but not when format novelty was high. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.