Rita, Paulo Miguel Rasquinho FerreiraOliveira, Pedro Miguel Garcia deFaria, Gabrielle Filipa Banrezes2024-10-282024-10-25http://hdl.handle.net/10362/174174Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Driven Marketing, specialization in Digital Marketing and AnalyticsIn advertising, augmented Reality (AR) has transformed consumer engagement by offering immersive and interactive experiences. This research aimed to investigate consumer perceptions of AR ads in terms of entertainment, informativeness, and novelty and their subsequent impact on attitudes towards the ad (ATA) and the brand (ATB), as well as purchase intention (PI). To achieve this, a conclusive research design and survey method were employed, where participants were exposed to AR ads from a familiar or unfamiliar brand. Data was collected from 302 valid cases using convenience sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that entertainment and novelty significantly improved ATA and the ATB, while informativeness affected ATB but not ATA. Brand familiarity was found to mediate the relationship between ATB and PI. A multigroup analysis highlighted differences based on AR familiarity levels, showing that novelty impacted ATB more for less familiar users, while ATA impacted ATB more for familiar users. This research contributed to the theoretical understanding of AR advertising by identifying critical determinants of consumer attitudes and behaviors. It provided actionable insights for marketers to design effective AR ads that optimized entertainment and novelty to drive brand engagement and purchase intention.engAugmented realityAdvertisingAttitude toward the AdAttitude toward the brandBrand familiarityAdvertising valueSDG 8 - Decent work and economic growthmaster thesis203778855