Ad Relevance vs. Skepticism: Explaining Avoidance and Purchase Intention

Personalized digital ads cut both ways. Relevance can pull consumers in; intrusiveness and perceived manipulation can push them away. This study proposes and tests an integrated model linking perceived ad relevance, advertising skepticism, and intrusiveness to ad avoidance and purchase intention, and examines whether brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) softens defensive reactions. We surveyed 550 Vietnamese consumers and analyzed the data with PLS-SEM (SmartPLS 4). Results show that relevance lifts purchase intention and reduces avoidance, while intrusiveness and skepticism undermine persuasion. BESC buffers the skepticism forward avoidance link, indicating identity-based protection for favored brands. Mediation tests reveal that skepticism, relevance, and avoidance channel the harm from intrusiveness to purchase outcomes. The validated model exhibits strong explanatory and predictive performance and clarifies how constructive (relevance) and defensive (skepticism, avoidance) mechanisms operate simultaneously in digital advertising.