ADVERTISING ENGAGEMENT: CONCEPTUALIZATION, SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION

Even though there is wide use of the advertising engagement concept in the advertising sector, only a limited number of studies have focused on the concept and the measure-ment of the construct. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus regarding the concep-tualization of engagement in the marketing and advertising literature. In this study, we conceptualize advertising engagement and develop a 24-item scale called 'Engagement Towards Advertisement' (EA), which includes two factors: behavioral intention and mental processing. The EA scale development process encompasses four studies. Study 1 consists of item generation (N = 86), expert review (N=5), and pilot study (N=65). In study 2, item purification is carried out (N=309). Study 3 encompasses scale refinement, confirmation, and validation (N=408). Study 4 deals with conducting test-retest reliability (N=52) and evaluation of the general reliability of the scale, based on the data obtained in study 3. There is strong evidence that supports the reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity of the EA scale. The scale offers an opportunity for future empirical research in the area and provides a useful tool for researchers to collect data related to consumers' level of engagement towards advertisements.