MBM Thesis Explores Why Repetitive Ads Can Harm Brands

18.05.2026

Sharifakhon Ibrohimova Details Consumer Reactions to Programmatic Advertising

Seeing the same online advertisement repeatedly may feel familiar at first, but according to Sharifakhon Ibrohimova, it can quickly become intrusive and even harm a brand’s reputation. Her master’s thesis, completed as part of her MBM in Digital Marketing and Communications, investigates how consumers respond to repetitive ads in the fast fashion industry.

“As a consumer, I was increasingly frustrated by seeing the same ads follow me everywhere online – Instagram, websites, YouTube. It felt intrusive,” Ibrohimova explains. “As a marketing student, I wondered: are brands aware they’re damaging their reputation with this repetitive advertising?”

Her research focuses on programmatic advertising, the automated system used to deliver billions of digital ads globally. Brands invest significant budgets in reaching consumers, but if ad frequency is not managed carefully, it may backfire.

To explore this, Ibrohimova conducted a quantitative study using an online cross-sectional survey with 202 Dutch consumers aged 18 to 65 who had been exposed to ads from major fast fashion brands including Zara, H&M, Mango, and Bershka. Participants were asked to reflect on perceived ad frequency, their emotional responses such as irritation, mental fatigue, and their overall brand attitudes.

“I used validated measurement scales adapted from established academic research, and all responses were measured on 5-point Likert scales,” she says. “I then used statistical analysis – specifically parallel mediation analysis with bootstrap methods – to test whether irritation and ad fatigue acted as pathways between perceived frequency and brand attitude.”

Her findings revealed a clear distinction between two psychological responses to repetitive advertising. High perceived ad frequency increased both irritation and ad fatigue, but only irritation had a measurable impact on brand attitude.

“The key discovery is that it’s not ad frequency itself that damages brands – it’s how that repetition makes consumers feel,” Ibrohimova notes. “Irritation is an emotional, reactive response – ‘This brand is annoying me!’ – which directly damages brand perceptions. Ad fatigue is mental tiredness – ‘I’m exhausted by ads’ – which makes people tune out but doesn’t make them dislike the brand.”

The study highlights practical implications for marketers. “You can’t just count impressions and set frequency caps. You need to manage the experience of your ads. Are they intrusive? Do they respect user autonomy? Do you rotate creative? These factors determine whether repetition triggers irritation or stays within acceptable bounds,” she advises.

Ibrohimova also reflects on her personal experience completing the thesis. “I most enjoyed the synthesis part – pulling together theory, data, and implications into a coherent story. After months of feeling like I was working on disconnected pieces, the discussion chapter was where everything clicked together. That’s where I felt like a true researcher not just executing methods, but contributing knowledge.”

Her supervisor, Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences Vajihe Shojaei, highlighted both the relevance of the topic and the quality of the research. “Sharifakhon produced an outstanding thesis on a novel and highly current challenge in digital marketing, programmatic advertising frequency,” she said. “What made her work exceptional was not only the relevance of the topic, but also the way she executed the research with maturity and independence. The framing was clear, the choices were well justified, and the overall approach showed strong academic discipline.”

Shojaei also noted the practical value of the findings. “Most importantly, she excelled at translating findings into practice. Her recommendations were concrete, insightful, and genuinely actionable, demonstrating a rare ability to connect academic results to real-world marketing decisions.”

Looking ahead, Ibrohimova is working with Shojaei to develop the thesis into a journal article for academic publication.

Professionally, she is interested in roles that combine data analytics with consumer psychology, particularly in programmatic advertising or brand strategy consulting.

“I’ve discovered I genuinely enjoy the research process,” she adds. “Whether I pursue a PhD or apply these skills in industry, this thesis has shaped how I think about problems and evidence. The research shows that understanding the consumer experience is as important as reaching them online.”