Enhancing Digital Advertising with Blockchain Technology

Abstract

The increasing popularity of blockchain technology (BCT) has spurred interest in its potential to rejuvenate the digital advertising ecosystem. Due to its transparency, decentralization, and immutability, BCT offers the potential for customer-oriented, secure, and open platforms that might improve interactions between consumers and businesses. This article investigates applications of BCT in digital advertising and develops an integrative framework to classify innovations at this intersection. With a systematic literature review and Delphi study, the authors examine ten relevant use cases and compile qualitative and quantitative data on the expected probability of realization, expected impact on the industry, desirability of occurrence, and market establishment duration. The results reveal organizational activity theory–informed areas of innovation and provide useful insights for managers, researchers, and policy makers. Managers should focus on contextual innovations such as rewarding web users for web interactions, rewarding content creators for their contributions, and ensuring user data security as the most relevant potential applications. Boundary innovations require a better understanding before deploying solutions aimed at increasing advertising supply chain transparency, mitigating fraud, and verifying content. For domain-based innovation areas, researchers must rethink their foundations. Finally, the authors propose a detailed research agenda.