Tap Intention Toward Rewarded Mobile In-Game Banner Advertising: The Roles of Category-Based Contextual Fit and Reward Type

Drawing on social exchange theory, this study examined category-based app–game-context fit and reward type as cost- and benefit-related cues shaping tap intention toward rewarded mobile in-game banner advertising. A 2 × 3 between-subjects experiment with 600 Japanese smartphone users with role-playing game involvement showed that tap intention differed across reward conditions, but not between manga-app and investment-app categories used to operationalize fit. In-game currency increased tap intention relative to no reward, but did not differ significantly from electronic money points. The findings refine a value-exchange perspective on rewarded advertising while highlighting the limits of this category-based fit manipulation.