Interactivity is identified as a key component in the new media; however, the complex relationship between interactivity and advertising effectiveness measures has yielded inconclusive results. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic investigation of the underlying mechanisms between the actual interactivity and the advertising effectiveness measures.

This paper proposes a model that empirically examines the role of the perceived interactivity in mediating the impact of actual interactivity on advertising effects; moreover, it studies the moderating role of individual differences on perceived interactivity. The empirical evidence indicates that perceived interactivity mediates the relationship between actual interactivity and purchase intention, the attitude towards the brand, and the attitude towards the website; additionally, it reveals that age plays a significant moderating role between actual and perceived interactivity. Thus, the mediated moderation model is supported. Furthermore, this paper tackles the implications of the interactivity theory building in the practice of marketing communications and interactive advertising.