Websites in brand communication: interactivity and cross-media effects

This dissertation gives insight into two elements that are critical for expanding our understanding of the websites of brands. The first element represents the key characteristic of websites: interactivity. The dissertation investigates two forms of interactivity: actual and perceived interactivity. It also disentangles the relationship between these constructs on the websites of the top 100 global brands. The second element is related to the role of websites in marketing communication campaigns: its contribution to cross-media effects. The dissertation shows why cross-media campaigns are more effective than single medium campaigns. It also investigates the role of media sequence and product involvement in cross-media campaigns using websites in combination with TV commercials.