Building on Classic Theories for New Advertising Research
Introduction
Special issue of the International Journal of Advertising; Deadline 15 Sep 2025
INTEREST CATEGORY: MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals
Posted by: Sigal Segev
A Call for a Special Issue on:
Stand on the shoulders of giants: Building on classic theories for new advertising research
Manuscript deadline: 15 September 2025
Special Issue Editor(s):
Osnat Roth-Cohen, School of Communication, Ariel University, Israel
osnatrc@ariel.ac.il
Sigal Segev, School of Communication, Florida International University, USA
segevs@fiu.edu
Michael Belch, Fowler College of Business, Marketing Department, San Diego State University, USA
mbelch@sdsu.edu
泭The advertising industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, reshaping marketers, advertisers, and advertising agencies working processes and affecting how brands engage with consumers (Chu, Yim, and Mundel 2024). AI offers unprecedented opportunities for automating tasks, personalization at scale, and data-driven decision-making, leading to more efficient and targeted advertising strategies, creativity, and precision (Ahn, Kim, and Kim 2022; Song, Kim, Nguyen, Lee, and Park 2021). The rapid integration of AI (as well as metaverse, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, and digital media) has heightened advertising scholars’ interest in this domain and sparked a wave of studies that explore how new developments are transforming both advertising practice and research (Ahn, Kim, and Kim 2023). However, the ever-increasing interest of advertising scholars in new technology and its effects on advertising raises the need to establish these studies’ theoretical frameworks.
Theory is critical to validate research findings and for practical recommendations for advertisers (De Pelsmacker 2021). Advertising theories provide a valuable lens through which researchers can examine and understand the complexities of modern persuasive and promotional communication phenomena. Such explorations ensure continuity in advertising scholarship, offering a cumulative body of knowledge that builds on long-established concepts while allowing to track developments and innovations over time.
A “classic theory” is one which serves as a basis for providing significant insight into our understanding of a topic. For example Howard and Sheth’s model that provided an in-depth conceptualization of the consumer behavior decision process, Herbert Kelman’s three categories of source attributes that influence receiver’s attitudes through different processes, research on how various message appeals are perceived and various adoption models that served as the basis for consumer funnels are just a few of many classic contributions that have provided a framework for understanding research findings that have stood the test of time, and continue to provide a basis for interpreting the results.
Exploring the use of advanced technologies through the framework of classic theories may impose challenges: Does current research offer valuable insights from traditional theories into advertising processes and effects that remain relevant even in new technology-driven topics? Are traditional advertising and strategic communication theories timeless, providing adequate foundations for exploring new technologies in advertising? Do studies that employ traditional theories risk being perceived as outdated or not reflecting current advancements in the field? Given the emphasis by journals and reviewers on citing the most recent studies, are research studies based on traditional theories still considered publishable? Moreover, a handful of recent works draw on these classic theories, often without acknowledging or realizing it (e.g., some discussions of the brand funnel do not recognize its similarity with the hierarchy of effects).
This call for papers is based on the idea that by using classic theories as the foundation for research about advertising in the age of emerging technologies, scholars can better understand how technology influences consumer interactions, advertising management, and persuasion to design systems that align with enduring advertising principles. Similarly, classic theories that have long provided solid foundations for understanding the basic principles and processes of advertising are likely to remain relevant, even when communication technologies and practices evolve. By applying these foundational insights to new advertising phenomena, researchers can explore how the core dynamics of advertising manifest in new contexts. This hybrid approach ensures that research remains grounded in the fundamental tenets of advertising while also exploring the novel opportunities and challenges presented by AI, VR, AR, and other emerging technologies, ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolving field.
Following Prof. Michael Belch’s call at the 22nd International Conference on Research in Advertising (ICORIA) 2024 to advance advertising research while acknowledging its past, this special issue aims to reflect on the diverse range of mass communication and advertising models and theories (e.g., Two Step Flow by Katz and Lazersfeld 1955; Hierarchy of Effects by Lavidge and Steiner 1961; Source Factors by Kelman 1961; Diffusion of Innovations by Rogers 1962; Advertising Involvement by Krugman 1965; Theory of Consumer Behavior by Howard and Sheth 1969; Learning Models by Ray 1973; Information Processing by McGuire 1978; Elaboration Likelihood Model by Petty and Cacioppo 1986; Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen 1991 ) could serve as the basis for innovative research topics. This special issue is open to a broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches as well as varied levels of analysis, including individual, group, organizational, cross-cultural, and international levels.
Topics may include, but should not be limited to, subjects such as:
- AI, metaverse, augmented reality, virtual reality, and gaming effects on advertising theory
- Overview of established or novel theoretical perspectives that inform advertising research
- Literature reviews/meta-analyses of what has been learned from the current wave of advertising research related to theory
- Replication and agenda for future theoretical-based research
- Virtual influencers’ characteristics, roles, and effects explained by classic theories
- Big data analytics that help explore the effectiveness of personalized ads
- Behavioral biometrics, neuroscientific, and eye-tracking tools to delve into advertisements’ emotional and cognitive processing and how these insights can optimize ad design and execution
- Ethical considerations and implementation of technologies in advertising, including the ethical issues surrounding consumer privacy, data security, and potential manipulation through personalized and targeted ads.
References
Ahn, S. J., J. Kim, and J. Kim. 2022. The bifold triadic relationships framework: A theoretical primer for advertising research in the metaverse. Journal of Advertising 51, no. 5: 592607.
Ahn, S. J., J. Kim, and J. Kim. 2023. The future of advertising research in virtual, augmented, and extended realities, International Journal of Advertising 42, no.1: 162-170.
Ajzen, I. 1991. The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50, no. 2: 179211.
Chu, S. C., M. Y. C. Yim, and J. Mundel. 2024. Artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, social media, online reviews, and influencers: a review of how service businesses use promotional devices and future research directions. International Journal of Advertising, 1-31.
De Pelsmacker, P. 2021. What is wrong with advertising research and how can we fix it?. International Journal of Advertising 40, no. 5: 835-848.
Howard, J. A. and J. N. Sheth. 1969. The Theory of Buyer Behavior. New York: John Wiley.
Katz, E. and Lazarsfeld, P., 1955. Interpersonal Networks: Communicating within the group. In Personal Influence. New York: Free Press.
Kelman, H. C. 1974. Attitudes are alive and well and gainfully employed in the sphere of action. American Psychologist, 29 no. 5: 310324.
Krugman, H. E. 1965. The Impact of Television Advertising: Learning Without Involvement. Public Opinion Quarterly 29, no, 3: 349-56.
Lavidge, R. C, and G.A. Steiner. 1961. A Model for Predictive Measurements of Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Marketing, 25: 59-62.
McGuire, W. J.泭 1978. An Information-Processing Model of Advertising Effectiveness.泭 In Behavioral and Management Science in Marketing, eds. Harry L. Davis and Alvin H. Silk. New York: Ronald Press, 156-80.
Petty, R.E. and Cacioppo, J.T. 1986. Communication and persuasion: Central and peripheral routes to attitude change. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Ray, M., Sawyer, A. G., Rothschild, M. L., Heeler, R. M., Strong, E. C., and Reed, J. B. 1973. Marketing Communications and the Hierarchy of Effects.泭 In New Models for Mass Communication Research, ed. Peter Clarke. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 147-76.
Rogers, E. M. 1962. Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press.
Song, H., J. Kim, T. P. H. Nguyen, K. M. Lee, and N. Park. 2021. Virtual reality advertising with brand experiences: The effects of media devices, virtual representation of the self, and self-presence. International Journal of Advertising 40, no. 7: 1096114.
Submission Instructions
Submissions should follow the manuscript format guidelines for IJA at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=rina20&page=instructions. Manuscripts submitted to the special issue should be original contributions and should not be under consideration for any other publication at the same time. Manuscripts should be submitted in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced with one-inch margins. Full manuscript submissions should have page numbers and be limited to 20 pages of text in length. The manuscripts title page should include the corresponding authors name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Names and contact information for other authors should be included as well. Information identifying the submission authors should only be listed on the title page.
All manuscripts should be submitted through the , during the period of June 15, 2025, through September 15, 2025. Authors should select Special Issue: Stand on the shoulders of giants: Building on classic theories for new advertising research as Article Type. Please also note in the cover letter that the submission is for the Special Issue on Classic Theories in Advertising Research. Manuscripts will go through a double-blind peer review process, and the Special Issue is planned to appear in 2026.