Create It, Use It, or Lose It? A Database/Survey Investigation of “Forgotten” Theories/Models and Best Practices in Advertising Literature

Create It, Use It, or Lose It? A Database/Survey Investigation of “Forgotten” Theories/Models and Best Practices in Advertising Literature

• Harold L. Stuart Endowed Chair in Business Siva K. Balasubramanian
• Zheng Zhou, Stuart Ph.D. Management Science ’20
• Zhenze Xing, Stuart Management Science Ph.D. student
• Jose Marti-Parreno, Universidad Internacional de Valencia, Spain

Abstract:

Two studies (a database analysis and a survey) consider the evolution of theories/models and best practices over the entire history of the advertising literature to identify “forgotten” theories/models, including the degree to which they remain “forgotten.” Analyses of EBSCO database and other supplementary materials (the scope includes all articles published in Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of the Current Issues & Research in Advertising, and Journal of Interactive Advertising). We also present results from an online survey of the editorial review boards of these journals. Our analyses show the adoption of 236 distinct theories/models and 53 best practices discussed in the advertising literature over each of the past six decades (1960-2020). We find increasing trends in (a) the number of new theories/models introduced into the advertising discipline, and (b) the number of old theories/models that get discarded. This dual finding reflects both the receptivity of the discipline to new ideas as well as a pragmatic readiness to reject ideas. We then classify each of the 236 theories/models into six categories reflecting very unlikely, unlikely, likely, more likely, very likely to be forgotten, or already forgotten. Our database analyses identify Psychology, Communication, and Marketing as leading disciplines that contribute to the evolution of advertising thought. We discuss findings that overlap or diverge between our two studies, and discuss related implications.

 

All Illinois Tech faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend.

The Friday Research Presentations series showcases ongoing academic research projects conducted by Stuart School of Business faculty and students, as well as guest presentations by Illinois Tech colleagues, business professionals, and faculty from other leading business schools.

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