Welcome to the JIAD

Professors John Leckenby (University of Texas at Austin) and Hairong Li (Michigan State University) recognized the potential of interactivity impacting the creation and delivery of advertising 17 years ago and founded the Journal of Interactive Advertising (JIAD). The Journal’s focus is to provide a forum for academic discourse to address the enormous challenges and complexities of interactive advertising. To this end, JIAD has made a positive contribution and is recognized today as a leading academic outlet for advertising scholarship¹ while publishing work from more than 300 authors in 23 different countries, including over 11,000 citations according to Google Scholar.

However, like most academic research there remains a disconnect (some would say giant chasm) between the knowledge generated within the Journal and the professional practice of digital marketing. Therefore, the goal of this publication is to help bridge that gap by connecting research published in JIAD to what is happening within the industry. I firmly believe the field of advertising is an applied discipline capable of being shaped and influenced by all research, and we will strive to better infuse the interconnected yet distant domains of theory and practice.

To accomplish this goal, content within Interactive Advertising will be released around four themes that link JIAD research with industry trends, expanded in-focus articles on digital topics, briefs that summarize research, and individual spotlights involving both academics and practitioners. For example, the first series of posts examine social media, consumer engagement, and the influence of electronic word-of-mouth – all critical interactive advertising topics.

Ultimately, our hope in launching this publication is to draw attention toward interesting digital research that provides professional value.  We know this venture will be an evolving and ever-changing learning process, and because the nature of interactivity is two-way, we look forward to the journey with our readers.

Terry Daugherty, Ph.D.
Editor

¹ Avant, J. A., Kim, K., & Hayes, J. L. (2017). Thirty Years of Advertising Research in Leading Communication and Marketing Journals: Learning from the Parent Disciplines. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 38(1), 44-64.

Kim, K., Hayes, J. L., Avant, J. A., & Reid, L. N. (2014). Trends in advertising research: a longitudinal analysis of leading advertising, marketing, and communication journals, 1980 to 2010. Journal of Advertising, 43(3), 296-316.

Wang, Y., Rodgers, S., Wang, Z., & Thorson, E. (2016). A Seventeen-Year Study of Graduate Student Authorship in Advertising Journals. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 71(1), 69-83.