New Directions in Influencer Research

Call for Papers: New Directions in Influencer Research

Journal: Journal of Advertising Research
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 12 October 2026

About the Special Issue

The Journal of Advertising Research invites submissions for a Special Issue on “New Directions in Influencer Research.” As influencer marketing continues to evolve from a niche social media practice into a central component of brand communication strategies, researchers are increasingly challenged to rethink traditional assumptions about influence, persuasion, content creation, and value generation.

The influencer ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation due to advancements in generative AI, the emergence of virtual and synthetic influencers, evolving platform governance, creator professionalization, and changing consumer behaviors. These developments raise important questions about whether existing theories, frameworks, and empirical findings continue to adequately explain contemporary influencer marketing dynamics.

This Special Issue seeks innovative, theoretically grounded, methodologically rigorous, and managerially relevant research that moves beyond incremental extensions and offers fresh perspectives on how influence operates in today’s digital environment.

Scope and Themes

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Evolving Influencer Ecosystems

• Deepfakes, synthetic media, and consumer responses to influencer content
• AI-powered content creation and audience management
• Creator economies and influencer collectives
• Platform governance and ecosystem dynamics
• Power relationships among influencers, brands, and digital platforms
• Influence beyond traditional social media environments
• AI-enabled transformations in influencer marketing

Influencers as Marketers and Brand Owners

• Influencers as entrepreneurs and independent brands
• Personal branding and creator business models
• Professionalization of influencers and content creators
• Competitive challenges from AI-generated content and brand-owned media
• Influencer wellbeing, burnout, harassment, and reputation management

Strategic and Managerial Implications

• Influencer marketing strategies across customer journey stages
• Cross-platform influencer campaigns and effectiveness
• Cultural and geographic differences in influencer marketing outcomes
• Strategic trade-offs between authenticity, reach, control, and risk
• Brand safety and misinformation challenges in influencer ecosystems
• Evaluating influencer fit and performance in algorithm-driven environments

Measurement and Methodological Innovation

• New approaches to measuring influence, engagement, and persuasion
• Platform-based data and field experiments
• Cross-platform influence and spillover effects
• Longitudinal approaches to studying influencer impact
• Advanced analytics and measurement frameworks

Revisiting Foundational Assumptions

• Emerging influencer classification frameworks
• Evolution of influencer typologies
• New theories of persuasion and social influence
• Consumer–influencer relationship dynamics in AI-mediated environments
• Revisiting foundational influencer marketing concepts

Special Issue Editors

Veronica L. Thomas
Old Dominion University, USA
Email: vlthomas@odu.edu

Kendra Fowler
Youngstown State University, USA
Email: kfowler01@ysu.edu

Submission Guidelines

• Manuscripts should not exceed 7,000 words, excluding references and online appendices.
• Authors are encouraged to use web appendices for supplementary material that is helpful but not central to the manuscript.
• Submissions should provide meaningful theoretical advancement, innovative perspectives, or novel managerial insights.
• Studies that merely replicate well-established findings without substantial theoretical extension are discouraged.
• All manuscripts will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process.

Important Dates

• Submission Portal Opens: 1 July 2026
• Manuscript Submission Deadline: 12 October 2026

Why Submit?

This Special Issue offers an opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-evolving areas of advertising and digital marketing research. As AI, virtual influencers, creator economies, and platform transformations reshape the influencer landscape, scholars have a unique opportunity to redefine how influence is conceptualized, measured, and managed in the future.

About the Journal

The Journal of Advertising Research (JAR) is a leading international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing advertising knowledge through rigorous, managerially relevant research. JAR publishes cutting-edge scholarship on advertising effectiveness, consumer behavior, branding, digital marketing, media strategy, and emerging trends shaping the future of marketing communications.

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