𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹:
Journal of Marketing Communications

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:
Taylor & Francis Group

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:
30 June 2026

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲

Deception in marketing communications remains a persistent and evolving challenge in today's digital environment. While deceptive messages have long been associated with declining consumer trust and increased defensiveness, contemporary practices such as covert native advertising, influencer endorsements, greenwashing, deceptive pricing, and hidden marketing tactics have amplified these concerns.

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence has further complicated the landscape of persuasion and deception. AI-powered communicators, including virtual influencers, anthropomorphic agents, and chatbots, increasingly rely on credibility, warmth, and authenticity cues to shape consumer trust and purchase intentions. However, these technologies also blur the boundaries between human and machine communication, raising significant ethical questions regarding transparency, manipulation, and misrepresentation.

This Special Issue seeks conceptual, empirical, and methodological contributions that advance understanding of deceptive practices in marketing communications and explore how emerging technologies and digital platforms are transforming persuasion, trust, and consumer protection.

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• False claims, omissions, puffery, greenwashing, and deceptive packaging and labels
• Hidden fees, deceptive pricing, and misleading promotional practices
• Virtual influencers, anthropomorphic chatbots, and AI-generated endorsements
• Ethical boundaries between personalization and misrepresentation in AI-driven communication
• Deception detection frameworks in online reviews and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)
• Automated versus human recognition of deceptive content
• Consumer suspicion, skepticism, and persuasion knowledge in digital environments
• Inter-organizational misrepresentation and sales ethics in B2B contexts
• Applications of attribution theory, persuasion knowledge, signaling theory, Interpersonal Deception Theory, and Information Manipulation Theory
• Consumer activism, advertising literacy, and grassroots debunking initiatives
• Cultural and generational differences in responses to deceptive communications
• Disclosure strategies, regulatory interventions, and trust rebuilding mechanisms
• Privacy concerns and ethical issues in digital marketing practices and outcomes

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀

The Special Issue focuses on understanding how emerging digital technologies and AI-enabled communication platforms create new forms of persuasion and deception. It seeks to generate theoretical and practical insights into consumer trust, transparency, ethical communication practices, and the evolving relationship between technology and marketing communications.

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

• The Special Issue welcomes conceptual, empirical, and methodological contributions.
• Manuscripts should align with the journal's author instructions and formatting requirements.
• Submission Window: 1 February 2026 – 30 June 2026.
• All manuscripts must be submitted through the official Journal of Marketing Communications submission system.
• For additional information, authors may contact Dr. Maria Petrescu at petrescm@erau.edu.

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

• Maria Petrescu, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Melanie Burleson Richards, East Tennessee State University
• Georgiana Craciun, Duquesne University
• Dana Harrison, East Tennessee State University
• Mihai Orzan, Bucharest University of Economic Studies

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 — 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

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