The 24th International Conference on Research in Advertising (ICORIA) will be hosted by Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain. Widely regarded as one of Europe’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities, Barcelona combines a rich cultural heritage with a thriving creative scene and a strong orientation toward innovation. It is also an international hub for business, technology, and health research, making it an inspiring setting for academic exchange. Building on UPF’s strong interdisciplinary tradition and commitment to advancing knowledge with societal relevance, the 2026 conference theme “Communicating Consumer Health and Wellbeing in the Digital Age” reflects one of the most pressing challenges and opportunities for advertising and communication research today.

In a world where digital technologies shape how people access, interpret, and act upon information, health and wellbeing have become central domains in which advertising and communication play transformative roles. Consumers increasingly navigate complex environments of commercial, social, and public health messages—ranging from branddriven wellness initiatives to government campaigns addressing prevention, risk, and sustainability. Understanding how communication strategies influence health-related attitudes, decisions, and behaviors is critical for both theory development and societal progress. The theme emphasizes the role of advertising and communication research in contributing to healthier societies. It calls for insights into how digital platforms, data-driven personalization, social media, and immersive technologies reshape consumer engagement with health and wellbeing.

It also highlights the ethical responsibilities of advertisers and researchers in addressing issues such as misinformation, equity of access, vulnerable populations, and the balance between commercial and public interests.

In this context, impact refers not only to advancing scholarly debates but also to improving individual and collective wellbeing. Research can generate conceptual insights into how health and wellbeing are communicated, instrumental outcomes that inform effective interventions, cultural reflections that challenge existing norms, and enhanced connectivity between academia, practitioners, and policymakers.

ICORIA will start on June 25, 2026 with a pre -conference, the 11th doctoral colloquium and a welcome reception. On June 26 and 27, 2026, the conference will feature presentations on a wide spectrum of topics in advertising and communication. A Gala Dinner will provide an excellent opportunity for further networking in a relaxed and festive environment.

11th ICORIA DOCTORAL COLLOQUIUM. The aim of this colloquium is to provide PhD students with professional skills needed for their academic career. A selection of renowned scholars from the fields of advertising, marketing and branding will give interactive lectures and workshops on various topics. Active participation and active preparation are expected from the participants. The colloquium gives PhD students the opportunity to learn from the insights and experiences of senior scholars in their field of study. Moreover, PhD students will meet their international network that will become valuable throughout their academic career. PhD students will be invited to chair sessions and embrace their future role. Please visit www.icoria.org for further information. The doctoral colloquium is free of charge for PhD students registered for the conference.

SUGGESTED TOPICS (BUT NOT LIMITED)

ADVERTISING

Advertising, Accountability & Effectiveness, Attention & Processing, Content & Creativity, Cross -Cultural Issues, Special Target Groups, Non-for-Profit Advertising, Privacy Concerns, Green and Prosocial Advertising, Health Advertising & Impact on Wellbeing, Misinformation & Corrective Advertising

BRANDING AND BRAND MANAGEMENT Branding, Models of Brand Communication, Brand Equity, Branded Experiences, Sensory Branding, Brand Endorser, POS Communications, Communications with Labels & Packaging, Health Information Disclosure

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Emotions & Engagement, Neuroscience & Communication, Relationships Building & Trust, Sensory Experiences & Embodiment, Consumer Perception of Designs, Personalization & Microtargeting, Consumers in Digitalization, Risk Perception & Decision Making in Health Contexts, Health Literacy & Consumer Empowerment

COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Communication Management, Integrated Marketing Communication, Public Relations, Product Placement, Branded Content, Content Marketing, Content Creation by Large Language Models, Sponsorship, Events, Influencer and Celebrity Marketing, AI Avatars & Conversational Agents, Omni -Channel Communication

DIGITAL MEDIA Digital Media, Social Media, Mobile Media, User-Generated Content, Touchpoints and their Experience, Virtual, Augmented & Mixed Reality, Data & Communications, Privacy & Data Security, Marketing Automatization & Personalization, AI-powered Health Communication

MASS MEDIA Mass Media & Public Health Campaigns, Channel & Multi -Media Management, Convergence Management, Cross - Media Strategies, Media Management, Trends in Mass Media

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES Data Science in Advertising & Communications, Artificial Neural Networks, Machine Learning and AI in Advertising and Communication Research, Neurophysiological Methods in Advertising and Communication Research, AI in Data Analytics

PUBLIC POLICY Public Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility & Health Promotion, Ethics, Marketing in Restricted Industries, Political Communication, Stakeholder Advertising, Promotion of Sustainable Behavior, Communication of Healthy Behavior

PAPER SUBMISSIONS Please submit a ten -page summary of your paper as soon as possible (but no later than March 1st, 2026). Please use the submission procedure for your paper summaries provided on EasyChair. Submission deadline is March 1st, 2026 (Midnight, CET). The summary must include an Abstract, Introduction, Discussion and/or Conclusion and a list of references, as well as a brief description of the hypotheses, research objectives, methods and findings. A separate cover/title page should include: Title, Author(s) names, Affiliations, and Contact Details.

Please refer to ICORIA 2026 Submission Instructions when preparing the paper and title page. Papers must be prepared using the layout and reference guidelines of the International Journal of Advertising. All submissions will be blind peer reviewed. Please ensure your submission applies a correct academic style and authors are not to be identified in the text. SPECIAL SESSIONS Proposals for a Special Sessions should cover one entire session (4 papers).

These proposals are submitted by the session chair, who is responsible for the submission of one document with the four manuscripts and one document with the names and affiliations of each manuscript. The aim of the Special Sessions is to stimulate discussion and set up new insights or domains. Special session proposals are peer-reviewed based on the relevance of the topic, innovative approach, and the quality of the content. All guidelines and criteria for regular submissions apply too for submissions of a Special Session (length 3 – 4 pages maximum per paper plus a separate cover/title page). The summary of each contributor must include an Abstract, Introduction, Discussion and/or Conclusion and a short list of references. Also include a brief description of the hypotheses, research objectives, methods and findings if applicable. A separate cover/title page for all the manuscripts should include Title, Author(s) names, Affiliations, and Contact Details.

PUBLICATIONS All accepted papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings. Authors can choose to publish either a ten-page summary or a one-page extended abstract for the proceedings. A selection of extended papers will be invited for publication in the official European Advertising Academy book Advances in Advertising Research Vol. XVII. At the Gala Dinner, the Best Paper Award and the Best Student Paper Award will be announced. Papers which received high reviewer scores will be considered for a special issue of the International Journal of Advertising ICORIA GRANT To encourage researchers who provide high quality advertising research but have limited resources to attend the yearly ICORIA meeting, the European Advertising Academy will provide a yearly research grant by waiving the conference fee for three selected researchers. For further information, please refer to the EAA website at www.europeanadvertisingacademy.org

MORE INFORMATION Please frequently visit our conference website at www.icoria.org for more information. On the website you will find details about travel and accommodation impressions and tips. Please contact the conference chair managers for any questions about paper submission or other matters. The conference chair managers:

Mònika Jiménez-Morales (monika.jimenez@upf.edu) and Yasmina Okan (yasmina.okan@upf.edu)