Issue Summary
March (Vol. 66, Issue 1)

The 2026 JAR Research Priorities List: A Research Agenda for Advertising in the Age of AI

In the March issue, JAR Editor-in-Chief Colin Campbell introduces the 2026 JAR Research Priorities List, outlining key questions for advertising research as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry. As generative tools make it easier for brands of any size to produce polished, technically competent ads, Campbell argues that execution quality is becoming less of a competitive advantage. The challenge for advertisers is shifting from simply making better ads to making meaningfully different ones. He also highlights growing consumer skepticism in an era of synthetic media, the role AI systems play in mediating how consumers discover brands, and new questions about loyalty, measurement and effectiveness when AI increasingly filters, summarizes or even makes decisions on consumers’ behalf. Campbell calls for research that connects these structural changes to practical advertiser decisions that helps the industry navigate advertising in an AI-mediated marketplace.