24th International Conference on Research in Advertising (ICORIA) 2026 in Barcelona

As part of the 24th International Conference on Research in Advertising (ICORIA), which took place from 25 to 27 June 2026 at Pompeu Fabra University (Poblenou Campus) in Barcelona, Spain, researchers from all over the world exchanged views on this year’s conference theme, “Communicating Consumer Health and Wellbeing in the Digital Age”. The Research Group Marketing and International Management was also represented with several academic papers.

The conference kicked off with a pre-conference workshop on the topic “Navigating AI in Advertising Research: From Ideation to Publication”. The second day began with the keynote session “From Ecosystems to Individuals: Strategic Communication as a Catalyst for Health Innovation”, which highlighted interesting links to Barcelona as a hub for innovation. This was followed by numerous parallel sessions on current topics in advertising research, including AI agents & Commerce, AI Influencers, and Brand Relationships & Social Responsibility.

A particular highlight was the AAA-EAA joint panel discussion on the topic “How can advertising contribute to consumers’ health and wellbeing in the digital age?”. During the discussion, international experts explored the opportunities and challenges facing advertising in the digital age. The Institute’s Director, Univ.-Prof. Dr Ralf Terlutter, took part in the panel discussion in his capacity as Past President of the EAA, speaking on the topic of “Advertising and Wellbeing in the Workplace”.

In the subsequent parallel sessions, the following papers from the Research Group Marketing and International Management were presented to an international audience:

• Martina Samperi, Ralf Terlutter, Sandra Diehl: Cultural values matter in shaping perceptions of an attractive employer brand (presented on June, 26th 2026 by Martina Samperi)
• Katrin Lingenhel, Sonja Bidmon, Ralf Terlutter: Virtual influencers vs. human influencers: The impact of fitspiration content on well-being and a healthier lifestyle (presented on June, 26th 2026 by Katrin Lingenhel and Sonja Bidmon)

On the third and final day of the conference, the program included further parallel sessions, a Meet the Editors session and the special session “Sustainable Food Consumption: A Longitudinal Analysis”. ICORIA 2026 concluded with a joint guided tour of Barcelona, which rounded off the professional and personal exchanges amongst the participants.

The full academic program for ICORIA 2026 can be found here.