The evolution of interactive marketing theories: a 40-year review and research agenda
James W. Peltier, Andrew J. Dahl, Lauren Drury, Tracy Khan, Cheng WangPurpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical and integrative perspective on the evolution of theories that have shaped, and continue to shape, the field of interactive marketing (IM). We describe the major theories that have shaped IM and examine the theoretical trajectory of IM across three stages: the foundational era of direct and database marketing (Pre-2000), the transformative period of digital and social interactivity (2000–2019), and the current phase defined by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation (2020–2026). Our goal is to offer insights into future theories through the lens of how theory has evolved in IM literature.
Design/methodology/approach
We used a multi-stage process to identify theoretical categories. A total of 25 journals were selected for inclusion in the study. Other journals were also considered after this initial review. Using abstracts and keywords, Google Scholar and Web of Science were used to identify relevant IM articles across the 25 target journals. Using six different generative AI platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-Pilot, Perplexity AI, Notebook LM and Claude AI), we asked for the top 25 theories used in IM, digital marketing, social media marketing and AI marketing. Each AI platform was then prompted to review the theory lists to identify commonalities.
Findings
A total of 29 theories were grouped into 6 theoretical categories: (1) social and interpersonal influence processes; (2) technology adoption, acceptance and post-adoption behavior; (3) information, persuasion and communication processing; (4) behavioral decision-making and psychological mechanisms; (5) engagement, value co-creation and trust development and (6) automation, algorithms and AI-mediated judgment. Our era-by-era assessment of these theories shows that while IM theories have evolved over time, nearly all remain relevant today. The review also signals where the field is headed and future research needs.
Originality/value
The progression of IM theory represents an epistemological expansion of marketing science, reframing value creation through interactivity, co-creation and data-driven engagement. We show how IM theory continues to serve as the connective tissue between technological innovation and marketing scholarship. We offer theoretical insights and trends to facilitate the application and testing of IM theories and frameworks and highlight the latest theoretical and practical developments in brand–customer relationship management within IM. We present a series of knowledge gaps in this area and avenues for future theory-based research.