Does traditional advertising theory apply to the digital world? A replication analysis questions the relevance of the elaboration likelihood model

All theory is based on a set of seminal concepts and empirical research that are assumed to be replicable and inviolate over time. Recent changes in technology, consumer habits, demographics, and marketplaces, however, have raised questions about the applicability of advertising theory developed in a mass-media environment to today’s interactive marketplace. The current study explores this idea by replicating the most-cited study in advertising research, the elaboration likelihood model, of which just three of 27 findings were replicated. The current results advocate further replication of historical studies to verify their current value for ongoing scholarship.