Theory, Transformation, Practice and Exploration — A Review of An Introduction to Computational Advertising

Xin Gao; Jinhai  Zhang

doi:10.63029/s4q7w409

Authors

Xin Gao South China University of Technology Author
Jinhai Zhang Wuhan Technology and Business University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63029/s4q7w409

Keywords:

Computational advertising, Digital advertising ecosystem, Algorithmic decision‐making, Human– machine collaboration, Value networks, Algorithmic governance

Abstract

This review offers a critical examination of An Introduction to Computational Advertising (in Chinese 计算广告学概论), edited in 2024 by Duan Chunlin, which presents a foundational framework for the emerging discipline of computational advertising in the era of data intelligence. Organised into four sections—Theoretical, Transformation, Practical and Exploratory—the book systematically constructs the conceptual boundaries of computational advertising, explains its algorithmic and technological infrastructure, and situates it within contemporary digital ecosystems shaped by platform mechanisms and human–machine collaboration. It provides valuable insights into user targeting, programmatic creativity, value optimisation and effect measurement, while also addressing frontier topics such as intelligent brand communication, metaverse media and algorithmic governance. This review evaluates the book’s contributions to disciplinary development, highlights its strengths in theoretical integration and contextual analysis, and identifies limitations related to empirical validation and international applicability. It concludes by suggesting directions for future research, including algorithmic fairness, model interpretability and interdisciplinary dialogue. This review highlights the contributions of the book to the field of computational advertising and its potential to inspire future scholarship and practice.

Author Biographies

Xin Gao, South China University of Technology

Xin Gao is a doctoral candidate in Business Administration (Organizational Communication) at the School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology. His research focuses on computational advertising and advertising creativity. He has participated in several academic research projects and contributed to publications in related fields.
Jinhai Zhang, Wuhan Technology and Business University

Professor Jinhai Zhang is Dean of the School of Literature and Law at Wuhan Technology and Business University and Chief Expert in Journalism and Communication. He formerly served as Professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Wuhan University; Director of the Media Development Research Center (a Ministry-of-Education Key Research Base in the Humanities and Social Sciences); and President of the China Advertising Education Association. Founder of the “Luojia School” of advertising studies, he is widely recognized as an influential scholar in China’s advertising academia and education. His honors include “Lifetime Contribution to the Development of Chinese Advertising Scholarship,” “Meritorious Figure in Chinese Advertising Education,” “Figure of Academic Contribution in Forty Years of Chinese Advertising,” and “Outstanding Achievement Figure in Forty Years of Chinese Advertising Education.” His research centers on advertising studies and media economics. He has led multiple projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China, the Ministry of Education (general and major projects), and major projects of Hubei Province. He has authored more than twenty monographs and textbooks and published over one hundred high-level journal articles.

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