Extending the Roots of Memorable Messages: A Comprehensive Review and Forecast of Memorable Message Literature and Theory

Five years ago, we reviewed the state of memorable message scholarship in communication, with special attention to the utility of memorable message research in health communication. Since then, works advancing the theoretical and practical applicability of the construct have continued to emerge. In this article, we discuss the trends in published memorable message research over the last five years. Since 2017, thirty-four additional peer-reviewed articles focusing on memorable messages as a central concept have been published. Health communication as a subset of the field (as well as the journal Health Communication) see a higher concentration of these publications than other areas. In this review, we concentrate on the use of theory within recent memorable message work. Although much of the memorable message research continues to be atheoretical, more work utilizing control theory, the theory of memorable messages, and communicated narrative sense-making characterize the recent literature. Additionally, more research has emerged that highlights the theoretically driven investigations about the nature of memorable messages. We review the scholarship utilizing these and other theories and suggest avenues for future research.