BETWEEN ADVERTISING PRACTITIONERS AND ACADEMICS IN NIGERIA: BRIDGING THE GAP.

The existence of the academic and practitioner gap is readily acknowledged and discussed in some advertising literatures. This paper analyses key writings on the nature of the rift and proposes a new approach to complement the literature. While the paper identifies some prevailing explanations why miscommunication exists between academics and practitioners, it concludes that that practitioners ‟ knowledge about how advertising works is an autonomous construct. The study also complements the existing literature by basing the review on firm theoretical grounds. Finally, advocacy for implementation in the Nigerian environment is offered and future directions for research investigation suggested