The evolving role of AI and ML in digital promotion: a systematic review and research agenda

Technology has been rapidly transforming the marketing discipline over the years, with significant advancements. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have played a pivotal role, particularly in digital promotions. The use of AI and ML in this area has garnered considerable attention from scholars; consequently, the relevant knowledge has rapidly evolved and became matured. Thus, the need to review and synthesize the role of AI and ML in digital promotion emerges to map the road for future scholars. However, such a need for a systematic review of AI and ML as a combined role in digital promotions is not yet comprehensive and completely addressed. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to consolidate existing knowledge on the use of AI and ML in digital promotions and to identify future research directions for scholars. After screening through the PRISMA approach, forty-two papers from the Scopus database were used for the SLR. The paper used Excel, R-Studio, and Biblioshiny to present a bibliometric review, The six main clusters were identified, namely, (i) social media marketing, (ii) personalization and targeting, (iii) advertising creative and content generation, (iv) optimizing customer interactions, (v) ethics and privacy concerns, and (vi) predictive analysis. Specific avenues and research questions are articulated under each cluster to guide future inquiries in this evolving area of study.