As organisations navigate markets that are increasingly dynamic and unpredictable, artificial intelligence is evolving from a supportive technology into a core strategic driver of marketing agility and firm performance. No longer confined to automating discrete tasks, AI is reshaping how businesses sense market changes, respond to shifting stakeholder expectations, and remain competitive in environments marked by rapid technological disruption.
New research from Edith Cowan University shows that firms which effectively leverage AI technologies are better positioned to become genuinely AI-ready. These organisations can respond more quickly to changing stakeholder preferences, optimise marketing campaigns in real time, and deliver highly personalised experiences at scale. Such capabilities not only improve efficiency but also strengthen stakeholder engagement by ensuring timely, relevant interactions aligned with individual needs.
According to Sanjit Roy, Professor of Marketing and Service Science, the benefits of AI are most significant when it is integrated into a marketing strategy rather than used in isolation. Firms that embed AI across decision-making and engagement processes tend to achieve stronger overall performance and are better positioned for sustained competitive advantage. As Professor Roy notes, the question for businesses is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how effectively they adapt to its use in an increasingly complex business landscape.
The research highlights that AI offers extensive opportunities to deepen stakeholder engagement through personalised interactions, enhanced communication channels, real-time feedback analysis, and improved decision-making. These capabilities enable firms to move beyond transactional relationships and build stronger, more enduring connections with stakeholders, supporting long-term loyalty and trust.
Rather than simply replacing outdated systems, AI serves as a strategic enabler, helping organisations overcome inefficiencies and reconfigure their business models. It enhances agility by enabling firms to respond more rapidly to disruptions and changing market conditions. Importantly, AI plays a dual role: it functions as a distinct organisational capability while also enabling broader dynamic capabilities, including sensing emerging opportunities, seizing them effectively, and transforming organisational resources to meet evolving demands.
The findings further show that AI-driven stakeholder engagement significantly enhances marketing agility, thereby improving overall firm performance. While early results suggested that technological turbulence might weaken these relationships, the evidence ultimately points in the opposite direction. In highly disruptive and fast-changing technological environments, the positive impact of AI-enabled engagement on agility becomes even stronger. In other words, the more turbulent the market, the more critical AI becomes in helping firms remain agile, competitive, and resilient.
More information: Ali N. Tehrani et al, Navigating technological disruptions: the interplay of AI-based stakeholder engagement, marketing agility, and firm performance, European Journal of Marketing. DOI: 10.1108/EJM-06-2024-0535
Journal information: European Journal of Marketing Provided by Edith Cowan University