Applications of artificial intelligence in B2B marketing: Challenges and future directions

With the growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) transforming business-to-business (B2B) marketing, there is a growing demand to comprehensively understand the adoption and application of AI to advance B2B marketing. This study examines AI methods and their applications in B2B marketing across the four customer life cycle stages of reach, acquisition, conversion, and retention. The paper also analyzes and synthesizes the findings of five B2B industry surveys conducted to do the following: 1) examine B2B marketers' knowledge and attitudes toward using AI in their businesses, 2) determine the various ways in which AI is used in B2B marketing, and 3) investigate the perceived merits and challenges of using AI in B2B marketing. The findings reconcile various machine learning (ML) techniques suitable for use by B2B marketers. Employing the technology acceptance model (TAM), the paper identifies how B2B marketers perceive the benefits of AI adoption. Furthermore, this study discusses the perceived barriers to AI adoption, including data privacy challenges and the replacement of human workforces. To further highlight the benefits of AI, the study showcases three examples of successful AI adoption in B2B marketing. The paper concludes by summarizing the theoretical and managerial implications of AI adoption in B2B marketing and directions for future studies.