Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence

This timely book explores how the ascension of artificial intelligence and the disappearance of cookies are the biggest drivers and enablers of change in this fast-moving industry.

Understand the impacts of AI on digital marketing and develop a winning marketing strategy

In response to the unprecedented emergence of the fourth wave of digital marketing, this timely book explores how the ascension of artificial intelligence and the disappearance of cookies are the biggest drivers and enablers of change in this fast-moving industry. Combining the expertise of practitioners from digital agencies with leading researchers and academics, chapters explore how the changes brought about by AI should be considered in strategy, and the best way to build a sustainable competitive advantage.

Edward Elgar Publishing / 2025

Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence is a crucial resource for students and academics of digital marketing, as well as disruptive technologies and AI.

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A practical strategy and execution framework for the age of AI in digital marketing

Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence is a follow-up to the successful book Digital Marketing – Create a strategy, put it into practice, sell more. The new book updates digital marketing strategies and practices for the age of AI, taking all areas of the previous book into account through the lens of the changes brought by AI.

  • Understand AI’s impact on every area of digital marketing.
  • Adopt the updated MVG-MRACE® model for creating and executing strategy with the help of AI.
  • Get practical tools for leveraging AI in marketing and sales.
  • Prepare for the future and learn how to build consent-based customer relationships in the post-cookie era.

Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence is designed as a lasting tool and reference book you can return to whenever needed. It offers clear answers and solutions to the challenges of digital marketing in the age of AI.

Contents

  • 1.1. Three steps to introducing generative AI in a company
    1.2. AI improves cost efficiency
    1.3. The benefits of AI across different areas of marketing
    1.4. The weaknesses of AI

  • 2.1. Market – Identifying changes in the operating environment
    2.1.1. Changes in the competitive landscape
    2.1.2. Changes in customer behavior
    2.1.3. Technological opportunities

    2.2. Value – Building a customer-centric marketing strategy
    2.2.1. Defining the target audience and creating buyer personas
    2.2.2. Turning competitive advantage into a value proposition and value creation
    2.2.3. Setting strategic marketing objectives

    2.3. Growth – Driving growth through strategy
    2.3.1. Creating a roadmap based on the objectives defined in the strategy
    2.3.2. Embedding the value proposition into all materials and channels
    2.3.3. Starting content production based on buyer personas and a content plan
    2.3.4. Enabling alignment between digital sales and marketing
    2.3.5. Setting KPIs and tracking implementation progress

  • 3.1. Measure – Measuring results and improving performance with data

    3.2. Reach – Reaching customers and sparking interest
    3.2.1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
    3.2.2. Search advertising (PPC)
    3.2.3. Display and video advertising, and programmatic buying
    3.2.4. Social media

    3.3. Act – Creating demand
    3.3.1. Content marketing in the Act stage
    3.3.2. Visual design and brand identity in the Act stage
    3.3.3. Conversion rate optimization and website performance in the Act stage

    3.4. Convert – Turning demand into sales
    3.4.1. Content marketing in the Convert stage
    3.4.2. Marketing automation in the Convert stage
    3.4.3. Conversion rate optimization in the Convert stage

    3.5. Engage – Customer engagement and retention
    3.5.1. Content marketing in the Engage stage
    3.5.2. Marketing automation in the Engage stage

Authors

Niko Lahtinen is the co-majority owner and Chief Commercial Officer at SDM Digital, a leading digital marketing agency in Finland. He has productized numerous digital marketing services that have delivered results and significant growth for companies across Finland.

Kimmo Pulkka is a partner at SDM Digital and a marketing strategist. He has over ten years of experience in both strategic and tactical digital marketing work in start-ups as well as publicly listed companies.

Pasi Viinamäki is an AI specialist at SDM Digital and leads the company’s AI working group. He has more than 10 years of experience in multi-channel digital marketing across several industries in Finland and internationally.

Heikki Karjaluoto is Professor of Marketing at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics and head of the Digital Marketing and Communication research group. He has researched and taught digital marketing for over 20 years.

Joel Mero is an Associate Professor at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics. He has studied digital marketing for ten years and specializes in how companies use data and technology in marketing decision-making.

Who should read it?

Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence is aimed at anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of how AI affects digital marketing and learn how to use AI to achieve a strategic competitive advantage.

The book is written as a professional guide for organizations of all sizes, and as a course book for educational institutions.

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