Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising- Special Issue
“AI-Enabled Brand Touchpoints”
Submission Deadline for the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong: February 15, 2025
Since the end of 2022, hardly any other topic has changed the brand, marketing, and advertising world as much as AI (Huang & Rust, 2021; Deryl et al., 2023, Gao et al., 2023). Now that the initial hype has slowly died down, the focus is shifting toward more meaningful and effective applications of AI—such as enhancing creativity (e.g., Pagani & Wind, 2024; Bohren et al., 2024) and brand control (Li et al., 2023; Sarstedt et al., 2024)—as well as improving efficiency in brand management, communication, and advertising (Dell'Acqua et al., 2023). In addition to the direct use of generative AI, particularly for creating brand touchpoints (e.g. design, Moureau et al., 2023), AI is also an integral part of other technology-based brand touchpoints like social robotics (Choi et al., 2022) and virtual influencers (Baumgarth et al., 2021; Laszkiewicz & Kalinska‐Kula, 2023).
The management and technology perspective needs to be expanded to include a consumer perspective on the impact of AI- and technology-based touchpoints. This perspective provides answers to questions such as the effect of disclosing AI as the source of advertising and other touchpoints on brand authenticity (Kirkby et al., 2023) and creative judgment (Grassini & Koivisto, 2024).
In addition to established brands, emerging and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME brands) are uniquely positioned to leverage AI for rapid scalability, creativity, and efficiency. However, they also face challenges in integrating AI effectively due to resource constraints (Schönberger, 2023).
Finally, the use of technology-based brand touchpoints is connected with legal and ethical challenges like copyright issues (Drott, 2021), deepfakes (Campbell et al., 2022), and AI bias (Akter et al., 2022; Atari et al., 2023).
This special issue aims to contribute to a better understanding of this broad and dynamic field of AI-enabled brand touchpoints and to provide brand management with scientifically sound recommendations through innovative, theoretically sound, and evidence-based research results. For this special issue, we welcome conceptual and empirical papers that use quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches to advance research regarding developments in AI and technology-enabled brand touchpoints.
Suggested topics include but are not limited to:
- Use of generative AI to develop brand touchpoints (advertising, brand communication, service, design, product innovation)
- Use of AI-powered social robots and voice assistants as brand touchpoints
- AI-powered virtual influencers as brand touchpoints
- Ensuring “brand rules” of brand touchpoint creation (e.g. brand consistency) in AI tools
- Effects of disclosing AI as the source of the brand touchpoints
- Changes in brand touch work in companies and advertising agencies through AI
- AI creativity in brand management, brand work, and advertising
- Augmented brand intelligence by combining AI and humans
- AI and technology in advertising for SMEs and Emerging Brands
- Use of AI to analyze brand touchpoints
- Ethical and legal limits of using AI in brand work and advertising
- Sustainability & AI-enabled brand touchpoints
Submission information
Conference (GMC) at Hong Kong submission page: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22. Full paper or extended abstract submissions to the track called 'AI-Enabled Brand Touchpoints' of the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong should follow the 2025 GMC submission guidelines (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/35/?bmode=view&idx=19638135&back_url=&t=board&page=). The manuscript’s title page should include the corresponding author’s name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Names and contact information for other authors should be included as well. All manuscripts submitted must not have been published, accepted for publication, or be currently under consideration elsewhere. Accepted papers will be presented at the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong and selected papers will be invited to be submitted as full papers for the JCIRA special issue. Full paper submissions are encouraged while 5-page extended abstracts can also be submitted.
We welcome submissions from non-GMC members but will give special consideration to manuscripts submitted to the 2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong.
Submission deadline for 2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong is 15th February 2025.
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising will publish a special issue on AI and Technology-Enabled Brand Touchpoints with the best papers presented at the following track in the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong called ‘AI and Technology-Enabled Brand Touchpoints’.
Guest Editors: Prof. Hyejin Bang, Department of Business Administration, College of Business, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneung-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02707 (South Korea), hjbang@kookmin.ac.kr. Prof. Carsten Baumgarth, HWR Berlin – Berlin School of Economics and Law, Badensche Straße 52, 10825 Berlin(Germany), carsten.baumgarth@hwr-berlin.de.
Direct inquiries to the Special Issue Co-Editors:
Hyejin Bang1 (hjbang@kookmin.ac.kr)
Carsten Baumgarth2 (carsten.baumgarth@hwr-berlin.de)
1 Department of Business Administration, College of Business, Kookmin University, Seoul (Republic of Korea)
2 Department of Business Administration, HWR Berlin – Berlin School of Economics and Law, Berlin (Germany).
For more information:
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ujci20
2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/
References:
Akter, S., Dwivedi, Y. K., Sajib, S., Biswas, K., Bandara, R. J., & Michael, K. (2022). Algorithmic bias in machine learning-based marketing models. Journal of Business Research, 144, 201-216.
Atari, M., Xue, M. J., Park, P. S., Blasi, D., & Henrich, J. (2023). Which humans?.
Baumgarth, C., Kirkby, A., & Kaibel, C. (2021). When fake becomes real: The innovative case of artificial influencers. In Creativity and marketing: The fuel for success (pp. 149-167). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Bohren, N., Hakimov, R., & Lalive, R. (2024). Creative and Strategic Capabilities of Generative AI: Evidence from Large-Scale Experiments.
Campbell, C., Plangger, K., Sands, S., & Kietzmann, J. (2022). Preparing for an era of deepfakes and AI-generated ads: A framework for understanding responses to manipulated advertising. Journal of Advertising, 51(1), 22-38.
Choi, S., Liu, S. X., & Choi, C. (2022). Robot–brand fit the influence of brand personality on consumer reactions to service robot adoption. Marketing Letters, 33(1), 129-142.
Dell'Acqua, F., McFowland III, E., Mollick, E. R., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Kellogg, K., Rajendran, S., ... & Lakhani, K. R. (2023). Navigating the jagged technological frontier: Field experimental evidence of the effects of AI on knowledge worker productivity and quality. Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper, (24-013).
Deryl, M. D., Verma, S., & Srivastava, V. (2023). How does AI drive branding? Towards an integrated theoretical framework for AI-driven branding. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 3(2), 100205.
Drott, E. (2021). Copyright, compensation, and commons in the music AI industry. Creative Industries Journal, 14(2), 190-207.
Gao, B., Wang, Y., Xie, H., Hu, Y., & Hu, Y. (2023). Artificial intelligence in advertising: advancements, challenges, and ethical considerations in targeting, personalization, content creation, and ad optimization. Sage Open, 13(4), 21582440231210759.
Grassini, S., & Koivisto, M. (2024). Understanding how personality traits, experiences, and attitudes shape negative bias toward AI-generated artworks. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 4113.
Huang, M. H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49, 30-50.
Kirkby, A., Baumgarth, C., & Henseler, J. (2023). To disclose or not disclose, is no longer the question–effect of AI-disclosed brand voice on brand authenticity and attitude. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 32(7), 1108-1122.
Laszkiewicz, A., & Kalinska‐Kula, M. (2023). Virtual influencers as an emerging marketing theory: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(6), 2479-2494.
Li, P., Castelo, N., Katona, Z., & Sarvary, M. (2023). Language models for automated market research: A new way to generate perceptual maps. Available at SSRN 4241291.
Moreau, P., Prandelli, E., & Schreier, M. (2023). Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas. Available at SSRN 4630856.
Pagani, M., & Wind, Y. (2024). Unlocking Marketing Creativity Using Artificial Intelligence. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 10949968241265855.
Sarstedt, M., Adler, S. J., Rau, L., & Schmitt, B. (2024). Using large language models to generate silicon samples in consumer and marketing research: Challenges, opportunities, and guidelines. Psychology & Marketing, 41(6), 1254-1270.
Schönberger, M. (2023). Artificial Intelligence for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Identifying Key Applications and Challenges. Journal of Business Management, 21, 89-112.
Thomas, V. L., & Fowler, K. (2021). Close encounters of the AI kind: Use of AI influencers as brand endorsers. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 11-25.
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising- Special Issue
“AI-Enabled Brand Touchpoints”
Submission Deadline for the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong: February 15, 2025
Since the end of 2022, hardly any other topic has changed the brand, marketing, and advertising world as much as AI (Huang & Rust, 2021; Deryl et al., 2023, Gao et al., 2023). Now that the initial hype has slowly died down, the focus is shifting toward more meaningful and effective applications of AI—such as enhancing creativity (e.g., Pagani & Wind, 2024; Bohren et al., 2024) and brand control (Li et al., 2023; Sarstedt et al., 2024)—as well as improving efficiency in brand management, communication, and advertising (Dell'Acqua et al., 2023). In addition to the direct use of generative AI, particularly for creating brand touchpoints (e.g. design, Moureau et al., 2023), AI is also an integral part of other technology-based brand touchpoints like social robotics (Choi et al., 2022) and virtual influencers (Baumgarth et al., 2021; Laszkiewicz & Kalinska‐Kula, 2023).
The management and technology perspective needs to be expanded to include a consumer perspective on the impact of AI- and technology-based touchpoints. This perspective provides answers to questions such as the effect of disclosing AI as the source of advertising and other touchpoints on brand authenticity (Kirkby et al., 2023) and creative judgment (Grassini & Koivisto, 2024).
In addition to established brands, emerging and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME brands) are uniquely positioned to leverage AI for rapid scalability, creativity, and efficiency. However, they also face challenges in integrating AI effectively due to resource constraints (Schönberger, 2023).
Finally, the use of technology-based brand touchpoints is connected with legal and ethical challenges like copyright issues (Drott, 2021), deepfakes (Campbell et al., 2022), and AI bias (Akter et al., 2022; Atari et al., 2023).
This special issue aims to contribute to a better understanding of this broad and dynamic field of AI-enabled brand touchpoints and to provide brand management with scientifically sound recommendations through innovative, theoretically sound, and evidence-based research results. For this special issue, we welcome conceptual and empirical papers that use quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches to advance research regarding developments in AI and technology-enabled brand touchpoints.
Suggested topics include but are not limited to:
Submission information
Conference (GMC) at Hong Kong submission page: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22. Full paper or extended abstract submissions to the track called 'AI-Enabled Brand Touchpoints' of the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong should follow the 2025 GMC submission guidelines (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/35/?bmode=view&idx=19638135&back_url=&t=board&page=). The manuscript’s title page should include the corresponding author’s name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Names and contact information for other authors should be included as well. All manuscripts submitted must not have been published, accepted for publication, or be currently under consideration elsewhere. Accepted papers will be presented at the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong and selected papers will be invited to be submitted as full papers for the JCIRA special issue. Full paper submissions are encouraged while 5-page extended abstracts can also be submitted.
We welcome submissions from non-GMC members but will give special consideration to manuscripts submitted to the 2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong.
Submission deadline for 2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong is 15th February 2025.
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising will publish a special issue on AI and Technology-Enabled Brand Touchpoints with the best papers presented at the following track in the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong called ‘AI and Technology-Enabled Brand Touchpoints’.
Guest Editors: Prof. Hyejin Bang, Department of Business Administration, College of Business, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneung-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02707 (South Korea), hjbang@kookmin.ac.kr. Prof. Carsten Baumgarth, HWR Berlin – Berlin School of Economics and Law, Badensche Straße 52, 10825 Berlin(Germany), carsten.baumgarth@hwr-berlin.de.
Direct inquiries to the Special Issue Co-Editors:
Hyejin Bang1 (hjbang@kookmin.ac.kr)
Carsten Baumgarth2 (carsten.baumgarth@hwr-berlin.de)
1 Department of Business Administration, College of Business, Kookmin University, Seoul (Republic of Korea)
2 Department of Business Administration, HWR Berlin – Berlin School of Economics and Law, Berlin (Germany).
For more information:
Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ujci20
2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/
References:
Akter, S., Dwivedi, Y. K., Sajib, S., Biswas, K., Bandara, R. J., & Michael, K. (2022). Algorithmic bias in machine learning-based marketing models. Journal of Business Research, 144, 201-216.
Atari, M., Xue, M. J., Park, P. S., Blasi, D., & Henrich, J. (2023). Which humans?.
Baumgarth, C., Kirkby, A., & Kaibel, C. (2021). When fake becomes real: The innovative case of artificial influencers. In Creativity and marketing: The fuel for success (pp. 149-167). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Bohren, N., Hakimov, R., & Lalive, R. (2024). Creative and Strategic Capabilities of Generative AI: Evidence from Large-Scale Experiments.
Campbell, C., Plangger, K., Sands, S., & Kietzmann, J. (2022). Preparing for an era of deepfakes and AI-generated ads: A framework for understanding responses to manipulated advertising. Journal of Advertising, 51(1), 22-38.
Choi, S., Liu, S. X., & Choi, C. (2022). Robot–brand fit the influence of brand personality on consumer reactions to service robot adoption. Marketing Letters, 33(1), 129-142.
Dell'Acqua, F., McFowland III, E., Mollick, E. R., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Kellogg, K., Rajendran, S., ... & Lakhani, K. R. (2023). Navigating the jagged technological frontier: Field experimental evidence of the effects of AI on knowledge worker productivity and quality. Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper, (24-013).
Deryl, M. D., Verma, S., & Srivastava, V. (2023). How does AI drive branding? Towards an integrated theoretical framework for AI-driven branding. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 3(2), 100205.
Drott, E. (2021). Copyright, compensation, and commons in the music AI industry. Creative Industries Journal, 14(2), 190-207.
Gao, B., Wang, Y., Xie, H., Hu, Y., & Hu, Y. (2023). Artificial intelligence in advertising: advancements, challenges, and ethical considerations in targeting, personalization, content creation, and ad optimization. Sage Open, 13(4), 21582440231210759.
Grassini, S., & Koivisto, M. (2024). Understanding how personality traits, experiences, and attitudes shape negative bias toward AI-generated artworks. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 4113.
Huang, M. H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49, 30-50.
Kirkby, A., Baumgarth, C., & Henseler, J. (2023). To disclose or not disclose, is no longer the question–effect of AI-disclosed brand voice on brand authenticity and attitude. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 32(7), 1108-1122.
Laszkiewicz, A., & Kalinska‐Kula, M. (2023). Virtual influencers as an emerging marketing theory: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(6), 2479-2494.
Li, P., Castelo, N., Katona, Z., & Sarvary, M. (2023). Language models for automated market research: A new way to generate perceptual maps. Available at SSRN 4241291.
Moreau, P., Prandelli, E., & Schreier, M. (2023). Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas. Available at SSRN 4630856.
Pagani, M., & Wind, Y. (2024). Unlocking Marketing Creativity Using Artificial Intelligence. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 10949968241265855.
Sarstedt, M., Adler, S. J., Rau, L., & Schmitt, B. (2024). Using large language models to generate silicon samples in consumer and marketing research: Challenges, opportunities, and guidelines. Psychology & Marketing, 41(6), 1254-1270.
Schönberger, M. (2023). Artificial Intelligence for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Identifying Key Applications and Challenges. Journal of Business Management, 21, 89-112.
Thomas, V. L., & Fowler, K. (2021). Close encounters of the AI kind: Use of AI influencers as brand endorsers. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 11-25.