Toward advancing theory on creativity in marketing and artificial intelligence

TLDR

Creativity is increasingly seen as the future of marketing, yet existing theories fail to explain how AI‑driven automation influences creative processes in the field. The study seeks to advance theories of creativity in marketing and AI by reviewing literature and proposing a new organizing framework and a typology of key skills and AI impacts. The authors conducted a systematic review of 156 papers (1990‑2021) using the SPAR‑4‑SLR protocol and a theory‑context‑characteristics‑methodology framework, then developed an organizing framework and a skills typology to integrate AI and creativity themes. The article provides a holistic foundation for researchers, integrating AI into creativity in marketing.

Abstract

Abstract Creativity has been identified as the future of marketing; at the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling more automation in this field. The theories and frameworks in the literature have not yet sufficiently explained the impact of AI on creativity in marketing. Hence, this research aims to advance theories on creativity in marketing and AI by conducting a comprehensive review of the literature. Our review covers 156 papers published between 1990 and 2021, compiled on the basis of the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR‐4‐SLR) protocol and the theory–context–characteristics–methodology framework. We advance theory in the field by proposing a new organizing framework to guide the integration of the identified themes and synthesize the antecedents, dimensions, and outcomes of creativity in marketing and AI. Furthermore, to assist academics and practitioners we propose a typology of the key skills required for creativity in marketing and the impact of specific AI capabilities on these skills. This article serves as a foundation for researchers by providing a holistic understanding of the integration of AI into creativity in marketing.