Interactive Marketing: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

Emphasis on consumer engagement

It is now in style for emphasis to be on consumer engagement. Monologue between brands and end-users no longer cuts it, dialogue has been noted as the way to go, where businesses can listen, respond and adapt to customer feedback in real-time making them feel more valued and seen (De Vries et al., 2017; Hollebeek & Macky, 2019). This is expected to bring about a stronger connection, increased trust and community building. Batra and Keller (2016) espoused that brands messages can be amplified through this means of community building. Engagement is not the only impact of interactive marketing, it also positively impacts on buying behaviour, repeat purchase behaviour, promotion, long-term customer retention as well as brand growth (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2019; Kumar et al., 2019).

The critical role of personalization

The need for personalization is also a dominating pattern in any sort of marketing that floods the role of interactive marketing. It involves the tailoring of ideas and content to fit into the unique preferences of each consumer behaviour (Smink et al., 2020). The need for individuals to feel connected and special is what personalization exploits, end users wind up feeling relevant and understood by the brand. Businesses on the other hand use this to create exclusive deals, sales, and promotions that attract targeted audiences. Artificial intelligence and machine learning has made these efforts more precise and scalable. A vast amount of sales data comprising of Order ID, Order name, the quantity bought, the time the order was placed, customer location/address etc., can be analyzed in no time, making it possible to deliver highly targeted contents/ads at the right time (Harri et al., 2022).

Impact of real-time interactions

The instantaneous response to after sales complaints or in sales challenges or even accolades reflects real-time marketing. Technology is ever evolving and to remain on top there has to be a strategy to keep staying at the forefront of the competition. Making sales is one way brands stay in business, this is done by creating a sense of urgency and excitement to motivate consumers to take immediate action (Daugherty et al., 2019. The buzz this generates around the product helps in increasing visibility across different platforms. Additionally, this form of interaction provides valuable insights (Lamberton & Stephen, 2016; Hollebeek & Macky, 2019). Real-time interactions, such as live chats, social media updates, and event-driven campaigns, are gaining popularity among users, leading to more traffic rates and positive brand perceptions (Stephen, 2016; Daugherty et al., 2019).

Integration of emerging technologies

The wide range of the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) in different fields cannot be overemphasized. These tools help businesses remain sustainable and have a competitive advantage. It has become integrated into the day-to-day activities of businesses all over the world (Li & Larimo, 2021; Zhang & Mao, 2016). AI deals with the simulation of human intelligence by machines like computer systems, while AR is a technology that brings elements of the digital world and overlays it into the real world. When these two tools are integrated it produces mind-baffling possibilities and far-reaching possibilities. AI technologies aid the human agents within an organization to focus on more complex tasks bringing about improved efficiency, accurate predictions, accurate customer journey mapping, content creation optimization, etc. This ensures that marketing resources are used effectively and that marketing outcomes are feasible (Dwivedi et al., 2021; Daugherty et al., 2019).

Measurement of marketing effectiveness

Finally, engagement metrics is one identifiable indicator in measuring the extent to which marketing strategies are efficient. It is the level of interactions a consumer has with a brand’s content by adopting various metrics like click-through rates, shares, pool participation, chatbot use, etc in other to gauge how active engagement is for the brand. Tracking conversion rates is key to assessing the impact of these engagements, and how fast purchase is made after meaningful engagement as the customer journey analytics, on the other hand, with the intent to provide a holistic picture of how customers interact with a brand across several touchpoints, indicating bottlenecks and chances for improvement (Kruizinga - de Vries et al., 2017; Rathore et al., 2016). However, extant literature also highlights the challenges posed when measuring the long-term impacts of interactive marketing, such as brand loyalty and customer lifetime value (Smith & Zook, 2019; Straker et al., 2015).

Data selection

Under the stated requirement of Moher et al. (2009), selected articles (10.6084/m9.figshare.27190866) were understudied with the requirement of a rigorous review process with the inclusion of a thorough examination of the relevant literature, using the Prisma model, that is expected to provide a rigorous review process to avoid the occurrence of uncontrolled bias in the study. Insertion of this process is expected to bring about the absence of a room that will yearn the need for a subjective judgment as all selected articles were carefully evaluated using predetermined criteria (Falagas, et al., 2008) ( Tables 1 to 7).

PRISMA flowchart

Below is a diagram representing the PRISMA flowchart for this systematic review:

Supplementary Figure: 1 Searching process (Refer Extended data).

PRISMA methodology

The table above shows the distribution of articles used for this study. Though unevenly distributed, they were selected with the intent to reflect the topic coverage across the diverse continent (Greenhalgh & Peacock, 2005). This implies that the degree to which scientific work and interest in the area are balanced globally in line with the stated topic as it suggests that interactive marketing tactics apply to a wide range of markets with a global stance in mind.

The articles that made up the inclusion criteria were 100 in total with the quantitative study accounting for 50 of the total number where statistical tools and numerical data were adopted, qualitative study made up 30 of the total were perceptions and motivations based on interviews, focused groups and content analysis were outlined and mixed method approach comprising of both quantitative and qualitative approach were 33 in total.

The table presents the distribution of 100 articles by their year of publication, revealing the trends and growth of research in the field of interactive marketing. The initial years (2012-2022) saw a modest number of publications, indicating an emerging field with growing interest among researchers. The growth phase (2021-2022) saw a noticeable increase in articles published, reflecting increased academic and industry interest in exploring new digital marketing strategies and technologies. It must be noted that the number of publications increased exponentially from 2021-2022due to digital platforms and technological advances, peaking in 2022. In the course of this study, the notable trends in recent times (2015 – 2022) reflected extensive interactive marketing research and this affirms the crucial and continuously evolving emergence of new methodologies.

Using the pattern from Higgins and Green (2011), this study entails the theme of consumer engagement looked into the ways in which brands can actively engage with their target market. It emphasizes developing strong bonds that draw clients, boost fidelity, and promote a feeling of community. This is usually achieved by businesses interacting directly with customers through a variety of digital channels in order to promote involvement and interaction. Emphasizing the value of customizing experiences and marketing materials to each individual customer’s distinct preferences and behaviors, personalization is a crucial focus.

This field examines methods to enhance and customize customer interactions through data analytics, targeted advertising, and personalized email marketing. These initiatives enhance the effectiveness and pertinence of marketing, thereby augmenting the likelihood of customer engagement. Conversely, real-time interactions underscore the necessity of promptly and suitably responding to customer actions in accordance with the context. This literature examines the advantages of real-time marketing strategies such as live chats, prompt social media interactions, and event-driven campaigns. Employing these strategies enables brands to swiftly address customer preferences and deliver a more engaging and dynamic experience.

The same can be said for the revolutionary impact that cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are having on interactive marketing. Studies have shown that artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) have the potential to significantly improve customer engagement and personalization, which can lead to marketing campaigns that are more advanced and effective. Through the use of these technologies, brands are able to interact with their customers in novel and creative ways, which ultimately results in experiences that are more engaging and dynamic. In conclusion, making an evaluation of the efficiency of marketing initiatives is essential in order to comprehend the impact that they have. Regarding the effectiveness of interactive marketing, this topic includes discussions on a variety of metrics, methodologies, and tools that can be used to evaluate its effectiveness. It places an emphasis on the significance of monitoring metrics pertaining to consumer engagement and return on investment (ROI) in order to determine which strategies for future marketing campaigns are successful and which are not.

Limitations

As expected of every research, limitations were found in the study and must be considered for further studies. A major concern of the study which serves as a limitation is the aspect of heterogeneity, which culminates into result interpretation. It must be stated that the studies included in the analysis are of the opinion of being of diverse to methodology, geographical scope, and areas of focus. With the afore mentioned, a generalization cannot be made for the findings from the diverse engagement types of interactive marketing in the new media age

Review process limitations

The compilation of data from solely Google Scholar and Scopus creates the danger of leaving out alternative sources from databases pertinent to the study. In addition, the study was limited to studies that were published in the English language and after the year 2010, which may have led to the omission of other significant papers that may have provided a more comprehensive historical background. The procedure of data extraction, albeit being carried out meticulously, was contingent on the quality of the information that was provided in the studies that were included. This is something that should go without saying. Some factors, including variations in length and follow-up frequency, may have had a role in the reporting of data that contained errors or omissions.