Abhijit Roy
Associate Professor – Chair, Howard University
What are the ethical considerations businesses should keep in mind when executing digital marketing campaigns?
Data security and privacy should be the topmost considerations. Just a couple of decades ago, prior to the advent of social media, we owned our data. But now, social media platforms allow us to use their platforms for free in exchange for accessing our browsing data. In other words, we are now essentially the product.
Other related issues include transparency, protecting intellectual property rights of content creators, seeking consent from users (particularly the parents when targeting young children), and most importantly ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) programs are not used for the harm of society. [...]
What theoretical frameworks in digital marketing should businesses look for in an agency's approach to ensure a solid foundation?
Agencies should have a conceptual understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), digital analytics, paid search, content marketing, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, mobile marketing, etc. in ensuring a solid foundation in digital marketing.
Given the depth and breadth of the field, most agencies will choose to specialize in a limited number of areas listed above.
How important is personalization in digital marketing, and how can businesses implement it?
Personalization is very important for digital marketers. However, as noted in my response to the first question, consumers ideally should own their data and have their privacy rights. [...]
Given that digital marketing allows marketers to leverage personalization, the advertising (via paid search, display ads, etc.) is precisely targeted and much more efficient than advertising on traditional media platforms.
What are the latest academic research findings on digital marketing that businesses should consider when selecting an agency?
There are too many to mention. There are currently at least a dozen major marketing journals that publish research on digital marketing. [...] Here are a few of my recent coauthored research on both the micro and macro aspects of digital marketing.
How do you see the future of digital marketing evolving in the next 5-10 years?
Five to ten years is a very long horizon. Digital marketing is changing every year. For example, just five years ago, digital advertising revenues had just overtaken television advertising revenues, but today it is three times as much and growing at an exponential rate.
We'll also see an increased influence of AI in digital marketing, voice search in SEO, more sophisticated levels of personalization, and advanced digital analytical techniques. We'll also see a rise in the use of IR 4.0 technologies such as Internet of Things (IOT), blockchain, 3D printing, wearables, augmented and virtual Reality (AR & VR), and the growth of the “metaverse” amongst others.
Associate Professor – Chair, Howard University
What are the ethical considerations businesses should keep in mind when executing digital marketing campaigns?
Data security and privacy should be the topmost considerations. Just a couple of decades ago, prior to the advent of social media, we owned our data. But now, social media platforms allow us to use their platforms for free in exchange for accessing our browsing data. In other words, we are now essentially the product.
Other related issues include transparency, protecting intellectual property rights of content creators, seeking consent from users (particularly the parents when targeting young children), and most importantly ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) programs are not used for the harm of society. [...]
What theoretical frameworks in digital marketing should businesses look for in an agency's approach to ensure a solid foundation?
Agencies should have a conceptual understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), digital analytics, paid search, content marketing, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, mobile marketing, etc. in ensuring a solid foundation in digital marketing.
Given the depth and breadth of the field, most agencies will choose to specialize in a limited number of areas listed above.
How important is personalization in digital marketing, and how can businesses implement it?
Personalization is very important for digital marketers. However, as noted in my response to the first question, consumers ideally should own their data and have their privacy rights. [...]
Given that digital marketing allows marketers to leverage personalization, the advertising (via paid search, display ads, etc.) is precisely targeted and much more efficient than advertising on traditional media platforms.
What are the latest academic research findings on digital marketing that businesses should consider when selecting an agency?
There are too many to mention. There are currently at least a dozen major marketing journals that publish research on digital marketing. [...] Here are a few of my recent coauthored research on both the micro and macro aspects of digital marketing.
- Roy, A., Bakpayev, M., Boninsegni, M. F., Kumar, S., Peronard, J. P., & Reimer, T. (2023). Technology-enabled well-being in the era of IR4. 0: marketing and public policy implications. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 40(4), 431-444. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-11-2021-5021
- Xu, L., Roy, A., & Niculescu, M. (2023). A dual process model of the influence of recommender systems on purchase intentions in online shopping environments. Journal of Internet Commerce, 22(3), 432-453. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2022.2049113
- Xu, L. and A. Roy (2022). “Cashback as Cash Forward: The Serial Mediating Effect of Time/Effort and Money Savings” Journal of Business Research, 149 (October), 30-37. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296322004428
- Boninsegni, M., A. Roy, M. Bakpayev, S. Kumar, J. P. Peronard, and T. Reimer (2022). “Opportunities and Threats to Consumer Well-Being in the Age of Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) Technologies” Digital Policy, Regulation, and Governance Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 93-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-06-2021-0080
How do you see the future of digital marketing evolving in the next 5-10 years?
Five to ten years is a very long horizon. Digital marketing is changing every year. For example, just five years ago, digital advertising revenues had just overtaken television advertising revenues, but today it is three times as much and growing at an exponential rate.
We'll also see an increased influence of AI in digital marketing, voice search in SEO, more sophisticated levels of personalization, and advanced digital analytical techniques. We'll also see a rise in the use of IR 4.0 technologies such as Internet of Things (IOT), blockchain, 3D printing, wearables, augmented and virtual Reality (AR & VR), and the growth of the “metaverse” amongst others.