Driving Sustainable Marketing Success in SMEs through Artificial Intelligence Competencies: Do Marketing Innovation and Marketing Capabilities Matter?

Hosseini, Elahe; Allaf Jafari, Elnaz

doi:10.22059/ijms.2025.393881.677582

Driving Sustainable Marketing Success in SMEs through Artificial Intelligence Competencies: Do Marketing Innovation and Marketing Capabilities Matter?

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Elahe Hosseini ¹

Elnaz Allaf Jafari ²

¹ Ph.D of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics, Management & Accounting. Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

² Department of Business Management, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/ijms.2025.393881.677582

Abstract

In recent years, the concept of marketing and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing have garnered significant attention. The core innovation of this research lies in demonstrating how AI competencies can transform the marketing landscape for SMEs by driving both marketing innovation and capabilities. This dual focus not only boosts operational and strategic effectiveness but also ensures that SMEs can achieve sustainable growth and competitive advantage in an increasingly digital and dynamic business environment. With marketing innovation and marketing capabilities as mediating factors, this study aims to explore how AI competencies influence sustainable marketing performance. The research methodology is quantitative and descriptive-correlational. The target population comprises employees and managers of SMEs in Iran with a workforce of over 100 individuals. The sample size for the statistical population of 423 was calculated using Morgan's table, 200 people, and a non-probability convenience sampling method was employed. This research was conducted in April 2024. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modeling with PLS-Smart 4 software.

Keywords

Sustainable Marketing Performance

AI competencies

Marketing Innovation

Marketing Capabilities

Subjects