GENERATIVE AI IN CONTEMPORARY MARKETING: AN ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF MARKET TRENDS, CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR SHIFTS, AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS (2022–2026)

This study has presented a comprehensive secondary data analysis of Generative AI's transformative impact on marketing practice, consumer behaviour, and strategic decision-making during the period 2022–2026. The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that GenAI has transitioned from experimental curiosity to core marketing infrastructure, fundamentally reshaping how organisations create content, engage consumers, and allocate resources. The key findings can be summarised as follows: (i) the global GenAI market is experiencing exponential growth, with marketing applications representing one of the fastest-expanding segments; (ii) organisations leveraging GenAI report substantial performance improvements, particularly in operational efficiency and content production; (iii) five high-impact opportunities — agentic AI orchestration, hyper-personalisation, multimodal marketing, predictive intelligence, and cost optimisation — are reshaping competitive dynamics; (iv) eight significant challenges — algorithmic bias, organic visibility erosion, privacy compliance, IP ambiguity, model reliability, workforce displacement, infrastructure costs, and consumer trust deficits — demand urgent attention; and (v) consumer behaviour is undergoing fundamental shifts toward conversational discovery, machine-mediated purchasing, micro-segmentation, and transparency-seeking. The study's contribution lies in its systematic integration of diverse secondary data sources into a coherent analytical framework that bridges academic theory and practitioner imperatives. By employing the Opportunities-Challenges-Implications (OCI) framework and the SWOT-PESTLE hybrid model, the research provides both diagnostic clarity and strategic direction for organisations navigating the GenAI transition. However, the study also acknowledges significant limitations, including the reliance on secondary data, the rapid obsolescence risk inherent in GenAI research, and potential biases in industry-sponsored reports. Future research should prioritise primary data collection through longitudinal organisational studies, experimental designs comparing AI-augmented versus traditional marketing approaches, and cross-cultural comparative analyses examining regional variations in GenAI adoption and impact. As the marketing discipline confronts what may be its most significant technological disruption since the internet's commercialisation, the imperative for evidence-based, ethically-grounded, and strategically-informed GenAI adoption has never been greater. This study provides a foundation upon which such adoption can be built — one that recognises both the extraordinary opportunities and the profound responsibilities that accompany AI-driven marketing transformation.

Adobe. (2025). Adobe Firefly and Creative Cloud AI: Annual Report on Generative AI in Creative Industries. San Jose, CA: Adobe Inc. Deloitte. (2024). AI in Marketing: Transforming Customer Engagement and Business Outcomes. Deloitte Insights. European Commission. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 — Artificial Intelligence Act. Official Journal of the European Union. G2. (2025). AI Decision Intelligence in Marketing: Performance Benchmarks and Adoption Trends. Chicago, IL: G2 Crowd. Goodhue, D. L., & Thompson, R. L. (1995). Task-Technology Fit and Individual Performance. MIS Quarterly, 19(2), 213–236. Government of India. (2023). The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Gazette of India. Improvado. (2026). 7 AI Marketing Trends for 2026: Strategy and Data Insights. Improvado Blog. MarketsandMarkets. (2026). Generative AI Market Report 2026–2033: By Offering, Geography, and Technology. Pune: MarketsandMarkets Research Pvt. Ltd. McKinsey & Company. (2025). The State of AI in 2025: Generative AI's Breakout Year. McKinsey Global Survey. NIST. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0). National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce. Salesforce. (2025). State of Marketing Report: AI-Powered Customer Engagement. San Francisco, CA: Salesforce Inc.