Alex Mari

Alex Mari
University of Zurich | UZH · Department of Business Administration - IBW

Marketing
Senior Research Associate, University of Zurich, and Adjunct Professor, Catholic University of Sacred Heart.

About

18
Publications
53,554
Reads
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168
Citations
Introduction
I research the adoption of AI-based voice assistants for marketing and their effect on shopping behavior. I worked as a director of digital marketing, brand manager and tech startup CEO. I advice entrepreneurs and teach digital/AI marketing in business schools.
Additional affiliations
September 2024 - present
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
Position
  • Adjunct Professor
Description
  • Adjunct Professor of Marketing Analytics
August 2018 - June 2024
University of Zurich
Position
  • Research Associate and PhD Candidate
Description
  • Graduate School of Business, Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics, Department of Business Administration, Chair of Marketing and Market Research & URPP Social Networks
Education
August 2018 - June 2024
University of Zurich
Field of study
  • Marketing
September 2007 - June 2010
University of Lugano
Field of study
  • Marketing

Publications

Publications (18)
Research
Full-text available
This research report describes the goal, process, and benefit of AI-driven marketing. In particular, it explores how marketing leverages machine learning models to automate, optimize, and augment the transformational process of data into actions and interactions with the scope of predicting behaviors, anticipating needs, and hyper-personalizing mes...
Chapter
Full-text available
Shopping behaviour is undergoing a revolution that is primarily enabled by digital consumer technologies, which are being increasingly powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Among these technologies, in-home Voice Assistants (VAs), such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, have witnessed unprecedented growth. The physical placement of these devices a...
Chapter
Full-text available
Artificial intelligence (AI) enables corporate communicators to effectively reach stakeholders through the systematic collection of information, identification of patterns, and prediction of future behaviours. Voice assistants (VAs) such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home represent the fastest-growing AI-based technology across diverse geographical re...
Article
Full-text available
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled voice assistants (VAs) are transforming firm-customer interactions but often come across as lacking empathy. This challenge may cause business managers to question the overall effectiveness of VAs in shopping contexts. Recognizing empathy as a core design element in the next generation of VAs and the limits of s...
Preprint
Full-text available
Corporate decision-makers (DMs) are increasingly being challenged to adopt emerging technologies with undefined market potential while being susceptible to biases. Failure to achieve the expected benefits may affect collective and individual-level performance. Fear of missing out (FOMO) influences the ability to make rational decisions. Although FO...
Chapter
Empathy is a fundamental requirement for effective communication. Empathic salespeople can positively affect consumers’ purchasing decisions and evaluation of the service encounter. Artificial intelligence-based voice assistants (VAs) such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are at the core of domestic life to help any family member with repeated and f...
Article
Full-text available
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled voice assistants (VAs) such as Amazon Alexa increasingly assist shopping decisions and exhibit empathic behavior. The advancement of empathic AI raises concerns about machines nudging consumers into purchasing undesired or unnecessary products. Yet, it is unclear how the machine's empathic behavior affects consu...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
AI-based voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa deliver personalized product recommendations in order to match consumers' needs. The use of voice assistants for shopping purposes incorporates elements of risk affecting when and how they are considered trusted relationship partners. In this uncertain environment, it is unclear 'when' voice assistants...
Chapter
Full-text available
The world is confronted with the rise of voice assistants, increasingly used for shopping activities. This paper examines managers' perceptions of the evolution of voice assistants and their potential effects on the marketing practice. Shopping-related voice assistants are likely to radically change the way consumers search and purchase products wi...
Book
Full-text available
JOCIS is a Scientific Journal created by MediaXXI/ Formalpress in partnership with several international entities, such as International Media Management Academic Association (IMMAA), and also with the collaboration of the Centre for Research in Communication, Information and Digital Culture (CIC. Digital) of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of t...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Voice Commerce (or voice shopping) is rapidly becoming a focal point in academic, business, and industry research because of its swift adoption and disruptive potential in buying dynamics. As voice assistants become better at learning consumer preferences and habits, they will increasingly influence consumer behaviors. In doing so, voice assistants...
Data
Introduction to Voice Assistants and Voice Commerce. Presented at IMMAA Annual Conference, Northwestern University in Qatar, Doha (Qatar), October 4-6, 2019.
Data
Designing an AI strategy requires managers to systematically evaluate marketing needs in terms of automation, optimization, and augmentation in relation to the searched benefits of prediction, anticipation, and personalization. Balancing machine-inspired goals with expected benefits forces managers to strategically assess their organization to rede...
Article
Full-text available
This independent research report describes the goal, process, and benefit of AI-driven marketing. It explores how marketing leverages machine learning models to automate, optimize, and augment the transformational process of data into actions and interactions with the scope of predicting behaviors, anticipating needs, and hyper-personalizing messag...
Chapter
Full-text available
This chapter bridges academic and managerial perspectives on the use of social media platforms for the creation of strategic consumer–brand relationships and their effect on brand equity. In particular, the chapter explores some of the recurring barriers that marketing managers have identified when discussing the implementation of relationship-base...
Article
Full-text available
The current study investigates the complex relationship between communications on the Internet and reputation changes during a crisis, through the analysis of the Toyota recall case. We use secondary order data regarding communications and people's perceptions and attitudes. We were particularly interested in studying the impact of online communica...

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