The Current Trends and Future Direction of Digital and Relationship Marketing: A Business Perspective

Abstract

Digital technology has given rise to new economic models such as sharing economy and business structures such as omnichannel. Technological advancements also enable firms to build a one-on-one relationship with customers. This chapter covers the current business practices that involve the use of digital tools to develop and manage customer relationships. They are omnichannel marketing, user-generated content, interactive content, live videos – live streaming, co-creation marketing and influencers marketing. The chapter also identifies emerging trends pertinent to digital marketing and relationship development. Artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as virtual assistants and programmatic advertising are predicted to be at the heart of digital marketing in the near future. In addition, though still in the early stage of development, blockchain technology has the potential to improve the transparency of transactions and data protection, thereby increasing trust and relationship quality. The use of immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual realities are expected to gain significantly more popular in the next few years. Finally, these trends can be further facilitated by 5G, the fifth generation of mobile technology, heralding a new era of digital communication and transforming the customer experience.