The Role of AI in MNEs’ Product Marketing : A Case Study on AI in B2B and B2C MNEs

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how MNEs use AI to improve their product marketing. The research is based on a qualitative case study of two MNEs, one B2C company in the premium fashion industry and one B2B company in the medical technology sector. The case study included interviews with employees in marketingrelated departments and observations of internal processes. To guide the analysis, the concepts of the marketing mix and customer lifetime value were used as frameworks to explore how AI supports different aspects of product marketing across both organizations. Based on previous research, we created an analytical model that emphasizes the employee and organizational perspectives on AI and how the two factors correlate and can be used for future decisions regarding AI initiatives and AI strategies. The findings show that AI is primarily used in MNEs’ promotional activities, such as content creation, copywriting, translation, and brainstorming. Generative AI is the most frequently used tool for these tasks. Furthermore, results indicate that AI is applied in B2C e-commerce to personalize product recommendations, while the B2B company uses generative AI to localize marketing communication. Finally, the study finds that the overall use of AI in product marketing is similar across both companies, with one key difference: their views on AI-generated images and videos. The B2B company expresses a more positive attitude towards using such content in marketing, whereas the B2C company remains more cautious.