Marketing automation and decision making: The role of heuristics and AI in marketing

This review examines Simone Guercini’s book “Marketing Automation and Decision Making: The Role of Heuristics and AI in Marketing”, providing a synthetic but highly informative review of its insights into the relationship between artificial intelligence and heuristic decision-making in marketing strategies. The review analyzes key concepts from the book, particularly the role of AI in marketing automation and the enduring relevance of marketers’ heuristics. It summarizes and critiques the main arguments presented, focusing on how the author illustrates the benefits of AI in enhancing marketing efficiency while emphasizing the importance of heuristics for intuitive decision-making. By highlighting these key themes, the review underscores the balance between technological advancements and human insights, providing a comprehensive overview of how both elements contribute to effective marketing strategies in today's digital landscape. By highlighting these key themes presented in the book this review endorse Guercini’s solid framework that emphasizes the necessity of balancing AI-driven precision and human intuition. Indeed, while AI tools are essential for managing the massive amount of data and information characterizing the complexities of contemporary marketing, heuristics remain crucial as they ensure marketers’ ability to make quick, intuitive decisions that leverage their experience and understanding of consumer behavior, especially in situations where data may be incomplete or ambiguous. This review aims to contribute to the way opened by Guercini’s book in promoting the discourse about shedding light on the pros and cons of AI and how it can be successfully implemented to improve decision-making in business settings. Furthermore, this review summarizes the practical implications disclosed by the book, confirming the need for marketing professionals to adapt to a rapidly evolving business landscape by embracing AI-powered solutions while maintaining crucial human insights that foster creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking in their approaches.