Welcome to the Corporate and Marketing Communications Conference (CMC) 2025 at the University of Birmingham Business School. The Organising Committee of CMC 2025 is delighted to welcome you to our website and invites you to join us for the conference, which will be held at the University of Birmingham from Tuesday 15th - Wednesday 16th April 2025. 

Keynote Speaker:

We are pleased to announce Professor Margherita Pagani, an expert in Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Digital Marketing, and the Director of the SKEMA Center for Artificial Intelligence at SKEMA Business School, Paris as one of our keynote speakers. You can read Professor Pagani's profile on the SKEMA Business School website.

Call for paper:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised numerous industries and disciplines, and marketing communications is no exception. As AI continues to evolve, it presents both unprecedented opportunities and challenges for marketers. To explore the latest advancements, trends, challenges, and future opportunities in this dynamic field, we invite submissions for the 29th International Conference on Corporate and Marketing Communications 2025 at Birmingham University Business School on “Artificial Intelligence in Corporate and Marketing Communications- Trends, Challenges, and Future Opportunities.”

As outlined by Malthouse and Copulsky (2023), there’s a growing recognition that Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning will play increasingly central roles in shaping the future of corporate and marketing communications. Leveraging AI technologies, marketers can now analyse vast amounts of data, personalise messaging, and optimise campaigns with unprecedented precision. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has reshaped the operations of various industries. Notably, leading quick- service restaurants like McDonald’s have embraced AI-enabled tools such as automatic license plate attribution and recommender systems. These innovations facilitate predicting customer orders, suggesting new menu items, and streamlining drive-through traffic flow. Similarly, subscribers to platforms like Spotify, Amazon, and Netflix are experiencing a surge in personalised content curation, spanning music, books, and videos. Concurrently, marketers are leveraging AI and machine learning to streamline marketing processes, from audience segmentation to programmatic advertising management and outcome attribution.

Scope and Objectives:

This conference call seeks to explore the complex landscape of AI in corporate and marketing communications, exploring the latest trends, challenges, and future opportunities. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI is reshaping the way organisations engage with their audiences internally and externally in the B2B and B2C sectors.

We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, and industry experts, addressing various aspects of AI in corporate and marketing communications. Also, we welcome contributions from both corporate and consumer perspectives, encompassing B2B and B2C contexts including but not limited to:

  • Personalisation and Targeting: Exploring AI-driven approaches for predicting consumer behaviour, personalised corporate and marketing communications, segmenting audiences, and targeted advertising. Also, examining the role of machine learning algorithms in optimising targeting strategies and enhancing campaign effectiveness.
  • Content Creation and Optimisation: Investigating AI-powered tools and techniques for content generation, optimisation, and curation across diverse channels. Furthermore, assessing the impact of AI on content quality, relevance, and engagement metrics.
  • Customer Experience Enhancement: Analysing AI’s role in improving customer experience through chatbots, virtual assistants, recommendation systems, and conversational interfaces to enhance customer service and support. As well as investigating sentiment analysis and emotion recognition techniques to tailor marketing communications to individual preferences and emotions.
  • The use of AI in Corporate Communications: Explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the ways in which organizations communicate with their stakeholders, including employees, investors, and the public. Topics of interest include AI-driven strategies for crisis management, enhancing internal communications, personalising investor relations, and optimising public relations campaigns.
  • Predictive Analytics and Decision-Making: Examining the use of AI algorithms for identifying emerging opportunities, and optimising marketing strategies.
  • Ethical Considerations and Privacy Issues: Addressing ethical dilemmas, privacy concerns, and regulatory challenges associated with AI deployment in corporate and marketing communications, including concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency.
  • The use of AI in enhancing Sustainable Corporate and Marketing Communications: By leveraging AI, organisations can not only improve their communication effectiveness but also align their operations with sustainable development goals, thereby building a stronger, more responsible brand. This track aims to provide insights into how AI can be a powerful tool in advancing sustainability in corporate and marketing communications practices.
  • Integration with Emerging Technologies: Exploring synergies between AI and other emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, blockchain, and virtual & augmented reality in enhancing corporate and marketing communications and creating personalised customer experiences.
  • The use of AI in Sales and Outreach Communications: Exploring how leveraging AI to optimize outreach efforts while maintaining trust and integrity in customer relationships. Also, exploring how AI can enhance the interface between sales and marketing, offering unprecedented opportunities to engage customers, as well as areas where caution is warranted to avoid overstepping ethical lines. Examining the ethical boundaries of AI-driven outbound communications, questioning whether its use has already become intrusive and eroded the trust of the people it aims to engage.
  • Case Studies and Best Practices: this year we also accepted case studies to present real-world case studies, success stories, and best practices showcasing the effective implementation of AI in corporate and marketing communications campaigns. Case studies also could highlight lessons learned, practical insights, and actionable recommendations for organisations looking to harness the power of AI in their marketing efforts.

We encourage original research articles, reviews, case studies, and opinion pieces that contribute to advancing the understanding of AI’s role in shaping the future of corporate and marketing communications. Submissions should demonstrate theoretical rigour, methodological robustness, and practical relevance to both academia and industry. Contributions are encouraged from both corporate and consumer perspectives, encompassing B2B and B2C contexts. We look forward to receiving your contributions and engaging in insightful discussions on the transformative potential of AI in corporate and marketing communications.

References: Malthouse, E., & Copulsky, J. (2023). Artificial intelligence ecosystems for marketing communications. International Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 128-140.

Conference Chairs:

                        

Professor Finola Kerrigan
Professor of Marketing, Deputy Dean of Birmingham Business School

                   

Dr Ahmed Shaalan
Associate Professor in Marketing, Birmingham Business School

                         

Professor Scott McCabe
Professor of Marketing, Head of Department of Marketing, Birmingham Business School

Meet the Editor Sessions:

This year, we are pleased to announce the following special “Meet the Editor” sessions. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field, gain valuable insights into the publication process, and receive guidance on enhancing your research for submission to top-tier journals.

First:

Join us for a special “Meet the Editor” session featuring:

  • Professor Philip Kitchen, Editor of the Journal of Marketing Communications
  • Professor Finola Kerrigan, Joint Editor in Chief of Marketing Theory
  • Professor Scott McCabe, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Tourism Research
  • Dr Marwa Tourky, Deputy Editor of the Journal of Marketing Communications

Second:

A special track on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Corporate and Marketing Communications within the tourism sector. All papers submitted to this track will be featured in a dedicated session chaired by Professor Scott McCabe, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Tourism Research and a member of the editorial board of Tourism Management. Professor McCabe will provide valuable feedback and guidance on how to enhance your research for potential publication in high-ranking tourism journals.

PhD Researchers Session:

A dedicated session for PhD researchers to present their papers, abstracts, proposals, working papers, and extended abstracts. Senior academics in marketing and corporate and marketing communications will attend this session to provide feedback and insights to support the development of the research of the PhD researchers.

Special issues:

There will be special issues linked to the conference. The first special issue will be featured in the Journal of Marketing Communications, with additional special issues to be announced at a later date. Contributions are encouraged from both corporate and consumer perspectives, encompassing B2B and B2C contexts.