Marketing in an AI-Driven World: Reflections from the EMAC Fall Conference 2025

Written by Veronica Burbulea, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands)

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Istanbul offered the perfect backdrop for EMAC’s Fall Conference 2025. Held on the grounds of Istanbul Bilgi University, the event gathered marketing scholars from around the world for three intensive and inspiring days. I had the opportunity to attend and would like to share key insights, highlights, and takeaways from this vibrant academic gathering.

Source: Photos by author

A Global Community Addressing a Timely Theme

This year, the conference welcomed 130 scholars from 30 countries, spanning the globe from South Korea to the United States. The central theme, “The Transformative Role of Marketing in an AI-Driven World”, could hardly be more relevant.

As conference chair Nesenur Altinigne Ekici (Assoc. Prof. at Istanbul Bilgi University) emphasized, AI is no longer a futuristic add-on but an everyday reality.

“As the “AI generation” is coming, the marketing scholars need to be ready to take part and transform the field”

- Nesenur Altinigne Ekici

The sessions, discussions, and debates revolved around how marketing can both adapt to and actively shape an AI-driven world. The focus was not only on the opportunities AI offers but also on its limitations and ethical dilemmas.

Supporting Early Career Scholars: The Researcher Symposium

The conference began with the Early Researcher Symposium, a tradition that started six years ago and has become a valued space for young academics. The symposium aims to shed light on the often-challenging realities of academic life, offering advice and inspiration.

One particularly memorable session was led by Anja Svetina Nabergoj (Assoc. Prof. at University of Ljubljana), who spoke about fostering creativity in research. She encouraged participants to reframe their projects in unconventional ways — for example, by imagining a research project as a city with interconnected structures and then exploring where new connections could be made. This approach resonated strongly with participants.

“This workshop took me out of my comfort zone. I didn’t think I could get a new perspective on the research I’ve been working on for 4 years in just a couple of minutes”.

-Gabriela Lima, PhD student at UFES, Brazil

Other presentations tackled practical but essential topics such as submitting research successfully (Zeynep Gürhan Canlı, Prof. at Koç University) and navigating the job market while maintaining work-life balance (Anatoli Colicev, Prof. at University of Liverpool, and Andreas Lanz, Prof. at University of Basel). Discussions reminded participants that although academia often feels deeply personal, it is important to maintain perspective and avoid internalizing professional setbacks. Striking this balance, as several speakers emphasized, is key to a sustainable and fulfilling academic career.

Debating AI: Promise, Pitfalls, and the Path Forward

The following two days were filled with inspiring sessions, editor meetings, and heated debates on AI’s role in marketing. Scholars broadly acknowledged AI’s usefulness — whether for troubleshooting code, generating visual materials, or even sparking new ideas. Yet, enthusiasm was balanced with caution. Many agreed that while AI offers remarkable opportunities, it also introduces new risks and uncertainties.

When used as a chatbot, for example, it can produce biased or inappropriate content. Companies such as Duolingo and Klarna have already faced consumer backlash after experimenting with AI-based solutions.

In a presentation, Oguz Acar elaborated on the dual nature of this moment for marketing scholars — both a profound opportunity and a pressing challenge. Marketing is among the fastest business functions adopting AI, placing the discipline at the forefront of transformation. Practitioners are now grappling with questions around customer engagement, personalization, and creative production. For scholars, this creates a rare opportunity to influence how AI evolves in marketing practice. At the same time, it requires navigating a moving target, as research and teaching methods themselves are being rapidly reshaped by AI.

“It is amazing and terrifying to be a marketing scholar in the age of AI. We want to shape this transformation, not just observe it.”

-Oguz A. Acar, Prof. at King’s College London

Discussions also touched upon the ethical implications of AI use in academic research. While many journals now require authors to disclose when AI tools have been used, participants agreed that clearer guidelines are still needed. When is AI acceptable in research, and when does its use cross a line? Most agreed that applying AI to automate repetitive tasks or assist with coding is legitimate. However, reliance on AI for experimental design, theoretical frameworks, or conceptual contributions remains highly debatable.

This ongoing discussion highlighted a key point: the role of marketing scholars is not only to adopt new technologies but also to critically evaluate their impact. Preparing future generations of students to both embrace AI and question it responsibly emerged as a shared priority.

Beyond Research: Building a Supportive Community

Of course, the EMAC Fall Conference was not just about academic debates. Informal moments over meals, coffee breaks, and shared sightseeing in Istanbul played an equally important role in building connections. The combination of inspiring presentations, lively discussions, delicious food, and breathtaking views reminded participants why conferences are such powerful academic experiences.

Perhaps the best summary of EMAC’s spirit came from Nesenur Altinigne Ekici, who described the organization as more than just a professional network:

“EMAC is like a helpful friend in your life, and I like being part of this community.”

Looking Ahead

Leaving Istanbul, one could not help but feel both energized and reflective. The conversations started here will continue long after the Bosphorus faded from view — pushing marketing scholarship forward in an AI-driven world. Much of this work will center on understanding the evolving relationship between humans and AI: how consumers perceive, mis/trust, and interact with AI systems that increasingly shape consumer choices and experiences. At the same time, scholars are rethinking marketing communication and branding in an era of generative AI, exploring how AI influencers, synthetic content, and personalized algorithms transform how brands connect with audiences, and what this means for authenticity, creativity, and ethics.

Source: Photos by author

Source: Photos by author

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This article was written by

Veronica Burbulea

Ph.D. candidate at the University of Groningen (the Netherlands)