Rethinking Brand Orientation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The digital revolution—which was initially fueled by the widespread diffusion of the internet and subsequently accelerated by the rise of social media—has ushered in a profound transformation of both marketing and branding. This transformation has recently reached its most radical and disruptive phase with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) applications and the emergence of AI-based experiential environments. Today, AI is the foremost technology-driven transformative force reshaping brand management, alongside hyperconnectivity, openness, and immersiveness. Together, these forces are redefining the logic of interaction among brands, firms, and consumers and thereby reshaping brand orientation. Despite brand concept innovation and the significant renewal of branding practices from both managerial and organizational perspectives, the academic literature still lacks a comprehensive theoretical framework for interpreting how brand orientation is evolving in the age of AI. This study aims to address this gap by advancing an integrated conceptual framework for strengthening and rethinking brand orientation while considering the innovations introduced by AI and other technology-driven transformative forces. It offers a concrete perspective on this evolution through the analysis of two case vignettes, which illustrate how the dimensions of brand orientation are being enhanced within two AI-based experiential contexts: voice assistants and the metaverse. The paper aims to offer a meaningful contribution to both academic inquiry and managerial application by identifying and discussing the key challenges that organizations must confront to strengthen and rethink brand orientation in the age of AI as an increasingly reactive, predictive, and collaborative strategic approach.