Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Marketers Still Use Heuristics, Even with Fancy Automation!
The study finds that marketing automation, while changing the context of decision-making, doesn't eliminate marketers' reliance on heuristics. Instead, the scope of heuristics shifts to different stages of the decision-making process, particularly in data selection, interpretation of AI/ML outputs, and system control. The "black box" nature of machine learning necessitates human oversight and control within automated marketing processes.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Identified Weaknesses
Limited Sample Size and Diversity
The limited sample size of 22 interviewees, with only two women, restricts the generalizability of findings to the broader population of marketers and may not fully capture diverse perspectives.
Lack of Quantitative Analysis
The study's qualitative approach, while offering rich insights, lacks the quantitative rigor to establish definitive causal relationships between marketing automation and decision-making models.
Rapid Technological Change
The rapidly evolving nature of AI and marketing automation may render some findings obsolete quickly, limiting the long-term applicability of the research.
Limited Scope of Automation Focus
The focus on marketing tasks may not fully address the broader implications of automation and AI for managerial roles and organizational structures.
Rating Explanation
The study provides interesting qualitative insights into how marketing automation affects decision-making. However, methodological limitations, particularly the small sample size and lack of quantitative analysis, prevent stronger conclusions. The rapidly changing technological landscape also limits the generalizability of findings. No obvious COI noted.
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File Information
Original Title:
Marketing automation and the scope of marketers’ heuristics
Uploaded:
July 14, 2025 at 07:00 AM
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