This study aims to (1) empirically analyse the influence of the perceived usefulness of artificial intelligence chatbot marketing activities on customer–brand relationship (CBR) quality and customer response, and (2) analyse the contribution of CBR quality generated by chatbot marketing activities to customer response.
Data were collected from an online questionnaire administered to 1,319 Portuguese consumers who had used chatbots in online shopping within the last year. The hypotheses formulated in the research model were tested using the Partial Least Squares method.
The results show that companies should use chatbots as marketing tools in their online shops. Once customers perceive their usefulness (interaction, information, accessibility, entertainment and personalization), they can strengthen the CBR quality through satisfaction and trust. This can lead to customer satisfaction and loyalty and an effective customer response, triggering feelings of loyalty, brand preference and intention to purchase the product or service.
We contribute by identifying the antecedents and outcomes of CBR quality generated by chatbot marketing activities.
