Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Mediation: Ai, Social Media Marketing, and Purchase Intentions: A Literature Review
Abstract
The rapid advancement of digital technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Social Media Marketing (SMM), has transformed modern marketing practices and consumer behaviour. Organizations increasingly use AI-driven tools, including chatbots, predictive analytics, recommendation systems, and personalized marketing, alongside social media platforms to enhance customer engagement and influence purchasing decisions. However, technological innovation alone may not directly increase consumer purchase intentions without effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM). This literature review examines the mediating role of CRM in the relationship between technological advances and consumer purchase intentions. It synthesizes recent studies in digital marketing, consumer behaviour, and relationship management, focusing on trust, customer engagement, relationship quality, personalization, satisfaction, and loyalty. The review incorporates Relationship Marketing Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) Theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV) to explain the mechanisms linking AI and SMM to purchase intention. Findings indicate that AI and SMM can strengthen purchase intentions through CRM capabilities that improve customer experiences and relational value. Research gaps include limited integration of AI, SMM, and CRM, insufficient longitudinal studies, and ethical concerns surrounding AI-driven interactions. This review proposes a conceptual framework positioning CRM as a key mediator and provides implications for technology-enabled relationship management strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Li Zhi, Mohamad Nasir Saludin, Muhammad Omar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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