Computerized content analysis of online data – opportunities for marketing scholars and practitioners
ISSN: 0309-0566
Article publication date: 27 February 2020
Issue publication date: 5 March 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main developments from the early days of manual content analysis to the adoption of computer-assisted content analysis and the emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-supported ways to analyze content (primarily text) in marketing and consumer research. A further aim is to outline the many opportunities these new methods offer to marketing scholars and practitioners facing new types of data.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper maps our methods used for content analysis in marketing and consumer research.
Findings
This paper concludes that many new and emerging forms of unstructured data provide a wealth of insight that is neglected by existing content analysis methods. The main findings of this paper support the fact that emerging methods of making sense of such consumer data will take us beyond text and eventually lead to the adoption of AI-supported tools for all types of content and media.
Originality/value
This paper provides a broad summary of nearly five decades of content analysis in consumer and marketing research. It concludes that, much like in the past, today’s research focuses on the producers of the words than the words themselves and urges researchers to use AI and machine learning to extract meaning and value from the oceans of text and other content generated by organizations and their customers.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
In closing, we express our sincere thanks to Greg Marshall, James Ryan and the EJM team at Emerald and of course to the many unnamed reviewers for their sterling service.
Citation
Kietzmann, J. and Pitt, L.F. (2020), "Computerized content analysis of online data – opportunities for marketing scholars and practitioners", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54 No. 3, pp. 473-477. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-01-2020-0007
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited