Unit 4: Emerging technologies
Digital Analytics, AI and Marketing Automation notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 974-26)
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Unit summary
Emerging technologies keep creating new ways to reach and serve customers, under evolving rules. This unit covers blockchain applications in marketing and digital trust, voice commerce and conversational marketing, AR and VR applications, IoT marketing, predictive marketing and future consumer trends, and digital governance and privacy regulations.
After this unit you can
- Explain blockchain applications and digital trust
- Explain voice commerce, conversational marketing, AR and VR
- Explain IoT and predictive marketing and future consumer trends
- Explain digital governance and privacy regulations
PTU syllabus topics
- Blockchain applications in marketing and digital trust
- voice commerce and conversational marketing
- AR/VR applications
- IoT marketing
- predictive marketing and future consumer trends
- digital governance and privacy regulations
Blockchain
Transparent ads, loyalty
Voice and conversational commerce
AR and VR
Immersive try-ons
IoT
Connected-device data
Privacy regulation
DPDP Act, GDPR
Topic 1
Blockchain and digital trust
- Blockchain: a decentralised, tamper-resistant digital ledger.
- Applications: transparency in ad delivery and fighting ad fraud, supply chain traceability (proving authenticity and origin), loyalty points as tokens across partners, NFTs for digital collectibles and community access, consent and data ownership.
- Limits: scalability, energy use (for some chains), regulatory uncertainty (India taxes virtual digital assets at 30%), consumer understanding.
Topic 2
Voice commerce
- Voice search: queries through assistants (Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri) — longer, conversational, often local ("best biryani near me").
- Optimisation: natural-language content, FAQ pages, featured snippets, local SEO, structured data, fast mobile pages.
- Voice commerce: ordering and reordering by voice — groceries, recharges; vernacular voice interfaces expand reach in India.
Topic 3
Conversational marketing
- Conversational marketing: real-time, one-to-one dialogue with customers through chat, messaging and voice — WhatsApp Business, website chat, chatbots, AI assistants.
- Benefits: faster responses, higher conversion, personalised help; practices: quick replies, human handover, consent for messaging, integration with CRM.
Topic 4
AR and VR applications
Experience
Digital elements overlaid on the real world
Fully immersive virtual environment
Device
Smartphone camera, smart glasses
VR headset
Marketing use
Virtual try-on (glasses, makeup), furniture placement, interactive packaging
Virtual store visits, property tours, brand experiences
Example
Lenskart 3D try-on, IKEA Place
Virtual test drives, hotel previews
Topic 5
IoT marketing
- Connected devices — smart speakers, wearables, connected cars, appliances — create real-time data and new touchpoints.
- Applications: usage-based offers and replenishment (smart appliances ordering supplies), location-triggered messages, personalised services, product improvement from usage data.
- Concerns: privacy, security, consent.
Topic 6
Predictive marketing and future consumer trends
- Predictive marketing: using data and models to anticipate customer needs — next purchase, best time and channel, demand forecasting, dynamic pricing.
- Future trends: AI shopping assistants and agents, hyper-personalisation, privacy-first and first-party data, vernacular and voice-first Indian internet users, sustainability-conscious consumers, social and quick commerce, subscription models.
Topic 7
Digital governance and privacy regulations
India
DPDP Act 2023, IT Act 2000 and IT Rules 2021, Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, CCPA guidelines on dark patterns (2023), TRAI commercial communication rules
Global
EU GDPR, EU AI Act, California CCPA
Self-regulation
ASCI code, industry standards
- Governance practices: data inventories, consent management, privacy notices, data protection officers, vendor contracts, breach response, AI governance policies.
Key terms
- Conversational marketing
- Real-time dialogue-based marketing
- Voice commerce
- Purchasing through voice assistants
- IoT marketing
- Marketing using connected device data and touchpoints
- Predictive marketing
- Anticipating customer needs with models
- Consent management
- Recording and honouring users' data permissions
Quick revision
- Blockchain for transparency, loyalty, ad fraud prevention.
- Voice commerce; conversational marketing.
- AR and VR uses.
- IoT marketing; predictive marketing; consumer trends.
- DPDP Act, IT Rules, E-Commerce Rules, dark pattern guidelines, GDPR, AI Act; governance practices.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.State two blockchain applications in marketing.
- Q2.What is conversational marketing?
- Q3.Distinguish AR and VR.
- Q4.Give an example of IoT marketing.
- Q5.What is predictive marketing?
- Q6.Name three privacy regulations affecting digital marketing.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain blockchain applications in marketing and digital trust.
- Q2.Discuss voice commerce, conversational marketing and AR/VR applications.
- Q3.Explain IoT marketing, predictive marketing and future consumer trends.
- Q4.Discuss digital governance and privacy regulations in marketing.
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