Consumer data analytics: review and future directions

Consumer data analytics (CDA) has empowered companies to better understand their consumers and, in turn, maintain their competitiveness in the marketplace. Research on this phenomenon has grown significantly owing to advancements in data-driven technologies. The use of data to gain valuable insights into consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours is of increasing interest in savvy businesses. Despite the importance of CDA, significant knowledge of this domain is still in the embryonic stage. This systematic literature review sought to consolidate prior studies, offer exemplary knowledge on CDA in the marketing domain, and provide potential future research avenues for scholarly enquiry. Drawing upon 117 articles published in top-tier marketing journals, this study employed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered thematic analysis to provide an objective and thorough understanding of the key areas of research on the subject. This study provides academic and industry insights into nine research themes which emerged from the literature and four broad future research avenues. The findings aim to assist consumer researchers and marketers in understanding CDA to uncover customer insights to inform effective marketing strategies.