Exploring International Marketing Activities for Technological Industrial Products with a Focus on AI-driven Account-based Marketing for International Customer Acquisition: ISBN 978-952-64-9658-0

Digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly reshaped international sales and marketing, particularly for technological industrial products (Fischer et al., 2022; Moradi & Dass, 2022). This study explores how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry are navigating this shift. It focuses on the challenges these SMEs face in transitioning from traditional, resource-intensive account-based marketing (ABM) to AI-driven approaches (Burgess & Munn, 2021; Burgess & Shercliff, 2022). The research identifies a gap in understanding how SMEs are integrating AI-driven ABM to overcome hurdles in international customer acquisition in a digital global market. Through a multiple case study approach involving three HVAC companies, the study employs qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews and observational studies (Yin, 2009; Creswell, 2022; Stebbins, 2001, Morgan et. al., 2016). Findings reveal that while digitalization has empowered buyers to conduct extensive pre-purchase research independently (Keegan et al., 2022), marketers must now leverage AI to provide personalized, timely responses that align with buyers' specific needs and regulatory requirements (Pascucci et al., 2023; Golec, Isaacson & Fewless, 2019). This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of how digitalization and AI reshape cross-border buyer-marketer relationships and international marketing strategies.