Abstract
This study examined the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) driven marketing technologies on confectionery consumption among Business Education undergraduates in public universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated the predictive effects of personalized marketing, voice assisted shopping and smart shopping on students’ consumption behaviour. A predictive correlational research design was employed to explore relationships between variables and predict consumption patterns. The population comprised 920 undergraduates in levels 200 to 400 during the 2024/2025 academic session from the University of Calabar and the University of Cross River State. Using Taro Yamane’s formula, a sample of 279 respondents was selected and stratified random sampling ensured proportional representation across study levels. Data were collected through a structured and validated questionnaire titled “Artificial Intelligence and Consumption of Confectionery Products among Business Education Undergraduates (AICCPBEU)”, which contained closed-ended and Likert-scale items. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to address the research questions, while simple linear regression tested the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Results indicated that all three AI driven marketing strategies significantly influenced confectionery consumption. Personalized marketing had the strongest predictive effect (β = 0.553), followed by smart shopping (β = 0.518) and voice assisted shopping (β = 0.487). Respondents also expressed positive perceptions of AI based marketing strategies. The study concluded that AI driven marketing technologies significantly shape confectionery consumption by enhancing convenience, personalization and consumer engagement. It recommended that confectionery companies adopt personalized digital marketing tools to improve targeted promotions and stimulate higher purchasing among undergraduates.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Business Education, Confectionery Consumption, Personalized Marketing, Smart Shopping, Voice Assisted Shopping.