AI-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, BRANDING, AND DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHIES

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has transformed digital communication into increasingly complex, hybrid, and adaptive forms, giving rise to what is now conceptualized as AI-mediated communication (AI-MC). This study aims to explore the interconnections between AI-mediated communication, branding practices, and diverse approaches within digital ethnographies. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review, the study synthesizes key theoretical developments in computer-mediated communication, human–computer interaction, AI-driven communication, and branding, as well as emerging methodological paradigms in digital ethnography. The analysis reveals that AI-mediated communication fundamentally reshapes branding by enabling personalized, data-driven, and real-time interactions between brands and audiences. AI systems not only act as communication channels but also as active agents that co-create messages, influence perceptions, and mediate relational dynamics between organizations and stakeholders. In this context, branding evolves from a firm-controlled activity into a co-constructed, technologically mediated process shaped by algorithmic logic and user interaction. Furthermore, the study identifies strong alignment between AI-MC and various digital ethnographic approaches, such as virtual ethnography, netnography, mobile ethnography, and, in particular, appsnography, which provide nuanced frameworks for understanding technocultural interactions within AI-driven environments. These approaches enable deeper insights into how meaning, identity, and brand experiences are constructed through human–AI engagement. This study contributes theoretically by proposing an integrative perspective that positions AI-mediated communication as a bridging concept linking branding and digital ethnography, thereby opening new directions for future research on algorithmic communication, co-creation, and technocultural dynamics. In practical terms, the findings offer valuable implications for industry practitioners, suggesting that effective branding strategies must incorporate AI capabilities while maintaining ethical considerations, user experience, and cultural sensitivity. This study thus provides a foundational reference for both scholars and practitioners navigating the evolving landscape of AI-driven communication and branding.