A new customer. A new marketing discipline.

When AI does
the shopping,
will it choose you?

Machines are becoming buyers. Discover a framework for reaching the human who sets the preferences and the agent that acts on them.

Explore the framework ↗Discover the book

EDWARD E. SMALLWOOD, Ph.D. · AUTHOR & SPEAKER

Machine
MarketingHow Brands Get Chosen
When AI Does the ShoppingEDWARD E. SMALLWOOD, Ph.D.
THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MARKETINGManuscript in development · Concept cover

Framework presented to audiences at

ANAIABCIMM

Advertising. Marketing.
Media measurement.

01 / The Dual-Channel Strategy

Two audiences.
One connected strategy.

The consumer still matters. So does the software buying on their behalf. Successful marketing must connect both.

THE HUMAN CHANNEL / 01

Persuasion.

Build the preference. Shape the values, expectations, and brand affinities people bring to the instructions they give their agents.

THE MACHINE CHANNEL / 02

Verifiability.

Support the choice. Make product facts, pricing, availability, and policies accessible, consistent, and ready for a machine to act on.

Human preference → Agent instructions → Verifiable evidence → Purchase
An illustrative scenario

“Keep us stocked on dog food.”

The person chooses what matters: ingredients, freshness, budget. An agent compares the options and may handle the order. The brand must earn the preference and satisfy the requirements.

02 / Ideas to change your perspective

A different buyer changes
the questions you ask.

01 — VISIBILITY

The Zero-Click
Conundrum

How do you understand brand evaluations that happen inside an agent’s decision process, beyond the reach of conventional click-based analytics?

02 — ACCESS

Firewalling Your
Best Customer

The systems built to block bots can also block a consumer’s buying agent. How do you distinguish a threat from a customer ready to transact?

03 — RETENTION

From Brand Loyalty
to Path Persistence

A machine has no emotional attachment to a brand. Repeated selection may instead depend on reliable performance, current evidence, and transaction readiness.

03 / The book

Machine Marketing

How Brands Get Chosen When AI Does the Shopping

Written for marketing, media, and data leaders preparing for delegated commerce. The manuscript connects the changing customer journey to measurement, organizational responsibility, and the decisions behind the budget.

Manuscript in development

Persuasion for the human.
Verifiability for the machine.
  • 01Understand what happens when the funnel collapses.
  • 02Explore new measures of inclusion, citation, and reliance.
  • 03Build shared responsibility across marketing and data teams.
  • 04Turn the framework into a practical implementation roadmap.
Ask about the book ↗
04 / About the author

Edward E. Smallwood, Ph.D.

Ed Smallwood brings more than three decades of experience across advertising, marketing, corporate communication, data, and measurement. His work explores what happens when the assumptions behind human marketing meet a customer that operates through software.

He holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Regent University and has presented the Machine Marketing framework to audiences at the Association of National Advertisers, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement.

His article, “Agentic Marketing: Strategic Brand Management for Autonomous Decision Systems,” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Brand Strategy.

05 / Consulting & advisory

Prepare your business
for the machine customer.

Practical guidance for marketers, agencies, and organizations navigating AI-mediated discovery, evaluation, and purchasing.

01 / Assess

Machine marketing readiness

Examine how your brand supports human preference and machine evaluation. Identify gaps in product evidence, information consistency, measurement, and organizational ownership.

A starting point: A prioritized view of where to focus first.

02 / Plan

Strategy & measurement

Apply the Dual-Channel Strategy to your market. Define what to test, which signals to monitor, and how to evaluate progress as customer journeys change.

A path forward: A practical roadmap connecting priorities, responsibilities, and measures.

03 / Align

Leadership & team workshops

Bring marketing, data, technology, and agency partners into a shared conversation. Work through relevant scenarios, budget trade-offs, and the decisions your team needs to make.

A shared direction: Clear next steps and ownership across your team.

Start with the question your team is facing.

Engagements can range from a focused strategy session to a tailored assessment or ongoing advisory support. Scope and deliverables are agreed around your goals.

Discuss your needs ↗
06 / Bring the conversation to your team

Your next customer
may be an agent.

Explore what that means for your organization through a keynote, executive discussion, or industry conversation with Ed.

Start a conversation ↗
The rise of the machine customer ↗
The Dual-Channel Strategy ↗
Measurement beyond clicks ↗
Who owns the machine customer? ↗