The two-volume set LNBIP 480 and 481 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 22nd Wuhan International Conference, WHICEB 2023, held in Wuhan, China, in May 2023. The 61 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 350 submissions. They focus on innovative research findings, solutions, and approaches to make the Internet a productive and efficient vehicle for global commerce. This year’s topic is “Digital Empowerment for an Intelligent Future“.

The two-volume set LNBIP 480 and 481 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 22nd Wuhan International Conference, WHICEB 2023, held in Wuhan, China, in May 2023. The 61 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 350 submissions. They focus on innovative research findings, solutions, and approaches to make the Internet a productive and efficient vehicle for global commerce. This year’s topic is “Digital Empowerment for an Intelligent Future“.

The two-volume set LNBIP 480 and 481 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 22nd Wuhan International Conference, WHICEB 2023, held in Wuhan, China, in May 2023. The 61 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 350 submissions. They focus on innovative research findings, solutions, and approaches to make the Internet a productive and efficient vehicle for global commerce. This year's topic is "Digital Empowerment for an Intelligent Future".

The two-volume set LNBIP 480 and 481 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 22nd Wuhan International Conference, WHICEB 2023, held in Wuhan, China, in May 2023. The 61 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 350 submissions. They focus on innovative research findings, solutions, and approaches to make the Internet a productive and efficient vehicle for global commerce. This year's topic is "Digital Empowerment for an Intelligent Future".

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

This book examines issues and implications of digital and social media marketing for emerging markets. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. The book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, while identifying new theoretical constructs and practical applications of digital marketing. It addresses topics such as electronic word of mouth (eWOM), demographic differences in digital marketing, mobile marketing, search engine advertising, among others. A radical increase in both temporal and geographical reach is empowering consumers to exert influence on brands, products, and services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and fulfil their socio-economic, emotional and material needs. These technologies are also being harnessed by businesses for various purposes including distribution and selling of goods, retailing of consumer services, customer relationship management, and influencing consumer behaviour by employing digital marketing practices. This book considers this, as it examines the practice and research related to digital and social media marketing.