Digital marketing integration and educational product innovation: the mediating effect of organizational innovation climate

This study investigates the relationships between digital marketing strategies (social media marketing, video marketing, and artificial intelligence marketing), organizational innovation climate, and product innovation performance in Malaysian educational institutions, focusing on the mediating effect of organizational innovation climate. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design is employed, collecting data from 169 employees working in Malaysian educational institutions, including administrative staff, marketing personnel, academic leaders, and innovation team members from both public and private institutions. The research model is tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that all three dimensions of digital marketing positively impact organizational innovation climate, with artificial intelligence marketing demonstrating the strongest effect (β = 0.323), followed by video marketing (β = 0.289) and social media marketing (β = 0.247). Organizational innovation climate significantly influences product innovation performance (β = 0.683). While social media marketing and video marketing exhibit both direct and indirect effects on innovation performance, artificial intelligence marketing operates entirely through organizational innovation climate, indicating full mediation. The results suggest that educational institutions should implement advanced digital marketing tools alongside nurturing organizational structures that support innovation, with artificial intelligence marketing investments requiring simultaneous development of innovation-friendly climates. Strategic digital marketing significantly impacts educational product innovation through organizational innovation climate, enabling institutions to adapt to emerging insights and design innovative educational products tailored to student demands.