2025 Summer Research Symposium • Lilian Hernandez Peregrino • July 9, 2025

Lilian Hernandez Peregrino

she/her

Class of 2025

Majors: International Business &

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Mentor: Zecong Ma, PhD, St. Mary’s University

AI-Powered Content Strategy Implementation: Evaluating Effectiveness for Startups in Four Industries

Startups face significant challenges in today’s rapidly evolving digital marketplace, particularly when competing with larger firms that can more readily absorb risk and adapt to technological change. Although established frameworks such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Joe Pulizzi’s Content Inc. model provide valuable guidance for early-stage ventures, they do not fully address the demands of modern marketing in an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence (AI). This qualitative multiple-case study examines how an AI-enhanced Content Inc. model can support more effective content marketing strategies for startups operating in four distinct industries: food, custom software development, outdoor consumer products, and grant management software. Using the BMC as a contextual framework, this research focuses on founders’ firsthand experiences and feedback to understand how AI tools influence the development and implementation of content strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the founders of each participating startup to capture insights on current practices, challenges, and the practical application of AI within a content-driven approach. Cross-case analysis was then used to compare how each industry adapted to the AI-enhanced model, highlighting which sectors may be best positioned for successful implementation. While the study’s findings are limited by its small sample size and an eight-week research period, the results aim to offer actionable insights for startups seeking to build sustainable growth through more efficient, technology-supported marketing strategies.

Keywords: startups, Content Inc. model, Business Model Canvas (BMC), artificial intelligence (AI), content marketing