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.
Knowledge management (KM) has become an evolving discipline since the early 1990s, when organizations started perceiving knowledge as a valuable resource. This field of research has its origin in many disciplines, such as: information and IT management, computer science, enterprise management, organization science, human resource management and even philosophy, offering many potential research perspectives and approaches. For more than three decades, organizations of various types have been undertaking efforts to apply knowledge management, in order to benefit from a competitive advantage. Researchers and practitioners from diversified industries, and with different backgrounds, have tried to answer the question how to successfully manage knowledge, knowledge work and knowledge workers, still leaving much space for further research avenues Now, after all those years of research, some old questions have still not been answered and some new ones have arisen. During the pre-conference workshop on “The future of KM: short-time goals and long-term vision”, organized in Barcelona before the European Conference on Knowledge Management 2017 and conducted by myself and my colleague, Dr Sandra Moffett from Ulster University (UK), we asked the participants what their idea of the future of KM was. We could observe many different voices and approaches: some very pessimistic that KM is probably coming to an end, but mostly very promising that there are still many unexplored aspects of KM we should focus on and there is still a plethora of issues related to knowledge management that should be examined. Similar voices can be detected in the flagship article written by Meliha Handzic, who claims that KM definitely has a future, although it may not be without some challenges and obstacles to overcome. This paper links the past (three evolutionary stages of KM called fragmentation, integration and fusion) with the future of KM (three new trends named extension, specialization and reconceptualization). The author also suggests that KM should embrace different approaches under the “KM Conceptual Umbrella”, highlighting the possibility of addressing many themes, ideas or tools linked with knowledge. All the past and future evolutionary stages of KM are described in detail, together with the challenges that the KM field might face in the future. In the second paper, by Philip Sisson and Julie J. C. H. Ryan, the authors present a mental model of knowledge as a concept map being an input to KM research. The authors used qualitative methods, together with system engineering and object analysis methods, to collect various concepts and relate them. The issue of knowledge is elementary in knowledge management and showing the links between particular knowledge terms is of very high value to all KM researchers. Although the length of this article may constitute a challenge, it is definitely worth the effort as it illustrates many multifaceted, multilayered and multidimensional aspects of knowledge. The third paper by Karl Joachim Breunig and Hanno Roberts discusses another valid issue of value creation in the context of knowledge flow. The authors try to answer the question: How can we express knowledge in such a way that it can be monetized and made accessible to specific managerial interventions? Building on the previous extant studies and authors’ ideas, the paper points out that boundary spanners play a focal role in the monetization efforts of knowledge. In the fourth paper by Regina Lenart-Gansiniec one can read about crowdsourcing and the virtual knowledge sharing taking place in this process. The phenomenon of crowdsourcing is still under-researched and not much is known about the virtual exchange of knowledge in crowdsourcing and its benefits, such as co-creation, participation or gaining new ideas, and potential sources of innovations. Apart from the examination of the potential benefits of virtual knowledge sharing, the author also analyses ways of measuring virtual knowledge sharing in the process of crowdsourcing. The fifth paper by Kaja Prystupa concerns knowledge management processes in small entities and the role played by organizational culture. As the aim of this paper, the author set the examination of organizational culture in small Polish companies with the application of a symbiotic-interpretive perspective. Interesting outcomes of this study are: the confirmed role of organizational culture in KM initiatives, the importance of the founder and the industry, and the threat posed by organizational growth, which should be well-managed from the perspective of organizational culture so as not to hinder organizational performance. The sixth and the final paper, by David Mendes, Jorge Gomes and Mário Romão, deals with ways of creating intangible value through the use of a corporate employee portal. The authors undertake the effort to explain how such a portal fosters the creation of organizational values built on intangible assets. As the research confirms, an employee portal can be considered as a strategic tool for promoting organizational culture and cooperation, through information and communication fluxes and through the teamwork of collaborative functionalities. This issue of JEMI integrates contributions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States, Norway, Poland and Portugal. I would like to express my gratitude to all the authors who contributed to this special issue, proving that knowledge management is still a valid topic, and offering abundant research opportunities. I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to the anonymous reviewers who contributed highly to the selection of the best submissions for this issue and guided the authors to further improvements in their works. Finally, I would like to pay special thanks to Dr Anna Ujwary-Gil, Editor-in-Chief of JEMI, for her kind invitation to prepare this special issue and her continual support at each stage of its preparation. I do hope that the readers of JEMI find the selected papers valuable and that they enrich their knowledge on KM issues. Additionally, I do believe that the collected works will be inspiring and offer some future directions for the examination of the knowledge management field. Dr. Małgorzata Zięba Guest Editor, JEMI Assistant Professor, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland
This book provides a synthesis of research perspectives on customer engagement through a collection of chapters from thought leaders. It identifies cutting-edge metrics for capturing and measuring customer engagement and highlights best practices in implementing customer engagement marketing strategies. Responding to the rapidly changing business landscape where consumers are more connected, accessible, and informed than ever before, many firms are investing in customer engagement marketing. The book will appeal to academics, practitioners, consultants, and managers looking to improve customer engagement.
Digital Transformation in African SMES: Emerging Issues and Trends aims to shed light on the various advantages and drawbacks of the same along with the opportunities and markets that are emerging because of digital transformation. This book provides comprehensive insights into the role of electronic commerce in the success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, with a specific focus on Africa (Chapter 1). Chapter 2 explores the nexus between digital transformation and SME performance, offering perspectives from developing economies. The challenges faced by SMEs in Africa regarding the adoption of Big Data are examined in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 delves into the exploration of email marketing strategies among SMEs. Additionally, the book covers factors influencing the adoption of Big Data by SMEs in Africa (Chapter 5) and investigates the use of technology by SMEs and its impact on the firms (Chapter 6). Chapter 7 focuses on key factors and impacts related to the adoption of social media by Small and Medium Enterprises. The volume provides information for educators at all levels to obtain a complete understanding of the technology-based environment that impacts teaching and commerce. It also serves as a resource for policymakers, businessmen, researchers, and university and college students, interested in digital transformation in Africa.
Marketing and consumer science are undergoing a seismic shift, propelled by an array of dynamic trends and advancements. Technological advancements, along with shifting socioeconomic and geopolitical factors, have transformed consumer behaviors and preferences in unprecedented ways. As a result, anticipating emerging trends and adapting strategies accordingly has become essential for success in this dynamic landscape. New Trends in Marketing and Consumer Science is the groundbreaking solution poised to revolutionize how academia approaches the study of marketing and consumer science. This book offers a roadmap for scholars to navigate the evolving landscape with confidence and foresight while delving into the trends shaping the future of these disciplines. From AI and machine learning to sustainability and ethical marketing, each chapter provides invaluable insights and practical strategies for addressing the challenges of today and anticipating those of tomorrow.
As the world continues to grapple with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), organizations face numerous challenges in determining the most effective digital marketing strategies to promote DEI and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). These challenges can include determining the main objectives, deciding on the ideal means to communicate with the target market, and measuring the impact of the strategies implemented. Effective Digital Marketing for Improving Society Behavior Toward DEI and SDGs provides a comprehensive solution to these challenges. Edited by Inês Pereira, Paulo Alexandre, and José Duarte Santos, this book offers readers a wide range of knowledge areas, including corporate social responsibility, marginalized communities, and sustainability index, providing the necessary skills to understand and apply different digital marketing and communication strategies. Aimed at a diverse audience, including management and marketing academics, digital marketing managers and consultants, social marketers, NPOs managers, and brand communication managers, this book serves as an essential guide for anyone seeking to develop effective digital marketing and communication strategies that promote DEI and contribute to achieving SDGs. By providing practical guidance on non-profit marketing, storytelling for DEI, and sustainability, the book helps organizations measure their impact, contributing to improved society behavior towards DEI and SDGs.
Make customer value a C-Suite priority for lasting profits and growth While the Great Recession ravaged the balance sheets of long-standing leaders in their respective industries, many companies have actually gained market share, grown revenuesand profits, and created more value for customers. These are not flash-in-the-pan companies—world-beatersone year and stragglers the next. They are companies like Johnson& Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Fidelity, Cisco, Philips, Walmart, and Amazon. The success of these organizations isn’t the result of a brilliant strategy for bad times; it’sthe outcome of a highly effective long-term strategy that manages thecompany from the outside in. In Strategy from the Outside In, George S. Day and Christine Moormanexplain that the key to such lasting and highly profitable successis the ability to compete on and profit from customer value. It meansoperating from the outside in. It means always building strategy onmarket insight, and ensuring that every part of the company puts customervalue first. Applying years of research, Day andMoorman illustrate that an outside-in view requires constant vigilance and focus on four customer value imperatives: Be a customer value leader Innovate new value for customers Capitalize on the customer as an asset Capitalize on the brand as an asset Day and Moorman take you from theory to practice, with an emphasison real world stories, practical models, and useable metrics sothat you can profit from customer value. From the outside in.
Digital marketing now represents 25% of the marketing spend in the UK and this is predicted to move to 50% or higher within the next three years. Understanding Digital Marketing looks at the world of digital marketing: how it got started, how it got to where it is today, and where the thought leaders in the industry believe it is headed in the future. This authoritative title demonstrates how to harness the power of digital media and use it to achieve the utmost success in business, now and in the future.Understanding Digital Marketing deals with every key topic in detail, including:search marketing,social media, Google, mobile marketing, affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing, customer engagement and digital marketing strategies. Essential reading for both practitioners and students alike, and including real-world examples of digital marketing successes and expert opinions, Understanding Digital Marketing provides you with tools to utilize the power of the internet to take your company wherever you want it to go.
