The importance of marketing capabilities continues to grow yet research remains concentrated in developed markets. Although several researchers provide evidence of the influence of marketing capabilities on market performance, very little of similar evidence exists in the digital marketing domain. Empirical evidence of the impact of digital marketing capabilities on market performance of small to medium enterprise (SME) agro-processors particularly from developing countries remains scarce. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of digital marketing capabilities on SME agro-processors’ both intermediate and final market performance outcomes. To achieve this, we conducted a survey of 298 SME agro-processors’ managers and owners in Harare, Zimbabwe. A mixed sampling approach consisting of quota and stratified sampling approaches was adopted. We distributed a closed-ended questionnaire through the drop-off & pick-up and interviewer-based methods. The data was analysed statistically using STATA version 15. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine impact of digital marketing capabilities on market performance. Our findings indicate that digital strategy development & execution, digital market innovation, e-market sensing and leadership capabilities positively influence intermediate market outcomes of customer awareness, customer attitudes, availability, and brand associations. However only digital strategy development & execution capability was positively associated with final market performance outcomes of sales growth, market share and profitability. These results imply that agro-processors must develop digital marketing capabilities that enable them to move beyond intermediate market outcomes to attain the primary business objectives of profitability, sales growth and market share. Attaining intermediate market outcomes only is not enough for business sustainability. The study contributes to literature by extending the marketing capabilities discussion to the digital marketing environment in a developing country context. This was important because marketing knowledge is contextual, as such cannot easily be transferred from one market to the other.

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The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss the determinants that inhibit mobile banking adoption by the rural unbanked in Zimbabwe. The researchers conducted an extensive literature search. The references consulted were categorically analysed and articles were considered to compile the findings of this paper. The study provides a contribution to practice by providing a better understanding of issues associated with mobile banking diffusion mechanisms that aid the adoption of mobile banking systems. The main findings of the research indicate that there is a slow and often annoying adoption of mobile banking within Zimbabwe by the rural unbanked due to a considerable number of inhibitive factors. This research reveals the nature of adoption that may reliably inform service providers about strategies to consider when appealing to this market segment. The study also shows that mobile banking adoption cannot ignore the use of marketing oriented factors in order to avoid the assumption of being myopic by considering only the product based variables to assess behavioural intention to adopt mobile banking services as identified in Technology Acceptance Model. However, the literature review also reveals that there are virtually no substantive theoretical researches which adequately extend the TAM using all the marketing mix elements. Therefore Technology Acceptance Model is extended using the marketing mix elements to better predict the behavioural intention to adopt mobile banking by the rural unbanked. This research, having studied the behaviour of the rural unbanked, argues that mobile banking service providers are likely to develop tailor-made integrated marketing mix strategies in order to financially include this market segment. The paper recommends for future research to use the additional marketing mix elements of physical evidence, processes and people in the adoption of mobile banking services by the rural unbanked.

Agro-processors are important to economies of developing countries as they help create jobs, alleviate poverty and improve food security. These goals are important for Zimbabwe -a country ranked among the poorest countries in the world. However, small to medium sized agro-processors face marketing challenges, especially in the digital environment. The challenges are mainly due to limited digital marketing resources and capabilities as witnessed by poor website design, and low visibility in trending social media platforms. As such, marketing costs remain high, yet digital marketing provides an opportunity to cut costs, increase visibility, improve customer relationships, offer enhanced market sensing, and increase customer convenience. In view of these possible contributions, this paper sought to establish whether possession of certain digital marketing resources and capabilities can improve agro-processors' market performance. This is important because marketing is contextual, theories and concepts that apply in developed markets are not easily applicable to developing countries. As such, a new set of skills and knowledge is required. This paper contributes to literature on resource-based view, marketing capability, subsistence marketing, and marketing performance. To achieve that, the researchers reviewed and developed a conceptual model using literature on digital marketing, marketing resources, capabilities and market performance.The model and paper at large are original in that it takes a digital marketing and developing country perspective. Extant literature in Zimbabwe lacks an explanation to the impact of digital marketing resources, and capabilities on market performance of agro-processors. The study implies that different markets and contexts require different knowledge and skills; as such, researchers must test existing and new frameworks in different environments to develop relevant knowledge.

This article describes corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an organisational tool whose successful implementation can be used to gain brand loyalty. The benefits of CSR to society have been well documented to a great extent. However, there is very little information on the benefits of it to the actual corporations that practice it. This lack of knowledge is what motivated the study on which this article is based. The key objectives of the study for the article were to determine consumer attitudes towards specific CSR programs, determine the impact of CSR on brand image and brand loyalty and determine what kinds of CSR programs are considered to be adequate by consumers to qualify as socially responsible. A quantitative survey was done using customers of the South African mobile phone service provider Vodacom. A self administered questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. The main findings of the study were that although most consumers were not aware of what CSR as a concept is, they felt that companies are obligated to be socially responsible. Most importantly however, it was determined that the knowledge of a firm’s CSR initiatives may lead to enhanced corporate image and brand loyalty. From the findings, this article recommends that corporations need to take a more proactive rather than a reactive approach to societal and environmental issues. It also recommends that companies need to be more transparent about their CSR initiatives to consumers which in turn leads to increased stakeholder engagement.

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The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the meaning attached to CSR as a concept and the legal, economic and ethical CSR activities of SMEs in Zimbabwe. For a long time researchers have concentrated on studying the impact of CSR practices on the operations of SMEs and yet very little regard has been given to investigating the relationship between CSR meaning and CSR activities in SMEs.The study made use of questionnaires to collect data from a sample of 201 SMEs residing in the region of Harare. The correlation method was adopted in order to examine the relationship between CSR meaning and CSR activities of SMEs in Zimbabwe. The results of the study revealed that the meaning of CSR is related to the major CSR activities undertaken by SMEs in Zimbabwe. This means SMEs that indulge in donating money and goods to need people will define CSR as donations in cash or kind. Therefore the meaning attached to CSR must be related to the legal, economic and ethical CSR activities of SMEs in Zimbabwe. For this reason there is no standard meaning for CSR.