The emergence of B2B omni-channel marketing in the digital era: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to provide a systematic review of omni-channel marketing (OCM) literature and explore how it relates to business-to-business (B2B) marketing campaign development in the digital era. OCM’s evolution is tracked, exposing the areas in which research is most prevalent while also recognising knowledge gaps. Informed by these literature insights, the changing B2B channel dynamics that present within a digital era customer journey are appraised. An OCM model for B2B marketing campaign development is produced and avenues to further research are presented. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a systematic approach to explore OCM literature. This review informs an OCM model for B2B marketing campaign development to help advance conceptualisation of OCM B2B customer engagement as an emerging phenomena in the digital era. Findings With just 21 papers identified, OCM is assumed to fit the criteria of an emerging concept as proposed in previous research studies. The proposed model presents the changing B2B omni-channel dynamics that can be used to create B2B OCM strategies, incorporating the myriad of B2B customer channels and touchpoints currently fabricating the modern B2B marketing terrain. Research limitations/implications Conceptual in nature, there is a need for more empirical research to fully comprehend the emerging OCM landscape and how it relates to B2B customer dynamics. Originality/value This research provides much-needed conceptualisation of data capture and management strategies for B2B marketing campaign development across the omni-channel in the digital era. While systematic literature reviews exist within the OCM realm, none have charted the current OCM literature.

Organizational resilience under COVID-19: the role of digital technology in R&D investment and performance

“…Big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies have changed the way firms operate. For example, digital production is emerging in manufacturing; online e-commerce platforms and digital marketing are emerging in retail; and online payment is emerging in finance (Hayes and Kelliher, 2022;Luangrath et al, 2022). All industries have thus started investing more in R&D to promote continuous innovation and enhance firm digitization with high R&D investment.…”

Effects of interfirm IT capability and interfirm trust on omnichannel integration: the mediating role of interfirm integration

“…This study extends this line of research by identifying interfirm IT capability and interfirm trust as interfirm relationships that advance interfirm integration, which is an important precondition for omnichannel distribution. This investigation responds to the research call to understand B2B relationships in the context of omnichannel marketing (Hayes and Kelliher, 2022; Hossain et al , 2020). Thus, this research extends the existing work by contextualizing interfirm relationships in omnichannel marketing.…”

A systematic review of customer behavior in business-to-business markets and agenda for future research

“…Following prior systematic literature reviews (Cartwright et al , 2021; Hayes and Kelliher, 2022; Vrontis and Christofi, 2021), our research aims to review customer behavior in the B2B context and proposes a research agenda for future studies. Our study consolidates knowledge in this area and highlights several ways to improve its understanding.…”

“…Systematic literature reviews are common in several exact sciences, such as medicine, chemistry and others (Harris et al , 2006; Moher et al , 2009), and they are an increasing trend in the management and marketing fields of study, applied in recent studies published in the premier and high-impact management journals (Cartwright et al , 2021; Hayes and Kelliher, 2022; Kumar et al , 2020; Rosado-serrano et al , 2018). The systematic literature review is the appropriate method for this research, as it provides a comprehensive and high-quality state-of-the-art review of the research focusing on B2B customer behavior.…”