The use of communication activities in the development of small to medium‐sized enterprise brands

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) use particular brand communication activities to develop their brands.Design/methodology/approachAs a means to build some understanding about this phenomenon, a “contemporary marketing practices” perspective was used as a theoretical framework to 30 holistic case studies in Mexico. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with brand owner/managers.FindingsFindings suggest four categories of brand communication activities based on interactional, transactional, and e‐marketing approaches, including “close and personal”, “mass‐personalisation”, “mass”, and “e‐communication” activities.Research limitations/implicationsMany more activities were found in interactional marketing as it appeared to be more suited to SMEs and context. Future research may address key activities for further investigation such as word‐of‐mouth as a key role in SME brand communication.Practical implicationsThis study confirms the key participatory role of the brand owner with regard to brand communication activities.Originality/valueThis is one of the first articles that attempts to explain how SME brands use marketing communication tools to interact with their stakeholders for brand development.

SMEs Branding: The Interaction of Entrepreneurial Orientation

“…However, the process needs teamwork to integrate the identity of the brand with the organisation's marketing and other activities. This result supports those of Spence and Essoussi (2010) [70] and Centeno and Hart (2012) [18]. Brand distinctiveness shows an insignificant impact on brand performance.…”

“…Furthermore, a case study research investigates four consumer goods SMEs and shows that owners' personality, values and beliefs play significant roles in building and transmitting brand identity (Spence & Essoussi, 2010) [70]. In particular, SMEs' founder or owners should take advantage of any opportunity to talk about their own company and promote the company's brand name (Centeno & Hart, 2012) [18]. Service SMEs could also benefit from creating a brand name.…”

“…On the other hand, limited resources usually restrict the branding process where many SMEs cannot afford to pay the expenses of branding. In a case study research, Mexican SMEs show that owners or managers are the main players of any practice of branding and their personality is highly observed, not only within branding strategy but also among all marketing activities (Centeno & Hart,212) [18]. To that extent, it seems that SME owners are the majorsometimes only-player in determining brand identity.…”

Examining the Effectiveness of Relationship Marketing Strategies on Medical Tourism

“…31,32,33 It relies on transactional marketing strategy that focuses on single point of sale transactions and the emphasis is generally on maximizing the efficiency and revenue rather than developing and managing customer relationship. 34,35 In this case, a product or service is just seen as a commodity, not a brand name which can be used to distinguish one product or service from its competitors. 36,37,38 The main purpose of having a brand name is often associated with the ability to charge higher prices as well as better access to the market.…”

Contemporary marketing practices approaches in the professional services industry in Brazil

“…Conversely, in the relational perspective, CMP postulates that long-term relationships with clients and other stakeholders are the most important means of achieving the organization's long-term objectives (Little, Brookes & Palmer, 2008;Centeno & Hart, 2012). In this context, the maturity of the CMP processes hinges on the degree of interaction between the firm and its customers and stakeholders (Coviello & Brodie, 2001;Coviello, Milley & Marcolin, 2001;Coviello et al, 2002).…”