Conceptualization of Sustainable Marketing Tools among SME Managers in Selected Countries in Poland and Sri Lanka

Abstract

The implementation of the concept of sustainable marketing in corporate strategies plays a significant role in the realities of the modern market. The failure to include actions for sustainable development in traditional marketing mix tools makes it necessary to redefine them. The main goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the scope of implementing sustainable marketing tools (5P) in SMEs of the food and drink industry in socioeconomically diverse markets of Poland (as an example of a developed country) and Sri Lanka (as an example of a developing country). This empirical study was based on responses obtained from 262 questionnaires conducted among SMEs operating in two different countries, i.e., 150 companies operating in Poland (example of a developed country), and 112 in Sri Lanka (example of a developing country). The aim of this study is to provide a complete understanding of the scope of implementing a sustainable marketing mix in SMEs operating in the food industry within Poland and Sri Lanka—in particular, the ways of defining individual marketing tools, as well as the differences between enterprises operating in the two surveyed countries.