Digital Transformation in Marketing through a Customer Knowledge Management Approach for Startups and SMEs: An EdTech Startup Case Study

Abstract

Technologies are transforming marketing organizations; and exploiting the full potential of this transformation is one of the key challenges for startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) requiring a holistic management approach towards Knowledge Management (KM) in the digital context. This paper addresses a central question from a resource-based perspective: how startups and SMEs with inadequate capabilities and limited resources drive digital transformation in marketing? Customer Knowledge Management (CKM) which integrates approaches from Knowledge Management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can play an important role towards this goal. This paper examines the evolving role of data sciences in relation to marketing for effective Customer Knowledge Management in startups and SMEs. Adopting a case study methodology in EdTech startup based in Egypt, this paper suggests technological tools that help startups and SMEs with limited resources and capabilities take advantage of data sciences in relation to marketing and extract valuable customer knowledge to improve CRM effectiveness. The case study also sheds some light on the relevant organizational factors that could help such organizations align the CRM business processes with IT infrastructure. This research provides some guidance, from an organizational perspective, to startups and SMEs in their digital transformation in marketing.