Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to investigate the marketing and communication activities carried out by small management consulting firms and how they relate to customers.Design/methodology/approachAfter the framing of the literature on the subject, the study is based on the results of a survey carried out through an online questionnaire. The sample under investigation is represented by 914 small consulting firms located in central Italy.FindingsResults show that half of the sample carried out marketing and communication activities, mainly through the website and social media, while others participating in events as speakers at conferences. It also emerges that management consulting firms carry out activities aimed at maintaining relationship with customers even if they do not invest time in market research in order to find potential and new clients.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that management consulting firms should adopt a systematic and strategic approach to communication and should develop a complete and integrated digital communication strategy, as well as to rethink the consulting business model.Originality/valueThere are no previous studies that provide insight into the everyday practice of marketing and communication of small management consulting services in today's dynamic and changing economic environment.

Highlights

  • Professional service firms are at the extreme end of the intangibility range (Amonini et al, 2010) because their main input and output is knowledge (von Nordenflycht, 2010)

  • The results show communication effectiveness to be a key driver of all antecedent variables, and the single most powerful determinant of relationship commitment

  • After an overview of the main studies related to marketing processes in consultancy companies, the paper shows the adoption of marketing and communication tools in small Italian management consulting firms

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Professional service firms are at the extreme end of the intangibility range (Amonini et al, 2010) because their main input and output is knowledge (von Nordenflycht, 2010). This knowledge is embedded in specialized services such as consultancy, usually developed and delivered by highly skilled employees. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Objectives
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.