Innovative marketing in SMEs: an empirical study

Abstract

This paper considers the nature of innovative marketing in the context of SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises). Research was carried out to identify SME decision-makers' perspectives on innovative marketing and to compare these with the nature of innovative marketing practices actually carried out by the SMEs. An interpretivist methodology was adopted for this research using convergent interviewing and observation techniques to help build up a picture of SME owner/managers' perceptions in relation to innovative marketing and to develop an understanding of the nature and scope of their marketing in practice. Eight case SMEs were selected in accordance with a pre-determined set of criteria enabling a purposive selection of case companies which were ‘rich’ in information in the selected research area. The empirical findings demonstrated that innovative marketing pervades much of SME owner/managers' thinking and marketing activity with particular reference to the competitive market circumstances within which they operate.