Research Challenges in Digital Marketing: Sustainability

Francisco Diez-Martin,Alicia Blanco-Gonzalez,Camilo Prado-Roman

doi:10.3390/su11102839

Abstract

Great progress has been made in the field of marketing and sustainability. Nevertheless, there is still an important gap between the behavior and beliefs of society and markets about sustainability, and companies’ capability to understand and face this trend. Digital marketing is key to filling this gap. However, research in digital marketing and sustainability is very scarce. The purpose of this research is to examine the literature in the subject, since 2009 until 2018, and to elaborate a research agenda about digital marketing and sustainability. Through a previous analysis based on bibliometrics, a research agenda has been developed that shows the main challenges for the digital marketing and sustainability field: (1) customer orientation and value proposition; (2) digital consumer’s behavior; (3) digital green marketing; (4) competitive advantage; (5) supply chain; and (6) capabilities. This work contributes to the development of the research in digital marketing and sustainability, suggesting various challenges for the field that lead to future lines of research, and favoring the development of a new research approach capable of reducing the existing gap between society and business on sustainability issues.

Highlights

Internet is one of the main drivers of the increasing gap between markets and companies [1] and one of the biggest challenges for marketing [2]
Questions about the intellectual structure and the trends on the marketing and sustainability research field are answered. The analysis of these results provides a research framework which is inferred into a research agenda for digital marketing and sustainability
Research in digital marketing and sustainability is very scarce. This shortage in research has conditioned the methodology used for the creation of a digital marketing and sustainability research agenda

Summary

Introduction

Internet is one of the main drivers of the increasing gap between markets and companies [1] and one of the biggest challenges for marketing [2]. Digital marketing has transformed the way companies manage and communicate with their customers and society worldwide. It is becoming a key and necessary instrument to face the challenges that still exist in the field of marketing. Sustainability has transformed into one of the biggest challenges for companies since the beginning of 21th century, for marketers [3]. The discussion between marketing and sustainability has been widely treated by researchers [4,5], resulting in the fact that both concepts have mutual things to offer each other. Marketing allows greater behavioral comprehension of the clients and a tool to influence society’s attitudes and beliefs [4]

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Results