EXPLORING THE ROLE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN ENHANCING CUSTOMER VALUE WITHIN B2B MARKETS
Abstract
This study explores the impact of digital communication strategies on customer value within the B2B oil and gas services sector, focusing on email marketing, websites, social media, and search engines. A descriptive-analytical research design was used, with data collected from 42 clients of Lorus Company through a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 26), employing Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis to examine the relationships between digital communication strategies and customer value. The results indicate that email marketing has a significant positive effect on customer value, while websites, social media, and search engines show weak or statistically insignificant impacts. The study recommends that companies prioritize personalized email marketing to enhance customer engagement and value, while also refining website and search engine strategies to improve their effectiveness in B2B contexts.
References
Almakayeel, N. (2023). Relationship modeling of travel website quality toward customer satisfaction influencing purchase intention. Sustainability, 15(10), 8225. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108225
Alzaydi, Z. (2023). Examining the mediating effect of multi-channel integration quality in the relationship with service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the Saudi banking sector. Management & Sustainability an Arab Review, 3(2), 132-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/msar-12-2022-0061
Andersson, S., & Wikström, N. (2017). Why and how are social media used in a B2B context, and which stakeholders are involved? Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 32(8), 1098–1108. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-07-2016-0148
Batra, S., Gupta, V., Sharma, S., & Yadav, R. (2022). Seeds of demand-side legitimacy: When do existing companies procure from B2B startups? Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 37(12), 2432–2441. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-05-2021-0252
Correa, C., Alarcón, D., & Cepeda, I. (2021). “I am delighted!”: The effect of perceived customer value on repurchase and advocacy intention in B2B express delivery services. Sustainability, 13(11), 6013. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116013
Corsaro, D., & D’Amico, V. (2022). How the digital transformation from COVID-19 affected the relational approaches in B2B. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 37(10), 2095–2115. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-05-2021-0266
Cuevas, J., Nätti, S., Palo, T., & Baumann, J. (2016). Value co-creation practices and capabilities: Sustained purposeful engagement across B2B systems. Industrial Marketing Management, 56, 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.03.012
Dasanayaka, S., Serhan, O., Glambosky, M., & Gleason, K. (2020). The business-to-business relationship: examining Sri Lankan telecommunication operators and vendors. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 35(6), 1069-1087. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-06-2019-0303
Drosos, D., Skordoulis, M., Arabatzis, G., Tsotsolas, N., & Galatsidas, S. (2019). Measuring industrial customer satisfaction: The case of the natural gas market in Greece. Sustainability, 11(7), 1905. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071905
Fready, S., Vel, P., & Nyadzayo, M. (2022). Business customer virtual interaction: Enhancing value creation in B2B markets in the post-COVID-19 era – An SME perspective. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 37(10), 2075–2094. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-01-2021-0074
Granados, J., Naranjo, L., Pedraza-Rodríguez, J., & Gallarza, M. (2021). Revisiting the quality-value-satisfaction-loyalty chain for corporate customers in the travel agency sector. European Journal of Tourism Research, 27, 2711. https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v27i.1921
Hallikainen, H., Hirvonen, S., & Laukkanen, T. (2019). Perceived trustworthiness in using B2B digital services. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 120(3), 587–607. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-04-2019-0212
Han, R., Lam, H., Zhan, Y., Wang, Y., Dwivedi, Y., & Tan, K. (2021). Artificial intelligence in business-to-business marketing: A bibliometric analysis of current research status, development and future directions. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 121(12), 2467–2497. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-05-2021-0300
Hayes, Ó., & Kelliher, F. (2022). The emergence of B2B omni-channel marketing in the digital era: A systematic literature review. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 37(11), 2156–2168. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-02-2021-0127
Hollebeek, L., & Macky, K. (2019). Digital content marketing’s role in fostering consumer engagement, trust, and value: Framework, fundamental propositions, and implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2018.07.003
Homburg, C., & Tischer, M. (2023). Customer journey management capability in business-to-business markets: Its bright and dark sides and overall impact on firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(5), 1046–1074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-023-00923-9
Hu, L., & Olivieri, M. (2022). The acceleration of digital communications in the durable goods industry: A study on white goods firms after COVID-19. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 38(7), 1465–1478. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-09-2021-0422
Izakova, N., Капустина, Л., Makovkina, E., & Elkina, K. (2021). Digital marketing communications for sustainable company development. 195. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.211118.030
Karampela, M., Lacka, E., & McLean, G. (2020). Just be there. European Journal of Marketing, 54(6), 1281–1303. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-03-2019-0231
Kearney, T., Walsh, G., Barnett, W., Gong, T., Schwabe, M., & Ifie, K. (2017). Emotional intelligence in front-line/back-office employee relationships. Journal of Services Marketing, 31(2), 185–199. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-09-2016-0339
Kittur, P., & Chatterjee, S. (2020). Goods and services related brand image and B2B customer loyalty: Effects of construal level. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 36(1), 17–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-06-2019-0284
Koldyshev, M. (2020). Industrial (B2B) marketing of glass companies: Mobile applications as a sales promotion tool. Three Seas Economic Journal, 1(3), 46–52. https://doi.org/10.30525/2661-5150/2020-3-8
Koponen, J., & Rytsy, S. (2020). Social presence and e-commerce B2B chat functions. European Journal of Marketing, 54(6), 1205–1224. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-01-2019-0061
Mai, E., & Liao, Y. (2021). The interplay of word-of-mouth and customer value on B2B sales performance in a digital platform: An expectancy value theory perspective. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 37(7), 1389–1401. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-05-2021-0269
Mogaji, E., Czarnecka, B., & Danbury, A. (2018). Emotional appeals in UK business-to-business financial services advertisements. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 36(1), 208–227. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijbm-09-2016-0127
Mogaji, E., Soetan, T., & Kieu, T. (2020). The implications of artificial intelligence on the digital marketing of financial services to vulnerable customers. Australasian Marketing Journal, 29(3), 235-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.05.003
Mustonen, N., Karjaluoto, H., & Jayawardhena, C. (2015). Customer environmental values and their contribution to loyalty in industrial markets. Business Strategy and the Environment, 25(7), 512–528. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1882
Ozdemir, S., Gupta, S., Foroudi, P., Wright, L., & Eng, T. (2020). Corporate branding and value creation for initiating and managing relationships in B2B markets. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 23(4), 627–661. https://doi.org/10.1108/qmr-12-2017-0168
Pandey, N., Nayal, P., & Rathore, A. (2020). Digital marketing for B2B organizations: Structured literature review and future research directions. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 35(7), 1191–1204. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-06-2019-0283
Raišienė, A., & Raišys, S. (2022). Business customer satisfaction with B2B consulting services: AHP-based criteria for a new perspective. Sustainability, 14(12), 7437. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127437
Rineggo, A. (2023). The effect of trust in suppliers on loyalty is influenced by perceived value in the business-to-business (B2B) healthcare industry (pp. 72–80). https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-214-9_8
Salim, D., Hurriyati, R., & Sultan, M. (2021). Relationship marketing for B2B Indihome consumer loyalty. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.210831.107
Sığındı, T. (2017). Satisfaction and dimensions of loyalty in B2B markets: A study among the users of electronic security services. International Business and Global Economy, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.4467/23539496ib.17.017.7465
Sivashankar, P., Rangani, D., & Rathnayake, M. (2019). Customer perceived value and customer relationship marketing in B2B agribusinesses: A case of agrochemical market in Sri Lanka. Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development, 54(4), 355–361. https://doi.org/10.17306/j.jard.2019.01236
Smith, J. (2024). The impact of technology on sales performance in B2B companies. JAIGS, 3(1), 246–261. https://doi.org/10.60087/jaigs.v3i1.118
Strong, J., & Bolat, E. (2016). A qualitative inquiry into customers’ perspectives on branding and the role of digital technologies in B2B: A case study of Panasonic. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 15(1), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1362/147539216x14594362873613
Taiminen, K., & Ranaweera, C. (2019). Fostering brand engagement and value-laden trusted B2B relationships through digital content marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 53(9), 1759–1781. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-10-2017-0794
Zhang, C., & Li, Y. (2019). How social media usage influences B2B customer loyalty: Roles of trust and purchase risk. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 34(7), 1420–1433. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-07-2018-0211
Zhang, J., & Du, M. (2020). Utilization and effectiveness of social media message strategy: How B2B brands differ from B2C brands. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 35(4), 721–740. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-06-2018-0190
Zolkiewski, J., Story, V., Burton, J., Chan, P., Gomes, A., Hunter-Jones, P.,& Robinson, W. (2017). Strategic B2B customer experience management: The importance of outcomes-based measures. Journal of Services Marketing, 31(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-10-2016-0350
Views:
30
Downloads:
9
Copyright (c) 2025 Sihem Guidoum, Lamia Ameur, Elkhansa Saadi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
