|
|
Efficient communication of SMEs with geographically limited target groups
ENZ, Christian
The subject of this doctoral thesis is the communication behaviour of SMEs with a geographically defined business area. Two research objectives are pursued. Firstly, it is to be clarified whether a communication mix adapted to regional economic regions can be developed into a competitive advantage for SMEs compared to nationally or globally operating corporations. Secondly, if this is the case, a method will be developed that allows SMEs to create a more effective communication mix without particular in-house expertise or a marketing agency to be commissioned. To achieve the research objective, the behaviour of companies and consumers in the regions of Prague, South Bohemia, Nuremberg and Middle Franconia is first analysed. Based on a large-scale survey, a statistically significant dependence of corporate communication on the company's location can be identified. According to Cohen, there are also medium and firm regional dependencies in media use on the part of consumers. These dependencies provide a positive answer to the first research question. There are regional differences in media utilisation - both among SMEs and recipients. In line with Porter's competition theory, this offers optimisation potential and even the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage over nationally or internationally active market players. A further aim of the research was to develop a metric enabling decision-makers in SMEs to evaluate the available communication options without in-depth marketing expertise. As part of a literature review, the FLOW distance metric, which has primarily been used in software development to date, was identified as a suitable instrument and modified so that this metric can be used to evaluate marketing communication channels. The FLOW distance is a mathematical value quantifying an imaginary distance between the communicating company and the recipient. If the FLOW value is high, a message must travel a long way from the sender to the recipient - the communication channel, therefore, has a low level of effectiveness. The lower the FLOW value, the more efficient the means of communication. The determination of the FLOW distance is based on an easy-to-use formula - which is why the second research objective is also achieved. The significance of the FLOW distance is achieved because it takes into account the perceived intensity on the customer side. For this purpose, a consumer survey in the four target regions determines the perceived influence per communication channel. The suitability of a communication channel is also taken into account. To this end, the author quantifies the suitability of individual communication channels by employing an expert survey. In the process, 13 marketing communication channels are analysed as part of a descriptive analysis. The aspects of costs, time expenditure, personnel intensity, necessary frequency and required expertise are considered.
|
guest ::
