Digitalization in Italian SMEs: the transformation of marketing channels

Abstract The evolution of marketing channel management and the integration of digital technologies in the overall marketing architecture have been deeply examined in the SME literature. Even if in academia the opportunities of digital in terms of performance, growth, and competitiveness are well recognized, in practice, SMEs are not always ready to fully exploit the potential of new technologies, reshaping their channels’ structure and strategies. In this paper, we display insights into the transformation and management of marketing channels for Italian manufacturing medium-sized enterprises. The study explores if and how “Made in Italy” companies are introducing digital channels in their market strategy, aiming at an omnichannel management perspective. We conduct a two-stage research design involving manufacturing medium-sized enterprises acting in the typical “Made in Italy” sectors: a Grounded Delphi Method with semi-structured interviews and the collection of data by a survey. We contribute to extending prior literature by presenting the enablers and barriers of specific marketing channels in the overall architecture and the main reasons for improving an omnichannel perspective in the perspective of the near future. In particular, the research identifies that Made in Italy medium-sized enterprises rest on decisions about adopting and managing specific channels and developing an omnichannel perspective on firm-specific and owner-managerial factors, while resource-related and environmental factors can be overcome, in particular, thanks to new partners. Based on this analysis, we then recommend specific research avenues to stimulate and advance further investigations.