Let's get 'Phygital' - Balancing KAM Tech & Touch

Key account management (KAM) is essential for B2B firms navigating dynamic customer behaviour and competitive landscapes. In the current landscape, KAM is evolving and facing the challenge of optimising practices using novel technology to maintain and support customer relationships. This is an area where limited research exists. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing a conceptual backdrop for exploring how physical interaction and technological platforms – ‘phygital’ – are influenced by external environmental factors and subsequently impact essential KAM practices. Specifically, a theoretical framework integrating the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) is presented as a conceptual foundation for understanding how phygital practices interact to influence KAM's relational capability and outcome success. Integrating RBV and SET offers a novel theoretical lens through which to understand KAM strategies amidst external market volatility and complexity. It also provides practical insights for KAM practitioners, empowering them to optimise phygital KAM practices and foster competitive advantage through leveraging customer relationships as a resource.