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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Training clients in digital marketing: The key to a feel-good B2B relationship with SMEs
Industrial Marketing Management, Vol.127, pp.148-163
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their outsourced Digital Marketing Service Providers. It aims to: (1) investigate whether training SME clients enhances the quality of their relationship with Digital Marketing Service Providers; (2) determine if the effect of training varies across relational and transactional relationship types; and (3) explore the mediating roles of positive emotions and trust. Two studies were conducted: a quasi-experimental design involving surveys of Australian SMEs (n = 413), followed by a qualitative design involving interviews with Australian Digital Marketing Service Providers (n = 14) and Australian SMEs (n = 13), guided by agency theory. Both studies tested and explored the roles of training, relationship types, positive emotions, and trust in improving relationship quality. The findings indicate that training significantly enhances relationship quality, with the strongest effects observed in transactional relationships. Additionally, positive emotions and trust act as key mediators in this association. This research is the first to examine how training can foster positive relations in digital marketing outsourcing, demonstrating its potential to improve relationship quality.
Details
- Title
- Training clients in digital marketing: The key to a feel-good B2B relationship with SMEs
- Authors
- Karen Sutherland (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesRory Mulcahy (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesJacqueline Burgess (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesMeredith Lawley (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
- Publication details
- Industrial Marketing Management, Vol.127, pp.148-163
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.05.002
- ISSN
- 1873-2062; 0019-8501
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The authors do not have permission to share data.
- Grants
- Investigating unfair business practices in the digital marketing industry, C03185, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; Engage Research Lab
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991126106202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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