The Role of Digital Marketing in the Impact of Specialized Export Marketing Capabilities on Export Performance

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which specialized export marketing capabilities are used and how these capabilities change export performance. In this direction; It investigates how the relationship between specialized export marketing capabilities and export performance variables is regulated by digital marketing. Design/methodology/approach – The sample of the research consists of 209 exporting enterprises operating in Konya province. The scales used in the research were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. According to the analysis results, goodness of fit values showed that the model was acceptable. The hypotheses created in line with the research purpose were tested with path analysis. Findings – Research findings show that specialized export marketing capabilities affect export performance. The results also reveal the moderating effect of digital marketing capabilities on the relationship between specialized export marketing capabilities and export performance. Where export performance is relatively low, digital marketing capabilities and specialized export marketing capabilities are low. At the point where specialized export marketing capabilities are low, digital marketing capabilities do not make a significant change on export performance, whereas as specialized export marketing capabilities increase, digital marketing capabilities strengthen the effect of specialized export marketing capabilities on export performance. The findings confirm the moderating effect of digital marketing capabilities on the relationship between specialized export marketing capabilities and export performance. Discussion – It can be stated that the use of digital marketing in identifying specialized export marketing talents will provide companies with high export performance. Export performance is an important indicator that determines the success of companies in international markets. Therefore, digital marketing can be shown as one of the tools that businesses will use to create sustainable competitive advantage in international markets. It is expected that the research will contribute to the literature in this field and the decision-making mechanisms of companies.