Strategic planning of marketing communications in the digital age: an empirical study of small and medium freight transport companies

Abstract

Small and medium transport companies play an important role in creating jobs and wealth of economy. Being related with the consumption of other products, transport companies should build marketing communication strategies. However, strategic planning of marketing communication might have specific challenges in this industry as recent innovations in the field of marketing communication (chatbots, groups in social networks, etc.) gain a considerable appreciation. Prior research has almost neglected specificity of marketing communication challenges faced by small and medium transport companies. Thus, the present research explored strategic planning of marketing communications in aforementioned industry. A qualitative research approach was adopted in order to collect information about peculiarities of strategic planning of marketing communication in transport industry. Interviews with marketing managers showed that their knowledge in the field of strategic planning of marketing communications is insufficient. Gaps in the stages of market analysis, mission statement, and measurement were identified. The lack of compatibility between mission statements and measures used for the evaluation of marketing communication results let authors to conclude that transport companies should pay more attention in ensuring the integration of marketing communication.