This Master thesis explores the phenomenon of Digital Content Marketing (DCM) by evaluating if content marketing and its tools have a positive impact on global companies in the chemical industry.
Rapid globalization and the development of new markets at an increasingly global scale have made DCM more important. However, global companies are facing new challenges, like new technological developments and trends and a changing consumer landscape that requires new marketing approaches.
Strategies are required to overcome these challenges, adopt DCM techniques and use current techniques to gain competitive advantages.
However, there are still companies that have not included digital content in their marketing strategy. Others have difficulties making their marketing content unique and powerful. The main issue is often measuring the effectiveness of one’s digital content to determine whether DCM has a positive impact.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Background and Problem Statement
1.2 Research Objective and Research Question
1.3 Relevance of the Research Object
1.4 Definitions
1.4.1 Content Marketing
1.4.2 B2B Marketing
2 Literature Review
2.1 Content Marketing Strategy
2.2 Content Marketing Types and Tools
2.2.1 Types
2.2.2 Tools
2.3 Benefits, Opportunities and Challenges
2.3.1 Benefits
2.3.2 Opportunities
2.3.3 Challenges
2.4 Culture Influence in Business Context of China and the US
2.5 Objectives and Outlook
2.5.1 Objectives
2.5.2 Outlook
2.6 Literature Synthesis
3 Methodology
3.1 Research Strategy
3.2 Research Approach
3.3 Data Sources
3.3.1 Semi-structured interviews
3.3.2 Data Sample and Criteria
3.3.3 Secondary Data
3.4 Data Analysis and Strategy
4 Results of Field Research
4.1 General Information
4.2 Research Objectives
4.3 RQ 1: What are the applied strategies of DCM to improve the KPI of a global company in the chemical industry? Which content types B2B marketers implement for their Content Marketing Strategy (CMS)?
4.4 RQ 2: What are the benefits, opportunities, risks and challenges of DCM tools in the US and China?
4.5 RQ 3: How do the key outcomes of DCM apply in the chemical industry?
4.6 RQ 4: What culture similarities and differences between USA and China exist and how do they might drive different applications of digital content marketing?
4.7 Summary
5 Conclusion
5.1 Discussion
5.2 Data Limitations
5.2.1 Applied semi-structured Interviews
5.2.2 Secondary Data
5.2.3 Generalization
5.3 Managerial Implications
5.4 Future Research
Objectives & Core Topics
This study explores the role of Digital Content Marketing (DCM) within the global chemical industry by examining its impact on company KPIs and the influence of cultural differences between the markets of China and the US.
- Evaluating the current status and implementation of Content Marketing Strategies (CMS) in global B2B chemical companies.
- Identifying the benefits, risks, and challenges associated with digital content tools in different cultural contexts.
- Analyzing how cultural disparities between the US and China affect the effectiveness and adaptation of content marketing strategies.
- Developing insights for global organizations to overcome implementation barriers and optimize DCM for long-term success.
- Comparing theoretical frameworks against empirical data gathered through qualitative interviews with marketing professionals.
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1.1 BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT
As the significance of digital content in business and society grows, it is important to seek companies’ perspectives regarding Digital Content Marketing (DCM). With increasing digitization, the influence of companies’ key performance indicators (KPIs) internationally has become more relevant (Rowley, 2008). The first examples of content marketing date back to 1895 when the first prints of magazines were advertised (Gabriel, 2018). In 1996, the term content marketing was used for the first time by the American Society for Newspaper Editors (Patrutiu Baltes, 2015). From 2004, a new era of content marketing began with the introduction of content types like e-books, articles or reports (Fleiss & Bassetti, 2017). In the year 2009, the first social media channels emerged, and with that, new challenges and opportunities in terms of how to attract target audiences arose (Allen, 2017). In recent years, content marketing has taken on an important role in organizations, requiring marketers who understand their target audience and know which content has to be delivered. These marketers use certain designs and analytical tools to assess which content is most optimal for an organization (Sweetwood, 2016). The focus of this research is on the global business-to-business (B2B) environment. E-commerce between B2B companies refers to two different organizations exchanging products or services with the support of online tools. This can have economic advantages for both parties in supply chain activities and can increase efficiency in their value chain (Chong, Shafaghi, & Tan, 2011). Content marketing facilitates the purchase process and creates a richer availability of information for B2B customers. According to a recent survey, 89% of those in the B2B environment are using content marketing, but only 41% have clear sense of their content marketing success (Content Marketing Institute, 2017). Many B2B organizations are planning to increase their budgets for content marketing in the next 12 months (Content Marketing Institute, 2018; Maddox, 2015). On the other hand, half of B2B marketers still do not have a documented strategy and are struggling to measure the effectiveness of their content marketing (B2B Technology Marketing Community & Crowd Research Partners, 2016; Content Marketing Institute, 2018).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter provides the research background, defines key terms, and outlines the objectives and research questions of the thesis.
2 Literature Review: The literature review examines the concepts of Content Marketing Strategy, identifies common types and tools, discusses benefits and challenges, and contrasts cultural influences in China and the US.
3 Methodology: This section details the qualitative research approach, the selection criteria for interview candidates, and the methods used for data collection and analysis.
4 Results of Field Research: This chapter interprets the gathered empirical data from interviews, addressing the core research questions regarding strategies, tools, outcomes, and cultural adaptations.
5 Conclusion: The final chapter discusses the research findings, addresses data limitations, offers managerial implications, and suggests areas for future research.
Keywords
Content Marketing, Digitization, Content Strategy, Global Companies, Chemical Industry, Cultural Influence, Business-To-Business (B2B) Environment, KPIs, Content Tools, Lead Generation, Brand Awareness, Marketing Automation, SEO, Social Media, Customer Engagement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The thesis investigates how Digital Content Marketing (DCM) impacts Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for global chemical companies, with a specific focus on cultural differences between the US and China.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The work covers Content Marketing Strategy (CMS) development, content types and tools, cultural influence on communication, the B2B sales funnel, and the challenges of measurement in a B2B context.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The primary goal is to evaluate if DCM provides a beneficial influence on global companies, assess current industry trends, and determine how firms can adapt their content strategies based on regional cultural differences.
Which research methodology was utilized?
The researcher employed a qualitative, inductive method, conducting 12 semi-structured interviews with marketing managers, experts, and consultants to gather empirical data.
What topics are explored in the main body?
The main body examines the status quo of content marketing usage, the effectiveness of various digital tools, barriers to implementation (such as lack of time and resources), and cultural adaptations required for success in China versus the US.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include Content Marketing, Digitization, B2B Environment, Cultural Influence, KPIs, and Content Strategy.
How does corporate culture impact content strategy?
The interviews reveal that corporate culture significantly influences messaging style, risk tolerance, and the creative latitude given to communication teams, particularly when bridging European, US, and Chinese markets.
What challenges do chemical companies face when adopting DCM?
Key challenges identified include a lack of time, difficulties in creating high-quality content, organizational internal silos, and the complexity of measuring financial ROI on content marketing efforts.
Why is the Chinese market considered unique for digital content?
China is described as a unique and "special" market due to the dominance of specific digital platforms like WeChat, regulatory restrictions on global platforms (e.g., Facebook, Google), and the necessity for culturally tailored, localized content strategies.
- Citar trabajo
- Matthias Hebben (Autor), 2019, Digital Content Marketing in the Global Environment. Evaluation of Global Companies in the Chemical Industry, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1000042
