Marketing Communication Planning for SMEs in Emerging Markets

Abstract

This chapter provides a comprehensive framework for marketing communication program development for SMEs in emerging economies. The model presented highlights the SME communication process, key determinants of communication program development, and channel options and the effective measure of SME communication. This has become necessary as extant literature has not paid adequate attention to marketing communication developments in SMEs in developing and emerging economies. The chapter demonstrates the lack of research and the gaps that need to be addressed. It goes further to demonstrate how marketing research and intelligence gathering are core to the development and implementation of an effective marketing communication strategy for SMEs in emerging economies. The chapter concludes with managerial advice on how to use cost-effective channels by looking into the combination of the traditional and new media channels.