An integrated framework of digital content marketing implementation: an exploration of antecedents, processes, and consequences

Abstract

PurposeDue to the high penetration of social media and mobile devices in the recent decade, especially with the coronavirus, digital media tools have become a priority for marketing managers. Digital content marketing (DCM) is one of the crucial ingredients of the digital marketing strategy of businesses, which proposes value to the audience through brand-related and relevant content. The tourism industry is also trapped in the digital wave and has witnessed fundamental changes in how customers communicate. The growth of investment in DCM in this industry to introduce tourist attractions and acquire tourists calls for more research to explore multiple aspects of these initiatives' implementation. Despite the importance of DCM, there is no clear understanding of its implementation's various components. Therefore, the primary goal of the current study is to design a new comprehensive framework of DCM implementation that integrates its antecedents, process, and consequences in the tourism industry.Design/methodology/approachThe mixed method was applied to achieve the research goal. The initial criteria and main components of the framework were identified with a comprehensive literature review to develop the framework. To enrich the initial criteria, some semi-structured interviews with experts were conducted; then, the extracted criteria and sub-criteria were prioritized and weighted using the quantitative best-worst method (BWM).FindingsThe results indicate that the proposed integrated framework contains three categories of antecedents, processes, and consequences and 12 main concepts. The weights and ranks of the extracted concepts and their sub-criteria are calculated using BWM.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed framework helps managers have a big picture of the DCM strategy to successfully implement and consider the multiple dimensions of such initiatives. The proposed framework provides actionable insight for digital marketing decision-makers to manage such projects effectively and plan appropriate actions for progress.Originality/valueA review of content marketing reveals that there are few studies conducted that integrate the components of the DCM implementation process, including antecedents, process, and consequences. This research is one of the first in the field of DCM implementation in the tourism industry to fill this theoretical gap. The main contribution of this research is to design a new integrated framework for DCM implementation that offers a holistic view of antecedents, process, and consequences.