Abstract
Purpose
Through the theoretical lens of social practice theory, the aim of this research is to investigate how business-to-business (B2B) high-tech startups build their brands in an omni-digital environment, particularly by focusing on the most important digital touchpoints implemented to interact with stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative analysis was performed by conducting 36 semi-structured interviews with key informants operating in B2B high-tech startups, including founders, CEOs, managing directors, marketing managers and other actors from this sector.
Findings
The results reveal the enablers, inhibitors and specific objectives of startups in their brand-building processes across digital touchpoints in an omni-digital environment.
Originality/value
This study offers new theoretical insights into new ventures’ brand management strategies through the development of a theoretical framework in which the enablers, inhibitors and specific objectives of the brand-building process of startups are identified. Although the recent literature has addressed the topic of startup brand building, this is the first study, to the authors’ knowledge, focused on the brand-building process of B2B high-tech startups in an omni-digital environment.
Reference128 articles.
1. Fintech and contactless payment: Help or hindrance? The role of invasion of privacy and information disclosure;International Journal of Bank Marketing,2023
2. The role of social networks in the internationalisation of startups: LinkedIn in Portuguese context;Management & Marketing. Challenges for the Knowledge Society,2020
3. Doing relationship work: a theory of change in consumer–brand relationships;Journal of Consumer Research,2021
4. The future of social media in marketing;Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,2019
5. Small firms internationalisation: reducing the psychic distance using social networks;Global Journal of Business Research,2016