Dealer experience of marketing strategy development : The effects of Covid-19 on business marketing

Abstract

A certain company developed their marketing strategy and brand presence during the last years. These changes were made parallel with the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry experienced new challenges. The contacts on social media were increased, and this thesis examined if there were reactions to the changes locally and were they sufficient in their markets. Also, further development ideas targeting their markets were requested. A company presentation was made to examine the background for the development work.

The theoretical framework contained published theories about international trade including international business risks and globalization and business-to-business marketing regarding relationship marketing. For the research qualitative semi-structured interviews with dealer representatives were conducted. The answers are themed up and presented in the analysis.

The key findings of this study contain the importance of communication and dialogue also in the future. The changes in marketing strategy were noticed, but it was difficult to differentiate between the influences of marketing and the effects of the pandemic on the businesses.