Digital Marketing and Brand Awareness Practices of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as Correlates to Marketing Competitiveness: Basis for a Proposed E-Sales Model

Abstract

This study investigates the perceptions of digital marketing and brand awareness practices among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Rizal province, Philippines, and their impact on marketing competitiveness. The findings indicate that digital marketing strategies significantly enhance customer engagement, social network marketing, website promotion, customer relationship management, and brand management. Brand awareness practices are also shown to positively influence customer loyalty, brand equity, and brand reputation, as perceived by both employees and customers. Notably, the study reveals a significant difference in perceptions regarding customer engagement, with customers expressing greater satisfaction and emotional attachment compared to employees. In contrast, no significant differences were found in perceptions of social network marketing, website promotion, customer relationship management, and brand management effectiveness. Based on these insights, the study proposes an E-Sales Model tailored for SMEs, providing a structured approach to leverage digital marketing and brand awareness for achieving enhanced competitiveness. These findings contribute to the understanding of how SMEs can adapt to the evolving digital landscape and improve their market positioning.