Adaptive Digital Marketing Approaches for MSMEs Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study emphasizes the transformative potential of adaptive digital marketing strategies, demonstrating their integral role in enhancing the resilience and capabilities of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in weathering the twin storms of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 global pandemic. Operating within a broad framework of socio-economic empowerment, the research takes a deep-dive into the crucial adaptive changes that MSMEs must implement within their marketing strategies, to not only survive the tumultuous business environment but also to seize opportunities for growth and advancement. The methodological approach employed by this study embraces a qualitative research paradigm, which allows for an in-depth examination and impartial interpretation of the available scholarly literature on the subject. The findings of the study illuminate the burgeoning role of digital marketing in empowering consumers with expansive, immediate access to detailed product information, thereby enabling smooth, time-efficient, and location-agnostic transactions over the internet. Simultaneously, MSMEs can reap considerable benefits from digital marketing strategies by gaining valuable, real-time insight into evolving market trends and consumer preferences and behaviours. This holistic informational ecosystem fosters strategic decision-making capabilities and creates a more streamlined, cost-effective framework for MSMEs, exhibiting a stark contrast with the often-limited scalability of traditional retail channels.