{"title":"Technology-enabled democratization: Impact of generative AI on content marketing agencies","authors":"Risqo Wahid , Joel Mero , Paavo Ritala","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates how technology-enabled democratization affects market structures and incumbent firm strategies, with a focus on generative AI and content marketing agencies (CMAs). While past technologies augment marketing capabilities, generative AI redistributes core creation, technical, and economic capabilities—challenging traditional agency–client dynamics and prompting strategic reconfigurations among incumbent firms. Drawing on a qualitative study of 22 professionals from CMAs and their clients, we develop a framework showing how generative AI enables widespread content marketing capabilities, alters content marketing market structures, and forces CMAs to redefine their value propositions. Our findings reveal a shift from execution-based services to expertise-driven roles, including creative consulting, hyper-personalization, and AI-enabled service innovation. We contribute theoretically by extending the concept of technology-enabled democratization, offering a structured framework that links capability redistribution, market restructuring, and incumbent response strategies. Practically, we propose a playbook to help CMAs adapt to this transformation through (1) strategic repositioning, (2) operational integration, (3) ethics, regulation, and compliance, (4) and market and client engagement. Overall, the study offers conceptual and managerial insights into the evolving interplay between generative AI, market democratization, and marketing agency transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conceptualizing the Industrial Metaverse: From Technological Layers to Business Value","authors":"Dominik A. Henkel, Björn S. Ivens","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ongoing digitalization of industrial processes has given rise to new concepts, with the Industrial Metaverse (IM) emerging as a promising development. The IM represents an immersive, data-driven ecosystem that integrates technologies such as augmented reality, digital twins, and artificial intelligence to interconnect physical and digital environments. Despite increasing relevance, research on the IM remains scarce, particularly regarding its conceptual structure, application areas, and value contribution. This study addresses this gap by applying a qualitative research design based on 25 expert interviews across multiple industries. Taking an inductive approach, we propose an IM Canvas of seven interdependent layers in a hierarchical structure and identify 16 use cases across six application areas. We then link these areas to four dimensions of business value: creation, capture, enhancement, and protection. The findings advance theory by positioning the IM as both a continuation of digitalization and a disruptive shift that redefines ecosystems. By integrating the actors–resources–activities perspective, the IM Canvas extends existing frameworks of digital transformation and highlights the dual role of the IM as a technological enabler and an organizational transformer. This article provides a conceptual foundation for future IM research and guidance for firms to leverage the potential of this digital ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 58-72"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145334046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Finding the right partner for vertical coopetition between developers and publishers: An empirical study in the context of the digital video game industry","authors":"Hoon S. Choi , Emmanuel W. Ayaburi","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vertical coopetition has become popular in various business domains, such as electronics, logistics, vehicles, and information technologies. However, scholarly inquiry into the determinants of vertical coopetition success remains scarce, highlighting the need for further academic investigation. Adopting the resource-based view, this study examines the determinants from two perspectives: the corporate resources and product portfolios of developers and publishers participating in vertical coopetition. Using empirical data from the digital video game market, one of the largest cultural and creative industries (CCIs), the study reveals that different aspects of developers and publishers influence vertical coopetition success. Specifically, a developer's corporate resources—measured by financial resource, operational efficiency, and accumulated experience—significantly impact the success of digital video games, while the corporate resources of publishers have a negligible effect. In contrast, a publisher's product portfolio attributes—such as product diversity, product similarity, and risk aversion—significantly influence the success, but these attributes of a developer do not affect it. The findings suggest that developers should pay closer attention to publishers' product portfolios, while publishers should consider developers' corporate resources to find the right partners for vertical coopetition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 120-136"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of environmental and organizational factors on relationship performance: A comparison between component and OEM suppliers","authors":"Tun-Chih Kou","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies have used the resource-based view (RBV) to examine firms' internal assets and explain the formation of business-to-business (B2B) relationships. However, the RBV does not distinguish between the different types of resources shared in B2B relationships. This study extended the RBV in the B2B context by using the “capability, knowledge, and resource” framework to classify organizational resources into three categories: capabilities, knowledge, and resources. It then employed this extended framework to empirically examine how suppliers leverage three types of organizational resources—innovativeness (capability), knowledge protection (knowledge), and relationship-specific investments (resource)—to enhance their B2B relationships with industrial customers under technological environmental uncertainty. Innovativeness helps suppliers gain a competitive advantage in the technology market, knowledge protection prevents the leakage of sensitive technological information, and relationship-specific investments allow suppliers to maintain and improve their relationships with industrial customers under evolving technology trends. The results provide evidence that technological environmental uncertainty can drive innovativeness and relationship-specific investments, which can lead to superior relationship performance. However, the direct effect of knowledge protection on relationship performance is nonsignificant. Furthermore, comparative analysis revealed that, in response to technological uncertainty, component suppliers have stronger preferences for innovativeness and knowledge protection than OEM suppliers do.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 196-210"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AI strategy for global brand identity","authors":"S. Gupta, T.C. Melewar, P. Foroudi","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial intelligence can shape how a brand will behave, perceived and recognised by its stakeholders. A brand strategy when fed by an algorithm integrated into business processes combined with use of AI applications, can deliver personalised experiences that reflect on value brand offers and build its credibility that encourages stakeholders to trust the brand. The transparency in actions of the brand with a clear and consistent narrative establishes the foundation stones of its identity at the local, national and global level. The analysis of brand narratives offered by stakeholders strengthen its identity required by the B2B segment that needs reduced errors and operational time required for growth across national boundaries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages A1-A7"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interaction and networking for adaptation in a complex and challenging environment: Special issue editorial","authors":"Simone Guercini, Matilde Milanesi","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages A10-A16"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How do different organizational functions contribute to customer value proposition development","authors":"Joona Keränen , Simon Kelly , Paul Johnston","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Different organizational functions contribute unique insights into customer value proposition development (CVPD). However, current research has predominantly focused on exploring how firms can co-create value propositions with external stakeholders, such as customers and broader network actors, while paying less attention to the contributions of internal stakeholders. To address this gap, this study explores how different organizational functions drive or hinder CVPD. By adopting a critical realist approach and qualitative research design, we draw empirical insights from interviews with 24 senior managers across marketing, sales, R&D, and product management functions in a wide range of firms in different industries. Our findings reveal the unique contributions and expertise that marketing, sales, R&D, and product management bring to CVPD. In addition, we also shed light on the perceived frictions that each function might cause in the cross-functional collaboration, thus hindering effective CVPD. Overall, this study advances contemporary value proposition research by offering a functional-level analysis and demonstrating that CVPD is not solely a top-down organizational or strategic activity but also a bottom-up and cross-functional process where the contributions of different functions are needed to create a customer value proposition that resonates with customers and other stakeholders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 256-268"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leveraging digital capabilities for ESG performance: The mediating roles of innovativeness and resilience in the UK healthcare sector","authors":"Pantea Foroudi , Outi Blackburn , Nektarios Tzempelikos , Farbod Fakhreddin","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the extent to which digital business capabilities (DBCs) influence B2B firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, and explores the mediating roles of business model innovativeness (BMI) and organisational resilience (OR) in this relationship. In addition, it investigates the moderating effects of absorptive capacity (AC) and market dynamism (MD), offering insights into how internal and external conditions shape the DBC–ESG performance linkage. Drawing on empirical data from managers in the UK healthcare sector, the study finds that while DBCs may not directly impact ESG outcomes, they play a crucial enabling role by positively influencing internal capabilities such as innovativeness and resilience. The direct DBC–ESG link is not significant in the pooled sample, but does emerge in the B2B healthcare context, while the most consistent pathway is the indirect effect through resilience. Furthermore, firms with higher levels of AC are better positioned to leverage digital capabilities for innovation. However, the positive effect of resilience on ESG performance is weakened under conditions of high MD. This study contributes to the literature on the drivers of ESG performance by elucidating how firms can manage ESG practices through the interplay of digital capabilities, innovation, and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 241-255"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The liability of in-outsidership","authors":"Aswo Safari","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines firm internationalization in a politically fragmented market, where informal institutions dominate formal ones. This market has two competing zones, each governed by a rival political party. More specifically, this paper aims to address the following question: <em>How does a firm navigate two competing zones in the same market?</em> Drawing on a longitudinal case study of a Swedish SME entering the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The study introduces the concept of <em>in-outsidership</em>, a paradox whereby achieving network insidership in one political zone creates network outsidership in another. The firm's experience reveals how informal institutions, political rivalries, and embedded distributor relationships shape access to local business networks. By extending business network theory to highly politicized, institutionally divided contexts, this study challenges the assumption that network insidership is universally advantageous or transferable. The paper contributes to the B2B marketing and international marketing literature by conceptualizing <em>in-outsidership</em> as a context-dependent liability that complicates market access and strategic relationship building. Managerial implications underscore the importance of selecting politically aware partners and developing effective network strategies when entering contested institutional territories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 152-163"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Bartoloni, Chiara Ancillai, Federica Pascucci, Gian Luca Gregori
{"title":"Building bridges in B2B sales: The role of one-to-one digital channels in developing social capital","authors":"Sara Bartoloni, Chiara Ancillai, Federica Pascucci, Gian Luca Gregori","doi":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital technology is transforming B2B relationships, shifting interactions toward one-to-one digital channels like instant messaging, emails, and video conferencing tools. This study investigates the role of these channels in developing social capital in buyer-seller relationships. We conducted a qualitative study involving 33 key informants among B2B salespeople and buyers. Study findings reveal that one-to-one digital channels foster social capital through a four-stage process: structural, cognitive, and relational capital develop sequentially and are later maintained over time. While these channels enhance interaction frequency, shared understanding, and trust, they also introduce risks—such as intrusiveness, channels overload, and path dependency—that may hinder relationship development. This processual framework advances social capital theory in digital B2B contexts and provides actionable guidance for managing one-to-one digital interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51345,"journal":{"name":"Industrial Marketing Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Pages 211-226"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}