Who has the power in digital marketing: Customer or content?

• Main Authors: Rakic Beba, Rakic Mira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Novi Sad - Faculty of Economics, Subotica 2014-01-01
• Series: Strategic Management
• Subjects: digital environment; digital marketing; digital customer; digital content; context
• Online Access: https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/1821-3448/2014/1821-34481402047R.pdf
• ISSN: 1821-3448; 2334-6191

The literature in the field of marketing is based on customer orientation, which implies that “customer is king”. The development of digital media influenced the increase in the significance of digital content; so it is emphasized in digital marketing that “content is king” as well. The same content can have different meanings in different contexts, so “context is king” as well. The purpose of this paper is to investigate who the king is in digital environment: customer or digital content. The findings suggest that there is a need to create customer and community-driven digital content in real-time. In a digital landscape, digital content can be a competitive advantage. In a digital environment, both the customers and the content are essential, i.e. for customers, the continual creating and updating of digital content in compliance with the context is needed. The paper points out the problem and causes of digital marketing myopia. Digital customer orientation and the integration of online and offline content are required to avoid digital marketing myopia, the digitalization of marketing activities. The paper promotes the significance of creating, updating and the promotion of valuable digital content for digital customers/communities. Quality content presents a great opportunity for two-way communication with customers and community, electronic-word-of-mouth (eWOM), user generated content (UGC) and inbound links in real-time.