Communications, Cultural trends, and Competitive Advantage in BtoB Markets. A Survey on SMEs in the Province of Avellino

In the current competitive scenario, most organizations base their sustainable competitive advantage on their firm-specific resources and skills. Due to their intrinsic strategic value, such intangible assets (culture, know how, brand equity, reputation, etc.) should necessarily be communicated to stakeholders in order to create a distinctive positioning. The investigation of critical factors within the process of implementation of a proper strategic communication planning is the main aim of this study (funded by Campania Region), carryed out about a sample of SMEs adhering to the Industrial Union of Avellino. Methodology: Starting from a review of the literature of communication in industrial marketing, the taxonomy indentifies different cultural trends, i.e. specific levels of awareness in engaging in communication activities. Consequently, a classification is presented to compare the cultural attitude to communication of industrial SMEs. Each level of communication orientation shows different skills in developing profitable relationships with relevant stakeholders. Findings – In addition to the assessment of the current state of communication in the Avellino Industrial Area, this survey verifies whether frequent marketing/corporate communication behaviour exists in this specific b-to-b context. The results of the study conducted on the province of Avellino show that there is a trend in terms of communication in industrial firms of a sales support or sometime activity kind rather than the application of a “communication culture”. Originality/Value – This study represents the first investigation on communication approaches of b-to-b SMEs in the Province of Avellino. Furthemore, the study gives interesting insight into the effects of a lack of formal communication policies and practices. On the contrary, from a practical standpoint, it emerges that a proper communication culture/orientation could allow firms consolidate over time their corporate identity, and therefore, their competitive advantage.