digital marketing: analyzing its transversal impact

Digital marketing is not a new concept, it is not a trend, and it is not a fad either. Digital marketing has existed for over twenty years and is currently applied in all areas and marketing activities. For this reason, it is necessary to know the changes it has brought about, both in the theoretical framework, so that it can be taught, and from an empirical perspective, so that it can be applied in real contexts. The changes have been profound and far-reaching.

This work addresses this theme, aiming to analyse the transversal impact of the digital in the different marketing sectors, describing the profound changes that the digital has provoked in the main marketing activities and their sectors, also referring to the current practices in use in each included topic. It begins by looking at the classic marketing topics, opening with an analysis of the impact that digital has had and is having on the marketing strategy of organisations, moving on to the study of consumer behaviour in an era of continuous use of electronic devices. This is followed by a new topic which is marketing research and data analysis, in a context where managers now have, more data, information and knowledge about the organisation, competitors, consumers and the wider environment than ever before. Marketing themes were also identified that have been significantly changed with digital. Communication is another of the themes of reference, with profound changes in recent times, followed by management of sales teams, supply chain management, relationship marketing, and internal marketing. The last chapters are also relevant contributions, being dedicated to marketing sectors: services, B2B marketing, internationalisation, politics, tourism, and NGOs.

Paulo Botelho Pires graduated in Systems Engineering and Computer Science. He holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing, and has a PhD in Management. He has extensive experience in higher education at the university and polytechnic level since 2000 and has taught at the University of Porto, the Universidade Portucalense, the Porto Business School, and the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. He has published extensively in journals, book chapters, and books, and has also been a book editor. In addition, he continues to develop research in the areas of artificial neural networks, e-commerce, data analysis, and digital marketing.

José Duarte da Rocha Santos received his PhD in Management from Vigo University. He also holds an MSc in Marketing and a bachelor’s degree in business sciences. Between 1987 and 2002, he played various roles in sales, marketing, and management of companies in the information technology sector. From 2003 to 2018, he performed the functions of a management and marketing consultant. Since 1999, he has been a professor in higher education in Portugal in the fields of management and marketing. He is currently a marketing professor at the Accounting and Business School of the Polytechnic of Porto (ISCAP/P.PORTO). He is also a senior researcher at the CEOS.PP - Centre for Organizational and Social Studies of the Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal. His main research areas are Strategic Marketing and Digital Marketing Strategies.

Inês Veiga Pereira obtained a PhD in Communication from the University of Vigo. She also has a master’s degree in Corporate Sciences - marketing and a bachelor’s degree in Management, from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto.

Since 2001 she has been a professor in higher education in Portugal in the area of marketing. She is currently a senior lecturer of marketing at the Business Sciences School of Polytechnic of Porto (ISCAP/P.PORTO). She is the director of the Degree in Business Communication and the Postgraduate Degree in Management and Direction of Healthcare Institutions.

She is also a senior researcher at CEOS.PP-Center for Organizational and Social Studies of the Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal. Her main areas of research are branding, social marketing, and corporate social responsibility.