Export marketing information‐gathering and processing in small and medium‐sized enterprises

Purpose – To draw together the diverse and diffuse elements of previous research into the determinants of success in export marketing by SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – Groups of export marketing activities derived from the literature and preliminary qualitative fieldwork were incorporated in a questionnaire‐based survey of a purposive sample of small exporters in one region of the UK, measuring the frequency of their use against levels of export commitment, involvement, and experience. Findings – Results contradict the traditional view that the longer a company has been exporting, the more likely it is to do well. The study provides evidence to encourage ambitious exporting SMEs to develop active and on‐going marketing and information‐gathering activities, and to dedicate specific financial and human resources to exporting. Research limitations/implications – The highly focused approach to measuring the relationships between export marketing activities and company characteristics should ideally be further extended, in the context of a wide range of studies relating other organizational, managerial and environmental variables to export success. Practical implications – The findings and conclusions alert marketing intelligence‐gatherers to the dangers of conventional assumptions about marketing practice, provide practical guidelines for planners of export marketing strategy, and could form the basis of an easily administered diagnostic tool, all in the SME context. Originality/value – Focusing on behaviour rather than attitudes, the research provides a practical set of criteria against which SME activities can be measured.