A Conceptual Model for the Adoption of Digital Marketing by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises

The scope of digital marketing is spurred by the advent of cheaper internet and smartphone advancements. With social media platforms and other online media, digital marketing is becoming indispensable to companies’ marketing arsenals. The reliance on digital marketing by firms was further boosted during Covid-19, and researchers are eager to explore the adoption of digital marketing and its usage by firms. This study attempts to uncover a conceptual model of digital marketing adoption by combining technology adoption models, such as the Unified Theory of Acceptance & Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), Perceived Characteristics of Innovation (PCI), and Task Technology Fit (TTF) theory. The model tries to extend the literature by adding two more constructs to the research realm of technology adoption – ‘Product Channel Fit (PCF)’ and ‘Green Image (GI).’ The proposed model can firmly explain the case of digital marketing adoption and present the opportunity to derive managerial implications.