Drivers of Adoption and Implementation of Internet-Based Marketing Channels

Abstract

This chapter analyses factors influencing manufacturers’ adoption and implementation of Internet-based marketing channels, using models based on marketing channel and organizational innovation theory. Survey data from 1,163 Danish, Finnish, and Swedish manufacturers form the empirical basis for testing the models using LISREL analysis. The results stress that adoption of Internet-based marketing is influenced by willingness to cannibalize, management support, market pressure, and a firm’s knowledge of information technology. Willingness to cannibalize mediates the effects of future market orientation, ownership, specialised investments, and management support. This is mainly the case in small firms, as the importance of the various drivers and the adoption pattern vary between size categories. Market-pull factors have relatively more explanatory power in medium-sized and large companies.