The Marketing Practices of Craft Firms – Transaction, Relationship and Social Media Marketing

Abstract The aim of this article is to describe the marketing practices of small and micro-enterprises in a craft based setting. There is relatively little research conducted on the marketing of craft enterprises with research... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract
The aim of this article is to describe the marketing practices of small and micro-enterprises in a craft based setting. There is relatively little research conducted on the marketing of craft enterprises with research largely confined to understanding the motives and commercial and non-commercial behaviours of the craft producer (Tregear, 2002, 2003; Fillis, 2014). This article will address this gap in an exploratory way using the contemporary marketing practice (CMP) framework (Coviello et al, 1997) with a group of craft enterprises in the artisan food and drink sector. The article also adds social media marketing to the CMP framework. Findings suggest that small firms, although cognitively unaware, habitually engage in traditional 4P and interactional marketing activities. Findings also offer insights into how social media marketing can be leveraged as a powerful and complementary small and micro-enterprise marketing tool.