International internet marketing. A triangulation study of drivers and barriers in the business-to-business context in the United Kingdom

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to investigate empirically the drivers and barriers operation on the adoption of internet technology by business-to-business marketing companies that operate at the international level. Design/methodology/approach - A review of the literature concerning the diffusion and adoption of innovations precedes a triangulation study involving a questionnaire-based survey of 123 companies (a 59 percent response rate) and case studies of four others, all located in the UK. Data were factor-analysed, following testing for validity, reliability and adequacy of the research instrument. Findings - The paper concludes that powerful drivers of international internet-based marketing in business-to-business firms will generally outweigh significant barriers to its adoption in the future. It also explains how innovation-diffusion theory identifies factors instrumental in the adoption of internet marketing. Research limitations/implications - The study was confined to business-to-business marketers, based in the UK and operating internationally. Several suggestions are made for elaboration and extension, including investigation of business-to-consumer users and of other industry types. Practical implications - The findings provide international marketing strategists with important marketing intelligence insights into the benefits of harnessing the power of the internet, the obstacles to be expected in practice, and plans for doing so both efficiently and effectively. Originality/value - Much of what has been written about the application of the internet to marketing is speculative and exploratory. This study, based on responses from practising international marketers, offers something more substantial to marketing planners.