THE ROLE OF E-MARKETING ON SME’S PERFORMANCE IN BANDUNG CITY: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

Abstract

Nowadays, e-marketing has been transformed into the most powerful tool for business performance in the digital technology era. The concept of e-marketing has become increasingly important for many entrepreneurs to sustain competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of e-marketing for SME’s Performance in Bandung City and identify the source of resilience adopted by entrepreneurs during covid-19. However, there are few studies which analyze both relations. This research aims to fill the gap. Data were collected and obtained in-depth interviews with the owners of selected SMEs, and focus group discussion (FGD) conducted in Bandung City. Thus, this research was performed by means of a qualitative approach. The results show the multifaced nature of e-marketing evolving the use of the internet, adoption of e-commerce and social media, and the acceptance of technology for business performance. While resilience stands for navigating survival and pace digitalization in time of crisis. This research is limited to the extent of the relationship involved in both cases. The research on e-marketing and resilience is still poorly defined. Future research of quantitative approaches is needed to promote the development of e-marketing concept and its roles in connectivity era.