CIMaR, Consortium for International Marketing Research, Conference Proceedings (2025)

This paper develops a conceptual framework for better understanding the role of transformative marketing (TM) in driving sustainable value creation within internationalising small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The study explores how digital transformation, evolving consumer behaviour, and managerial strategies drive transformative marketing adoption by integrating exogenous and endogenous factors. We examine the interplay between external market forces and internal organisational capabilities, highlighting SMEs' need to adopt innovative, ethical, and customer-centric marketing strategies. Transformative marketing enables SMEs to enhance their international competitiveness while addressing social and environmental challenges. Our study also identifies key challenges, including resource constraints, technological adaptation, and market uncertainties, that SMEs must address to implement transformative marketing effectively. The proposed framework serves as a foundation for future studies, offering insights for academia and practice.