Digital marketing as an adaptation strategy to the competitive mesoenvironment in gastronomic microenterprises in Ecuador
Keywords:
digital marketing; competitive mesoenvironment; microenterprises; business competitiveness; gastronomy sector
Abstract
The study analyzed digital marketing as an adaptation strategy to the competitive mesoenvironment in gastronomic microenterprises in Ecuador. A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive-analytical design. Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire applied to 166 restaurant and mobile food-service microenterprises, using a six-point Likert scale to assess the influence of sectoral factors. The results showed that marketing and brand establishment reached the highest mean, followed by social media management and changes in customer trends. In contrast, the quality and regularity of supply registered the lowest mean. Strategic digital factors also outperformed traditional operational factors, while customer orientation showed greater weight than direct competitive pressure. It is concluded that digital marketing is a relevant adaptation mechanism to strengthen visibility, customer relationships, and competitive responsiveness in gastronomic microenterprises.
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References
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Amin, M., Gohar, M., & Ali, I. (2025). Impact of digital transformation on SME’s marketing performance: role of social media and market turbulence. Discover Sustainability, 6, 378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01228-3
Barros, P. A. A., de Paula Matos, J., Rodrigues, M. B., da Costa, R. J., & Horta, P. M. (2025). Food digital marketing on social media: trends and strategies of Brazil’s leading meal delivery app. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1620348. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1620348
Clemente-Almendros, J. A., Nicoara-Popescu, D., & Pastor-Sanz, I. (2024). Digital transformation in SMEs: Understanding its determinants and size heterogeneity. Technology in Society, 77, 102483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102483
González-Compeán, R. O., Rangel-Lyne, L., & Ochoa-Hernández, M. L. (2024). Digital marketing in food service microbusinesses. Benefits, intention of use and the no moderation of formality. Estudios Sociales. Revista de Alimentación Contemporánea y Desarrollo Regional, 34(64), e241494. https://doi.org/10.24836/es.v34i64.1494
Hasanein, A. M., & Montaser, N. M. (2025). Visual Bites and Social Proof: The Mediating Role of Credibility Between Foodstagramming and Visit Intention to Saudi Casual Dining Restaurants. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(2), 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020102
Kraus, S., Durst, S., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P., Kailer, N., & Weinmann, A. (2022). Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo. International Journal of Information Management, 63, 102466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102466
Manningham, D., Asselin, H., & Bourguignon, B. (2024). Be Direct! Restaurant Social Media Posts to Drive Customer Engagement in Times of Crisis and Beyond. Tourism and Hospitality, 5(2), 304–313. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp5020020
Marolt, M., Zimmermann, H.-D., & Pucihar, A. (2022). Social Media Use and Business Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Roles of Relational Social Commerce Capability and Competitive Advantage. Sustainability, 14(22), 15029. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215029
Radicic, D., & Petković, S. (2023). Impact of digitalization on technological innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 191, 122474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122474
Sagala, G. H., & Őri, D. (2024). Toward SMEs digital transformation success: a systematic literature review. Information Systems and e-Business Management, 22, 667–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-024-00682-2
Sharabati, A.-A. A., Ali, A. A. A., Allahham, M. I., Hussein, A. A., Alheet, A. F., & Mohammad, A. S. (2024). The Impact of Digital Marketing on the Performance of SMEs: An Analytical Study in Light of Modern Digital Transformations. Sustainability, 16(19), 8667. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198667
Wu, C.-W., Botella-Carrubi, D., & Blanco-González-Tejero, C. (2024). The empirical study of digital marketing strategy and performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 200, 123142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123142
Bates, S., Reeve, B., & Trevena, H. (2023). A narrative review of online food delivery in Australia: challenges and opportunities for public health nutrition policy. Public Health Nutrition, 26, 262–272. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020000701
Botelho, L. V., Freitas, J. V., Camara, A. O. D., de Almeida, I. F., Gonçalves, T. S., Horta, P. M., et al. (2023). Digital marketing of online food delivery services in a social media platform before and during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Public Health Nutrition, 26, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022002191
Dai, X., Wu, L., & Hu, W. (2022). Nutritional quality and consumer health perception of online delivery food in the context of China. BMC Public Health, 22, 2132. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14593-9
Kahveci, E. (2025). Digital Transformation in SMEs: Enablers, Interconnections, and a Framework for Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Administrative Sciences, 15(3), 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15030107
Liang, Z., Du, J., & Hua, Y. (2025). The Impact of Digital Marketing Capability on Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Listed Manufacturing Firms. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(3), 236. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20030236
Munizu, M., Alam, S., Pono, M., & Riyadi, S. (2024). Do digital marketing, integrated supply chain, and innovation capability affect competitiveness, and creative industry performance? International Journal of Data and Network Science, 8, 1025–1034.
Sipos, N., Rideg, A., Al Najjar, A. S., et al. (2025). Resource-based view of marketing innovation in SMEs: a multi-country empirical analysis based on the global competitiveness project. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 14, 94. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00573-x
Published
2026-07-18
How to Cite
Chávez Rojas, E. R., Camacho Reyes, R. D., Monge García, G. V., & Estrada Hernández, J. A. (2026). Digital marketing as an adaptation strategy to the competitive mesoenvironment in gastronomic microenterprises in Ecuador. GADE: Scientific Journal, 6(2), 180-197. https://doi.org/10.63549/rg.v6i2.838
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Eva Rosario Chávez Rojas,Ronald Durvanny Camacho Reyes,Gustavo Vinicio Monge García,José Armando Estrada Hernández
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
