The study was authored by Sofia Lyza E. Balisong, Sandrine C. Magcaling, Maria Camille Anne M. Padilla, Althea Joy Y. Paule, Angela Bea A. Reyes, Lyka Reyes, Joy Ann Ragasa, and Mark Joseph Pampolino, all affiliated with Gordon College. Althea Joy Y. Paule is listed as the corresponding author. The article was published in Volume 5, Issue 3 of the Asian Journal of Applied Business and Management (AJABM) in 2026.
Why Digital Marketing Matters for SMEs
Marketing has increasingly shifted from one-way promotional communication toward more interactive and customer-centered engagement. Traditional marketing typically uses television, radio, newspapers, printed advertisements, and face-to-face promotions. Digital marketing, by contrast, uses social media, websites, mobile applications, email, online advertising, and other internet-based channels.
For SMEs, the distinction is particularly important. Businesses in Olongapo City operate in an environment shaped by limited resources, stronger competition, and rapidly changing consumer preferences. Digital platforms can allow businesses to communicate with customers immediately, personalize promotional messages, and measure responses more easily.
The Gordon College researchers also noted that traditional marketing still has advantages. Offline communication can strengthen familiarity, credibility, brand awareness, and trust. The issue is therefore not simply whether traditional marketing has become obsolete, but which approach is more effective when the goal is active customer engagement.
How the Study Was Conducted
The researchers used a quantitative comparative survey to evaluate perceptions of traditional and digital marketing. The study population consisted of 380 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration students majoring in Marketing Management at Gordon College during the 2025–2026 academic year.
From that population, 210 students were selected using stratified random sampling, ensuring representation across first- through fourth-year students. Participants answered a researcher-developed questionnaire using a four-point rating scale. The questionnaire was reviewed by experts and pilot-tested, with reliability scores ranging from 0.789 to 0.938.
The researchers analyzed the responses using averages and a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test to determine whether the differences between traditional and digital marketing were statistically meaningful.
Digital Marketing Leads Across Four Measures
The results showed a consistent advantage for digital marketing.
1. Customer involvement
Digital marketing recorded a composite mean of 3.59, classified as “Very Effective,” compared with 2.98 for traditional marketing, classified as “Highly Effective.”
Digital marketing performed better at capturing attention, stimulating interest, helping customers remember brands, and creating emotional connections. The researchers associated this advantage with the visual, interactive, and accessible nature of online platforms.
2. Customer participation
Digital marketing scored 3.50, compared with 3.07 for traditional marketing.
Online marketing encouraged customers to take actions such as clicking links, using promotional codes, sharing posts, tagging friends, leaving comments and reviews, and participating in online promotions. Traditional marketing also encouraged participation, but more commonly through activities such as visiting stores, making inquiries, redeeming physical coupons, or recommending promotions to others.
3. Customer interaction
Digital marketing achieved a composite mean of 3.57, while traditional marketing scored 3.03.
The difference reflects the ability of digital channels to support immediate, two-way communication. Customers can message businesses, comment on posts, ask questions, and provide feedback online. These tools allow companies to respond more quickly than communication methods that depend primarily on physical presence.
4. Customer behavior
Digital marketing scored 3.49, compared with 2.90 for traditional marketing.
The digital approach showed stronger perceived influence on purchasing decisions, brand preferences, loyalty, and customers' willingness to recommend a brand online after purchasing. The researchers highlighted personalized advertising, online reviews, targeted promotions, and social media content as factors that can shape consumer decisions.
The statistical analysis reinforced these differences. Across customer involvement, participation, interaction, and behavior, the Wilcoxon test produced p-values below 0.001, with effect sizes categorized as large. The study therefore rejected the null hypothesis that there was no meaningful difference between the two marketing approaches.
What the Findings Mean for Businesses
For SMEs, the results suggest that digital marketing should become a major part of customer-engagement strategies. Businesses can use social media, websites, messaging features, and other online channels not only to advertise products but also to maintain ongoing conversations with customers.
The Gordon College researchers recommend creating engaging online content, responding promptly to customer inquiries, and using digital channels to develop long-term customer relationships. They also recommend that business owners and marketing practitioners combine traditional and digital approaches rather than relying exclusively on one medium. Traditional advertising can increase visibility, while digital channels can provide continued interaction after customers encounter the brand.
The findings also have implications for education and local economic development. Gordon College's research suggests that future marketing professionals need practical knowledge of digital engagement alongside an understanding of traditional promotional methods. The researchers further recommend digital marketing training, seminars, and workshops for SME owners and business organizations.
The authors emphasize that digital marketing's advantage comes from its interactive, personalized, and real-time nature, while traditional marketing continues to provide value through trust, familiarity, and credibility.
However, the researchers caution that the findings should not be generalized to every population. The study focused only on Gordon College Marketing Management students and relied on quantitative survey responses. Future research could include SMEs from other regions and industries and examine factors such as artificial intelligence, influencer marketing, e-commerce adoption, customer trust, satisfaction, loyalty, and business performance.
Author Profile
The study was written by Sofia Lyza E. Balisong, Sandrine C. Magcaling, Maria Camille Anne M. Padilla, Althea Joy Y. Paule, Angela Bea A. Reyes, Lyka Reyes, Joy Ann Ragasa, and Mark Joseph Pampolino, all affiliated with Gordon College, Philippines. Althea Joy Y. Paule is identified as the corresponding author.
The source article does not provide the academic degrees or individual fields of expertise of the eight authors, so those details cannot be stated accurately from the published material. The authors' documented academic focus in this article is marketing management, digital marketing, traditional marketing, and customer engagement among SMEs.
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