Get the show on the road: Go-to-market strategies for e-innovations of start-ups

Sabine Kuester, Elisa Konya-Baumbach and Monika C. Schuhmacher

Journal of Business Research, 2018, vol. 83, issue C, 65-81

Abstract: Internet-enabled service innovations (e-innovations) are the latest trend in digital entrepreneurship. E-innovation adoption is associated with high levels of uncertainty for potential customers, particularly when e-innovations are launched by start-ups. Go-to-market strategies contain information suitable to convey valuable signals for adoption decisions. Based on a systematic literature review, a historical method analysis, and expert interviews, this study explores how start-ups should design go-to-market strategies to facilitate the adoption of e-innovations. Start-ups launching e-innovations apply the service marketing mix specifically adapted to the digital context. In line with signaling theory, the findings demonstrate that the design of e-innovation go-to-market strategies should primarily signal trustworthiness and usability. For start-ups, this study proposes that trust mediates the relationship between e-innovation trustworthiness signals and adoption and that usability signals moderate the uncertainty associated with e-innovation adoption. These findings offer important managerial implications for start-ups launching e-innovations.

Keywords: Go-to-market strategy; E-innovation; Start-up; Signaling theory; Trust; Uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (35)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296317303557
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:83:y:2018:i:c:p:65-81

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.09.037

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside

More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().