The Role of the Marketing Department in Small Enterprises: Its Impact on Opportunity and Crisis Management

AbstractThis study examines the role of the marketing department in small enterprises and its impact onmanaging opportunities and crises. The study focuses on the importance of marketing functionsin helping small enterprises understand customer needs, identify market opportunities, respond tocrises, and strengthen their competitiveness and sustainability. A descriptive and quantitativeapproach was adopted. Data were collected through digital interviews with small-enterpriseowners and marketing managers and through an electronic questionnaire administered to morethan 60 participants from the target population. The findings indicate that marketing plays animportant role in supporting small enterprises, particularly during periods of uncertainty andcrisis. The results show that small enterprises provide a flexible environment that can supportcreativity, innovation, and opportunity exploitation. The study also indicates that an effectivemarketing manager and a well-organized marketing team are important for activating marketingfunctions and responding effectively to market changes. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated theimportance of marketing flexibility, particularly through the increased use of digital platforms,online promotion, delivery services, and new customer communication channels. The findingsfurther highlight the importance of the marketing mix, including product, price, distribution, andpromotion, in exploiting market opportunities and responding to crises. In addition, 57.8% ofrespondents preferred opportunities over crises, while 85.9% recognized the importance ofmarketing-related activities in supporting small enterprises. The study concludes that an effectivemarketing department can contribute to maintaining sales, creating new opportunities,strengthening customer relationships, and enhancing the ability of small enterprises to adapt tochanging market conditions. The study recommends establishing clearer and more effectivemarketing functions within small enterprises, strengthening the competencies of marketingmanagers and teams, and conducting further empirical research using larger samples and moreadvanced statistical techniques.