Marketing innovation: a resource‐based view of international and local firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a model for fostering innovation in marketing by virtue of the competitiveness that is an outcome of the collaboration between international and local firms working together in emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the case of an international brand and local firms in an emerging economy to illustrate and support the proposed framework. Findings The extant literature on competitiveness advocates the fit between business partners in association based on mutual value creation. This paper adopts a resource‐based view to support this approach. It contributes to knowledge about emerging markets by reflecting on the benefits gained by both international firms and local firms that are based in emerging markets as partners in association for business purposes. Practical implications The study draws on managerial practices and existing literature to develop a conceptual framework that explains how a resource‐based association drives individual competitiveness, and how the integration of the competitiveness of both partners facilitates innovation in marketing. Originality/value This study uses a resource‐based view to explain the relationship between an international brand and its resellers in emerging markets. It contributes to the business‐to‐business marketing literature that discusses innovation as an important outcome of collaboration between international firms and their local business customer firms in emerging markets.