Knowledge marketing: How can strategic customers be utilised for knowledge marketing in knowledge-intensive SMEs?

This study aims to analyse the use of various forms of ‘knowledge utilisation’ to integrate strategic customer knowledge in order to be one step ahead of the market and competitors. For this purpose, premises, processes, and factors are highlighted, which are essential to incorporate the knowledge of strategic customers into the knowledge base of knowledge‐intensive small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SME) and therefore contribute to the commercialisation of knowledge‐intensive products as well as services. Here a knowledge marketing strategy may support the commercial exploitation of these products and services. Since research and literature in the field of knowledge marketing (especially in knowledge‐intensive SMEs) is still scarce, the authors regard a qualitative research approach as appropriate. In the analysed cases, three necessary processes have been identified: (1) Developing knowledge networks, (2) solving customer problems, and (3) possessing the absorptive capacity to understand and integrate customer knowledge.