Fundamental shifts in business-to-business (B2B) buying behavior make digital content
marketing (DCM) a strategic priority for vendors, though firms struggle to achieve its full
potential, as a customer-centric marketing approach. To address important knowledge gaps
in extant research, this study identifies key activities for realizing customer-centric DCM in
B2B markets and key contingencies that influence its performance outcomes. A theories-in-
use approach, building on 56 interviews with managers at 36 B2B companies that have …

Buyer behavior has substantially changed the marketing landscape. Now, B2B customers
have become more empowered; they spend most of their purchasing journey conducting
independent online research and need not rely on a salesperson to share sufficient
information, making it obligatory for B2B sellers to change their strategic priorities and
provide relevant digital content along the purchasing journey, which is what most B2B firms
have done to stay in the competitive markets. This shift has led to difficulties in differentiating …