Author(s): Salome O. Ighomereho and Victor A. Odunewu
The challenges of the marketing environment in Nigeria present businesses especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with limited options and the need to be entrepreneurial to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This calls for a paradigm shift from traditional marketing to entrepreneurial marketing. Therefore, the study investigates the influence of entrepreneurial marketing and its dimensions on sustainable competitive advantage of SMEs. The study adopted a survey research design and questionnaire was used to collect data from SMEs managers in Osun State, Nigeria. 384 copies of the questionnaire were administered but 356 representing a response rate of 92.7% were retrieved and used for the analyses. Empirical findings reveal that entrepreneurial marketing and its dimensions (growth orientation, opportunity orientation, total customer focus, value creation through networks, informal market analysis and closeness to the market) significantly influence sustainable competitive advantage. Based on the findings, the study concludes that to compete effectively, SMEs managers should place emphasis on entrepreneurial marketing. The findings of the study will assist SME managers to implement entrepreneurial marketing strategies to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. It will also serve as a guide for SMEs regulatory agencies to make policies that will promote the growth and survival of SMEs.