Is the Web world wide? Marketing effects in an emerging market

Abstract

While the Internet and the World Wide Web are having a profound effect on commerce in the economies of the developed world, there is less evidence of their impact on developing economies. This paper reports the results of a study of the perspectives adopted by firms in South Africa, an economy that carries characteristics of both the first and third world. The evidence suggests that the impact of these new media will be to cause firms to redefine markets, marketing activity and value creation. The Web, is indeed, world wide, and its impact on the economies of the developing world may be dramatic, from a marketing perspective at least. Avenues for future research are also identified.