Exploring pre-purchase engagement in digital B2B settings

In attempts to create more meaningful and lasting connections with customers in complex B2B environments, companies are increasingly interested in the concept of engagement (Blasco-Arcas et al., 2022). Extant literature has defined customer engagement behaviours as voluntary resource contributions targeted at a firm or a brand, that go beyond the transaction (Brodie et al., 2011; Jaakkola & Alexander, 2014). The purpose of the study is to explore engagement behaviours “beyond the transaction” by focusing on engagement that occurs on the other side of the customer journey, prior to the purchase. Additionally, the study explores the role of marketing automation, a software tool used to automate marketing tasks including online tracking and campaign management (Bagshaw, 2015; Buttle & Maklan, 2019), in supporting B2B online engagement throughout these customer journeys.