Online Marketing Strategies for the Beekeeping Community Enterprise in Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

           The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the potential of the stingless beekeeping community enterprise in Ratchaburi Province, 2) to study online marketing promotion strategies of the stingless beekeeping community enterprise in Ratchaburi Province, and 3) to propose appropriate online marketing promotion strategies for the stingless beekeeping community enterprise in Ratchaburi Province. The quantitative research involved 391 residents of Chom Prathap Subdistrict, Wat Phleng District, Ratchaburi Province, determined using Yamane’s (1973) formula with systematic sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.87. The qualitative research used nine key informants, including the chairman, vice chairman, secretary, marketing and public relations representatives, group members, representatives from community organizations, a digital marketing academic, and customers who purchased products online. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and Pearson’s correlation as supportive evidence.

            The findings revealed that the overall potential of the stingless beekeeping community enterprise was at a high level ( = 3.72, S.D. = 0.79), with production and quality ranked the highest. Online marketing strategies were also at a high level ( = 3.65, S.D. = 0.87), with brand building and credibility ranked the highest. Additional analysis indicated a high positive correlation between potential and strategies (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). Appropriate strategies should emphasize communication of production standards, the use of social media as the main marketing channel, market and consumer behavior analysis, capacity building in digital marketing, and systematic management.