Italian and Indian gold and jewelry SMEs, marketing practices in the USA: a comparative case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine current patterns of international marketing activities of Italian gold firms with a special emphasis on the US market and to juxtapose them with those adopted by Indian gold firms. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Italy and India served as the study setting. Data were collected via depth interviews from the owners/managers of four Italian and three Indian firms. Findings – The paper finds that the competitive behavior of Italian SMEs is primarily reactive, whereas Indian companies strategically focus on the expanding Indian immigrant community. Research limitations/implications – This is a case study evaluating small companies based in two regions (Arezzo, and Hyderabad, India). Originality/value – A strategic comparison of the competitive conducts of SMEs based in an old economy country and a new economy emerging market-based firms