Marketing communications of food industry enterprises in the digital environment

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to examine the specific features of marketing communications of food industry enterprises in the digital environment, identify the role of digital instruments in shaping the business reputation of a producer, and substantiate a model of their integrated use within contemporary communication policy. The methodological framework combines systemic, functional, and comparative approaches. The study applies methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, logical structuring, comparison of scientific positions, and elements of content analysis of recent publications devoted to digital marketing, branding, B2B and B2C interaction, and online reputation management. It is established that under market digitalization, marketing communications in the food industry should no longer be interpreted as a fragmented set of promotion tools. Instead, they form an integrated system of interaction with target audiences in which sales, service, analytics, and reputation functions are closely interconnected. The research demonstrates that for food producers the most significant instruments include a corporate website, SEO and content marketing, social media, e-mail communications, marketplaces, CRM systems, digital analytics, and feedback monitoring tools. Their effectiveness is determined not only by reach or conversion, but also by their capacity to strengthen brand trust, increase producer transparency, support stable partner relations, and reduce reputational risks. The article shows that the sector-specific feature of the food industry lies in the simultaneous combination of B2C communication with end consumers and B2B communication with distributors, retail chains, HoReCa, and other counterparties. Therefore, the company’s digital presence should be persuasive, informative, service-oriented, and evidence-based at the same time. An authorial model of digital marketing communications for food industry enterprises is proposed. It includes instrumental, analytical, service, and reputational contours and can be used as a practical framework for communication management. The practical value of the findings lies in the possibility of applying the proposed approach to build a coherent communication policy, improve channel consistency, refine the evaluation of digital performance, and strengthen the reputational capital of a food brand. Further research should focus on the development of industry-specific methods for measuring the reputational effect of digital communications and their influence on the competitiveness of food producers.