The South African container logistics corridor, comprising the PoD and the City Deep Inland Terminal (CDIT), operates under the vertically integrated SOE structure of Transnet Group (Transnet 2025). While this structure theoretically allows for seamless collaboration, the reality is operational instability and a lack of market share growth, driving containerised cargo to competing road transport. However, this context is actively undergoing structural change, as the South African government has commenced with liberalisation in the container port and the rail sector. This reform is evidenced by the privatisation of the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) and the mandated establishment of the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) to enable private sector investment and competition in the rail network (Freight News 2024; South African Government 2022). The necessity for structural change within South African maritime and logistics governance structures is widely recognised as crucial for economic development (Hadi 2022). Conversely, the PoH cluster, including Container Terminal Osnabrück GmbH (CTOS) as one of its complementary dry ports, operates within a liberalised market where efficiency and technology are high (Tiemann, 18 June 2025), and the challenge lies in coordinating marketing efforts across numerous competing private entities while respecting competitive constraints. The comparative analysis requires acknowledging that both contexts operate within complex macro-environmental factors. Comparing distinct economic contexts enables the identification of specific success factors and contextual drivers of performance (Wellner & Strydom 2024). The organisational structure of the markets profoundly affects IMS viability, forcing the GFIM to this study’s contingency framework for success in South Africa (PoD and CDIT) and Germany (PoH and CTOS).

The subject of this research (container port competitiveness) is intricate and vital, particularly as the industry has transformed from simple commodity exchange points to dynamic global business networks (Jeevan & Roso 2019). The central research problem lies in the pervasive lack of holistic, integrated marketing strategies (IMSs) linking container seaports with their complementary dry ports as a unified service offering. This fragmentation severely compromises operational efficiency and competitive viability. In South Africa, the problem requires urgent intervention as the PoD, despite its significance, has experienced an 8% growth decline in 2023 and sustained negative growth over the past 5 years (Transnet 2025). The strategic importance of South Africa’s maritime sector is underscored by its role in regional economic scenarios, requiring contextually sensitive management frameworks (Hadi 2022). In Germany, the PoH, which ranks third in Europe, also reported a 7% decline in container throughput to 7.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2023, continuing a trend of negative growth primarily because of pervasive external global macroeconomic challenges, such as rising inflation and trade fluctuations (Hafen Hamburg Marketing: Annual Report 2022; Supply: Transportation and Logistics Analysis 2023). The institutional disparities across the study sites exacerbate the challenge. In South Africa’s monopolistic SOE structure, the problem is organisational, as failure is rooted in internal flaws and the difficulty of integrating the various operating divisions (ODs) that are meant to be under one Transnet. Conversely, in the liberalised German context, the challenge is structural, stemming from the need to manage external competitive constraints and adhere to stringent data protection mandates, which structurally inhibit the deep commercial collaboration envisioned by modern marketing theories. This lack of comparative research addressing IMS specifically across an SOE and a liberalised market creates a critical knowledge gap. The study aims to address the declining market share of the PoD and the PoH by providing actionable insights to benefit both the South African and German economies.

To address this complex problem, the main research aim is to identify the key components of an IMS framework for the container seaports of Durban and Hamburg and their complementary dry ports, with the specific objective of enhancing competitiveness in the container transportation market. This primary goal is achieved through five specific secondary research objectives (ROs) and their corresponding research questions (RQs):

This study yields significant scientific value by advancing the theoretical foundation of marketing in the specialised business-to-business (B2B) maritime and logistics environment. Recent research confirms that while there is growth in marketing theories for seaport authorities, less attention is paid to hinterland container flows (Jeevan et al. 2022). Existing literature often features studies with limited scope (focusing on marketing strategies for container seaports, excluding container dry ports) or relies on general surveys (Amara & Negm 2022; Deerod 2018; My Ahmed & Badreeddine 2021; Parola et al. 2016). This research distinguishes itself by focusing on the container segment, directly testing the contemporary GFIM. The originality lies in the contingency theory extension, which establishes that IMS effectiveness is not uniform but conditional upon the unique structural situation of the port (a critical boundary condition previously underexplored in logistics literature). The study provides valuable literature on port competitiveness and contributes to the body of CRM knowledge in the port industry, drawing on a B2B context and expanding on studies from other business sectors.

The mandated expansion of the IMS framework itself further realises the theoretical contribution. Empirical findings dictate the formal integration of environmental sustainability as a core pillar to address rising environmental, social and governance (ESG) demands (MacNeil, Adams & Walker 2021). Furthermore, the study mandates the strategic integration of Marketing 6.0 (the utilisation of technologies such as artificial intelligence [AI] and Big Data for personalised marketing) with the relevant traditional marketing mix elements of the 7Ps (Price, Product, Process, Place and People). This fusion is essential because the advanced Marketing 6.0 strategy is futile if basic operational reliability (Process, Product) is lacking, underscoring the need for the theoretical model to align with fundamental customer value creation.

The practical and managerial contributions are substantial, directly providing actionable guidance to policymakers and management to reverse declining market share. By isolating the Information Behaviour and Values capability as the single most significant factor determining SOE success or failure, the research provides a clear focus for structural reform in monopolistic contexts. The outcome is a set of managerial roadmaps detailing the necessary service recovery steps for the South African SOE and the functional service assurance model required for the German liberalised market. This provides management with expert knowledge to inform decision-making, leading potentially to increased revenue and minimising risk. This study thus delivers a transparent, theory-informed account with practical and scholarly relevance.

A critical deficiency in current maritime literature (Amara & Negm 2022; Kounoupas & Pardali 2015; Kuakoski et al. 2023; Parola et al. 2016) is the tendency to treat seaports as separate entities, often neglecting the essential role of hinterland container flows and the marketing strategies of the dry ports that serve them. While extensive research exists regarding port choice and seaport competitiveness (Kuakoski et al. 2023; Lagoudis, Theotokas & Broumas 2017; Shi & Li 2017), dry port marketing remains an underexplored research area with limited academic coverage. This scholarly isolation results in fragmented strategies that fail to provide a holistic one-stop-shop logistics solution, which is increasingly demanded by global shippers (Harrison, Van Hoek & Skipworth 2014; Notteboom el al. 2022). This study addresses this gap by investigating the seaport–dry port dyad as a singular, integrated service offering within the container transportation market.

To address this fragmentation, this research adopts the GFIM as its primary theoretical lens. The GFIM theory represents a paradigm shift from transactional, one-way communication to a collaborative relational model based on the integration of various marketing sub-disciplines into a consistent whole (Parvatiyar & Sheth 2021). Central to this theory is value co-creation and in container logistics, this posits that superior value arises from active interactions between the port, the dry port and the customer rather than just the end product. In the B2B logistics context, this requires a 360-degree view of the customer journey, aligning internal operations with external stakeholder needs to achieve sustainable profitability.

A significant theoretical contribution of this study is the argument for a mandatory strategic fusion between the relevant traditional 7Ps marketing mix and modern Marketing 6.0 practices. While Marketing 6.0 leverages AI and Big Data Analytics (BDA) for predictive intelligence and personalised experiences (Nozari 2024), these advanced digital tools are futile if foundational operational reliability is absent. In B2B logistics, elements such as Price, Product (service portfolio), Process (efficient workflows) and People (competence and trust) are non-negotiable foundational prerequisites (Ciechomski 2024). For instance, high-level AI forecasting cannot compensate for equipment downtime or systemic unreliability; thus, the 7Ps serve as the vehicle that must be secured before the digital vision of modern marketing tools such as Marketing 6.0 can be effectively implemented.

Having evaluated the GFIM as the primary orientation for modern container logistics marketing and established the strategic fusion of the relevant traditional 7Ps of the marketing mix as mandatory prerequisites for Marketing 6.0, the following model illustrated in Figure 1 provides a visual synthesis of these interdependent constructs to establish a unified theoretical framework for container port logistics.

While the provided model in Figure 1 establishes the theoretical synthesis of these interdependent constructs, their practical efficacy, priority and configuration are not uniform, but are instead profoundly moderated by contingency theory, which addresses the environmental conditions and resulting theoretical controversies that dictate strategic success across divergent market structures.

Reflecting on the limitations of universal marketing models, this study confirms that the efficacy of an IMS is critically moderated by contingency theory. This theory challenges standard, global prescriptions by asserting that organisational effectiveness is only achieved by fitting the strategy to the unique structural situation of the market, rejecting the notion of a single best way (Burns & Stalker 1961; Liu 2020; Nassou & Bennani 2024). This research highlights two major theoretical controversies that emerge when applying modern frameworks to divergent port clusters, which are discussed in the following section.

Finally, the literature review mandates the formal inclusion of environmental sustainability as a core, non-negotiable pillar of the GFIM. As container ports face intense global pressure to align with environmental, social and governance (ESG) parameters, sustainability has evolved from a secondary concern to a CVP. In liberalised markets, this serves as a competitive differentiator through verifiable carbon dioxide (CO^₂) reporting, while in SOE contexts, it functions as a mechanism for brand defence and legitimacy.

This study adopted an interpretivist–constructivist paradigm, which assumes that reality is socially constructed through the subjective experiences and interactions of stakeholders (Fick 2020). A qualitative, multiple-case study research design was employed to provide the in-depth, contextually grounded inquiry necessary to investigate complex organisational phenomena within their natural settings (Yin 2018).

The research compared two fundamentally divergent logistics configurations, which are the vertically integrated South African SOE (Transnet) and the liberalised German cluster. The target population comprised 286 managers and stakeholders involved in container logistics. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of 29 participants. In South Africa (n = 17), participants included senior managers from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), Transnet Freight Rail Operating Company (TFROC) and major shipping line, cargo owners and merchant customers. In Germany (n = 12), participants included senior managers from HHM, terminal operators, as well as shipping line, cargo owners and merchant customers (similar to the South African sample composition).

Primary data were gathered through semi-structured interviews lasting from 60 min to 90 min. These were supplemented by archival documentary research, including annual reports and regulatory studies, to ensure a rich, triangulated understanding of the phenomenon (Yin 2018). In South Africa, some interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, while in Germany, detailed notes were taken at the request of respondents.

Data were analysed using thematic analysis, following a rigorous six-step coding process (Braun & Clarke 2019). A hybrid coding strategy combined deductive codes from the GFIM (e.g. Value Proposition, CRM) with inductive codes emerging from the data (e.g. IBV crisis, Competitive Necessity). All analyses were conducted using Scientific Software Development ATLAS.ti to ensure an auditable coding trail and methodological transparency.

To enhance trustworthiness, the study employed triangulation across diverse stakeholder groups and member checking, where participants verified the accuracy of the researcher’s interpretations. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Nelson Mandela University Research Ethics Committee.

The first phase of the empirical analysis investigates how this environment influences the identification and classification of its customer base; thus, the following subsection evaluates the specific customer segmentation methods (RQ1 & RO1) employed to establish the foundational orientation required by the GFIM.

Building on the initial overview of the German case study, the following section investigates the foundational strategic process of identifying and grouping common port users within this highly liberalised and competitive logistics cluster.

Table 1 provides a high-level synthesis of primary empirical findings derived from in-depth stakeholder and customer feedback, moving beyond secondary data to capture the distinct operational realities of each cluster. By contrasting the functional service assurance model and high digital transparency of the PoH with the urgent service recovery mandate and security concerns of the PoD, the research establishes the contingent baseline for the IMS framework discussed in the subsequent sections.

While Table 1 provides a high-level summary of the comparative baseline between the two clusters, Section Discussion of integrated marketing strategy framework components and contingent extensions proceeds to a granular presentation of the qualitative empirical data and case-specific results derived from the in-depth stakeholder interviews conducted in both the monopolistic South African corridor and the liberalised German logistics cluster. This forthcoming section details the specific nuances of each operational environment, exploring themes of customer segmentation, CVPs and the application of Marketing 6.0 and GFIM elements within their respective structural contexts.

The empirical evidence mandated significant extensions to the GFIM to make it viable in both economies.

To clearly establish the link between the study’s theoretical foundations and the prescriptive roadmaps provided in this section, Table 2 maps the primary contingent barriers identified during the analysis to the corresponding strategic interventions within the IMS framework.

The matrix provided in Table 2 demonstrates that strategic success in port logistics is not a universal prescription but is critically moderated by the political and economic structure of the transport corridor. By mapping the theoretical pillars of the GFIM to case-specific findings, the study establishes that the implementation of modern marketing is contingent upon resolving unique structural barriers. In the South African context, the priority must be a top-down mandate to address internal structural inadequacies and the IBV crisis, whereas the German context requires functional adaptation to manage external competitive constraints via neutral governance. This alignment ensures that suggested improvements are not merely tactical interventions but are scientifically grounded responses to the identified theoretical blockages.

This strategic mapping underscores that before a CVP can be effectively delivered, the foundational step of identifying and grouping common port users must occur. Therefore, the following section examines how collaborative customer segmentation serves as the initial engine for value, while remaining uniquely enabled or constrained by the prevailing market structure of the corridor.

Customer segmentation is recognised as the initial and foundational step for modern marketing strategy and a strategic necessity for sustained success in competitive transport logistics. While Parvatiyar and Sheth (2021) suggest that collaborative customer segmentation is a strategic necessity for modern marketing, this study found that in logistics marketing and in the South African context, internal structural failure and conflicting customer definitions actively block this integration, thereby extending the theory by identifying internal structural inadequacy as a primary boundary condition for GFIM success. The findings regarding Transnet reveal a profound functional fragmentation where separate Transnet ODs define the same corridor customers in contradictory ways. Transnet Port Terminals views cargo owners as third-party stakeholders, while TFROC treats them as primary direct account holders. This misalignment prevents the creation of a unified CRM database, which is a prerequisite for the one-stop-shop logistics experience demanded by modern customers.

In contrast, while Möller and Halinen (2022) and Jeevan et al. (2022) posit that segmentation is a fundamental driver of competitive advantage, the German context demonstrates that external competitive constraint acts as a structural blockade in liberalised markets. Private firms in the Hamburg cluster intentionally reject deep commercial data sharing to protect their market intelligence and adhere to strict data protection mandates. Therefore, the GFIM must be extended to recognise that in liberalised systems, collaboration is achieved functionally and promotionally through neutral external bodies (like the HHM) rather than through unified commercial contracts. This analysis confirms that effective segmentation is the engine that drives value; however, as discussed in the following section, the nature of that value depends entirely on the stability of the underlying infrastructure.

The research confirmed that modern GFIM must integrate traditional marketing, especially when the underlying product is flawed. While literature suggests that competitive advantage is driven by differentiated service portfolios (Ciechomski 2024), this study found that in the South African context, customers prioritise fundamental operational reliability and service recovery over advanced differentiation, thereby extending the theory by redefining the CVP as service recovery in unstable monopolistic environments.

The application of advanced GFIM constructs, which rely on AI, Big Data and digital platforms, is contingent on the host economy’s political and economic capacity. While Nozari (2024) suggests that Marketing 6.0 enables immersive data-driven personalisation, this study found that in the logistics marketing and in the South African context, a profound digital lag starves digital efforts, thereby extending the theory by establishing that foundational 7Ps reliability is a mandatory precursor to Marketing 6.0 adoption.

The cross-case analysis required the formal addition of environmental sustainability as a mandatory core pillar in the IMS framework. This inclusion was necessary to align the framework with contemporary global demands for sustainable development and ESG parameters (MacNeil et al. 2021; Notteboom et al. 2022). In the liberalised German economy (PoH and CTOS), environmental sustainability is a key value proposition and a necessary competitive differentiator. Customers not only expect demonstrable environmental initiatives but also actively track CO₂ emissions and require verifiable performance reports, reinforcing the need to integrate green initiatives into the customer value proposition.

Conversely, in the monopolistic S.A. (PoD and CDIT), while environmental sustainability is recognised as a global trend and is necessary for long-term viability and global compliance, it is often viewed as a low-priority competitive factor when compared to the urgency of achieving basic operational viability. Customer focus is frequently on fundamental challenges such as securing cargo and ensuring reliability. The framework dictates that Transnet must therefore leverage existing investments in hybrid equipment and rail’s inherent environmental advantage (by reducing road traffic and carbon emissions) as part of a promotional strategy to defend the brand and prioritise sustainable operations as a feature of service recovery. This approach strategically communicates the environmental potential of a reliable rail corridor to attract freight volumes and align with ESG standards.

The study culminates in the development of a prescriptive IMSs framework illustrated in Figure 2. This serves as the definitive answer to the main RQ regarding the key components of an IMS between container seaports and their complementary dry ports. This framework provides the essential prescriptive guidance needed to fulfil the mandate of RO5 (key recommendations). The entire structure is theoretically grounded in the finding that the GFIM must be extended by incorporating contingency theory as a critical moderator, confirming that the success of the IMS is conditional upon resolving market-specific structural challenges.

Figure 2’s six core pillars synthesise the specific empirical findings derived from all analytical RQs. It systematically overcomes the structural barriers identified in RQ4 (unique challenges in South Africa and Germany) and mandates the pillar of Strategic Collaboration and Ecosystem Alignment, which incorporates the Collaborative Customer Segmentation Model required by RQ1. Furthermore, the framework directly integrates the synthesis of RQ2 (CVPs) by formally including the relevant 7Ps marketing mix elements (which act as operational prerequisites for service quality) and mandating the environmental sustainability extension as a crucial component of the modern value proposition. Finally, the framework operationalises the requirements of RQ3 (Application of GFIM Elements) through the pillar of Digital Transformation and Smart Port Integration, detailing how advanced technologies such as Marketing 6.0 (AI and Big Data) must be configured and applied effectively to execute modern marketing constructs within the defined contingent market realities. This resultant framework is a new structure, created from research outcomes, designed to provide structured guidance for effective decision-making and is visually conceptualised in Figure 2.

This section consolidates the theoretical and empirical insights gathered throughout the study to deliver the definitive answer to the primary RO, which was to identify the key components of an IMS for container port logistics.

The findings established in the preceding chapters confirm that successful integrated marketing is not a universal prescription but is critically moderated by the contextual environment, necessitating a significant extension of the GFIM through the lens of contingency theory. This research posits that for an IMS to be effective, managerial interventions must be tailored to overcome the dominant structural barrier in each economy.

The following sections present a newly structured, contingency-driven IMS framework organised around six core pillars. Before outlining these prescriptive roadmaps, it is essential to demonstrate the scientific rigour and traceability that underpins these conclusions, ensuring that every recommendation is directly grounded in the study’s empirical evidence.

To satisfy the requirements of academic validation, this section provides the audit trail connecting the study’s initial aims to its final prescriptive solutions. The following matrices demonstrate that the final framework is not merely a tactical intervention but a scientifically grounded response to the identified theoretical and operational blockages. Before concluding the study, it is essential to demonstrate the logical thread that connects the initial ROs to the empirical data and the subsequent theoretical interpretations. The following matrices (Table 4 and Table 5) provide the chain of evidence required to confirm the study’s execution and scientific rigour.

Table 4 confirms that every interview prompt was intentionally designed to address a specific RO, while the Traceability Rationale Matrix (Table 5) identifies the exact empirical and theoretical origins of the final framework pillars.

This matrix demonstrates how the final IMS framework pillars were derived. Drawing on these divergent analytical findings, the research provides specific, actionable guidance to overcome the identified blockages. This is further detailed in the prescriptive strategies found in the following section of the Road Map for Monopolistic SOE Economies (South Africa).

The primary finding for South Africa (PoD and CDIT) is that marketing cannot succeed until basic operational reliability is secured. The IMS mandate is service recovery, focusing on correcting the pervasive IBV challenge and systemic organisational failures. Table 6 depicts the South African road map for mitigating internal structural inadequacies.

Table 6 shows that the South African roadmap for mitigating internal structural inadequacies dictates that the service recovery mandate is achieved by addressing foundational internal failures in human capital, systems and processes. Specifically, solutions include mandating foundational digital investment in integrated Big Data and CRM systems to overcome the digital lag and implementing accountability measures, such as formal inter-departmental SLAs, to correct the IBV challenge and systemic organisational failures.

The primary finding for the German cluster (PoH and CTOS) is that collaboration must be achieved functionally, while respecting the need for competitive autonomy. The IMS mandate is functional service assurance, focusing on leveraging technology through neutral external bodies to maximise customer value. Table 7 depicts the German Roadmap for adapting to the external competitive constraint.

The proposed road map details the contingent, strategic solutions necessary for the liberalised German cluster (PoH and CTOS) to provide solutions for commercial data sharing modern technology, Marketing 6.0 capabilities, CVPs and promotion and brand consistency to deliver by leveraging neutral external bodies (like the HHM), the effectiveness of which is monitored using defined key performance indicators (KPIs), which are discussed in the following section.

The KPIs established in Table 8 are mandated as the operational tools necessary to measure the success of the GFIM extension and ensure that all strategic programmes and investments achieve their desired results (Ciechomski 2024; Majika 2021). The use of both financial and non-financial KPIs is essential for gauging the relative success and long-term performance of strategic programmes and organisations (Büttner & Wellner 2023; Wellner & Musante 2024).

Table 8 systematically categorised KPIs by time horizon (short to long term) across three mandatory measurement areas (Customer and Operations, Digital and Financial, as well as Sustainability and Governance), which are mandated as operational tools necessary to measure the success of the GFIM extension and ensure accountability across all strategic programmes.