Abstract:
Not long ago, accounting firms sought clients only by referral. Although important, the
media and various social transformations have impacted organizations, creating a
more competitive environment that requires, in addition to technical skills, the ability
to align good marketing strategies. In this context, Minas Gerais ranks second in
Brazil in the number of legal entities associated with the accounting area. Minas
Gerais is divided into thirteen regions, one of which is Ituiutaba, which serves six
municipalities, where Faculdade Mais is located. Thus, the question arose: What is
the perception of managers of accounting organizations in the Ituiutaba micro-region
regarding the use of marketing strategies as a competitive advantage? To answer
this question, the general objective was defined: to analyze the perspective of
managers of accounting organizations in relation to marketing strategies for
developing competitive advantage. As a methodology, descriptive research with a
qualitative approach was conducted, a digital questionnaire was created, which
underwent pre-testing and was applied to 52 legal entities in the accounting area.
The profile of the respondents is male, 46 years old or older, with higher education,
partners or owners of legal entities in the accounting area, with extensive
professional experience and tenure at the same company. Knowledge of marketing is
average, the perception between competitive advantage and publicity is recognized
as valid and the main impediments are: CRC, colleagues in the profession, and
finance. Regarding marketing strategies in the accounting organizations, they were
not recognized by most respondents, the most used type of marketing is internal, and
the most used strategy is segmentation. Regarding the perception of the efficiency of
marketing investments, social media and “word of mouth” stand out. Regarding the
level of effectiveness, client referrals were the most perceived. There are few offices
with websites, and marketing activities are carried out internally.