Applying design science research to develop an integrated digital marketing communication application for increasing the economic value of recycled wate products

Abstract

Waste banks play an important role in supporting the circular economy by transforming recyclable waste into products with economic value. However, the Kebumen Gemilang Sejahtera (KGS) Waste Bank in Palembang faces challenges in marketing recycled products due to limited digital promotion, fragmented marketing channels, manual customer data management, and the absence of marketing performance analytics. This study aims to apply the Design Science Research (DSR) method to develop an Integrated Digital Marketing Communication (IDMC) application to improve the effectiveness of digital marketing and the economic value of recycled waste products. The research follows six DSR phases: Problem Identification and Motivation, Define the Objectives for a Solution, Design and Development, Demonstration, Evaluation, and Communication. The resulting web-based IDMC application integrates digital branding, product catalog management, social media and marketplace integration, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), digital promotion, sales management, and marketing analytics. The application also integrates the product catalog with Meta Commerce Manager to support product synchronization across Facebook Shop and Instagram Shopping. Evaluation using Black Box Testing showed that the implemented functions operated according to the specified requirements. Usability testing using the System Usability Scale (SUS) resulted in a score of 82.5, categorized as Excellent, indicating good usability and user acceptance. The study demonstrates that the DSR-based IDMC artifact provides an integrated digital solution for improving marketing management, expanding market reach, strengthening customer engagement, and supporting the economic value of recycled products at the KGS Waste Bank.