Results of descriptive analysis (N = 352).

Numerous Chinese Time-Honored Brands are facing decline due to their limited ability to adapt to rapidly changing environments. This study identifies the core barrier as a lack of focus on developing Sustainable Marketing Capability (SMC) within the firms that own these brands. While prior research has examined the link between general marketing capabilities and corporate performance, limited attention has been paid to SMC and its effects. To address this gap, we investigated both the antecedents and outcomes of SMC. Drawing on survey data from managers and selected employees at 47 heritage enterprises in Southwest China, all of which own China Time-Honored Brands, our findings reveal that ambidextrous marketing—comprising proactive marketing exploration and exploitation—significantly enhances SMC. In turn, SMC positively impacts corporate performance and mediates the relationship between ambidextrous marketing and performance by strengthening firms’ responsiveness to market and policy conditions. This study provides actionable strategies for heritage enterprises seeking to build sustainable marketing capabilities and offers practical insights into maintaining competitiveness and achieving long-term success.

众多中华老字号（Chinese Time-Honored Brands）正面临衰退困境，其根源在于适配快速变化环境的能力不足。本研究指出，核心阻碍在于拥有此类品牌的企业缺乏对可持续营销能力（Sustainable Marketing Capability, SMC）培育的重视。尽管既往研究已探讨了通用营销能力与企业绩效之间的关联，但针对SMC及其影响的关注却极为有限。为填补这一研究空白，本研究对SMC的前因变量与结果变量展开了系统探究。本研究依托中国西南地区47家拥有中华老字号的老字号企业的管理者与受访员工的调研数据，结果显示：由主动性营销探索与营销开发构成的双元营销（ambidextrous marketing），可显著提升SMC水平。进而，SMC对企业绩效具有正向影响，并通过强化企业对市场与政策环境的响应能力，在双元营销与企业绩效间发挥中介作用。本研究为致力于培育可持续营销能力的老字号企业提供了可落地的实践策略，并为其维持竞争优势、实现长期成功提供了重要洞察。