A Commentary on Business Marketing: A Twenty Year Review and an Invitation for Continued Dialogue

ABSTRACT

This article is a commentary on the literature review conducted by Reid and Plank. The objective of the paper is to both critique and complement the review and to provide a forum for debate as to the future direction of research in business-to-business (B2B) marketing research. The paper begins with a challenge to the reader to think beyond the traditional role of B2B marketing and think about how future B2B research could be more relevant and more strategic in focus. The concept of the new competition is offered as a framework for presenting future research issues. The new competition converges on the role of the extended enterprise as the reference point for thinking about competitive forces in a global marketplace. The implications for B2B marketers are discussed.     

Buyer-Seller Relationships and the Economics of Information

Section I In this paper, a theoretical framework is developed for the analysis of industrial buyer-seller relationships, using the concepts of search, experience and credence qualities, as known from Economics of Information theory. For this purpose, a dynamic perspective on this configuration is offered. By assuming a shift from experience qualities to search qualities in successive transactions, the evolution of the industrial buyer-seller relationship is explained. Section II The analysis indicates that Economics of Information theory may be a useful approach to analyzing industrial buyer-seller relationships. It allows an economic perspective on the phenomenon, while being measurable. The relationship-building can be explained and the changing dynamics of relationships over time can be described.     

The Implications of Business-to-Business and Consumer Market Differences for B2B Branding Strategy

By integrating existing conceptual models and research findings, this effort examines the noteworthy differences between the B2B and the consumer market contexts and the implications of those differences on the formulation of B2B brand strategies. We introduce the B2B-Consumer Market Dimensions Continuum as a tool to identify key differences between the two markets. The continuum is used to suggest the branding approach that is most likely to be successful in a B2B organization's brand-building efforts.     

Editorial

No abstract available for this article.     

Call for Book Reviews and Review Essays

ABSTRACT

The Journal of Business to Business Marketing, an important thematic journal within the field of marketing, serves as a vital venue for both academicians and practitioners interested in business-to-business marketing phenomena. Articles cover a broad spectrum of topics related to business marketing management.

A subject-based listing classifies these articles into 16 categories according to their key research issues. Those categories are: Advertising and Communication, Brand Management, Buyer-Seller Dyad and Relationships, Channels, Customer Relationships, Education, International Issues, Literature Reviews, Methodology, Networks and Strategic Alliances, Organizational Buying Behavior, Pricing and Value, Product Development, Segmentation, Selling and Salesforce Management, Technology.

After the subject listing, titles and abstracts of all articles appearing in the first ten volumes of JBBM are listed in volume/issue order. We hope that this index will provide a useful tool for academicians and practitioners who are interested in business-to-business marketing research.     

Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing Part I: Subject Listing

The Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing (JBBM), an important thematic journal within the field of marketing, serves as a vital venue for both academicians and practitioners interested in business-to-business marketing phenomena. Articles cover a broad spectrum of topics related to business marketing management. A subject-based listing classifies these articles into sixteen categories according to their key research issues. Those categories are: Advertising and Communication, Brand Management, Buyer-Seller Dyad and Relationships, Channels, Customer Relationships, Education, International Issues, Literature Reviews, Methodology, Networks and Strategic Alliances, Organizational Buying Behavior, Pricing and Value, Product Development, Segmentation, Selling and Salesforce Management, and Technology. After the subject listing, titles and abstracts of all articles appearing in the first fifteen volumes of JBBM are listed in volume/issue order. We hope that this index will provide a useful tool for academicians and practitioners who are interested in business-to-business marketing research     

Analyzing Relationships Using Macneil'S and Menger'S Approach to Exchanges

Abstract

Recent developments in understanding of the concept of “relationships ”have resulted in recognition that exchanges involve a range of complexity and duration. However much current work is at a rather macro-level dealing with “the relationship ”and/or “the exchange. ”A more micro-level approach indicates both a need to disaggregate what is exchanged into its component attributes and to recognize the role of individuals in the process of creating and maintaining a relationship. This paper summarizes both Menger'S insights into the nature of exchange and Macneil'S conceptualization of the norms within which exchanges operate. Then building on this, and using Day'S concept of value equations, the nature of exchanges will be considered.     

Journal of Business to Business Marketing Part III: JBBM Book Reviews

ABSTRACT

A total of 131 books were reviewed over the period, 1993–2003 in the Book Review Section of the Journal of Business to Business Marketing. The books encompassed a broad array of topics, including the basic marketing mix elements of business-to-business marketing, purchasing, buyer-seller relationships, global marketing, Internet and e-commerce, organization studies, research methodology, strategy and general management and education. During this period, 5 review essays provided thematic and comparative evaluation of a set of books.

This cumulative index is divided into two sections. The first provides a subject listing of books reviewed and the second is a chronological listing. All book reviews are located at the end of each issue of the journal.     

Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing Part III: JBBM Book Reviews

A total of 143 books were reviewed over the period 1993–2008 in the Book Review section of the Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing. The books encompassed a broad array of topics, including the basic marketing mix elements of business-to-business marketing, purchasing, buyer-seller relationships, global marketing, Internet and e-commerce, organization studies, research methodology, strategy and general management, and education. During this period, five review essays provided thematic and comparative evaluations of a set of books.

This cumulative index is divided into two sections. The first provides a subject listing of books reviewed and the second is a chronological listing. All book reviews are located at the end of each issue of the journal.     

Looking at Your World Through Your Customer'S Eyes

Abstract

There has been a great deal of discussion about firms moving away from transactions towards building long-term relationships with key customers. This is especially true in business-to-business markets and with larger companies with major customer accounts. But what is the reality of the situation? What do we find when we move beyond the rhetoric of relationship marketing to examining the extent of customer focus in large firms? This paper describes a major empirical study of some of the world'S largest B2B buyer-seller alliances in five countries representing each element of the Triad-England, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. We find that there are significant gaps between how customer focused manufacturers think they are and how customer focused their key customers perceive them to be. Further, these gaps vary by country and region. We explore the reasons for these differences in the context of cross-cultural organizational theory with implications for the strategic management of cross-national buyer-seller alliances.     

What will business-to-business marketers learn from neuro-marketing? Insights for business marketing practice

This research note offers expert comments on the boundaries and frontiers of neuro-marketing application for business-to-business (B-to-B) marketing. This is done using a practice-led approach to discuss the boundaries and frontiers of neuro-marketing application for B-to-B marketing. Insights are provided into what neuro-marketing is, is not, can do, cannot do, should do, and should not do in B-to-B settings. This note can assist B-to-B marketing academics, practitioners, and neuroscientists in understanding the boundaries and frontiers of B-to-B neuro-marketing application. This note outlines how neuroscience can be appropriately applied in theoretical and practical B-to-B marketing endeavors. This note offers a useful response to a series of common but often inadequately answered or unanswered questions on B-to-B neuro-marketing application.     

Tradeoffs in Supplier Attribute Ratings in Supplier Selection across Strategic versus Non-Strategic Purchases

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This research identifies a customer perspective that is often ignored, neglected, or undervalued in B-to-B sales – the nature of the product itself. The pivot point is whether the product/service desired is strategic (critical to the company’s mission) or non-strategic (not critical to the company’s mission).

Methodology/Approach: A conjoint analysis was conducted for both types of purchases (strategic and non-strategic), assessing the tradeoffs and espoused preferences of four key attributes involving both the supplier and the product across three performance levels – (1) stability of the supplier, (2) reliability, (3) competitive pricing and (4) product quality.

Findings: The results indicate that B-to-B customers do make tradeoffs between suppliers based on stability, reliability, pricing and product quality. The direction of the tradeoffs depends on whether the purchase is a strategic or non-strategic acquisition. The results suggest that suppliers would benefit from understanding the relationship of their products and services to the B-to-B customer’s mission when the supplier is deciding how to improve performance.

Research implications: Too often there is a disconnect between B-to-B salespeople and their customers resulting in suppliers failing to reach performance goals. The research focuses on the importance of B-to-B salespeople uncovering whether or not the customer considers the nature of the product being considered as strategic or non-strategic to their business. The research helps to explain some of the mixed findings in the supplier selection literature.

Practical implications: The research points to the fact that customers analyze and make decisions differently depending on the type of product. Additionally, the research highlights the importance to customers of understanding the potential legal and financial risk of suppliers. This is important in that traditionally suppliers tend to focus on product features and benefits in their selling efforts. These results indicate that they should spend significant time discussing factors that illustrate legal and financial risk reduction to the customer of dealing with their companies.

Originality/Value/Contribution: The study offers a new look at an age-old problem of enhancing sales performance through a new lens by considering the nature of the product (strategic versus non-strategic) through the perspective of the customer. The findings help to explain the mixed results of previous research. To date, the nature of the product and tradeoffs of attributes that customers are willing to make depending on that product classification have not been the focus, though the results suggest that understanding customer decision-making through this lens may enhance supplier success.     

“Made in Italy”: The Italian Contribution to the Development of Business Marketing Discipline and Practices

Purpose: The authors analyze the main contributions of Italian literature in the business-to-business field as it relates to the characteristics of the Italian industrial manufacturing system. Even if not directly labeled as business-to-business marketing, Italian and other scholars who have studied Italian business experiences have largely faced the topic of business marketing management with innovative approaches and distinctive benchmark examples. In particular, the analysis of the Italian contribution to business marketing relies on the specific nature of the Italian industrial structure as recognized by the international literature. In this respect, the authors argue that three main areas of interest progressively arose from the peculiarities of the Italian industrial system: industrial districts, subcontractors/subcontracting relationships, and mid-sized manufacturing companies. These three research topics have been thoroughly investigated by both Italian and international scholars. They analyze the contributions that Italian researchers provided to advance business marketing discipline and practices.

Methodology/approach: The authors reviewed the literature of the main contributions developed in the three individual areas of research that have a strong focus on the Italian experience. The methodology was in three steps. First, the review planning process was guided by the three areas of research that were assumed to have a major contribution to business marketing discipline. Second, the SCOPUS database was used as a primary source for paper identification by using a keywords search method. Third, the dataset was refined by excluding non relevant contributions (not focused on business management and marketing or not specifically dealing with the three areas of interest) and validating/integrating the original dataset by using other complementary sources (e.g., Google Books, Google Scholar). Finally, a set of 268 products were taken into account in the analysis.

Findings: The results of the analysis suggest that the Italian contribution to the field of business marketing is valuable in light of the three chosen areas of research. These three empirical arenas—industrial districts, subcontractors, and mid-sized firms—contribute to providing a better understanding of business market structure and dynamics as well as the improvement of business marketing studies.

Originality/value: The article is an original and first attempt to elaborate and reflect on the contribution of the Italian business experience literature to the advances of business marketing discipline. The authors develop an original comprehensive review of “Made in Italy” business marketing and management research that has not been used in previous studies. The review will increase international knowledge of Italian practices and theoretical frameworks that can contribute to the reinforcement of the business-to-business marketing discipline.