Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Marketing To Business Vs. Consumer

Posted by Anonymous on 7/17/2005 at 2:13 PM ET 250 Points
what are the main differences between marketing business to business as opposed to marketing business to consumer
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  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 7/17/2005 at 3:34 PM Member
    As Henri said, focus varies greatly.

    Also, B2C often has more of an emotional appeal, where B2B often requires more of a logical appeal. B2B buyers usually need to get approval from multiple people to make purchase (especially for big purchases), so all the different buyers need to be convinced.
  • Posted on 7/17/2005 at 7:40 PM Accepted
    Sandra, B2B businesses, government buyers, or institutions are purchasing products (typically) for resale. Marketers to B2B companies focus on fewer customers and often deal with longer more complex sales cycles.

    The statistical and quantitative research strategies that work well in consumer marketing are not as insightful in B2B marketing or they need to be adapted and used along with qualitative research. However, because the customer set is typically smaller, the amount of research needed to achieve statistically significant input is less (but it may be harder to get).

    Another difference is that with some products (depending on the place in the value chain), B2B marketers need to understand their B2B client’s end customer and market the valued features and end benefits their client’s customer receives.

    Additionally variables used in marketing segmentation are a bit different and more condensed than the many segmentation methods used for consumer market segmentation.

    Here is additional information that came from an old American Marketing Association article (the direct link has changed) that I noted down a few years back – it’s concise and may be helpful:

    Business-to-Business Marketing Features
  • Transactions among and within value chains.

  • Value primarily determined by business economic use.

  • Small numbers of customers, many requiring personalized marketing, including customized products and prices.

  • Large customers with formidable market power. (In B2B, your customers often are also your competitors.) Widely varying customer types and customer needs.

  • Large-unit transactions.

  • Complex and lengthy selling processes involving many players creating a demand decision chain.

  • Deeper partnerships with members of the value chain, including customers.

  • Channel management oriented up and down the supply chain.

  • Sales focused on key account management, and multiple purchasing influencers (many of whom are not likely to be end users themselves).


    • Business-to-Consumer Marketing Features
  • Transactions through the dealer to the end consumer.

  • Value determined by end-consumer perception.

  • Focus on brand management.

  • Large number of generally similar consumers.

  • Small transactions.

  • Linear selling process, usually of short duration.

  • Channel management oriented toward retail.

  • Sales activity focused on the end user.


    • Also, marketing textbooks should prove helpful as well – such as Marketing Concepts and Strategies by W.M. Pride, or some of those by Philip Kotler.
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