If you are still the uninitiated one, you might wonder what is behind the business to business marketing. In fact, it might be new to you, as like any others who weren’t updated with this business trend. You might also happen to hear business to consumer marketing. Now, if you want to learn more about business to business, or B2B, we need to distinguish it from business to consumer, or B2C.
Marketing Programs
There are many distinctions that can be found between the two marketing strategies, although they use several related marketing programs like advertising, public relations, direct marketing, and internet marketing. They also employ similar initial steps as far as developing a marketing strategy is concerned. However, in terms of executing these programs and as well as the results coming from their marketing activities, the distinction begins.
In B2B marketing, the relationship-building activity efforts are made from one business to another.
So, in this effort, the value of the business relationship is maximized, in which a multi-step buying process plus the longer sales cycle are involved in the activities, is strengthened. The business value also determines rational buying decisions by focusing principally on awareness and educational building activities; therefore the brand identity of B2B is made based on the personal relationships created.
On the other hand, the business to consumer marketing, or B2C, the relationship-building activity efforts focus on the consumers.
The activities evolve around disclosing, selling, or marketing goods or services to the community, or to the consumers themselves. Unlike the business to business marketing, its major goal is to convert shoppers into buyers as constantly, forcefully, and frequently as possible. As it is the consumers that are the main target of B2C, the marketing program is product-driven.
In addition to that, it capitalizes on foregoing the value of each transaction made with the people. Maintenance software and in-house service networks are provided for other organizations to make use of so to develop sales, profits, efficiency, and marketing. Examples of these networks include locations and marketing sites that target decision-makers, managers, and business holders.
Again, in contrast to the business to business, the business to consumer marketing does not employ multiple buying processes and longer sales cycles. The shorter sales cycle and single-step buying process are what the concept of B2C evolves around. It creates its brand identity in the form of imagery and repetition. It focuses on the point of buying and merchandising activities such as displays, storefronts, and coupons.
In short, the businesses which provide the retail product to the buying public falls under B2C marketing.
Business to business marketing
Both marketing programs target on creating a strong brand. While the business to business marketing does not essentially create products and services to directly target shoppers’ loyalty and buying instincts, it promotes these goods based on the emotional buying view of the consumers, as it is with the business to consumer marketing.
And while in business to consumers marketing, the targeted consumers come up with purchase decisions seeing status, quality, comfort, and security as the strong factors, business buyers in business to business marketing depend on the aspects of enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and increasing profitability.