B2B is a widely used abbreviation which means “business to business”. This notion can characterize activities of numerous companies which do not practice retail trade, but co-operate with other businesses.
Branding seems to be an independent business field. However, it is not. Consumer in this sphere is absolutely different from B2C market consumers. That is why B2B branding is a standalone art.
A destructive idea like “If I trade pipes, what that’s got to do with branding?” often and often crosses B2B top-managers minds. We answer: “That’s got to do B2B branding”. That is the way of the world that you are not the only one to trade pipes. And this is the reason for B2B branding existence.
Sure, your activity is focused on company instead of a person. But you should remember that live people are at the back of each business, all around. Importance of B2B branding is based on the statement that business is a person. But this person is unusual and complicated. This person has multiple heads, contradictory ideas and huge responsibility for own decisions. That is why business-to-business branding is a specific and more complex branding field.
The main feature of B2B branding is that it influences on rational decisions only. When you sell soap to a common housewife, you can – and you should! – strike the right chord of feelings and emotions of certain person. B2B branding is quite another. It is a field of rational arguments.
Buying centre is the God-almighty of B2B branding professionals. Buying centre is a name for the group of people responsible for purchase decision. It is them which you are going to influence with the help of graphs, diagrams, tables and plans of their company’s sheltered future together with your product. Influencing on buying centre, you should keep in mind that those people are responsible for their decisions. And it is perhaps their primary motivator and also it is perhaps the main aspect of B2B branding activity.
The unique selling proposition in B2B branding is nothing less important than in B2C branding. You are not the only one to trade pipes, so why a prospective buyer should choose your particular company? Propose them unique pipes, different from all others. This is exactly what unique selling proposition, which is the basis of B2B branding, means.
As long as decisions in B2B are made rationally, CEO’s image and business standing is 80% of success in B2B branding. These are the things which are built for years, and can be destroyed in few minutes. That is why development and maintenance of CEO’s image is a lion’s share of B2B branding.
Besides these important aspects, the factors of purchase decision-making include:
- General reputation of a seller;
- Payment conditions;
- Adaptability of solution to customer needs;
- Experience of co-operation with this provider;
- Available additional technical services;
- Seller’s credibility;
- Convenience of order;
- Product’s reliability;
- Price;
- Technical specification;
- Usability;
- Preferences of key user of a product or service;
- Tutorial (professional training) offered by provider;
- Duration of needed preparation;
- Observance of delivery dates;
- Ease of maintenance;
- Terms of after-sales services.
There are the things which are regulated and improved by B2B branding.
