B2C Versus B2B Branding
摘要
B2B brands (business-to-business) focus on professional target audiences. While the decision-making process might radically differ from those experienced in B2C, these decisions are still made by human beings—at least for now. B2B target audiences also relate to brands predominantly on an emotional level. However, they not only seek products or services that match a given set of specifications, but also a partner to do business with over the long haul. Not surprisingly, the decision-making journey in the B2B world is so much longer and complex. In B2B markets, decision-making is generally performed by a varying number of people with different levels of responsibility, evaluation standards, and potentially divergent preferences. In a recent survey conducted by B2B International, a business-to-business specialized market research company, 50% of enterprises with more than 250 staff members had decision-making units (DMU) made up of over four people. This, too, marks an important difference in B2B branding. While rational logic and hard facts might be the dominant driver, these people also long for trust, confidence, reliability, and pride. In B2B branding, these emotional factors may tip the decision in favor of a given brand, when other performance measures are equal. This chapter explores the emotional decision-making indicators in B2B brands and how to shape them in your favor during the branding process.