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The core concepts of B2B Marketing comes from marketing in general, which includes researching and targeting customers-however there are many important differences, that justifies the requirement for a separate course. In recent years as the internet has broadened and intertwined the fields for sales, marketing and supplier relationships in business marketing, the importance of this course has increased many folds. The selected items for this course reflect this increasing complexity, and help the students understand the nuances of handling b2b markets.

The course would define and explain the nature of business marketing to illustrate different types of business marketing and how they differ from consumer markets. Different approaches to business marketing will be discussed as typified in the relationships between buyers and sellers. The course will consider the purchasing function, organizational buyer behaviour, business marketing opportunities and strategy, developing a marketing mix in a business market, managing customer relationships, sales and sales management as well as managing the marketing program and customer retention. The course will not only include the approach towards product marketing but also include the marketing of services (E.g., IT, Banking, Insurance and Consulting).


These Business to Business markets include producers of goods and services, intermediaries, government, non-profit organizations and any group who purchases and uses inputs to produce or resell goods and services. This course will examine marketing strategies that will result in achieving awareness, comprehension, sales response objectives and stable profitable relationships essential to continuity of commercial success of supplier organizations.

In the business to business context this course examines the nature and role of internal and external relations and networks in implementing marketing strategy, their impact on a firms marketing performance and how are managed. The course focuses on various types of business relations including, cross functional, business to business, supply chain, value chain, strategic alliances and distribution channels.

3. Required Text Books and Reading Material

Basic Reading:

B2B Marketing – A South Asian Perspective (11th Edition), Michael D. Hutt, Thomas W. Speh & Dheeraj Sharma; Cengage

· Business to Business Marketing, Nick Ellis and Sarkar, Asian Edition, Oxford.
4. Tentative Session Plan

Session	Topic	Issues to be discussed	Reading Materials	Assignment/ Exercise/ Case Analysis/Activity
1	Business Market Management	Introduction to the course. Introduce the students to key issues in management of corporate customer. Links between b2b marketing and business strategy. Trend and Changes in Business Marketing	Chapter 1 of prescribed book.
2	Business Market Management	Classifying goods for business markets Managing Business Market Process Doing Business across borders Working relationships and business networks	Chapter 1 of the prescribed book	Class Exercise on Classification of goods and business networks (Material to be provided by the faculty in the class)
3-4	Understanding firms as customers	Institutional market: Unique characteristics Generating and using knowledge about the market Defining market Understanding E-procurement Understanding Purchasing Orientation Understanding how Purchasing Works with Other functions and firms Understanding the Purchase Decision Process	Chapter 2 of prescribed book	Case: Silvio Napoli at Schindler India (A). HBSP Students are required to read and come prepared to the class. Will address the overall issues in a B2B market Use the concepts covered in the session 1-4 for analysis of the case. Explore the issues faced by Schindler in India Suggest a India specific strategy for Schindler
5-6	Segmenting the Business Market and Estimating Segment Demand	Business market Segmentation Requirements and benefits Bases for segmenting business markets The segmentation process Implementing a segmentation strategy Methods of forecasting demand	Chapter 4 of prescribed book;	Class Exercise on Segmenting (Material to be provided by the faculty in the class)
7-8	Strategies for maintaining customer relationship	Understanding CRM in the context of B2B markets Loyalty and customer profitability Relationship Marketing Programs	Chapter 3 of prescribed book	Critical appreciation of article in class - Discovering new points of Differentiation (HBR, 1997); Business Marketing: Understand What Customers Value (Anderson and Narus, HBR. 1998)
9-10	Managing Products and services for Business Markets	Building a strong b2b brand Product Quality and Customer Value Product Policy Product Support Strategy: The Service Connection	Chapter 7 & 9 of prescribed book	Discussion of Product strategy of –IT Firms (Students have to do a web based research on a chosen firm and share their understanding in class)
11-12	Managing Market Offerings	Conventional Thinking about market offerings Constructing Flexible market offerings Value based pricing Managing market offerings across borders	Chapter 12 of prescribed book	Managing Market Offering- JWS Pricing (Case Study) C2 Calculation of cost Setting of price by different pricing methods Suggesting pricing strategy
13-14	Business Marketing Channel Management	Direct, Indirect and Integrated Multi-Channels; Responsibilities and Role of B2B Channel; Classification; E-Commerce Exchanges Issues in Channel Design	Chapter 10 of prescribed book	Class exercise on Channel Design (Material to be provided by the faculty in the class)
15-16	Branding of B2B Products	B2B branding concepts, B2B Brand Architecture Using Internet and social media for B2B Brands	Class Notes	Discussion of examples of B2B Brands
17	Business Marketing Communications	Customer Touch Points; Role of Advertising; Social Media; Trade Shows	Chapter 13 of prescribed book	Discussion of examples of B2B Brands
18	Sales Force Management in B2B	Personal Selling Organization; Key Account Management and Account Management Success	Chapter 14 of prescribed book	Experience sharing and discussion on KAM process at IBM, Sun Pharma, and Tata Steel
19 & 20	Project Presentation and Evaluation

5. Evaluation

Mode of Evaluation	Weightage
Quiz (Announced and Surprise)-3 in number, each of 10% weightage.	30%
Class participation in the form of class exercises/answers of case questions etc	15%
Group Project	15%
End term Examination	40%

6. Pedagogy

A variety of methods will be used to accomplish the above objectives which would include lectures, in class group discussions, case studies & assignments. Emphasis will be placed on active student participation and discussions. Students are required submit the case assignment as given by faculty before the discussion. Each class exercise will be evaluated.

As per institute manuals and policy

Created By: Alora Kar on 03/06/2014 at 11:40 AM
Category: BM-II 2015-17 T-IV Doctype: Document