| Business to business marketing characterizes the | | | | business marketing, things are a bit different when it |
| commercial relationships between organizations, | | | | comes to defining the buyer. It is false to describe this |
| companies or institutions. The short name for business | | | | 'other' market sector by the same general concept of |
| to business marketing is B2B marketing and it differs | | | | 'businesses' because they too fall into separate |
| from regular business to consumer marketing by the | | | | categories and thus require different marketing |
| more direct means of distribution. There are all sorts of | | | | approaches. There are companies that consume |
| other distinctions between the two, which is why | | | | services and products, resellers, government agencies |
| experts often discuss them in parallel. | | | | and institutions. |
| In the case of consumer marketing, the population gets | | | | The consumers in the business categories are those |
| access to products and services through retailers in a | | | | that need equipment for their operational processes. |
| very simple process. With business to business | | | | Then, business to business marketing with institutions |
| marketing, transactions are not closed without | | | | involves working with schools, churches, charity |
| negotiations between seller and buyer. | | | | organizations, hospitals or nursing homes. The |
| In terms of similarities, business to business marketing | | | | government with all the corresponding agencies is the |
| and business to consumer marketing rely on the same | | | | biggest consumer of all, if we think of local |
| mechanisms that belong to the guidelines of traditional | | | | governments too. And finally, resellers, wholesalers and |
| marketing. Yet, beyond surface similarities, things are a | | | | distributors make one other consumer category for |
| lot more complex than one may suspect. Here is what | | | | business to business marketing. |
| brings B2B and B2C marketing close together. | | | | Larger sums of money enter the circuit with business |
| -They define a target market and try to match the | | | | to business marketing because the partners involved in |
| service or product to the corresponding needs. | | | | the transactions are companies. Moreover, the volume |
| -Businesses need to advertise regardless of who they | | | | of the merchandise is also different, together with the |
| sell their products to. | | | | promotional means, the discounts, the pricing structures |
| -The value of the products/services that they promote | | | | and lots of others. Therefore, although there are some |
| has to be clear to the targeted market. | | | | common grounds for B2B marketing and B2C |
| -The prices and the strength of the product/service | | | | marketing, each approach has its specificity and |
| must correspond to some overall market tendencies. | | | | separate operational mode. |
| While it is clear who sells something in business to | | | | |