Systematic review on B2B branding: research issues and avenues for future research

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to review the current body of the B2B branding literature, and identify research issues that hamper current B2B branding research.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a systematic review, and identifies 73 relevant journal publications from the years 1973‐2010 that were subsequently evaluated for further analysis.FindingsThis study identifies five possible issues hampering current B2B branding research: the lack of systematic theory development, the transference of consumer concepts, the dominance of quantitative research, the lack of longitudinal research, and the focus on single industries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study considers only published journal articles, excluding books and conference proceedings. By highlighting the research issues, this paper aims to direct research efforts to areas where they will have the most impact, and thus aid more rapid advancement of B2B branding as a discipline.Originality/valueThis study provides the first systematic review to identify and evaluate the current B2B branding literature. The review identifies the key literature related to B2B branding, provides an overview of past research and identifies emerging research issues to be addressed in future research.

Determinants of brand relevance in a B2B service purchasing context

“…Previous order-winning criteria such as reliability and quality are now assumed as minimum requirements, and the increased use of outsourcing and partnerships has increased the pressure on firms to build trust through strong brands (Lynch and de Chernatony, 2007). As a response to increasing industry attention, particularly since 2000, recent years have seen the publication of a vast number of B2B branding articles and special issues of journals (Keränen et al, 2012), with a substantial research stream appearing only very recently in the literature (Roberts and Merrilees, 2007;Leek and Christodoulides, 2011). However, the extant literature remains embryonic, fragmented, contradictory, largely subjective in nature, limited in its scope and essentially based on narrative literature reviews (Glynn et al, 2007;Roberts and Merrilees, 2007;Keränen et al, 2012).…”

“…In the 1990s, there were only a few articles on business-to-business (B2B) branding (Roberts and Merrilees, 2007) and research was neglected (Keränen et al, 2012). Much of the early B2B branding research emphasized the role of brands as a product differentiator, considering whether a brand name conferred any competitive advantage to the selling organization.…”

“…But as business markets competition became more intense under the pressures of commoditization, globalization and price, together with a decreasing number of personal relationships and growing customer power (Keränen et al, 2012;Leek and Christodoulides, 2011), B2B firms started to brand their products to gain a sustainable competitive advantage (Kotler and Pfoertsch, 2007;Walley et al, 2007;Baumgarth, 2008). Previous order-winning criteria such as reliability and quality are now assumed as minimum requirements, and the increased use of outsourcing and partnerships has increased the pressure on firms to build trust through strong brands (Lynch and de Chernatony, 2007).…”

Clarifying the Brand Orientation Construct for Business-to-Business Sector

“…Majority of literature seeking application of brand in B2B context is not more than a decade old (Leek and Christodoulides, 2011;Glynn, 2012;Keränen et al, 2012). By and large these articles have evaluated the effect of brand on customer's buying process (Baumgarth, 2010).…”

“…Branding strategies in B2B sector was quite unpopular subject for scholars before 2007 (Keränen et al, 2012). Only in recent years, practitioners and academics realized the need to advance the understanding of brand's role in inter-organizational transactions because a strong brand is often associated with several strategic benefits (Leek & Christodoulides, 2011;Glynn, 2012).…”