GRADUATESHIP
4.02 B2B MARKETING MANAGEMENT - 2011/12
The objective of this course is that on completion the student will have the knowledge necessary to meet the special challenges and opportunities which confront the marketer who intends to serve the needs of organisations rather than the needs of households.
SECTION A (40%)
The compulsory question in Section A is worth 40% of the available marks. Each year the Examiner will present a broad topic, which will reflect the subject area that should be covered in Section A of the May and August examinations. THE ACTUAL QUESTION WILL NOT BE GIVEN IN ADVANCE. However, the topic will provide a clear indication of the theme that should be studied for Section A. The idea is to encourage students to ‘read around’ the subject B2B Marketing Management. In the final year of a degree-equivalent professional programme, it is simply not adequate to rely totally on lecture notes.
1. The rapid adoption of the Internet and other electronic sources of information means that it is now easier to access information, even if you have no recourse to a physical library. Many excellent websites exist. Most are free and may only require you to provide basic information in order to register.
2. Students should read the business press, academic journals and magazines. There are always articles in the business press that provide practical applications of issues that are discussed in class.
3. Students should also draw upon their own personal experience, where applicable.
4. The topic for each year covers both the May and August examinations.
5. The theme for Section A will not be examined in Section B.
The general topic for the compulsory question in Section A for the 2011/12 examinations is:
Critically assess the view that the role of the Internet plays an insignificant role in an integrated marketing communications strategy within the context of B2B markets. Use appropriate case studies to support your point of view.
SECTION B (3 × 20%)
1. The Environment of Business Marketing
(a) Business marketing perspective: business markets, business versus consumer marketing, business market customers, organisational buying process, classifying goods for the business market.
(b) Perspectives of the organisational buyer; characteristics of commercial enterprises, of governments, of the institutional market; international marketplace for industrial goods and services.
2. The Organisational Buying Process
(a) Dimensions of organisational buying; buyer-seller interactions, buying situations, buying motivations, evaluation of potential suppliers.
(b) Organisational buying behaviour; environmental forces; organisational forces; organisational climate; group forces, individual forces.
3. Assessing Market Opportunities
(a) Business marketing intelligence: role of information, secondary information sources, business marketing research.
(b) Segmenting the business market: requirements and benefits; bases, models, implementation.
(c) Organisational demand analysis, measuring market potential, sales forecasting.
4. Formulating Business Market Strategy
(a) Business marketing planning: strategic planning, planning in the business marketing environment, functionally integrated marketing planning, business marketing planning process.
(b) Managing the product line: the industrial product; product policy; planning industrial product strategy.
(c) Managing innovation and new industrial product development: the management of innovation, the technology portfolio, the new product development process, the new industrial product adoption process, formulating new industrial product policy.
(d) Managing services for business markets: role and importance of business services, defining business services, buying business services, marketing mix for business service firms, developing new services, international dimensions of business services.
(e) Managing business marketing channels: the business marketing channel, channel participants, channel design and administration, international business channels.
(f) Industrial marketing channels: elements of logistical management, business-to-business logistical service, the interface of logistics in the channel, business-to-businessl ogistical management.
(g) Managing the industrial pricing function: the meaning of price in business markets: pricing across the product life cycle, price administration, competitive bidding, the role of leasing in the industrial market.
(h) Business marketing communications: the role of advertising, other promotional tools, managing the personal selling function, foundations of personal selling, exploring buyer-seller interactions, managing the sales force, models for industrial sales force management.
5. Evaluating Business Marketing Strategy and Performance
Controlling business marketing strategies; allocating resources, control at various levels, implementation of business marketing strategy.
READING LIST
Essential Reading
Blyth, Jim, & Zimmerman, Alan (2005), Business to Business Marketing Management: A Global Perspective, 1st Edition, Thomson Learning EMEA.
Recommended Reading
Ford, David (Editor) (1997), Understanding Business Markets: Interaction, Relationships and Networks, The Daydew Press, London.
Hayes, Michael H., Jenster, Per & Aaby, Nils-Erik (1996), Business Marketing: A Global Perspective, Irwin.
Webster, F.E., & Wind Y., Organisational Buying Behaviour, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Wilson, Dominic (1999), Organisational Marketing, International Thomson Business Press.
Web Sites
www.crm-forum.com
www.dti.gov.uk
www.dam.org.uk
www.mcob.usouthal.edu
www.marketing.haynet.com
