Indian Institute of Management Rohtak

Course Outline

Course Title : B2B Marketing

Credits : 1
Type : Elective
Session Duration : 75 minutes
Term : IV
Year : 2018
Faculty : Archit V. Tapar
________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
The course includes an overview of business-to-business (B2B) marketing with a focus
on challenges and opportunities associated with it.

Course Objectives
The objective of the course is to introduce the participants with the following aspects of
business-to-business (B2B) marketing:
1. Business marketing environment and different factors governing the same
along with characteristics of customers, products and services,
2. Organizational buying behavior and decision-making process including
insights on customer relationship management,
3. Segmentation and targeting in business markets,
4. Strategic issues in B2B marketing, key account management and branding,
5. Managing different marketing functions in B2Bcontext,
6. Electronic commerce in B2B marketing, and
7. Emerging role of social media in B2B marketing.

Pedagogy
The pedagogy will consist of discussion on concepts and cases including case analysis
presentations on the same. All participants are expected to prepare themselves for the
cases and readings provided for the sessions.

Evaluation Scheme

Case analysis and presentations 10% Group component

Group Project 20% (30%)
Class participation 20%
Individual component
Quizzes 20%
(70%)
End term examination 30%
Total 100%

1
 Brief Outline

MODULE I Overview of B2B Marketing


MODULE II Key Strategic Issues including Segmentation, Branding, Key

Account Management, and Global Aspect in B2B Marketing

MODULE III Managing B2B Marketing Functions

MODULE IV Simulation Exercise for B2B Marketing Strategy

MODULE V Emerging Trends in B2B Marketing

References
Text:
1. B2B Marketing, A South-Asian Perspective by Hutt, Sharma, and Speh, 11e.
2. Business Marketing - Concepts and cases by Sharad Sarin, seventh reprint 2017.

Special Instructions
Please read and prepare well in advance for case presentation & discussion in the class.
Case for each session is indicated in the Session Plan. `

Session Plan
Session Topic and Sub-topics Reference (Book chapter / Case / Exercise /
No. Page numbers from the Assignment
book/Additional readings)
MODULE I: Overview of B2B Marketing
1 Basics of B2B Chapter 1 from the text B2B
Marketing Marketing
Reading:
Objective: To understand 1. Rangan, V. K., &
the basics of B2B Isaacson, B. (1994).
marketing with a What is industrial
discussion on similarities marketing?. Harvard
and differences between 
Business School, 9-
B2B and B2C Marketing. 592-012. 

2. Sarin, S. (2012). My
years with B2B
marketing in India:
reflections and

learnings from a
journey of 40 years.
Journal of Business &
Industrial Marketing,
27(3), 160-168.

2
2-3 Organizational Buying
Behavior and
Relationship
Management
Objective: To understand
the decision-making
process applied by
organizational buyers,
factors affecting the
buying behavior and
buyer-seller relation in
B2B context.
MODULE II: Key Strategic Issues B2B Marketing
4-5 Segmentation in Chapter 4 from the text B2B
Business Market and Marketing
Assessment of its
Potential Reading:
Objective: To understand
the segmentation process
in B2Bmarketing and
assessment of its
potential.
6 Branding in B2B
Marketing
Objective: To understand
the role of branding in the
context of B2Bmarketing.
7 Key Account
Management in B2B
Marketing
Objective: To understand
the role and importance
of key account
management in
B2Bmarketing.
Chapter 2 & 3 from the text
B2B Marketing
Reading:
1. Bonoma, T. V. (2006).
Major Sales-Who
Really Does the
Buying?. Harvard

Business Review,
R0607P. 

2. Corey, E.R. (1989).
Industrial buying
behaviour. Harvard
Business School, 9-582-
117
Shapiro, B. P., & Thomas, V.
B. (1984). How to segment
industrial markets. Harvard
Business School. 84312
Reading:
Muylle, S., Dawar, N., &
Rangarajan, D. (2012). B2B
brand architecture, California
Management Review,
CMR502.
Readings: Cesdes, F.V. (1989). Case:
Managing Major Accounts,
Harvard Business School, 9-
590-046.
3
Case:
Corey, E.R. (1992).
Dominion Motors &
Controls, Ltd., HBS
No. 9-589-115.
Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School
Publishing.
Case:
Quelch, J. A., &
Hartman, K. B. (2017).
Pintura Corporation:
The Lena Launch
Decision, HBS No. 9-
917-523. Boston, MA:
Harvard Business
School Publishing.
Case:
Keinan, A. (2010).
Communispace.
Harvard Business
School. 510018
ABC Interiors
(Self written case)
8–9 Strategic Perspective
and Global Aspects in
B2B Marketing
Objective: To understand
the strategic issues in
B2B marketing context
including a perspective
on factors affecting
global business.
Chapter 5 & 6 from the text
B2B Marketing
Reading: Corey, E.R. (1996).
Industrial Marketing Strategy -
An Overview, Harvard
Business School, 589102.
Case: Cespedes, F.V.,
& Bell, M. (1995).
Dendrite International,
HBS No. 9-594048.
Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School
Publishing.

MODULE III: Managing B2B Marketing Functions

10 New Industrial Chapter 7 & 8 from the text Case: Quelch, John A.
Products and Role of B2B Marketing (1991). Loctite
Innovation Corporation: Industrial
Reading: Griffin, A. (2002). Products Group, HBS
Objective: To understand Product development cycle No. 9-581-066,
management of new time for business-to-business Boston, MA: Harvard
industrial products in products. Industrial Marketing Business School
B2Bmarketing along with Management, 31(4), 291-304. Publishing.
the role of innovation.

11 Managing Industrial
Services
Objective: To understand
services in B2B
marketing context.
Chapter 9 from the text B2B
Marketing
Reading: Reinartz, W., &
Ulaga, W. (2008). How to Sell
Services More Profitably.
Harvard Business Review,
R0805F.
Case: Frei, F.X.,
Edmondson, E.C., &
Hajim, C. (2007). Dell
Computers (A): Field
Service for Corporate
Clients, HBS No. 9-
603-067. Boston, MA:
Harvard Business
School Publishing.

12 Pricing in B2B
Marketing
Objective: To understand
the role of pricing as well
as type of pricing suitable
for different requirements
in a B2Bmarketing
context.
Chapter 12 from the text B2B
Marketing
Reading: Corey, E.R. (1990).
Note on Pricing Strategies for
Industrial Products, Harvard
Business School, 582124.
Case: Shapiro, B.P., &
Sherman, J.J. (1985).
Cumberland Metal
Industries: Engineered
Products Division,
HBS No. 9-580- 104.
Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School
Publishing.

13 Managing Channels in
B2B Marketing
Objective: To understand
and design channels in
Chapter 11 from the text B2B Case: Cespedes, F.V.,
Marketing & Zalosh, A. (2014).
FormPrint Ortho 500,
Readings: Corey, E.R. (1989). HBS No. 9-915535.

4
 B2B marketing context. Industrial Distribution Boston, MA: Harvard
Systems, Harvard Business Business School
School, 9-58-101. Publishing.

14 Marketing Sales Chapter 14 from the text B2B Case: Cespedes, F.V.,
Function in B2B Marketing & Preble M.G. (2016).
Marketing DoubleDutch. HBS
Reading: Steenburgh, T. No. 815-044
Objective: To understand
(2006). Personal Selling and
and manage personal
Sales Management, Harvard
selling in B2Bcontext.
Business School, 507039.

MODULE IV: Simulation Exercise

15-16 Objective: To understand the marketing strategy formulation and its execution in
business-to-business marketing.
MODULE V: Emerging Trends in B2B Marketing

17 Role of Electronic Reading: Pfeifer; Kaplan, S., Case: Narayandas, D.

Commerce in B2B & Sawhney, M. (2000). E- (2007). Arrow
Marketing hubs: the new B2B Electronics, Inc. HBS
Objective: To understand
marketplaces. Harvard No. 9-598-022.
the role of e-commerce as
business review, 78(3), 97- Boston, MA: Harvard
a channel strategy in
106. R00306 Business School
business-to-business
Publishing.
marketing context.

18 Social Media in B2B Reading: Andersson, S., &
Marketing Wikström, N. (2017). Why and
how are social media used in a
Objective: To understand B2B context, and which
the emerging role of stakeholders are
social media in business- involved?. Journal of Business
to-business marketing. & Industrial Marketing, 32(8),
1098-1108.
Case: Katona, Z., &
Sarvary, M. (2014).
Maersk Line: B2B
Social Media - "It's
Communication, Not
Marketing", Berkeley-
Haas Case Series ID:
B 5779

19 Group Project presentation

Objective: The entire class benefits from the projects done by the fellow participants
also provides exposure to different industries and B2B problems faced therein.
20 Course Review

5
 Table of Contents
Sl. No. Reading/ Reading / Case Title Session
Case No. No.
1 R1 Rangan, V. K., & Isaacson, B. (1994). What is 1
industrial marketing?. Harvard 
Business School,
9-592-012. 

2 R2 Sarin, S. (2012). My years with B2B marketing in 1
India: reflections and 
learnings from a journey of
40 years. Journal of Business & Industrial
Marketing, 27(3), 160-168.
3 R3 Bonoma, T. V. (2006). Major Sales-Who Really 2&3
Does the Buying?. Harvard 
Business Review,
R0607P.
4 R4 Corey, E.R. (1989). Industrial buying behaviour. 2&3
Harvard Business School, 9-582-117
5 R5 Shapiro, B. P., & Thomas, V. B. (1984). How to 4&5
segment industrial markets. Harvard Business
School. 84312
6 R6 Muylle, S., Dawar, N., & Rangarajan, D. (2012). 6
B2B brand architecture, California Management
Review, CMR502.
7 R7 Cesdes, F.V. (1989). Managing Major Accounts, 7
Harvard Business School, 9-590-046.
8 R8 Corey, E.R. (1996). Industrial Marketing Strategy - 8&9
An Overview, Harvard Business School, 589102.
9 R9 Griffin, A. (2002). Product development cycle time 10
for business-to-business products. Industrial
Marketing Management, 31(4), 291-304.
10 R10 Reinartz, W., & Ulaga, W. (2008). How to Sell 11
Services More Profitably. Harvard Business
Review, R0805F.
11 R11 Corey, E.R. (1990). Note on Pricing Strategies for 12
Industrial Products, Harvard Business School,
582124.
12 R12 Corey, E.R. (1989). Industrial Distribution 13
Systems, Harvard Business School, 9-58-101.
13 R13 Steenburgh, T. (2006). Personal Selling and Sales 14
Management, Harvard Business School, 507039.
14 R14 Pfeifer; Kaplan, S., & Sawhney, M. (2000). E- 17
hubs: the new B2B marketplaces. Harvard business
review, 78(3), 97-106. R00306
15 R15 Andersson, S., & Wikström, N. (2017). Why and 18
how are social media used in a B2B context, and
which stakeholders are involved?. Journal of
Business & Industrial Marketing, 32(8), 1098-
1108.

6
 16 C1 Corey, E.R. (1992). Dominion Motors & Controls, 2&3
Ltd., HBS No. 9-589-115. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Publishing.
17 C2 Quelch, J. A., & Hartman, K. B. (2017). Pintura 4&5
Corporation: The Lena Launch Decision, HBS No.
9-917-523. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Publishing.
18 C3 Keinan, A. (2010). Communispace. Harvard 6
Business School. 510018
19 C4 To be communicated 7
20 C5 Cespedes, F.V., & Bell, M. (1995). Dendrite 8&9
International, HBS No. 9-594048. Boston, MA:
Harvard Business School Publishing.
21 C6 Quelch, John A. (1991). Loctite Corporation: 10
Industrial Products Group, HBS No. 9-581-066,
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
22 C7 Case: Frei, F.X., Edmondson, E.C., & Hajim, C. 11
(2007). Dell Computers (A): Field Service for
Corporate Clients, HBS No. 9-603-067. Boston,
MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
23 C8 Shapiro, B.P., & Sherman, J.J. (1985). Cumberland 12
Metal Industries: Engineered Products Division,
HBS No. 9-580- 104. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Publishing.
24 C9 Cespedes, F.V., & Zalosh, A. (2014). FormPrint 13
Ortho 500, HBS No. 9-915535. Boston, MA:
Harvard Business School Publishing.
25 C10 Cespedes, F.V., & Preble M.G. (2016). 14
DoubleDutch. HBS No. 815-044
26 C11 Narayandas, D. (2007). Arrow Electronics, Inc. 17
HBS No. 9-598-022. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Publishing.
27 C12 Katona, Z., & Sarvary, M. (2014). Maersk Line: 18
B2B Social Media - "It's Communication, Not
Marketing", Berkeley-Haas Case Series ID: B 5779

Note: ‘R’ and ‘C’ in the second column stand for ‘Reading’ and ‘Case’ respectively.

7
Details of Group Project:
All participants in groups will explore a B2B marketing problem for their respective
projects. The participants in the groups would look for an interesting problem by
exploring the relevant primary or secondary sources. Specifically, the groups will
look at a B2B marketing problem faced by any firm in any industry. The groups will
work on their respective projects by including:

1. A clearly identifiable problem, 


2. Analysis of the firm, its customers, competitors and the environment within
which the firm operates, 

3. A brief of buying process, key purchase criteria, DMU of the target customer,
any additional information on managing customer relationship.
4. A logical recommendation to handle the problem. 


Important Note:
The participants are expected to use the learning obtained during the sessions. Each
group will submit a written report of 10-12 pages on the project done. The report
should mention the sources used for doing the project. The format for submission to
should Word document with Font size 12, Times new roman, line spacing 1.5, and
margins 2.54 cm from all sides.

Policy on Plagiarism: Students are expected to take great care in distinguishing

their own work from other’s material/work in any of the evaluation components. All
sources should be cited properly. Violation will attract penalty as applicable.