The business, the firm, the boys, the lads, your crew...the picture on the left obviously has nothing to do with business to business marketing. However, it does give you a nice insight into the cut-throat world of business. If it all goes tits up, these boys could be round collecting all your worldly posessions (and probably smashing up your lovely premises as they go about it).Sometimes in business you've got to collaborate with your rivals in order to be successful.
It's a bit like in the film Football Factory (aaaah...there's the relevance of the picture). Billy Bright (the bloke jabbing his finger at the camera in the picture) deals in narcotics - specifically heavily cut cocaine. Now, even though he's a Chelsea boy through and through, he does business with Millwall's top boy, even though Millwall are there most hated rivals...why? Because that's where the money is.
"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" (Michael Corleone - The Godfather Part II - 1974)
In keeping with the film inspired start to this blog, the above quote is one that can be applied to business to business marketing (in a twisted sort of way). Basically, as a business you might not be particularly interested in what another company does, you may not even like their particular sector of the market. However, if that's where the money is, go with the flow!
Business to business marketing describes transactions between businesses. Now this could be between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, a wholesaler and a retailer, and so on and so forth. Somewhat surprisingly, the volume of business to business transactions is far greater than that of business to consumer transactions. And this is why as marketers we should place a large amount of emphasis on B2B marketing.
Businesses can be divided into three main categories;
- Government organsiations (health and education etc)
- Institutional organisations (not for profit, charities etc)
- Commercial organisations (distributors and retailers etc)
The importance of business to business marketing can be outlined when we look at not for profit organisations (like charities). Whilst charities do rely on kind souls like you and me for donations, the majority of their income comes from the government and independent companies. As a result of this, charities need to market their cause correctly so as to make it attractive not only to the hoi polloi like you and me, but also to the guys with the big money. This would be a business to business transaction and henceforth it explains why business to business marketing is vitally important to today's marketing generation.
And so, this is it....the last post. I don't want to make a big deal out of it (wouldn't want anyone crying or anything like that), but it's been an honour and a privilege to have you read my incoherent (and sometimes downright silly) musings on the world. Hopefully it's given you a bit of an insight into what we've learnt this year (it's bloody flown by) and will aid you in years to come when you go on to be a successful PR or marketing guru.
Finally, follow the link to the video just as a nice end to what's been a thoroughly enjoyable year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7aBGh9tJWg
*sob*...oh damn, I said no tears!
1 comment:
Tissue, Sean?
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