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CHAPTER 8
Business Markets and Buying Behavior
TEACHING RESOURCES QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
Resource Location
Purpose and Perspective IRM, p. 150
Lecture Outline IRM, p. 151
Discussion Starters IRM, p. 158
Class Exercises IRM, p. 160
Semester Project IRM, p. 163
Answers to Developing Your Marketing Plan IRM, p. 164
Answers to Discussion and Review Questions IRM, p. 165
Comments on the Cases IRM, p. 167
Video Case 8.1 IRM, p. 167
Case 8.2 IRM, p. 168
Examination Questions: Essay Cognero
Examination Questions: Multiple-Choice Cognero
Examination Questions: True-False Cognero
PowerPoint Slides Instructor’s website
Note: Additional resources may be found on the accompanying student and instructor websites at
www.cengagebrain.com.
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license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
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LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Business Markets
A. A business market (also called a business-to-business or B2B market) consists of individuals,
organizations, or groups who purchase a specific kind of product for resale, direct use in
producing other products, or use in general daily operations.
1. Although marketing to businesses employs the same concepts as marketing to ultimate
consumers, there are structural and behavioral differences in business markets.
a. A business marketer must understand how its product affects other organizations in the
marketing channel, such as resellers and other manufacturers.
b. Business products can be technically complex and can have a sophisticated buyer-market.
However, markets can be as small as a few customers.
c. Business marketing is often based on long-term mutually profitable relationships across
members of the marketing channel based on cooperation, trust, and collaboration.
2. For most business marketers, the goal is to understand customer needs and provide a value-
added exchange that focuses on customer retention and relationship development.
B. Producer Markets
1. Producer markets are individuals and organizations which purchase products for the
purpose of making a profit by using these products to produce other products or by using
them within operations.
2. A wide range of industries make up producer markets, including agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, mining, construction, transportation, communication, and utilities see Table 8.1).
C. Reseller Markets
1. Reseller markets consist of intermediaries who buy finished goods and resell them for profit.
2. Resellers do not change the physical characteristics of the product except for occasional
minor alterations.
3. Wholesalers purchase products for resale to retailers, to other wholesalers, and to producers,
governments, and institutions.
4. Retailers purchase products for resale to final consumers.
5. When making purchase decisions, resellers consider several factors.
a. Level of demand to determine quantity and price levels
b. Amount of space required for the product
c. Suppliers’ ability to provide adequate quantities when and where wanted
d. Ease of order placement
e. Availability of technical assistance and training programs
f. A product’s capacity to complement or compete with products the reseller currently
handles
D. Government Markets
1. Government markets include federal, state, county, and local governments that buy goods
and services to support internal operations and provide products to their constituencies.
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152 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
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154 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
b. Obtaining a product which meets but does not exceed specifications is important to avoid
excess costs.
3. Business buyers value service.
a. Services offered by suppliers directly and indirectly influence customers’ costs, sales, and
profits.
b. Typical services that business customers desire from suppliers are market information,
inventory maintenance, on-time delivery, and repair services.
c. Often the mix of services is likely to be the major avenue through which a marketer can
gain a competitive advantage.
d. Typical services desired by consumers include market information, inventory
maintenance, on-time delivery, and repair services.
4. Quality of service is critical because customers have higher service expectations than ever.
a. Marketers should aim for uniformity of service, simplicity, truthfulness, and accuracy.
b. Firms should monitor customer service programs to ensure customers are happy and
therefore remain loyal to the firm.
5. Businesses are increasingly concerned about ethics and social responsibility.
a. Sustainability in particular is rising as a consideration among customers making
purchases. Improvement of environmental performance can indirectly improve financial
performance.
6. Finally, business customers are concerned about the costs of developing and maintaining
relationships with their suppliers.
D. Methods of Business Buying
1. Most business buyers use description, inspection, sampling, or negotiation purchase methods.
2. Description is commonly used when products are standardized to certain characteristics and
are graded according to these standards.
3. Inspection is necessary when items have unique characteristics and vary in condition.
4. Sampling occurs when one item is taken from a lot and is assumed to represent the
characteristics of the entire lot.
5. Negotiation of contracts may be executed through several means.
a. Buyers provide a general description of the desired item.
b. Sellers submit bids and the buyer negotiates terms with those who submit the most
attractive bids.
c. Contracts may specify a base price and provisions for payment of additional costs and
fees.
E. Types of Business Purchases
1. Most business purchases are one of three types: new-task purchase, straight rebuy, or
modified rebuy.
2. In a new-task purchase, the organization makes an initial purchase of an item to be used to
perform a new job or solve a new problem.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 155
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156 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
b. When a business marketer’s customers change inventory policies, the organization may
notice substantial demand changes.
c. Significant price increases or decreases may lead to surprising short-run changes in
demand.
IV. Business Buying Decisions
A. Business (organizational) buying behavior refers to the purchase behavior of producers,
government units, institutions, and resellers.
B. The Buying Center
1. The buying center is a group of people within an organization, including users, influencers,
buyers, deciders, and gatekeepers, who make business purchase decisions.
a. Users are organizational participants who actually use the product being acquired.
b. Influencers often are technical personnel who help develop the specifications and
evaluate alternative products for possible use.
c. Buyers select the suppliers and negotiate the terms of the purchases.
d. Deciders actually choose the products and vendors.
e. Gatekeepers control the flow of information to and among people who occupy the other
roles in the buying center.
2. The number and structure of an organization’s buying centers are affected by the
organization’s size, its market position, the volume and types of products purchased, and the
firm’s managerial philosophy.
3. A marketer attempting to sell to a business customer should determine who is in the buying
center, the types of decisions each individual makes, and which individuals are most
influential in the decision process.
C. Stages of the Business Buying Decision Process (see Figure 8.2)
1. First stage: One or more individuals in the business recognize that a problem or need exists.
2. Second stage: The development of product specifications requires that buying center
participants assess the problem or need and determine what will be necessary to resolve or
satisfy it.
3. Third stage: This stage involves searching for potential products to solve the problem and
locating suppliers of such products.
a. Some organizations engage in value analysis, an evaluation of each component of a
potential purchase: quality, design, materials, and so on.
b. Some vendors may be eliminated because they cannot supply needed quantities or
because they have poor delivery or service records.
c. A list of products generated in the search stage are evaluated to determine which products
(if any) meet the specifications; the organization uses vendor analysis to evaluate current
and potential suppliers.
4. Fourth stage: Results of deliberations and assessments from stage three are used to select the
product to be purchased and the supplier from which to buy it. The product is ordered.
a. Multiple sourcing is the selection and use of several suppliers.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 157
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158 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
DISCUSSION STARTERS
Discussion Starter 1: Self-Regulation Helps to Manage Supplier Diversity
ASK: When corporations and institutions make a special effort to encourage supplier diversity, how
should “diversity” be defined?
Many large corporations encourage supplier diversity by reaching out to businesses that are small or
owned by veterans, women, or members of minority groups. Although small businesses that meet
“supplier diversity” qualifications don’t automatically receive orders—they must compete, just like every
other supplier—such programs help them get a foot in the door.
Can “diversity” cover too many or too few suppliers? At Kroger, the supermarket company, diversity
suppliers must be at least 51 percent owned by a U.S. citizen who is Hispanic, African American, Asian-
Indian, Asian-Pacific, Native American, female, gay or lesbian, bisexual, transgender, a military veteran,
or a disabled military veteran. Suppliers must also be certified by a recognized group such as the National
Minority Supplier Development Council or the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. For Dell, the
computer company, diversity extends to small businesses owned by socially or economically
disadvantaged people and to small businesses located in underutilized business zones, as designated by
the U.S. Small Business Association.
ASK: Are these programs going too far or not far enough in providing potential opportunities for
suppliers? Should diversity extend to businesses owned by teens, seniors, families, and first-time
entrepreneurs?
Discussion Starter 2: The Products You Depend on from the Firms You Have Never Heard of
ASK: Have you ever thought about where the products you consume come from?
Many of us will purchase a loaf of bread or a candy bar and never think about how it was made or the
origination of the ingredients. Yet, each product we purchase contains a variety of input goods.
Cargill supplies product ingredients that are common in processed foods you consume every day. It is
perhaps the largest company you may never have heard of.
http://www.cargill.com/
Cargill is one of the world’s largest ingredient makers for food products. It processes flour, sugar, corn
and other ingredients for food production, as well as biofuels and pharmaceuticals.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 159
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160 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
CLASS EXERCISES
Class Exercise 1: Business Buying Behavior vs. Consumer Buying Behavior
The objective of this class exercise is to show students that business buying behavior has many
similarities to consumer buying behavior.
Prompt for Students:
Although business buying behavior might seem quite different from your buying behavior, the two are
more similar than you may think. As you answer the following questions, think about how similar or
dissimilar the business buying process is to your own.
1. When you buy a new shirt, hair dryer, MP3 player, television, or car, which of the following criteria
is important to you?
Quality Service
Product information Repair services
Product availability Credit
On-time delivery Price
2. Give examples of products that you buy (or may buy) based on
Description Inspection
Sampling Negotiation
3. Match the business purchase situation with the consumer goods buying situation. How or why are
they related?
New-task purchase Limited decision making
Modified rebuy Routine decision making
Straight rebuy Extended decision making
4. How is the buying center of a business similar to the following purchasing roles that family
members play?
Users Influencers
Buyers Deciders
Gatekeepers
Answers:
1. If you ask enough students, you will eventually have all of these criteria listed. Although businesses
are more likely to develop formal written specifications about these concerns, final consumers also
find these to be important concerns for nearly any high-involvement product category.
2. Examples might include the following:
• Description: mail-order products (clothing, personal computers)
• Inspection: car, furniture, house, or any used item
• Sampling: grocery food items, mail samples, ice cream
• Negotiation: car, house, or any used item
3. The situations roughly match as follows:
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 161
2. Students might be able to argue for a few of these answers, but probably the best one is quality.
Because of the industry, it is important to have a product that works well and is durable. Price
might also be a major consideration, but probably trails quality in importance. Bombardier does
emphasize the low operating costs of its products.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 163
SEMESTER PROJECT
Chapter 8 explains that different types of organizations market to each other. Business-to-business
marketing offers a wealth of career opportunities to marketing students. In this exercise, explore the
opportunities within this field.
Step 1: A frequent position within B2B marketing is purchasing manager. In this step, research the
position of purchasing manager. What types of firms hire purchasing managers?
Step 2: Many students do not consider the U.S. Government as a source for marketing positions, yet both
the Federal and State governments hire marketers. In this step, explore opportunities in the U.S.
Government. Visit http://www.usajobs.gov/.
Step 3: Write a brief description about the position of purchasing manager. Describe the training you
would need to become a purchasing manager. Also, list three potential job sources for purchasing
managers.
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164 Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior
1. What are the primary concerns of business customers? Could any of these concerns be
addressed with the strengths of your company?
Marketing to business customers involves the same groups and the same purposes, but there are
some key differences. A company that markets to another company must understand how its product
will affect other firms in the marketing channel, such as resellers and other manufacturers. Business
products can also be technically complex, and the market often consists of sophisticated buyers.
Because the business market consists of relatively smaller customer populations, a segment of the
market could be as small as a few customers. The first question also asks students if any of these
concerns can be addressed with strengths of their companies. Student responses will vary on this
question.
2. Determine the type of business purchase your customer will likely be using when purchasing
your product. How would this impact the level of information required by the business when
moving through the buying decision process?
The answers to this question will be as varied as the students’ products.
3. Discuss the different types of demand that the business customer will experience when
purchasing your product.
Again, the answers to this question will be as varied as the students’ products. Students can refer to
Figure 8.1 when seeking to answer this question.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 165
Most business customers use one or more of the following methods: description, inspection,
sampling, and negotiation. Standardized products may be purchased on the basis of a description of
desired characteristics. Certain products, especially those which are large, expensive, and have unique
characteristics, require inspection by the purchasers before a decision is reached. When buying
decisions are based on sampling, the purchaser assumes the sample product taken from the lot is
representative of the entire lot. Negotiated contracts occur when sellers submit bids and the buyer
discusses terms with those who submit the most attractive bids.
7. Why do buyers involved in straight rebuy purchases require less information than those
making new-task purchases?
The straight rebuy purchase is a routine procedure. The specifications and terms are set and all major
problems are resolved. Conversely, a new-task purchase requires the business to develop product
specifications, vendor specifications, and procedures for future purchases before an initial purchase.
8. How does demand for business products differ from consumer demand?
Demand for business products differs from consumer demand in that it is (a) derived, (b) inelastic, (c)
joint, or (d) fluctuating.
9. What are the major components of a firm’s buying center?
The major components or roles of a buying center are users, influencers, buyers, deciders, and
gatekeepers. One person may perform several of these roles.
10. Identify the stages of the business buying decision process. How is this decision process used
when making straight rebuys?
The stages of the business buying decision process are (1) recognizing the problem, (2) establishing
product specifications to solve the problem, (3) searching for products and suppliers and evaluating
products with respect to specifications, (4) selecting and ordering the most appropriate product, and
(5) evaluating product and supplier performance. This decision process is not used for routine,
straight rebuy purchases.
11. How do environmental, business, interpersonal, and individual factors affect business
purchases?
The influence of these factors varies depending on different factors such as different buying
situations; the type of product being purchased; and whether the purchase is new-task, modified
rebuy, or straight rebuy.
12. How has the Internet facilitated the organizational buying process?
Whereas in the past, an organization seeking a type of product might contact product suppliers, speak
with someone on the sales force, and request a catalog or brochure, business customers today first
turn to the Internet to search for information and find sources. The Internet has become a major
channel in organizational buying. The Internet allows buyers to research potential solutions through
its vast resources, and interactions with a sales representative now may occur much later in the
process than in the past. Increasingly, business are turning to B2B E-commerce sites, which serve as
online marketplaces where buyers and sellers around the world can exchange information, goods,
services, ideas, or payments.
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Chapter 8: Business Markets and Buying Behavior 167
2. Which of the four categories of business markets is Apple Pay best suited for, and why?
Apple Pay is best suited for reseller markets, which are intermediaries that resell finished goods.
Specifically, retailers (including restaurants and gas stations) whose customers are consumers are the
market that Apple Pay is pursuing. These businesses want to satisfy their customers by making
payments both convenient and speedy. Institutional markets do not generally emphasize speed and
convenience in payments for services or donations. However, charitable groups and educational
institutions may be prospects for Apple Pay, because they want to encourage convenient donations
(charity) or speed purchase transactions (school book stores and cafés). Government markets are not
as well suited to Apple Pay. Although they do accept payments, speed and convenience aren’t usually
the top criteria for determining which payment methods to offer citizens. Finally, producer markets
usually sell to other businesses, which means the consumer-oriented Apple Pay isn’t appropriate for
their customers’ needs.
3. Which environmental influences on the decision process seem to have been most important to
McDonald’s when it decided to honor Apple Pay?
McDonald’s took competitive factors into account when deciding to honor Apple Pay. It wants to
make transactions as fast and easy as possible so customers in a hurry don’t switch to
competitors. Being among the first businesses to accept Apple Pay could also be considered a
competitive advantage, at least for a time. Economic factors were clearly important, with the
McDonald’s executive mentioning the sheer size of the market as a “clear and compelling
business opportunity.” Another economic factor was that Apple Pay transactions will cost
McDonald’s a few pennies more to process than cash transactions. Still, the company realized
that the profit potential in speedy checkout outweighs the transaction cost. Sociocultural iss ues
(such as the prevalence of iPhone users in the U.S. market) and technological changes (the ease
and speed of mobile payments) were both involved in this decision.
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Solution Manual for Marketing 2018, 19th Edition, William M. Pride, O. C. Ferrell
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