A relational insight of brand personification in business-to-business markets

Gupta, Suraksha, Bourlakis, Michael, Melewar, TC (2010) A relational insight of brand personification in business-to-business markets. Journal of General Management, 35 (4). pp. 65-76. ISSN 0306-3070. E-ISSN 1759-6106. (doi:10.1177/030630701003500411)

Abstract

Customers find it difficult to differentiate between competing products based on their functional aspects. The shortening life cycle of products due to quick adoption of technological innovations by competitors makes it difficult for them to identify products based on specifications. The contemporary academic literature related to relationship marketing and brand management is passionate about customer and consumer psychology but little attention has been given to the brand selection criteria of resellers as business customers of the brand. This paper combines branding and relationship marketing as two broad functions of marketing. The paper argues upon the role of human representatives of the brand as brand personified in managing these two functions of marketing in business-to-business markets. The proposal of the paper is to use human representatives as a tool for the execution of relationship marketing and branding strategies. The objective behind using human representatives is to maximize the mindshare of resellers towards the brand and create value for them beyond products and services

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1177/030630701003500411
Subjects:	H Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > Kent Business School Faculties > Social Sciences > Kent Business School > Marketing
Depositing User:	Suraksha Gupta
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2015 00:23 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 16:47 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/53422 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)