Marketing communication: principles and practice

CONSUMER VS. BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
Throughout this book, we refer to ‘consumers’ and ‘buyers’ to make the
distinction between those who purchase for their own use and those who
purchase on behalf of others, while recognizing that it is in both cases always
people who purchase products. The major differences in marketing
communication approaches is in recognizing the differing environments and
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‘Information’
source
A
B
C
D
E
Figure 7.9
A model of two-step interaction

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tasks of the decision-makers and purchasers that create different information
needs. Whereas consumer advertising can appeal directly to consumers who
make their own purchases, business-to-business information provision leads
to contact between a buyer and a seller. The content, style, etc. of commu-
nication activities must be designed to match the needs of people who will
communicate in order to find satisfying exchanges (Table 7.9). Marketing
communication managers must develop a sensitive understanding of
consumers and buyers as purposive communicators. 
Table 7.10 illustrates the need to allocate expenditure to appropriate
activities for the nature of the buying–selling situation, and that this judgement
is dependent on the type of product.
CHOOSING COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES
Today, more than at any other time, we have a proliferating cornucopia of
tools and connections for communicating. For the manager, this presents
both a wide choice and a dilemma: which of all possible means of
communicating are appropriate and affordable? Table 7.11 attempts to
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Table 7.9