Marketing communication: principles and practice

C O N S U M E R B E H A V I O U R A N D C O M M U N I C A T I O N
66
Figure 3.11
Direct and indirect interaction

---

mediation and will apprehend messages directly. As we saw earlier, dis-
satisfied buyers and users will voice negative criticisms. Word-of-mouth
remains a much under-exploited marketing communication system. This is
a challenge in planning and operating the marketing communication system.
CORPORATE BUYING BEHAVIOUR
‘Consumer’ behaviour also occurs in business settings where people act as
purchasing agents guided by corporate procedures to acquire products and
services for use by themselves and others in their won value-creating
processes.
Business-to-business marketing includes industrial and public sector
buying and the selling of materials, components, consumables, and services.
Although there are far fewer corporate buyers, less frequent purchases are
made through formal orders of higher value. It is usual for contractual
arrangements to be made for continuing supply over an extended period of
time, often through a process of competitive bidding and negotiation. 
There is considerable similarity between consumer purchasing and
business-to-business purchasing, although there are differences between
communication activities that are important to note (see Table 3.5 below).
Primarily, purchases are made as contributions to corporate goals and
objectives, yet it is important to realize also that the needs of buyers may be
personal (promotion, financial reward, job satisfaction, and so on). Buyers
are mostly professionally trained in a range of skills, and rely on information
and formal decision-making.
Decision-making units (DMUs) have members from various parts of 
the organization, each of whom has some interest in the outcome of pur-
chasing efforts. Users initiate the process of acquiring products, and evaluate
their performance. Influencers participate in setting technical specifications
for products as well as assessing options during the search stage. Deciders,
usually authorized managers, make the purchase decision. Buyers or
purchasing managers may select which product to buy and from whom.
Alternatively, this decision is made by the manager, and the buyer may
influence and then administer the placing of orders and so on. Gatekeepers
(technicians and engineers, secretaries, receptionists, etc.) control the
information that is available to the members of the DMU. The number 
of people involved in purchasing will depend upon the complexity of 
the need, the value of the purchase, and the degree of risk believed to be
attached to the decision. The role occupants alter with each new purchase
situation.
It is vital that suppliers identify members of the DMU and recognize their