Do you know what the abbreviations B2B and B2C mean? And what about 4P or 4C? These are basic marketing terms, and marketing communication itself is built on them. Marketing communication uses many different tools. However, it should adapt them to the type of market (B2B or B2C) in which it operates.
What are B2B and B2C?
Both abbreviations come from English. B2B means business to business (that is, companies selling to companies). In this segment, the purchased goods are resold or the purchased material is used to make the company’s own products. B2C is an abbreviation of the English words business to customer (that is, a company selling to a customer). Here, the consumer buys the goods for their own use and does not resell them.
4P, the basis of marketing
To achieve its goals, a company uses marketing tools. The four basic ones make up the marketing mix, also known as the 4P. This model was published as early as 1949 by Neil Borden. And why 4P? Because it is an abbreviation of the following words:
- Product : the product and its features, such as quality, design or warranty, which is linked to the option to make a complaint
- Price : the price of the product
- Promotion : the way the product is promoted
- Place : the way the product is distributed to the end customer
In each of these four areas, the company needs to decide what steps it can take to increase demand for its product or service. These elements should be combined correctly. Then they can help achieve success on the market. However, if they are combined badly, they can also make the result worse. The 4P represent the marketing mix from the company’s point of view. There is also a marketing mix from the customer’s perspective, which is called the 4C. It consists of the following elements:
- Customer solution (meeting the customer’s needs)
- Cost (costs)
- Convenience (availability of the solution)
- Communication (communication)
Marketing communication
A company uses marketing communication to maintain long-term relationships with existing or potential future customers. Its individual tools are summarised in the so-called communication mix. In the traditional view, it includes these elements:
- advertising
- sales promotion
- public relations
- personal selling
Other tools include:
- direct marketing
- online communication
- product placement
- viral marketing
- guerrilla marketing
- event marketing
- social media communication
DID YOU KNOW: For more successful marketing and marketing communication, you can also use the Pareto 80/20 rule.
Advertising
By definition, it is paid or unpaid promotion of a product, service, company, brand or idea, usually aimed at increasing sales. Examples include adverts in newspapers and magazines, TV commercials, billboards or posters.
Sales promotion
This means offering the consumer a certain benefit, usually short-term, linked to buying a product in order to increase its sales. Examples include product demonstrations (for example tastings or free samples), merchandising (which stimulates the customer’s senses and leads them to buy, for example stands or baskets offering discounted goods), and giving away small souvenirs, discount coupons or discounts on the next purchase.
“Advertising moves people to products, merchandising moves products to people.”
Morris Hite
Public relations
It is also known by the abbreviation PR and means building good relationships with target customer groups by gaining publicity and creating a good company image. In practice, this can include, for example, press conferences, communication with the media, PR articles, sponsorship, exhibitions or satisfaction and public opinion surveys.
Personal selling
Everyone can probably imagine what this is. It is personal communication carried out by company employees (salespeople) in order to sell and build relationships with customers. It is the oldest tool of the communication mix. However, it is still very important, because you will surely agree that you would rather buy something from a friendly, smiling salesperson than from someone unpleasant.
Direct marketing
This marketing communication tool targets only those customers who might find the offer interesting. It focuses as precisely as possible on a specific, clearly defined market segment. It also records customer responses. It uses, for example, leaflets, telemarketing or sending catalogues.
Online communication
The internet offers many opportunities for companies and their marketing communication. It can be used both to present a product and reach customers and to manage relationships with them. At the same time, it also offers a number of benefits for customers. For example, it allows them to compare products and get the best value for their money. They also get faster and easier access to information.
If you are not an expert in online marketing, it is a good idea to use the services of a professional marketing agency, which has its own special methods (such as measuring conversion rates and so on).
Product placement
It is the deliberate, paid placement of products, names, logos, etc. of an existing brand in an audiovisual work (mainly a film or TV series) in order to present it. It is a form of hidden advertising, but it can still often be very noticeable.
TIP: You can read about which well-known films feature product placement on totalfilm.cz.
Viral marketing
This is a marketing technique that uses social media to spread a commercial message. Its principles are reaching a large number of people at relatively low cost. This marketing communication tool encourages its recipients to keep sharing its content.
Guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing is an aggressive, extravagant, shocking or controversial marketing strategy that aims to attract maximum interest on a limited budget. It is based on an original idea, which can sometimes also provoke a negative reaction.
Event marketing
This is marketing linked to an event or experience. It tries to create a strong experience for customers that will then lead to a purchase. Examples include grand branch openings, open days, anniversary celebrations and so on. However, concerts, trade fairs or exhibitions can also be used.
Social media communication
This is the newest of the marketing communication tools mentioned. Because social media have been attracting more and more attention recently, it is also one of the most effective tools. It allows companies to target specific groups and offers them many other benefits.
3 specific features of B2C marketing communication
Each segment has slightly different characteristics. The target group in the B2B segment is much narrower than in B2C. It consists mainly of business owners or managers. They decide whether a deal goes ahead, and they usually make their choice rationally, do not let emotions influence them and carefully consider all the consequences of their decision. In the B2C segment, the customers are individual consumers. They often act on impulse and also make decisions based on their emotions. They are often influenced to a fairly large extent by companies’ marketing communication.
Besides the type of customer, other factors also shape marketing communication in these two different segments. One example is purchase volume. On the B2B market, fewer companies buy, but in large volumes. In B2C, on the other hand, a large number of customers demand smaller volumes of goods.
Individual consumers are also often much more influenced by marketing communication (mainly through various discounts or adverts). Volume discounts can also be used on the B2B market, but they do not affect demand to the same extent. In “business to business”, various adverts probably also do less to increase interest. Companies often prefer to turn to a supplier they already have experience with and can rely on. For these reasons, it is a good idea to first determine which segment you are dealing with, and then adapt your marketing strategy and communication to it.