ABC is a leading furniture brand that sells to consumers (B2C) and now wants to enter the business-to-business (B2B) market by launching an office furniture line. The document discusses positioning strategies and sales promotion strategies for ABC's new B2B office furniture product line. It suggests that ABC position its products based on benefits, attributes, categories, usage occasions, or pricing. It also recommends contests, social media, mail order marketing, product giveaways, point-of-sale promotions, and customer referral programs as potential sales promotion strategies.

1. Business to Business
Marketing-Case Analysis
Case presented by
Nagarajan.G
PG21257
Industry Sponsored PGDM
Chairperson
Prof.Srinivasan
Professor in Marketing
ISBR Business School
107, ISBR Business School, Near Infosys Drive, behind BSNL
Telephone Exchange, Electronics City Phase 1, Bengaluru,
Karnataka 560100
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the
courage to continue that counts.”

2. Business to Business Marketing Case
ABC is a leading brand of furniture in B2C segment having presence in
various cities in India.
ABC now plans to introduce in B2B category by launching a product line in
the office furniture category.
It expects to sell both Indian as well as imported furniture so as to cater to
the different needs & wants of the target audience.
It proposes to target corporates but is not clear how to go about marketing
& selling it to corporates (B2B) as ABC was always involved in selling
home furniture (B2C).
Case Study Questions
1. Suggest positioning strategies to be adopted by ABC for their new product line in
B2B Category
2. Suggest a suitable sales promotion strategy for ABC’s new product line of office
furniture.

3. • Godrej Interio, Pepperfry, Urban Ladder, Durian, IKEA, and Royal Oak are
some of the best furniture brands in India.
• These brands are known for their quality, design, and variety of furniture
options.
• IKEA. With a huge physical presence in multiple cities, Ikea focuses on
global home solutions that bring affordability, design, and comfort. ...
• WoodenStreet. ...
• HomeTown. ...
• Godrej Interio. ...
• Durian. ...
• Nilkamal. ...
• Natuzzi. ...
• Stanley.

4. Suggest positioning strategies to be adopted by ABC for their new
product line in B2B Category
Answer: Competitive positioning is about defining how we will “differentiate”
our offering and create value for our market. It’s about carving out a spot in
the competitive landscape, putting our stake in the ground, and winning
mindshare in the marketplace – being known for a certain “something.”
A good positioning strategy is influenced by:
• Market profile: Size, competitors, stage of growth
• Customer segments: Groups of prospects with similar wants & needs
• Competitive analysis: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in
the landscape
• Method for delivering value: How you deliver value to your market at the
highest level

5. • When our market clearly sees how our offering is different
from that of our competition, it’s easier to influence the
market and win mindshare.
• Without differentiation, it takes more time and budget to
attract the market to engage with us; as a result, many
companies end up competing on price – a tough position to
sustain over the long term.
• One of the key elements that many small to mid-size
companies overlook is how they provide value at the highest
level.
• There are three essential methods for delivering value:
operational excellence, product leadership and customer
intimacy.

6. Positioning Strategies
• Competition Strategies
• Reducing Competition
Strategies
• Product Benefits Strategies
• Product Attributes Strategies
• Product Categories
• Usage Occasions Approach
• Pricing Approach

7. Competition Strategies
• These Product Positioning Strategies requires a unique or a superior product
attribute in regard to a competing product.
• Positioning a Product against the Competitors product requires a claim of
superiority.
• A very good example to understand this concept is of Avis Rental Cars. The
superiority claim was, “We are number two. We try harder”
• Avis Car Rental is an American car rental company headquartered in
Parsippany, New Jersey. Avis, Budget Rent a Car, Budget Truck Rental and
Zipcar are all units of Avis Budget Group. Avis Budget Group operates the Avis
brand in South Africa, North America, South America, India, Australia, and
New Zealand.
Reducing Competition Strategies
• This concept of Product Positioning Strategies can help to differentiate a
product in the dominant market of an already well established brand.

8. Product Benefits Strategies
• In these Product Positioning Strategies, the company focuses on
defining and communicating the product benefit, unique features that
the product offers to the targeted customers.
• In this strategy the companies emphasize on the various product
benefits. The product features include durability, availability, economy
or reliability can be illustrated in this type of product positioning.
Product Attributes Strategies
• Positioning a product based upon a specific attribute can also be
compelling to the targeted audience.

9. Product Categories
Positioning our product by differentiating it from other product based
upon a category is a very effective way to resonate the key message in
the targeted audience.
A product can be positioned along two or more characteristics in the
same time.
Usage Occasions Approach
This concept is used when marketers positioned there product based
upon the usage situation of the product by the tarred audience.
These types of Product Positioning Strategies is done intentionally to
expand the market for a particular brand.
Introducing new and different uses of the same product will
automatically expand the horizons for the product, increase the market
share and will lead more sales.

10. Pricing Approach
Using the price and quality approach to position a product can ensure
easy sales of a product.
In this concept the marketers play with human perception and the
thinking of associating quality with price.
The customer often perceives that there is direct relation in quality and
price i.e. the higher the price the greater the quality of the product.
The Marketers use this Price – quality approach to position the
products and can easily charge higher margins of profits.

11. Suggest a suitable sales promotion strategy for ABC’s new
product line of office furniture.
• Product promotion is one of the requirements for getting our
brand in front of the public and attracting new customers.
• There are numerous ways to promote a product or service.
Some companies use more than one method, while others
may use different methods for different marketing purposes.
• Regardless of the company's product or service, a strong set
of promotional strategies can help position that the company
in a favorable light with not only current customers but new
ones as well.

12. Contests
• Contests are a frequently used promotional strategy. Many
contests don't even require a purchase.
• The idea is to promote our brand and put our logo and name
in front of the public rather than make money through a
hard-sell campaign.
• People like to win prizes.
• Sponsoring contests can bring attention to our product
without company overtness.

13. Social Media
• Social media websites such as Facebook and Google+ offer companies
a way to promote products and services in a more relaxed
environment. This is direct marketing at its best.
• Social networks connect with a world of potential customers that can
view our company from a different perspective.
• Rather than seeing our company as "trying to sell" something, the
social network can see a company that is in touch with people on a
more personal level.
• This can help lessen the divide between the company and the buyer,
which in turn presents a more appealing and familiar image of the
company.

14. Mail Order Marketing
• Customers who come into our business are not to be overlooked.
• These customers have already decided to purchase our product.
What can be helpful is getting personal information from these
customers.
• Offer a free product or service in exchange for the information.
• These are customers who are already familiar with our company and
represent the target audience we want to market our new products
to.

15. Product Giveaways
• Product giveaways and allowing potential customers to
sample a product are methods used often by companies to
introduce new food and household products.
• Many of these companies sponsor in-store promotions,
giving away product samples to entice the buying public into
trying new products.

16. Point-of-Sale Promotion and End-Cap Marketing
• Point-of-sale and end-cap marketing are ways of selling product and
promoting items in stores.
• The idea behind this promotional strategy is convenience and
impulse.
• The end cap, which sits at the end of corridors in grocery stores,
features products a store wants to promote or move quickly.
• This product is positioned so it is easily accessible to the customer.
Point-of-sale is a way to promote new products or products a store
needs to move.
• These items are placed near the checkout in the store and are often
purchased by consumers on impulse as they wait to be checked out.

17. Customer Referral Incentive Program
• The customer referral incentive program is a way to encourage
current customers to refer new customers to your store.
• Free products, big discounts and cash rewards are some of the
incentives you can use.
• This is a promotional strategy that leverages our customer base as a
sales force.

18. Way Forward for B2B Marketing in India
• Despite the challenges, B2B marketing in India presents enormous
opportunities for growth. Here, are some of the ways in which B2B
marketers can succeed in this market:
• Focus on personalization: With the fragmentation of the market,
personalization is crucial to B2B marketing success in India. Marketers
must create targeted campaigns that speak to the unique needs of
their audience.
• Leverage digital channels: While some parts of India lack digital access,
the country as a whole is rapidly adopting
digital technologies. B2B marketers should leverage digital
channels like social media, email marketing and content marketing to
reach their target audience.

19. • Build relationships: Relationship building is critical in Indian business
culture. B2B marketers must invest time and resources in building
strong relationships with potential clients, partners, and
other stakeholders.
• Emphasize value: Indian businesses are focused on the value they
receive from their investments. B2B marketers must emphasize the
value their products or services can provide and demonstrate how
they can help their clients achieve their business goals.
• Leverage partnerships: India is a relationship-driven culture, and
partnerships can be an effective way to reach new audiences and
expand market share. B2B marketers should look for opportunities to
collaborate with other businesses and organizations in the market.

20. • In conclusion, B2B marketing in India presents
enormous opportunities for growth, but also comes
with unique challenges.
• B2B marketers must understand the complexities of
the market and craft personalized, targeted campaigns
that resonate with their audience.
• By leveraging digital channels, building relationships,
emphasizing value, and partnering with other
businesses, B2B marketers can succeed in this
dynamic and growing market.

21. Thank you