engleski

Applicability of Keller's brand equity model in the B2B chemical market

A B2B brand is a distinctive identity that differentiates a relevant, enduring and credible promise of value associated with a product, service or organization, as well as indicating the source of that promise. The concept of B2B brand equity is one of the most intriguing concepts connected to B2B brands. The study here examines the applicability of Kellers’s brand equity model in the B2B chemical market. For that purpose a series of semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted. The questions were derived from the original Keller’s interview for brand equity valuation. Fifteen respondents were chosen to participate in this study, all of them representing the middle or higher management of their companies, buyers of specific industrial chemical products in the South and Eastern European B2B chemical market. The results show that the Keller’s brand equity model can be applicable in the B2B chemical market, however, that the six brand building blocks – salience, performance, imagery, judgments, feelings and resonance, as well as subdimensions that assemble the blocks, need arrangements in different ways, in order to meet the logic of the B2B marketing philosophy. As a result, the respondents perceive corporate brands to be more important than product brands. They also point to the significance of the relationship with sales representatives in building brand equity. At the top block of the pyramid respondents set partnership relations, and cooperation in developing solutions oriented towards improvement of customers’ production processes.

B2B marketing, B2B brands, Keller’s brand equity model, chemical industry

Rad je prezentiran na skupu 7th International scientific conference by Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and Istrian Development Agency.