Exploring Branding in Business Markets in India

Abstract

Purpose: The study examines branding in business markets in India. The objectives of the study were to understand the importance of branding, the brand hierarchy, the purpose of branding, and the brand-building tools used in business marketing.Method: The study was exploratory in nature. Data for the study was collected from a sample of thirty business firms in Bangalore, India. The data was collected from the marketing manager of each sample firm through unstructured interview. Results: Some of the indicative findings are: Branding was perceived to be very important in business markets by 90% of the respondents, more than 80% of the respondents emphasized corporate-level branding, especially in the case of service-based firms, most of the respondents expressed quality, customer service, and on-time delivery as the value promises expressed by their brands, the most frequently-used brand-building tools were newspaper, magazine, and website advertisements/articles.Conclusion: Branding plays a major role in business marketing, catalyzing the process of building long-term relationships with customers. Further, the value promises expressed by the brand play a crucial role in differentiating the brand from those of competitors.Applicative Value: Branding in business marketing has not received much attention in the literature, especially in an emerging market such as India. The study provides some useful insights for business marketers in deciding whether to brand or not.