The consumer inside: at its heart, all marketing speaks to human beings

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the current trends in B2B loyalty, technology and analytics can aid marketers in creating profitable relationships with small business owners by exploring their consumer mind.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach takes the form of a discussion, with practical examples and commentary from leaders in the marketing industry, of the top tips and trends for marketers to establish a consumer‐minded B2B relationship with small‐business clients.

Findings

Loyalty‐marketing efforts that focus solely on the hard‐benefit tactics still dominate, but companies are beginning to realize that small businesses, estimated at 16.7 million firms in the USA alone, come with individual needs and are not only business‐minded but consumer‐minded as well.

Practical implications

B2B marketers have the tools to delve deeper into their relationships with small‐business clients by examining them as they would consumers – by building a loyalty platform on a foundation of customer data.

Originality/value

The paper employs exclusive interviews with representatives from some of the largest marketing firms in the industry today and reports expert analysis and breakdown on loyalty marketing strategies.

Citation

Ferguson, R. (2009), "The consumer inside: at its heart, all marketing speaks to human beings", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 214-218. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760910954145