Follow-Up Activity
Buying center roles can to some extent be applied to consumer decisions made by more than one
person. For example, suppose that in a family of four (two parents, two kids), the parents are purchasing
a car for their eighteen-year-old son to drive to college. Discuss the “buying center” for this purchase—
what role(s) will the various family members most likely fill?
B2B Customers
Activity Type: Click & Drag
Learning Objectives: 07-01
Difficulty: Medium
Activity Summary: The student is presented with 12 examples of B2B customers and asked to
Activity
Introduction: B2B markets differ from B2C markets in that business customers are making purchase
decisions for their organization rather than for personal consumption. B2B customers purchase goods
for use in production of their own products or to resell to other customers.
Concept Review: Business-to-business (B2B) marketing involves the process of buying and selling
Follow-Up Activity
Discuss: How would you expect the process of marketing and selling to these different categories of
customers to differ? For example:
Manufacturers will purchase from many, many suppliers of smaller parts and raw materials, and
must deal with issues related to derived demand, as explained in the text.
Toyota and the B2B Buying Process
Activity Type: Click & Drag
Learning Objectives: 07-02
Difficulty: Hard
Activity Summary: Students organize a set of activities to be performed by Toyota when choosing a
Activity
Introduction: The buying team at Toyota has recently selected an alternative supplier for off-road
tires, after identifying a need to increase performance. Read about Toyota’s purchasing experience
and then assemble the business-to-business buying process timeline as instructed.
Concept Review: The business-to-business (B2B) buying process parallels the consumer decision
Students are provided with descriptions of six different activities Toyota might perform when
choosing a vendor for tires, and are asked to associate each with the correct step of the B2B
buying process.
Follow-Up Activity
In small groups, have students describe activities at each step of the consumer decision process for a
consumer purchasing replacement tires for his/her car. Then compare the two processes. Where are they
most similar? Where are they most different?
B2B Relationships: Ford and Firestone
Activity Type: Case Analysis
Learning Objectives: 07-01, 07-02
Difficulty: Hard
Activity Summary: Students read a short case about the relationship between Ford and Firestone,
and answer questions applying chapter concepts to the case.
Activity
Introduction: Ford and Firestone had a B2B relationship that dated back 100 years. In 2000,
Bridgestone/Firestone recalled almost 6.5 million tires, predominantly original equipment on Ford
Explorers. The ensuing backlash had negative implications for both companies.
Concept Review: Business-to-business (B2B) marketing refers to the process of buying and selling
B2B: Featuring Dole
Activity Type: Video Case
Learning Objectives: 07-02, 07-05
Difficulty: Medium
Activity Summary: This video case explains how Dole manages its B2B buying process. After the
video ends, students are asked questions about the video and related course concepts.
Activity
Introduction: Dole is the world’s largest producer of fruits and vegetables. The Dole label is seen on
both fresh and packaged produce around the world. For Dole to manage such large-scale operations,
it must contract with vendors from many countries, forging B2B relationships on a global scale.
Concept Review: The business-to-business (B2B) buying process looks similar to the consumer
Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.
GE Healthcare: Innovative B2B Marketing
Activity Type: Video Case
Learning Objectives: 07-01, 07-03, 07-04
Difficulty: Medium
Activity Summary: This video case discusses the B2B marketing efforts of General Electric’s
Healthcare unit. After the video ends, students are asked questions about the video and related
course concepts.
Activity
Introduction: Most people know GE for its consumer products, ranging from light bulbs to
appliances. But GE also engages in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. For example, GE sells jet
engines to Boeing and lighting systems to museums. One very successful GE division is GE
Healthcare, which sells a wide variety of products and services to hospitals and other health care
providers. GE is known for innovation, and GE Healthcare is no exception to this. As the following
video illustrates, GE Healthcare has very successfully innovated in its B2B marketing efforts.
Concept Review: Business-to-business (B2B) marketing refers to the process of buying and selling
Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.
Follow-Up Activities
Suppose that a small company that provides secretarial services to other small businesses needs to buy
or lease a copier. In small groups, have the students identify individuals in the company who would
probably fill various roles in the buying center for that decision.
B2B Vendor Analysis: Quality Software Vendors
Activity Type: MC Worksheet
Learning Objectives: 07-02
Difficulty: Hard
Activity Summary: This activity asks the student to perform a simple vendor analysis involving two
potential software vendors by answering a series of questions.
Activity
Introduction: Just as in the consumer buying process, companies assess vendor performance to
determine how to make future buying decisions. In a B2B setting, this analysis is more objective and
formal, often entailing key and specific metrics/issues that could affect the company’s overall
performance. But not all issues are of equal weight to the company. Even though they are key, some
are more key than others. In the following exercise, you will evaluate software vendors using the
vendor analysis process outlined in your textbook.
Instructions: Read the fictional scenario below, reviewing the criteria that Marcus, a young
B2B Vendor Analysis: Fast-Paced Travel
Activity Type: MC Worksheet
Learning Objectives: 07-02
Difficulty: Hard
Activity Summary: This activity asks the student to perform a simple vendor analysis involving two
potential travel agencies by answering a series of questions.
Activity
Introduction: Just as in the consumer buying process, companies assess vendor performance to
determine how to make future buying decisions. In a B2B setting, this analysis is more objective and
Instructions: Read the fictional scenario below, reviewing the criteria that Huma, a young food and
B2B Vendor Analysis: Catering to Quality
Activity Type: MC Worksheet
Learning Objectives: 07-02
Difficulty: Hard
Activity Summary: This activity asks the student to perform a simple vendor analysis involving two
potential caterers by answering a series of questions.
Activity
Introduction: Just as in the consumer buying process, companies assess vendor performance to
determine how to make future buying decisions. In a B2B setting, this analysis is more objective
and formal, often entailing key and specific metrics/issues that could affect the company’s overall
vendor analysis process outlined in your textbook.
Instructions: Read the fictional scenario below, reviewing the criteria that Jacob, a wedding
Staples: The Big Box Retailer That’s Really a B2B Powerhouse
Activity Type: Case Analysis
Learning Objectives: 07-01, 07-02, 07-03, 07-04, 07-05
Difficulty: Medium
Activity Summary: Students read a case discussing the importance of B2B marketing at Staples,
and then answer questions applying chapter concepts to the case.
Activity
Introduction: Most of us think of Staples as a retail chain selling office supplies to consumers;
Follow-up Activity
Visit the Staples Advantage website (http://www.staplesadvantage.com) and learn more about the
programs Staples offers for its business customers.
ISeeIt Video Case: B2B Buying Process
Activity Type: Video Case
Learning Objectives: 07-02, 07-03, 07-05
Difficulty: Easy
Activity Summary: This video case walks through a B2B purchasing example
Activity
Introduction: Organizations who purchase goods and services are significantly different from
individuals and understanding these organizational buying behaviors is an important consideration of
effective business marketing. The differences between business marketing and consumer marketing
directly relate to the process that organizational buyers must go through. Take Hope Springs for
Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.