B2B Companies' Marketing Strategies: Beyond Traditional Advertising

Strategic Insights -

As incomes rise in India, businesses selling to other businesses (B2B companies) are finding themselves in unfamiliar marketing territory. Companies like Tetra Pak, a Swedish carton manufacturer, and Infosys Technologies Ltd, a software solutions provider, are reaching out to end consumers to address perception issues and generate goodwill. While some B2B firms choose to quell negative sentiment through public advertising, others opt for more concrete actions and longer-term strategies to build awareness and demand for their products or services.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tetra Pak, a B2B company, is trying to increase milk sales in its packages in India by launching a "protect what's good" TV campaign to address consumers' concerns about its packaging.
  • The company's cartons and packages contain 75% paper, with the rest being aluminium and polyethylene, and the paper used is 100% recyclable.
  • Tetra Pak's clients, such as Tropicana and Dabur, have also referred to Tetra Pak's packaging in their advertisements.
  • Infosys Technologies Ltd is facing negative sentiment towards outsourcing in the US and is working to quell these fears by creating jobs and partnering with organizations like the New York Academy of Sciences to coach students in science, technology, engineering, and math.
  • Swiss Timing, a Swiss company, issued a full-page advertisement clarifying the facts on its contract to provide timing and data devices at the Commonwealth Games.
  • B2B companies like Intel, Cisco, and Microsoft generate more revenue from B2B sales than from B2C sales.
  • Punj Lloyd Ltd, an EPC company, has a conservative B2C advertising plan for highlighting its work to the general population, with campaigns interspersed with lulls.

Statistics:

  • 100 billion litres of milk are consumed every year in India, with only 300 million litres sold in tetrapaks (Tetra Pak).
  • The paper used by Tetra Pak is 100% recyclable.
  • Tetra Pak's cartons and packages contain 75% paper.
  • Infosys Technologies Ltd has started a program with the New York Academy of Sciences to coach students from poorer sections of society in science, technology, engineering, and math.
  • Punj Lloyd Ltd has completed the 506km Dhaj (Gujarat) to Vijaypur (Madhya Pradesh) pipeline in a record 270 days.
  • Punj Lloyd Ltd has a "protect what's good" TV campaign for its packaging.

Sources:

  • The article mentions several companies and organizations, including Tetra Pak, Infosys Technologies Ltd, Swiss Timing, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, Punj Lloyd Ltd, and the New York Academy of Sciences.
  • The article also mentions various reports and publications, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report on the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the New Delhi Mint newspaper.