The course aims to present and discuss problems and solutions concerning the commercialisation and distributions of industrial goods (Business Marketing, Marketing B2B or Industrial Marketing). The underlying perspective is to integrate the conceptual and the practical approaches providing the students with a number of managerial models/tools to cope with the problems. The course encompasses 6 sections. The introduction discusses the characteristics of industrial markets and the difference from the consumer markets. The second section explains how to deal with strategic decisions regarding market segmentation, the selection of the segments in which to compete (market targeting), and product positioning differentiating the offer from that of competitors. Then, specific sections are dedicated to models, techniques and tools supporting decision making in the four areas of the marketing mix in the B2B context, namely pricing, new product development, distribution and communication.
The course requires the active involvement of students through the analysis, presentation and discussion of several case studies.
In particular the course seeks to address the following managerial issues:
- What is Industrial Marketing and how does it differ from Consumer Marketing?
- What are the characteristics of industrial goods markets and how do they differ from those of the consumer goods?
- How can mangers efficaciously make decisions concerning market segmentation, targeting and product positioning?
- What are the phases of the pricing process in B2B, and the models, techniques and tools supporting decision making in each phase?
- How to plan pricing strategies, to decide prices, to implement pricing policies, and to manoeuver on prices and margins?
- What are the phases of the new product development process in B2B, and the models, techniques and tools supporting decision making in each phase?
- What are the Quality Function Deployment, the Conjoint Analysis, the Tagouchi’s Methods (Design of Experiments), the Simultaneous Engineering, the value analysis and engineering?
- What are the models, techniques and tools supporting decision making concerning the distribution of industrial goods?
- What are the models, techniques and tools supporting decision making concerning the communication strategy for industrial goods?
Lectures and exercises |
hours |
Topics |
Specific contents |
|
Introduction and definitions |
Definition of business marketing; reference framework for the course; characteristics of industrial goods markets and differences form the consumer goods. |
4
|
Marketing strategy |
Market segmentation: models, techniques and tools; the choice of market segments (market targeting): actractiveness and competitivity analysis; product positioning: positioning maps and gap analysis. |
4
|
Marketing mix: pricing |
The importance of pricing in B2B; the characteristics of pricing in B2B; the drivers of pricing decisions in B2B; The phases of pricing process in B2B; pricing strategies and objectives; 4 criteria for price determination in B2B; pricing policies; manoeuvres on prices and margins. |
8
|
The Frigobanc case |
Determining the price of an industrial good with the full costing method. |
2
|
Marketing mix: product |
The phases of new product development process; problems and decision supporting solutions in design; techniques and tools for new product development in B2B: Competitor Analysis and Benchmarking, Conjoint Analysis, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Value Analysis and Engineering, Concurrent Engineering, Design of Experiments; organising new product development. |
8
|
The Finn-Power case |
Variety management in B2B contexts characterised by frequent engineering changes – using product modularity to align design, marketing and production planning |
2
|
The QFD case |
Analysis of a case study on the implementation of the Quality Function Deployment. |
2
|
The Conjoint Analysis case |
Analysis of a case study on the implementation of the Conjoint Analysis |
2
|
Marketing mix: distribution |
Forrester Effect; the pitfalls in supply chain management; symptoms and causes of the Forrester Effect; Fisher’s Model: matching the characteristics of the products and those of the supply chains. |
4
|
Marketing mix: communication |
The phases of communication process in B2B; the components of the communication mix in B2B; communication tools in B2B. |
4
|
Total hours for lectures and exercises |
40 |
for exercises only |
|
Further educational activities
|
hours
|
Labs |
0 |
Tutorials / Seminars |
0 |
Workshops |
0 |
Guided tours |
0 |
|
0 |
Total hours for further educational activities |
0 |
Total hours |
40
|