From B2B to B4B: generating value for companies
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 9:14 am
Do you do marketing for B2B companies? Well, it's time to rethink your strategy with a new paradigm: B4B or "business for business".
The world has changed a lot since the term "B2B" was coined in the 1990s, and marketers need to adapt to all of these changes. At the time, the term B2B was very useful to describe companies romania email address sell products or services to other companies, and to distinguish them from those that go directly to the consumer. But the relationship between the two parties has changed, and now expectations go far beyond one-way sales. If you want to know what B4B is all about and how to take your marketing to the next level, keep reading!
Do you want to know the TOP 50 marketing strategies to launch your product ? Click here and download our free ebook (updated edition for 2022).
From B2B to B4B generating value in companies
The transition from B2B to B4B
As you probably already know, the term B2B stands for "business to business" . This concept became popular in the late 90s and was used to explain the commercial relationship between two companies. Over time, it became so popular that it started to be used for any aspect of the relationship between companies: B2B sales, B2B marketing, B2B buyer, B2B marketplace... Even more complex derivatives of this term became popular, such as B2B2C or even B2B2G (here the "G" stands for "government").
However, over the years, a problem has emerged: the preposition "to" has fallen short in describing the relationship between companies. "To" refers to a one-way transaction, where one company offers products and services to another based on its own business objectives and the buying party doesn't have much say.
In the digital age, it makes sense to start rethinking this model. The most successful companies in recent years, such as Uber, AirBnB, Etsy or KickStarter, create value through a different paradigm, based on networks, collaboration, community, social purpose and openness. Instead of offering services and products TO their buyers, they focus on offering products and services TO respond to their needs. And this is how B4B or "business for business" emerges .
The world has changed a lot since the term "B2B" was coined in the 1990s, and marketers need to adapt to all of these changes. At the time, the term B2B was very useful to describe companies romania email address sell products or services to other companies, and to distinguish them from those that go directly to the consumer. But the relationship between the two parties has changed, and now expectations go far beyond one-way sales. If you want to know what B4B is all about and how to take your marketing to the next level, keep reading!
Do you want to know the TOP 50 marketing strategies to launch your product ? Click here and download our free ebook (updated edition for 2022).
From B2B to B4B generating value in companies
The transition from B2B to B4B
As you probably already know, the term B2B stands for "business to business" . This concept became popular in the late 90s and was used to explain the commercial relationship between two companies. Over time, it became so popular that it started to be used for any aspect of the relationship between companies: B2B sales, B2B marketing, B2B buyer, B2B marketplace... Even more complex derivatives of this term became popular, such as B2B2C or even B2B2G (here the "G" stands for "government").
However, over the years, a problem has emerged: the preposition "to" has fallen short in describing the relationship between companies. "To" refers to a one-way transaction, where one company offers products and services to another based on its own business objectives and the buying party doesn't have much say.
In the digital age, it makes sense to start rethinking this model. The most successful companies in recent years, such as Uber, AirBnB, Etsy or KickStarter, create value through a different paradigm, based on networks, collaboration, community, social purpose and openness. Instead of offering services and products TO their buyers, they focus on offering products and services TO respond to their needs. And this is how B4B or "business for business" emerges .