9th American Marketing Association Relationship Marketing Conference, Part II

84 Pages·2012·2.038 MB·English

by  Anja Geigenmüller

jbim cover (i).qxd 19/07/2012 09:12 Page 1
ISSN 0885-8624
Volume 27 Number 6 2012
Journal of
Business & Industrial
Marketing
9th American Marketing
Association Relationship
Marketing Conference: Part II
Guest Editor: Anja Geigenmüller
www.emeraldinsight.com
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
Volume 27, Number 6, 2012
ISSN0885-8624
9th American Marketing Association Relationship Marketing
Conference: Part II
Guest Editor: Anja Geigenmu¨ller
Contents
426 Access this journalonline 468 Antecedents of knowledge
generation competence and its
427 Guest editorial impact on innovativeness
Ilka Griese, Doree´nPickand
428 Brand equity in B2B servicesand
Michael Kleinaltenkamp
consequencesfor the trade show
industry 486 Network partner knowledgeand
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerand internal relationships influencing
Harriette Bettis-Outland customer relationship quality and
companyperformance
436 Managing ina time of crisis:
Maciej Mitre˛ga
marketing,HRM and innovation
MajaMakovecBrencˇicˇ,GregorPfajfarand 497 Theeffect of customer relationship
MatevzRasˇkovic´ management adoptionin business-
to-business markets
447 Thecommongroundofrelationships
U. Zeynep Ata and Aysegul Toker
andexchange:towardsacontractual
foundationof marketing
Michael Ehret and Michaela Haase
456 Guanxi as agatewayin Chinese-
Western business relationships
Hongzhi Gao,JohnG.Knight and
DavidBallantyne
Thisjournalisamemberofandsubscribestothe
principlesoftheCommitteeonPublicationEthics
www.emeraldinsight.com/jbim.htm
Asasubscribertothisjournal,youcanbenefitfrominstant, Structuredabstracts
electronicaccesstothistitleviaEmeraldManagement Emeraldstructuredabstractsprovideconsistent,clearand
eJournals.Youraccessincludesavarietyoffeaturesthat informativesummariesofthecontentofthearticles,allowing
increasethevalueofyourjournalsubscription. fasterevaluationofpapers.
How to access this journal electronically Additional complementary services available
Ourliberalinstitution-widelicenceallowseveryonewithinyour Whenyouregisteryourjournalsubscriptiononlineyouwillgain
institutiontoaccessyourjournalelectronically,makingyour accesstoadditionalresourcesforAuthorsandLibrarians,
subscriptionmorecost-effective.Ourwebsitehasbeen offeringkeyinformationandsupporttosubscribers.Inaddition,
designedtoprovideyouwithacomprehensive,simplesystem ourdedicatedResearch,TeachingandLearningZonesprovide
thatneedsonlyminimumadministration.Accessisavailablevia specialist‘‘Howtoguides’’,casestudies,bookreviews,
IPauthenticationorusernameandpassword. managementinterviewsandkeyreadings.
Tobenefitfromelectronicaccesstothisjournal,pleasecontact E-mailalertservices
[email protected] Theseservicesallowyoutobekeptuptodatewiththelatest
beprovidedtoyou.ShouldyouwishtoaccessviaIP,please additionstothejournalviae-mail,assoonasnewmaterial
providethesedetailsinyoure-mail.Onceregistrationis entersthedatabase.Furtherinformationabouttheservices
completed,yourinstitutionwillhaveinstantaccesstoallarticles availablecanbefoundatwww.emeraldinsight.com/alerts
throughthejournal’sTableofContentspageat
EmeraldResearchConnections
www.emeraldinsight.com/0885-8624.htmMoreinformation
Anonlinemeetingplacefortheworld-wideresearchcommunity,
aboutthejournalisalsoavailableatwww.emeraldinsight.com/
offeringanopportunityforresearcherstopresenttheirownwork
jbim.htm
andfindotherstoparticipateinfutureprojects,orsimplyshare
Emeraldonlinetrainingservices ideas.Registeryourselforsearchourdatabaseofresearchersat
Visitwww.emeraldinsight.com/helpandtakeanEmerald www.emeraldinsight.com/connections
onlinetourtohelpyougetthemostfromyoursubscription.
Choice of access
Key features of Emerald electronic journals Electronicaccesstothisjournalisavailableviaanumberof
channels.Ourwebsitewww.emeraldinsight.comisthe
Automaticpermissiontomakeupto25copiesofindividual recommendedmeansofelectronicaccess,asitprovidesfully
articles searchableandvalueaddedaccesstothecompletecontentof
Thisfacilitycanbeusedfortrainingpurposes,coursenotes, thejournal.However,youcanalsoaccessandsearchthearticle
seminarsetc.withintheinstitutiononly.Thisonlyappliesto contentofthisjournalthroughthefollowingjournaldelivery
articlesofwhichEmeraldownscopyright.Forfurtherdetailsvisit services:
www.emeraldinsight.com/copyright EBSCOHostElectronicJournalsService
Onlinepublishingandarchiving ejournals.ebsco.com
Aswellascurrentvolumesofthejournal,youcanalsogain InformaticsJ-Gate
accesstopastvolumesontheinternetviaEmerald www.j-gate.informindia.co.in
ManagementeJournals.Youcanbrowseorsearchthese Ingenta
databasesforrelevantarticles. www.ingenta.com
MinervaElectronicOnlineServices
Keyreadings
www.minerva.at
Thisfeatureprovidesabstractsofrelatedarticleschosenbythe
journaleditor,selectedtoprovidereaderswithcurrentawareness OCLCFirstSearch
ofinterestingarticlesfromotherpublicationsinthefield. www.oclc.org/firstsearch
SilverLinker
Non-articlecontent
www.ovid.com
Materialinourjournalssuchasproductinformation,industry
SwetsWise
trends,companynews,conferences,etc.isavailableonlineand
www.swetswise.com
canbeaccessedbyusers.
Referencelinking Emerald Customer Support
Directlinksfromthejournalarticlereferencestoabstractsofthe Forcustomersupportandtechnicalhelpcontact:
mostinfluentialarticlescited.Wherepossible,thislinkistothe [email protected]
fulltextofthearticle.
Webhttp://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/subs/
E-mailanarticle customercharter.htm
Allowsuserstoe-maillinksonlytorelevantandinterestingarticles Tel[phone]
toanothercomputerforlateruse,referenceorprintingpurposes. Fax[phone]
normsofWesternbusinessrelationshipsrelativetonormsthat
Guest editorial
are standard in Chinese interpersonal relationships. This
article introduces the concept of guanxi gateway ties that
suggests a special class of non-threatening relationships can
develop from interactions between cultural insiders and
outsiders.
“Managing in a time of crisis: marketing, HRM, and
The9thAMA Relationship Marketingconference tookplace innovations,” by Brencˇicˇ et al. explores the link between
in Berlin, Germany in the Fall of 2009, bringing together selected dimensions of market orientation, HRM and
international thought leaders in Relationship Marketing innovation, before and during the economic crisis in
research. This volume represents a small sampling of the Slovenia. This exploratory analysis is a longitudinal study of
manynotablepresentationsthatweregivenatthisconference. the101bestSlovenianemployers,whichincludesover15,000
Included in this volume is “Antecedents of knowledge respondents, representing the largest study of its kind in
generation competence and its impact on innovativeness,” a southeast Europe. The findings suggest that HRM positively
paper by Griese et al. which suggests that even though impacts organizational performance, while innovation has a
knowledge generation competence (KGC) is not commonly negativeimpactonorganizationalperformance,atleastinthe
associatedwithinternalinformationprocessing,KGCplaysa short term.
keyrole ingenerating internalknowledge,which isenhanced TheGeigenmueller,Bettis-Outlandpaper,“Creatingbrand
by the integration of customer information. The authors equity in B2B trade show services,” addresses the issue of
identify a firm’s learning orientation and human resource branding in a B2B trade show context. The authors contend
practices as integral determinants of knowledge generation that though branding is historically seen as a strategy for
competence.Thepaperconcludesthatalearningcultureand tangiblegoods,moreservice-basedorganizationsarepursuing
specifichumanresourcepracticeswillenableKGCtoimpact a branding strategy in order to differentiate their offerings
a company’s innovativeness. from the competition. Branding can enable trade show
In the Gao et al. manuscript, “Guanxi as a gateway in organizations to better segment and target their audience,
Chinese-Western business relationships,” organizational whileatthesametimemakeiteasierforpotentialtradeshow
culture is examined as to its role in relationships between participants to determine the most appropriate trade fairs to
Chinese and Western businesses. Generally described as a attend. Given growing pressures on organizational finances,
collectivistorrelationally-orientedsociety,China’semergence trade show branding can be beneficial to all trade show
asaninternationalbusinessleaderraisesconcernwithregards participants by making it a more productive and efficient
to the understanding of culturally based practices used by experience.
Chinese businesses. A comparison is made between the Anja Geigenmu¨ller
JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
27/6(2012)427
qEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited[ISSN0885-8624]
427
Brand equity in B2B services and consequences
for the trade show industry
Anja Geigenmu¨ller
Department of Marketing, Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany, and
Harriette Bettis-Outland
Department of Marketing, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, USA
Abstract
Purpose – Thispaper’saimistoprovideaconceptualframeworkexplainingdriversofservicebrandequity.Itreferstothetradeshowindustryasan
exampleforaninternational,highlycompetitiveenvironment,whereserviceprovidersfacethechallengetodifferentiatethemselvesfromcompeting
brands. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the paper develops a conceptual model of service brand equity. The paper concludes with
directionsforfurtherresearchandmanagerialimplications.
Design/methodology/approach – Thepaperisaconceptualwork,whichderivesresearchpropositionsfromanextendedliteraturereview.
Findings – Itisproposedthataserviceprovider’scompetencerelatespositivelytoaservicecustomer’spurchasingvaluewhich,inturn,leadsto
customer service satisfaction and service brand equity. The paper further posits that the provider’s service concept, service processes, and service
systemareconstituentsofservicecompetence,thusrepresentingcrucialdeterminantsofservicebrandequity.
Research limitations/implications – The research has limitations that are due to the exploratory nature of the work. The paper suggests
opportunitiesforfurtherresearch,particularlyanempiricaltestofthemodelinvariousB2Bserviceindustries.
Practicalimplications – Thepapersuggeststhatthevalueattendeesderivefromusingtradeshowservicesisstronglyrelatedtothesupportthey
receiveinestablishingandnurturingcustomerrelationshipsorinengaginginmarketandcompetitoranalysis.Consideringservicebrandequity,trade
showorganizationsshouldthereforedevelopinnovativeconceptsfortradeshowsthataccommodatetheirclients’needs,includinganappropriate
physicalenvironment,customer-orientedserviceprocesses,andhigh-qualityinteractionsbetweenserviceemployeesandcustomers.
Originality/value – The paper sheds light on a phenomenon that, despite its increasing acceptance among practitioners, remains unexplored by
marketingresearch.ByprovidingabetterunderstandingofB2Bservicebrandequityinatradeshowcontext,thepaperenrichesresearchontradefair
issues.
Keywords Service brands, Service brand equity, Purchasing value, Trade show, Trade fairs, Brand equity, Strategic evaluation, Value analysis,
Business-to-business marketing
Paper type Conceptual paper
Whendecidingwhichtradeshowtoparticipatein,rarelydoes aserviceofferingfromitscompetitors’offerings(Berry,2000;
the term trade show “brand” come up. However, the image Parasuraman et al., 1985).
and reputation of the trade show – based on the history of This is particularly true for business-to-business services.
previous events – plays a major role in the perception of the ReferringtoParasuraman(1998),businessservicesrepresent
tradeshowbrand.Forinstance,ifoneoftheprimarybenefits intangible, often highly individual services that are produced
of one high tech trade show is the quality of networking in intensive interactions between the provider and the
opportunities,whileanotherisknownforitsemphasisonnew customer. Information asymmetry between the provider and
product introductions, then these two perceptions contribute the customer can make it difficult to objectively assess
to the branding of each trade show. strategiesoftheserviceprovideraswellastheservicequality
A brand, defined as “name, sign, symbol or design which resulting from these strategies (Hausman, 2003; Karantinou
andHogg,2001).Consequently,servicequalityisdifficultto
identifies the goods and services of one seller and
assessevenafterservicedelivery(Hausman,2003;Hsiehetal.,
differentiates them from those of competitors” (Kotler and
2005;MurrayandSchlacter,1990).Businessservicesfurther
Armstrong, 2010, p. 255), serves as important cue to infer a
include higher levels of complexity since the service is often
product’s quality and positioning (Erdem and Swait, 1998;
customized to specific needs of the buying organization
Keller,1993;Wernerfelt,1988).Thoughitisarguedthatthe
(Jackson and Cooper, 1988). In many instances, business
intangible nature of services makes it difficult to evaluate
customers require a unique solution for specific problems as
servicequality,brandingcanhelptosubstantiallydifferentiate
opposed to standardized services (Gounaris, 2005).
Drawing on these arguments, several authors point to the
Thecurrentissueandfulltextarchiveofthisjournalisavailableat value of B2B brands as a source of competitive advantage
www.emeraldinsight.com/0885-8624.htm (Bendixenetal.,2004;Michelletal.,2001;Mudambi,2002;
Webster and Keller, 2004). The brand adds value to a given
service by tangibilizing its attributes and benefits for the
JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing customer(OnkvisitandShaw,1989).Thus,thebrandenables
27/6(2012)428–435 customers’understandingoftheintangibleproductandtrust
qEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited[ISSN0885-8624]
[DOI10.1108/08858621211251433] inaserviceprovider’spromiseoffuturesatisfaction.Signaling
428
BrandequityinB2Bservices JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerandHarrietteBettis-Outland Volume27·Number6·2012·428–435
consistent level of service quality, business service brands relationships, monitoring international competitors and
reduce complexity of the buying process and provide facilitating international market entry (Rice, 1992; Smith
differentiation for the service provider (Berry, 2000). et al., 2003).
Favorable associations engendered by a strong service brand Inbusiness-to-businessmarkets,tradefairsandexhibitions
result in customer loyalty and customer retention (Aaker, are an important means of communication between sellers
1996; Berry, 2000; Keller, 1993) which, in turn, affects a andbuyers.Employingatransactionalview,existingliterature
firm’s financial performance (Alawadi et al., 2003; Cobb- has identified attraction and contact effectiveness as core
Walgren et al., 1995). measures of trade-show effectiveness (Dekimpe et al., 1997).
Creating service brand equity by enhancing customer Fromarelationalperspective,however,tradefairsarecrucial
awareness as well as strong, favorable and unique brand to the development of relationships between buyers and
associations is a major issue for business service providers sellers;thisfurther supportsthenotionofascribingaspecific
(Berry,2000;Gordonetal.,1991).Despitetheimportanceof brand for the trade show. When trade show branding is
branding in business services, little has been done to effective,boththebuyerandsellerwilldevelopmorerealistic
understand mechanisms of establishing and managing expectations with regards to outcomes of trade show
business service brand equity (Cretu and Brodie, 2007; attendance. This is in part due to a higher degree of
Zablahetal.,2010).Also,priorbrandingresearchfocuseson information exchange, intensifying an ongoing dialogue in a
manufacturing goods whereas business services are rather trade fair environment as compared to other communication
neglected (Bennett et al., 2005; Davis et al., 2008). Previous venues. This ultimately results in better knowledge of
studies in the area of B2B branding focus on the: expectations between the parties (Gopalakrishna and Lilien,
. effectiveness of brand-naming strategies (Saunders and 1995). In addition, trade fairs enhance opportunities for
Watt, 1979; Sinclair and Seward, 1988); sellers to strengthen relations with current customers by
. influence of business-to-business brands on buying increasing dialogue that enhances mutual adaptation and
decisions and customer loyalty (Bendixen et al., 2004; relationshipvalue.Tradefairactivitiesincludeacombination
Davis et al., 2008; Gordon et al., 1991; Hutton, 1997; of communication instruments, rangingfromadvertisingand
Mudambi, 2002); and publicrelationstodirectselling.Exhibitorsusetheseformsof
. value that customers derive from business-to-business communicationtoattractvisitorstotheboothandtogenerate
brands(BiedenbachandMarell,2010;CretuandBrodie, high-quality leads. Moreover, starting with a one-way
2007; Han and Sung, 2008; Mudambi et al., 1997; communication, trade fairs enhance interaction processes
Michell et al., 2001). engendering a two-way communication that, in turn, merges
into a relationship dialogue (Gro¨nroos, 2000).
This paper provides a conceptual framework that explains
Trade shows offer complex business services with only
driversofservicebrandequityinthecontextofthetradeshow
limited opportunities for customers to assess its quality in
industry. Trade shows represent an example of an
advance. Consequently, creating and maintaining a trade
international, highly competitive environment, where service
show service brand could have far-reaching benefits. As for
providers face the challenge to differentiate themselves from instance, when potential customers understand the service
competing brands during a very short time span. The next product and purchase the service even though the value
sectionincludesanoverviewoftherelevantliteraturefollowed derived from it may only be quantified after the service has
by the development of a conceptual model of service brand been consumed.
equity relative to the trade show industry. The paper Despite the economic impact of trade fairs, research on
concludes with directions for further research and business-to-business trade fair issues is still in its infancy
managerial implications. (Geigenmu¨ller, 2008). The literature provides numerous
studies about exhibitors’ motivations and selection criteria
The trade show industry (e.g. Kerin and Cron, 1987; Herbig et al., 1997; Godar and
O’Connor, 2001) and visitors’ motivations and behaviors
Trade shows, also known as trade fairs, are periodic events (Munuera and Ruiz, 1999; Berne´ and Garcia-Uceda, 2007).
that bring manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors from a Several papers have attempted to define performance
particularindustryorrelatedindustriestoasinglelocationto measures (O’Hara, 1993; Gopalakrishna et al., 1995;
exhibit products and services as well as provide information Dekimpe et al., 1997), although most have relied on
for both visitors and exhibitors (AMA, 2011). Existing observational measures and lack a theoretical basis (Hansen,
literaturerecognizestradefairsasaneffectivewaytoenhance 2004). An exception is the development of a conceptual
a company’s sales efforts (Kerin and Cron, 1987; O’Hara, model that assesses the return on trade show information
1993; Tanner and Chonko, 1995). Further, trade fairs are (RTSI), an extension of the Kohli et al. (1993) market
important platforms from which sellers can meet existing orientation framework (Bettis-Outland et al., 2010). RTSI is
customers, identify new customers, evaluate new channel determined by querying trade show attendees after the trade
partners,enhancetheircorporateimage,andcarryoutmarket fair event to determine the value of information acquired at
research (Blythe, 2002; Kerin and Cron, 1987; Shipley and thetradefair.Nonetheless,insteadofastructuredframework,
Wong, 1993; Munuera and Ruiz, 1999). Attendees benefit research on trade fairs paints a confusing picture that
fromtradeshowsbymeetingwithsuppliers,formingalliances obstructs the perceived value of trade shows in
with potential business partners, and by gathering contemporary marketing research.
information that predicts new trends, new products, and Trade fair organizations worldwide face tremendous
new services on the horizon. As markets and business competition for exhibitors and visitors (Kirchgeorg et al.,
relationships become more global, trade fairs have become 2010). The attractiveness of a particular trade show event
vital to initiating and developing international business affectsnotonlythenumberofattendees,butalsothefinancial
429
BrandequityinB2Bservices JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerandHarrietteBettis-Outland Volume27·Number6·2012·428–435
consequences, both short-term and long-term, of these more difficult it is to assess a product’s quality, the more
attendees. Offering superior trade shows and related services customersrelyonextrinsicattributes(Olson,1977;Zeithaml,
helps a trade show organization differentiate itself from 1988).Servicesinvolvehighlevelsofexperienceandcredence
competitors. Developing a distinctive position in the market, qualities which increase customers’ uncertainty about a
in turn, is an essential prerequisite to enhance the service’s attributes and benefits (Erdem et al., 2006).
organization’s financial performance. Service brands decrease uncertainty by serving as proxies
Selecting a trade show often involves complex decisions for quality. Thus, service brands gain importance when
consideringbenefits(suchasmeetingwithcurrentcustomers, selecting such very intangible offers (e.g. de Chernatony and
acquiring information regarding industry trends, visibility, Dall’Olmo Riley, 1999; Grace and O’Cass, 2005; Onkvisit
leads) and sacrifices (expenditures for airfare, and Shaw, 1989).
accommodations, booth placement, and personnel) (Berne´
and Garcia-Uceda, 2007; Blythe, 2000; Browning and Service brand equity
Adams, 1988; Herbig et al., 1997; Tanner, 2002). To Brandequityisgenerallydefinedasthevalueabrandaddsto
facilitate this decision process, the trade show brand serves aproductor serviceasperceivedbythecustomer(Farquhar,
as a cue signaling important attributes to trade show 1989; Keller, 1993). As Erdem et al. (1999) stress, brand
attendees. By purchasing a booth at the trade fair, equityisdynamicinnaturesinceinformationaboutabrandis
participants trust that trade show organizers will fulfill its updated every time the customer encounters the brand. The
obligation to ensure that the needs of the participants are literature reveals several dimensions of brand equity. For
addressed (Munuera and Ruiz, 1999) That is, the service instance, Aaker (1996) postulates fives dimensions including
productprovidedbythetradeshoworganization promises to brand awareness, brand associations, brand assets, perceived
enhance its customers’ economic and relational goals. quality, and brand loyalty. By contrast, Keller (1993)
Although the service involves tangible elements, such as identifies two dimensions, namely, brand awareness and
halls, booths, materials etc, the service itself is intangible. brand image. With regard to an industrial context, Michell
Thus, employing a service brand that identifies a specific et al. (2001) find brand name benefits, brand sponsor
trade show can support a trade show organization’s aim to strategy, differential advantages of brands, and generators of
attractattendeesand,hence,toboostitsmarketperformance. brand loyalty to manifest brand equity. The authors further
Forexhibitors,awell-knownandreputabletradeshowbrand suggestthatperceivedqualityisthemostimportantsourceof
may signal trade show effectiveness in terms of audience brand equity (see also Hutton, 1997).
activity and quality, contact opportunities with the target In contrast to the aforementioned studies, van Riel et al.
audience, promotional activities, and lead generation (2005) conceptualize brand loyalty as a consequence rather
(Gopalakrishna et al., 1995). Similarly, for visitors a strong than a component of brand equity. This view suggests that
trade show brand may indicate the degree to which visitors’ brandequityisabletoreducecustomers’purchasingriskand
objectives,suchasscreeningnewproductsanddevelopments, to enhance customers’ confidence in a supplier. In line with
obtaining product and technical information, meeting and theauthors,thisarticledefinesbrandloyaltyasanoutcomeof
comparing suppliers or monitoring competitors (Munuera brand equity in terms of repeated purchases of a brand
and Ruiz, 1999) are fulfilled. In both cases, a trade show
(behavioral loyalty) and the degree of commitment to the
brand would significantly affect attendees’ beliefs attitudes,
brand (attitudinal loyalty) (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001;
and future attendance intentions (Smith et al., 2003).
van Riel et al. 2005). In a trade show context this is
manifested by regular attendance at a particular trade show,
Conceptual background andthepropensitytochoosethisshowoverotherswhentrade
show funds are limited.
Service brands as quality cues
Pointing to differences between products and brands in
Due to the complexity of service purchases, branding is
terms of their level of intangibility and variability, Berry
considered to be even more important for services than for
(2000) focuses on consumer experiences as the source of
goods because service purchases represent a higher level of
servicebrandequity.Inhisview,consumerexperienceswitha
risk when compared to the purchase of tangible goods
brand engender a brand’s meaning by visualizing how the
(Murray and Schlacter, 1990). By using search techniques
brand is delivering on its promises. Performing and
thathelpreducetheperceivedrisk,customersemploycuesto
communicating a service enhances customers’
infer product or service quality (Olshavsky, 1975; Zeithaml,
understanding of the service brand and, thus, service brand
1988).
equity.
Cues are characteristic events, attributes, or objects
encoded and used to categorize a stimulus object (Crane
and Clark, 1988). Customer decision-making involves two Conceptual model and hypotheses
steps. First,customers identifyand store certainattributes of
Thispaperpresentsaconceptualmodelthatlinkstradeshow
an object. Second, consumers process these cues cognitively
service provider competence to:
in order to evaluate the object (Olson, 1977).
. service customer purchasing value;
The literature distinguishes between intrinsic and extrinsic
. service customer satisfaction; and
cues. Whereas intrinsic cues are inherent in a product
. service brand equity (see Figure 1).
(i.e. flavor, taste, color), extrinsic cues are related to the
product even though they are not part of it (Olson, 1977; Drawingon existing literature, four research propositions are
Zeithaml, 1988). Typical extrinsic cues include price, developed that suggest causal relationships among these
advertising, or the brand name. In services, extrinsic cues constructs. Following, each construct is defined along with
are of particular importance. Prior research suggests that the the proposed model and hypotheses.
430
BrandequityinB2Bservices JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerandHarrietteBettis-Outland Volume27·Number6·2012·428–435
Figure1Conceptualmodel
Service provider competence showsinanalyzingthemarket,observingcompetitoractivities
In business markets, the ability to solve client problems is a and gaining information on trends and developments.
major source of economic success (Han and Sung, 2008). A Service provider competence can have a positive effect on
service provider’s ability to offer targeted problem solutions service customer purchasing value(Chang and Wildt, 1994).
refers to characteristics, skills and knowledge inherent to the Ifaserviceproviderdemonstratessufficientskillsandabilities
organization(Swanetal.,1985).Serviceprovidercompetence tomeetcustomer needs,customersmayderivepositivevalue
isrootedinresources,whichhavebeendevelopedtoprovidea from transactions with the service provider by receiving a
service (Edvardsson and Olsson, 1996). These resources favorablerelationshipbetweensacrificesandbenefitsinherent
include: in that transaction. Thus, the paper postulates:
. the service concept;
RP1. The trade show service provider’s competence relates
. service processes; and
positively to service customer purchasing value.
. the service system (Anderson et al., 2009).
Theserviceconceptrepresentsthemethodinwhichaservice
Customer service satisfaction
provider aims to satisfy customer needs. More precisely, the
Service customer purchasing value affects customer service
service concept describes the trade show service product
satisfaction that is a post-purchase assessment of
basedon identified customer needs(Edvardsson andOlsson,
consumption-related fulfillment (Oliver, 1996). Satisfaction
1996).Theserviceprocesspertainstoasequenceofstepsthe
reflectsacustomer’soverallpleasurewithaservicereceivedin
service provider applies to produce a service. The service
accordance with one’s needs and expectations (Anderson
process therefore contains several actions that have to be
et al., 2009). The confirmation-disconfirmation paradigm
taken in order to realize a service (Shostack, 1987). Finally,
provides a rationale for this link (Day, 1977; Woodruffet al.,
the service system defines resources required to generate a
1983). Entering in negotiations with a potential business
service.Assuch,theservicesystemincludesphysicalfacilities,
partner, customers expect to derive value from it that is to
human resources, and organizational structures and routines
realize a more benefits than sacrifices. If so, a decrease in
(Tax and Stuart, 1997).
perceived service customer purchasing value would result in
unfavorableassessmentsoftheservicetransaction(Rosenand
Service customer purchasing value
Surprenant, 1998; Voss et al., 1998; Woodruff, 1997).
Byconsumingaservice,customersderivevaluefromit.Value
Assuming similar effects of customer-related, competitor-
is understood as the relationship between benefits and
related and company-related value, the paper hypothesizes:
sacrifices caused by the consumption of a service (Brady
and Cronin, 2001; Cronin et al., 2000; Sharma et al., 2001; RP2. The service customer purchasing value relates
Sweeney and Soutar, 2001). The service purchasing value positively to customer service satisfaction.
pertainstoacustomer’soverallassessmentofwhatisreceived
fromaparticularservicecomparedtowhathasbeengivenin
Service brand equity
order to acquire and use the service (Han and Sung, 2008).
Previous studies suggest that customer service satisfaction
Withregardtodiversefunctionsoftradeshowsforexhibitors
based on the perceived value of a service results in a major
and visitors alike, this article further distinguishes between
sourceofservicebrandequity.Priorstudiesprovideempirical
three forms of service purchasing value:
evidence for a positive relationship between the two
1 customer-related value;
constructs. Bloemer and Lemmink (1992) find a positive
2 company-related value; and
relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty
3 competitor-related value.
behaviors.Pertainingtotheretailcontext,PappuandQuester
Customer-related value pertains to the function of trade (2006) demonstrate a positive effect of customer satisfaction
shows to create and nurture relationships. Customer-related on a retailer’s brand equity.
value is derived when the trade show enhances opportunities Moreover, previous studies support the assumption that
forexhibitorstomeetcustomers,toengenderinteractionsand service customer purchase value affects service brand equity.
to establish dialogue. Likewise, customer-related value is With regard to intangibility of professional business services
derived from opportunities for visitors to meet suppliers and and high levels of credence qualities, Krishnan and Hartline
to learn about new products and developments. Company- (2001) stress the importance of brand experiences to form
relatedvaluereflectstowhatextentatradeshowenablestrade brand equity. For complex services with high levels of
show exhibitors and visitors to realize economic goals experience and credence qualities, consuming the service is
including supplier assignments, lead generation, and sales. the only way to determine its quality and potential benefits
Finally, competitor-related value refers to the role of trade related to the service. Thus, experiencing service delivery
431
BrandequityinB2Bservices JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerandHarrietteBettis-Outland Volume27·Number6·2012·428–435
buildsassociationsaboutaservicebrand,whichcomprisethe concepts, processes and resources to customer needs, the
valueabrandaddstoaserviceproduct.Tosumup,thepaper morevaluetheycreateforthecustomer.Perceptionsofvalue,
posits: in turn, are important drivers of customer satisfaction and
favorable attitudes toward the service brand.
RP3. Service customer satisfaction relates positively to
Withregardtothetradeshowindustry,severalimplications
service brand equity.
arise. Trade shows are important platforms to gain
RP4. Servicecustomerpurchasingvaluerelatespositivelyto
information about customers and competitors, to capture
service brand equity.
trends and developments, to make sales and to engage in
customer relationships. In fact, trade showeffectiveness does
not only involve the number of customer contacts or leads;
Discussion
trade shows are also an important instrument in relationship
This paper aims to contribute a better understanding of marketing.
service brands in professional business-to-business services. Consequently, the value of trade show attendance involves
Thepointofdeparturefrompreviousresearchistheemphasis not only company-related benefits such as sales or leads, but
ofbrandingissuesinservices.Basiccharacteristicsofservices also customer- and competitor-related benefits. The value
– intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability – attendees derive from using trade show services is strongly
posespecialchallengestoserviceprovidersincreatingstrong related to the support they receive in establishing and
and reliable signals of service quality to their customers. nurturing customer relationships or by engaging in market
Consequently, service brands reflect promises of future need and competitor analysis. Considering service brand equity,
fulfillment and satisfaction. trade showorganizations should therefore develop innovative
Whereas branding issues in consumer markets are the concepts for trade shows that accommodate exhibitor and
primary focus of branding research, examination of service visitor needs. Further, trade show organizations should
brand relevance in business markets is in its infancy. Several provide an appropriate physical environment to accomplish
studies demonstrate that product brand equity can foster a a pleasant trade show experience. This includes determining
firm’s competitive advantage with price premiums, customer the right place for running a trade show, which offers
loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. For services, however, accessibility and convenience. It also involves offering a
findings are scarce. favorable infrastructure of halls, booth areas, waiting zones
With this background, a conceptual model is developed to etc.Finally,itreferstoallprocessesrelatedtoprepareandrun
explain how service brand equity is derived specifically in a afirm’sparticipationinatradeshow.Theseprocessesinclude
tradeshowcontext.Thepaperemploystheperspectiveofthe the processing of individual data, preparation of halls and
trade show industry for two main reasons. First, trade show booths as well as transport and logistics facilities that help
organizations are typical business service providers that offer exhibitors set up their presentations.
intangible and complex services. Second, facing fierce Finally,tangibleandintangibleresourcesareimportant.As
competition for exhibitors and visitors, a positive trade show in many services, human resources have a significant impact
brand can be instrumental in building a loyal customer base. ontheperceptionofaserviceprovider.Themorecapableand
The conceptual model comprises four main constructs, motivated contact employees are, the more likely that there
namely service provider competence, service customer will be smooth interactions between the trade show
purchasing value, service customer satisfaction, and service organization, exhibitors and visitors. Interactions with
brand equity. Drawing on prior research, four research service employees may therefore contribute substantially to
propositions are derived which link these constructs. value perceptions of customers.
Therefore, the paper provides a conceptual framework that
might be fruitful for further investigations, especially
References
empirical investigations, in order to deepen our
understanding of service brand equity in business services. Aaker,D.A.(1996),ManagingStrongBrands,TheFreePress,
New York, NY.
Alawadi, K.L., Lehmann, D.R. and Neslin, S.A. (2003),
Managerial implications
“Revenue premium as an outcome measure of brand
Pending empirical validation, the model offers several equity”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65 No. 1, pp. 1-17.
implications for managers in service businesses. First, it AMA (2011), “Dictionary of marketing terms”, available at:
demonstrates the relevance of investing in a service brand. www.marketingpower.com (accessed January 13, 2011).
Since many service industries are characterized by intense Anderson, S., Klein Pearo, L. and Widener, S.K. (2009),
competition, service brands are valuable instruments to “Drivers of service satisfaction: linking customer
differentiate from competitors. Strong brands that involve a satisfaction to the service concept and customer
credible promise of future satisfaction help to raise barriers characteristics”, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 10 No. 4,
against new market participants as well as defending one’s pp. 365-81.
market position against long-term competitors. Bendixen, M., Bukasa, K.A. and Abratt, R. (2004), “Brand
To benefit from a strong brand, service businesses should equity in the business-to-business market”, Industrial
investinitsservicebrand equity. Thepaper identifies service Marketing Management, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 371-80.
provider competence as an important driver of service brand Bennett, R., Ha¨rtel, C.E.J. and McColl-Kennedy, J.R.
equity. A service provider’s ability to meet the needs of its (2005), “Experience as a moderator of involvement and
customersbymanagingtheserviceconcept,serviceprocesses satisfaction on brand loyalty in a business-to-business
and the service system in an efficient and effective way is of setting”, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 4 No. 1,
utmost importance. The better service providers adjust their pp. 397-407.
432
BrandequityinB2Bservices JournalofBusiness&IndustrialMarketing
AnjaGeigenmu¨llerandHarrietteBettis-Outland Volume27·Number6·2012·428–435
Berne´, C. and Garcia-Uceda, E. (2007), “Targeting deChernatony,L.andDall’OlmoRiley,F.(1999),“Experts’
efficiencies among trade show nonattendees”, Journal of view about defining service brands and the principles of
Targeting, Measurement and Analysis in Marketing, Vol. 15 service branding”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 46,
No. 3, pp. 146-57. pp. 181-92.
Berry, L.L. (2000), “Cultivating service brand equity”, Dekimpe, M.G., Franc¸ois, P., Gopalakrishna, S., Lilien, G.
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28 No. 1, and Van de Bulte, C. (1997), “Generalizing about trade
pp. 128-37. showeffectiveness:across-nationalcomparison”,Journalof
Bettis-Outland, H., Cromartie, J.S., Johnston, W.J. and Marketing, Vol. 61, pp. 55-64.
Borders, L.A. (2010), “The return on trade show Edvardsson,B.andOlsson,J.(1996),“Keyconceptsfornew
information (RTSI): a conceptual analysis”, Journal of service development”, Service Industries Journal, Vol. 16
Business&IndustrialMarketing,Vol.25No.4,pp.268-71. No. 2, pp. 140-64.
Biedenbach, G. and Marell, A. (2010), “The impact of Erdem, T. and Swait, J. (1998), “Brand equity as a signaling
customer experience on brand equity in a business-to- phenomenon”,JournalofConsumerPsychology,Vol.7No.2,
business services setting”, Journal of Brand Management, pp. 131-57.
Vol. 17 No. 6, pp. 446-58. Erdem, T., Swait, J. and Valenzuela, A. (2006), “Brands as
Bloemer, J.M.M. and Lemmink, J.G.A.M. (1992), signals: a cross-country validation study”, Journal of
“The importance of customer satisfaction in explaining Marketing, Vol. 70 No. 1, pp. 34-49.
brand and dealer loyalty”, Journal of Marketing Erdem, T., Swait, J., Broniarczyk, S., Chakravarti, D.,
Management, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 351-63. Kapferer, J.-N., Keane, M., Roberts, J.,
Blythe, J. (2000), “Objectives and measures at UK trade Steenkamp, J.-B.E.M. and Zettelmeyer, F. (1999), “Brand
exhibitions”, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 16, equity, consumer learning and choice”, Marketing Letters,
pp. 203-22. Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 301-18.
Blythe, J. (2002), “Using trade fairs in key account Farquhar, P.H. (1989), “Managing brand equity”, Marketing
management”, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 21, Research, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 24-33.
pp. 627-35. Geigenmu¨ller, A. (2008), “The role of virtual trade fairs in
Brady,M.K.andCronin,J.J.Jr(2001),“Somenewthoughts relationshipvaluecreation”,JournalofBusiness&Industrial
on conceptualizing perceived service quality: a hierarchical Marketing, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 284-92.
approach”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65 No. 3, pp. 34-49. Godar, S.H. and O’Connor, P.J. (2001), “Same time next
Browning, J.M. and Adams, R.J. (1988), “Trade shows: an year – buyer trade show motives”, Industrial Marketing
effective promotional tool for the small industrial Management, Vol. 30, pp. 77-86.
businesses”, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 26 Gopalakrishna, S. and Lilien, G.L. (1995), “A three-stage
No. 4, pp. 31-6. model of industrial trade show performance”, Marketing
Chang, T.-Z. and Wildt, A.R. (1994), “Price, product Science, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 22-42.
information, and purchase intention: an empirical study”, Gopalakrishna, S., Lilien, G.L., Williams, J.D. and Seqeuira,
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 22 No. 1, I.K. (1995), “Do trade shows pay off?”, Journal of
pp. 16-27. Marketing, Vol. 59 No. 3, pp. 75-83.
Chaudhuri, A. and Holbrook, M.B. (2001), “The chain of Gordon, G., Calantone, R. and di Benedetto, C.A. (1991),
effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand “Howelectrical contractors choose distributors”, Industrial
performance: the role of brand loyalty”, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 29-42.
Marketing, Vol. 65 No. 2, pp. 81-93. Gounaris, S. (2005), “Measuring service quality in b2b
Cobb-Walgren, C.J., Ruble, C.A. and Donthu, N. (1995), services: an evaluation of the SERVQUAL scale vis-a`-vis
“Brand equity, brand preference, and purchase intent”, theINDSERVscale”,JournalofServicesMarketing,Vol.19
Journal of Advertising, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 25-40. No. 6, pp. 421-35.
Crane, F.G. and Clark, T.K. (1988), “The identification of Grace, D. and O’Cass, A. (2005), “Service branding:
evaluative criteria and cues used in selecting services”, consumer verdicts on service brands”, Journal of Retailing
Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 53-9. and Consumer Services, Vol. 12, pp. 125-39.
Cretu,A.E.andBrodie,R.J.(2007),“Theinfluenceofbrand Gro¨nroos, C. (2000), “Creating a relationship dialogue:
image and company reputation where manufacturers communication, interaction and value”, The Marketing
market to small firms: a customer value perspective”, Review, Vol. 1, pp. 5-14.
IndustrialMarketingManagement,Vol.36No.2,pp.230-40. Han, S.-L. and Sung, H.-S. (2008), “Industrial brand value
Cronin, J.J. Jr, Brady, M.K. and Hult, G.T.M. (2000), and relationship performance in business markets –
“Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer a general structural equation model”, Industrial Marketing
satisfaction, on consumer behavioral intentions in service Management, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 807-18.
environments”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 76 No. 2, Hansen,K.(2004),“Measuringperformanceattradeshows.
pp. 193-218. Scale development and validation”, Journal of Business
Davis, D.F., Golicic, S.L. and Marquardt, A.J. (2008), Research, Vol. 57, pp. 1-13.
“Branding a B2B service: does a brand differentiate a Hausman, A. (2003), “Professional service relationships:
logistics service provider?”, Industrial Marketing a multi-context study of factors impacting satisfaction, re-
Management, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 218-27. patronization, and recommendations”, Journal of Services
Day, R.L. (1977), “Extending the concept of customer Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 226-42.
satisfaction”, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 4 No. 1, Herbig,P.,O’Hara,B.andPalumbo,F.(1997),“Differences
pp. 149-54. betweentradeshowexhibitorsandnon-exhibitors”,Journal
433