Social networks have become an important factor in today’s society. Companies as well as individuals are using these platforms to interact with one another on a daily basis. This phenomenon has mostly been acknowledged by companies on B2C markets where these social network sites are being used to communicate their brand. On B2B markets however, the usage of these platforms have not been as optimistically implemented. Due to this fact, this study means to examine what brand enhancing intentions well-established B2B companies have with their usage of social networking sites.This study conducted a web survey where 89 of Sweden’s most successful companies (in terms of turnover) participated. The respondents’ answers were analyzed through statistic tools such as correlation analyzis, cluster analyzis and descriptive data. The collected data revealed that the respondents could be divided into four separate segments, which further could be divided into two perspectives, where the brand enhancing intentions of the usage of social networking sites seemed to differ. Key words: Social Networking Sites, B2B, brand equity, perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand recognition, brand recall, brand image.

Diploma thesis is a description of marketing strategy of Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube, a distributor of steel pipes and other steel components.

<p>The purpose of this study is to investigate how social media can affect and influence the B2B-relationship. Social media is now a widespread and accepted tool for communication in many B2C-companies; therefore we find it interesting to examine how social media can find its place in the communication mix of B2B-companies. We are also aiming to distinguish standards in how social media is practiced and discussed in the context of the B2B-market. We have applied a qualitative method for this study and we have interviewed seven respondents, which are experts in social media or working with market communication at B2B-companies in Sweden. During our study we have identified several comparable attributes within the B2B market and their opinions about how social media should be approach and adopt in the communication mix of the company.</p>

[pt] O ambiente de Comércio Eletrônico entre empresas apoiado pela Internet, conhecido como B2B, é muito complexo. Para nele operar, é importante a existência de um instrumento que permita visualizar de forma integrada os diversos elementos que interagem entre si nesse ambiente de negócios, facilite a sua compreensão e dê apoio à tomada de decisões e à elaboração de estratégias que agreguem valor às empresas que aí realizam as suas transações. A necessidade desse instrumento deu origem à criação de um modelo genérico do inter-relacionamento entre empresas e instituições para o ambiente de negócios B2B, objeto dessa tese. A esse modelo foi dado o nome de Modelo Global B2B. Entre os diversos tipos de organizações que aí coexistem, podem ser citadas: as que intermediam transações entre consumidores e fornecedores de bens e serviços – e-marketplaces, empresas prestadoras de serviços relacionados à tecnologia, ao marketing, à área legal, à área financeira e empresas dedicadas à logística e transporte. A parceria com as prestadoras de serviço possibilita às demais empresas terem ao seu encargo somente as atribuições diretamente relacionadas ao seu negócio, tornando-as muito mais ágeis e capazes de se adaptarem com mais facilidade às mudanças freqüentes e enfrentarem as incertezas presentes nesse ambiente virtual. Na elaboração do Modelo Global do B2B, usaram-se conceitos extraídos das Teorias de Sistemas, de Redes, de Corporação Virtual e de Cadeias de Suprimento. Ao se usar a Teoria de Sistemas, procurou-se visualizar as organizações que atuam no ambiente B2B como sendo partes de um sistema e não elementos isolados, já que algumas de suas propriedades só podem ser tratadas adequadamente se estudadas de uma forma holística. O ambiente B2B foi analisado, também, como uma rede complexa, cujos componentes se apóiam mutuamente com o objetivo de enfrentarem a crescente dependência tecnológica e a necessidade de desenvolver e adaptar suas ofertas às exigências cada vez mais específicas desse mercado. As Teorias relativas a Corporações Virtuais e a Cadeia de Suprimento contribuíram para um melhor entendimento dos conceitos relacionados a Mercados Virtuais e ao fluxo de produtos do fornecedor ao consumidor final, nesse novo ambiente de negócios. Como aplicações práticas do modelo, são apresentados: a análise do Canal Cliente da Petrobrás, um dos maiores portais B2B do mundo em volume de transações, e o uso do modelo como suporte para o estudo de opções reais em empresas voltadas para o B2B. No caso do Canal Cliente, é mostrada a relevância do modelo para a compreensão e caracterização do relacionamento entre as entidades que aí interagem, tendo sido usada a metodologia Soft de Checkland para o entendimento da situação-problema e a formulação de propostas de projetos desejáveis e culturalmente factíveis, capazes de agregar valor à atual versão do Canal Cliente. Os resultados dessa aplicação serviram para demonstrar a aderência do modelo à realidade, sua contribuição no entendimento de um caso complexo real e o estabelecimento de estratégias que agregam valor à empresa. / [en] The Internet-based Electronic Commerce environment for interrelations among companies, known as B2B, is very complex. In order to operate in it, a tool is required to provide an integrated view of the diverse elements that interact in this business environment, facilitate its comprehension and support decision taking and the elaboration of strategies that add value to the companies that make transactions there. The need for this tool has lead to the creation of a generic model of the interrelations among companies and institutions in the B2B environment, which is the object of the present work. Among the different types of organizations that coexist in this environment, one can mention those that intermediate transactions between consumers and providers of goods and services – e-marketplaces –, companies that provide services related to technology, marketing, the legal area, the financial area, and those specialized in logistics and transportation. Partnerships with service providers allow companies to be responsible only for the attributions directly related to their business area, becoming able to adapt more quickly and easily to the frequent changes and to cope with the uncertainties of this virtual environment. In the elaboration of the B2B Global Model, concepts extracted from System, Network, Virtual Corporation and Supply Chain Theories were employed. Using System Theory, our purpose was to view the organizations acting in the B2B environment as parts in a system and not as isolated elements, because some of their properties can only be adequately treated if they are studied holistically. The B2B environment was also analyzed as a complex network whose components mutually support one another in order to cope with the growing technological requirements and the need to develop and adapt offers to the increasingly specific demands of this market. The theories dealing with Virtual Corporations and Supply Chains have contributed to a better understanding of the concepts related to Virtual Markets and to the product flow from the provider to the final consumer in this new business environment. As practical applications of the model, we present the analysis of Petrobras’ Customer Channel, one of the largest B2B portals in the world considering the volume of transactions, and a study of real options in companies oriented to B2B supported by this model. In the case of the Customer Channel, we show the model’s relevance in the understanding and characterization of the relationship among the entities that interact in this business environment. Checkland’s Soft methodology was employed to understand the problem situation and to formulate proposals for desirable and culturally feasible projects that are able to add value to the current version of the Customer Channel. The results of this application demonstrate the adherence of this model to reality, its contribution in the understanding of a complex real case and the determination of strategies to add value to the company.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how social media can affect and influence the B2B-relationship. Social media is now a widespread and accepted tool for communication in many B2C-companies; therefore we find it interesting to examine how social media can find its place in the communication mix of B2B-companies. We are also aiming to distinguish standards in how social media is practiced and discussed in the context of the B2B-market. We have applied a qualitative method for this study and we have interviewed seven respondents, which are experts in social media or working with market communication at B2B-companies in Sweden. During our study we have identified several comparable attributes within the B2B market and their opinions about how social media should be approach and adopt in the communication mix of the company.

In this study, we first explore various type of the B2B e-Marketplace. After that, we induce basic, common, scalable of the B2B e-Marketplace services. Following, we describe the user behaviors of these services. Finally, we construct an Architecture-Oriented B2B e-Marketplace Framework (AOB2BF) by the Architecture-Oriented system development method, comparing with Non-AOB2BF by Non-Architecture-Oriented system development method. This research concludes that AOB2BF is able to decrease the system development errors and document transformation, henceforth reducing system development complexity and costs. In AOB2BF a complete system architecture hierarchy is totally represented. In such situation, a system developer will be able to construct his own B2B e-Marketplace with all aspects considered. In this thesis, advantages of AOB2BF are fully verified and validated by logic. Future research, according to our contribution, is suggested to implement a real AOB2BF system.

[pt] Com tanta variação nas estimativas da indústria e nos resultados das empresas,ainda é uma questão em aberto o quanto de redução nos custos de transação uma empresa pode esperar de uma iniciativa de business-to-business e-commerce, como por exemplo, o e-procurement, que é a implementação de processos de aquisição de bens e serviços num ambiente Internet.Para avaliar o potencial de redução dos custos de transação na aquisição de suprimentos indiretos (MRO), este estudo analisa o mercado brasileiro, considerando o comportamento do e-commerce, o tamanho do mercado de MRO disponível e atingível, as possíveis sinergias de compras entre múltiplas empresas e os modelos de atuação nos mercados eletrônicos. Com o auxílio de um framework conceitual sobre custos de transação, oportunidades significativas de redução de custos foram identificadas nas iniciativas de e-procurement, considerando a agregação de volume de compras entre empresas, a otimização dos processos e a redução dos níveis de estoque e de recursos humanos. / [en] With as much variation in the estimates of the industry and the results of the companies, still it is an opened question in how much of reduction in the transaction costs a company can wait of an initiative of business-to-business e-commerce, as for example, e-procurement, that it is the implementation of processes of acquisition of goods and services in a Internet.Para environment to evaluate the potential of reduction of the costs of transaction in the acquisition of indirect suppliments (MRO), this study analyzes the Brazilian market, considering the behavior of e-commerce, the size of market of the available and attainable MRO, the possible sinergias of purchases between multiple companies and the models of performance in the electronic markets. With the conceptual aid of one framework on transaction costs, significant chances of reduction of costs had been identified in the initiatives of e-procurement, considering the aggregation of Volume of purchases between companies, the otimização of the processes and the reduction of the levels of supply and human resources

<p>To identify the exchange and adaptation that takes place in the business relationship between electricity suppliers and electricity customers and analyze how these factors affect the strength of the relationship.</p><p>The investigated concepts create synergies. The strength of the business relationship in the current situation is dominated by weak reciprocity in adaptation and an inefficient exchange of information with low frequency.</p>

In today's world where it is becoming ever trickier to differentiate one product from another, it is even more significant to have the support of an influential brand. Obvious definitions of brand strategy are a foundation for successful management. Keeping in mind that the most ignored marketing opportunity in the Business to Business arena is the formation of a strong brand show the way to the requirement to have a clear basis for distinction. The significance of a categorization outside the B2B and B2C dichotomy is that it better explains the difficulty in the world of brands, as well as that it aids in perceiving the mutual dependence of different types of brands. It proves the extent at which brands in the shape of ingredient brands, corporate brands or mixed up B2C and B2B brand affecting the final end user and how that in its turn can have an influence on the starting point of the chain. While professionals are taught to make their managerial decisions based on a rational basis, professionals are human too and humans don't have the habit leave their emotions at elsewhere when they go to work.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are becoming increasingly engaged in B2B interactions. The ubiquitousness of the Internet and the quasi-reliance on electronic document exchanges with larger trading partners have fostered this move. The main technical challenge that this brings to SMEs is that of business document integration: they need to exchange business documents with heterogeneous document formats and also integrate these documents with internal information systems. Often they can not afford using expensive, customized and proprietary solutions for document exchange and storage. Rather they need cost-effective approaches designed based on open standards and backed with easy-to-use information systems. In this dissertation, we investigate the problem of business document integration for SMEs following a design science methodology. We propose a framework and conceptual architecture for a business document integration system (BDIS). By studying existing business document formats, we recommend using the GS1 XML standard format as the intermediate format for business documents in BDIS. The GS1 standards are widely used in supply chains and logistics globally. We present an architecture for BDIS consisting of two layers: one for the design of internal information system based on relational databases, capable of storing XML business documents, and the other enabling the exchange of heterogeneous business documents at runtime. For the design layer, we leverage existing XML schema conversion approaches, and extend them, to propose a customized and novel approach for converting GS1 XML document schemas into relational schemas. For the runtime layer, we propose wrappers as architectural components for the conversion of various electronic documents formats into the GS1 XML format. We demonstrate our approach through a case study involving a GS1 XML business document. We have implemented a prototype BDIS. We have evaluated and compared it with existing research and commercial tools for XML to relational schema conversion. The results show that it generates operational and simpler relational schemas for GS1 XML documents. In conclusion, the proposed framework enables SMEs to engage effectively in electronic business.