Business-to-Business Marketing – How to Understand and Succeed in Business Marketing in an Emerging Africa
- Post by: Frank Biananna
- August 15, 2022
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Presenter: Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu, Associate Professor of Marketing and International Business at the School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Sweden.
Date: September 9, 2022 at 10:00am (United States CST), 3:00pm (GMT)
Abstract:
While most of the value chain consists of business-to-business (b2b) parties, resources, and activities, many academics do not appreciate b2b’s importance in marketing research and curriculum. As a result of inadequate teaching and research of b2b in Africa, many managers and researchers take b2b for granted and concentrate on the business-to-consumer (b2c) side of the market. Yet b2c is only the downstream end of the value chain. To successfully position itself and its products, a company should have been successful in the b2b market, which covers most of the value chain. Innovation, product development, manufacturing, logistics, wholesaling, institutional regulation, etc., are all b2b activities that are the foundation for successful b2c marketing.
The underperformance of African economies occurs in the b2b side of the market. Inadequate innovation, short-term business practices, lack of trust, uncompetitive manufacturing, unreliable supply chains, and weak public regulators are among the many problems of the b2b side of the African market. Surprisingly, many African universities do not teach a foundational b2b course; it is only an elective in others. A few universities teach supply chain and industrial management courses in MBA or non-regular programmes without the foundational b2b course. Universities that teach a foundational b2b course use North American and European textbooks far-fetched from the African reality.
A degree in marketing or business management without a course in b2b leaves graduates unequipped for the challenges awaiting them in the corporate world. This webinar will discuss the importance of b2b in the curriculum and research and how we should teach b2b in African higher institutions.
Bio: Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu is an Associate Professor of Marketing and International Business at the School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Sweden. Dr. Owusu has taught and researched business-to-business marketing; international business; business development, management, and entrepreneurship in Africa in universities in Europe, Africa, Australia, and the U.S.A. He has published over thirty scientific articles and book chapters in well-ranked scientific journals. Dr. Owusu is the first author of the recently published book “Business-to-Business Marketing –An African Perspective: How to Understand and Succeed in Business Marketing in an Emerging Africa.” With the book, the authors aim to promote quality teaching and research on b2b in Africa. He has participated in several business-to-business research and consulting projects in Africa and Europe. Dr. Owusu is a partner of Foresight Consulting, a consulting partnership dedicated to promoting successful business in Africa.