Date of Award
12-2016
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Attracted by the large, growing domestic economy in China, many U.S. companies have decided to enter China providing products and services in the business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) markets. Combined with traditional marketing channels, Internet marketing is rapidly evolving and becoming a critical strategic element in the marketing department’s tool chest. While much is written about B2C markets and consumer preferences, little of the literature addresses the B2B Chinese customers’ attitudes toward the disparate array of traditional and Internet marketing approaches. Even less addresses Chinese B2B purchasing agents’ receptivity to Western companies soliciting them as new customers. This research compares Chinese B2B purchasing attitudes toward traditional and Internet based marketing solicitations with implications for both academic research and business practitioners. Utilizing an empirical survey of Chinese B2B businesses in Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and other areas of Jiangsu province, it measures the receptivity and perceptions of marketing channels for solicitations. It finds that individuals’ Internet use for business is pervasive throughout Chinese administrative and management groups regardless of age, education, or job title; however, those who can first be contacted through either traditional or Internet marketing channels are more receptive to additional solicitations through the same channel. Additionally, individuals with prior experience buying from U.S. firms are more receptive to new U.S. solicitations. Finally, the research ranks preference results based on whether prior relationships exist.
Recommended Citation
Cooley, Jonathan, "Marketing Channel Attitudes of Chinese Business-to-Business Companies: An Empirical Buyer Behavior Study for U.S. Companies Marketing to Chinese B2B Customers" (2016). Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). 10.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dbadmin/10