A company's marketing strategy can identify different target customers such as individual

customers, other companies, or suppliers depending on the intended use of the product such as
purchasing for consumption or purchasing for the business. As a result, a successful strategy
should concentrate on identifying opportunities where the company can provide superior value to
customers based on its unique functions (Hutt and Speh 2017). Each company has its own
marketing campaign based on the goal of selling its product to the various target audiences for
such product. At first, this essay will compare the business marketing strategy models of leading
firms such as Intel, FedEx, and 3M to the customer marketing strategy of leading companies
such as Procter & Gamble, Apple, L'Oreal, and Coca Cola. After that, the essay then compares
the similarities and differences between the attributes of a leading consumer product marketer
with a company that demonstrates excellent customer service skills products in the business
market.

When it comes to target customers, the distinction between B2C and B2B marketing strategies
becomes clearer. According to Kumar and Raheja (as cited in Pielien, 2019), the business-to-
business (B2B) model applies to companies that market their goods or services solely to other
businesses, typically between retailers, producers, wholesalers, and retailers, with no direct
consumer involvement. Meanwhile, the business-to-customer (B2C) model applies to companies
that market goods or services and sell products directly to customers without the use of retailers,
merchants, or suppliers. Therefore, the B2B target audience is obviously smaller than the B2C
target audience. This enables B2B business teams to focus on the most important segments,
identify the most relevant characteristics of potential target customers, and capture their
significant needs (Turea, 2021). On the other hand, B2C businesses operate in a larger market,
reach a larger audience, and have more diverse business goals than B2B businesses. The reason
for this disparity is that small businesses and consumers have different needs and tastes. To
illustrate the above theory, consider the collaboration between Apple and Intel. Aside from the
Macbook lines - Apple's laptop product line that uses their own silicon chips - there are three
types of Macbooks that Apple sells Intel chips: the 27-inch iMac 2020, the Mac Pro 2019, and
the Mac mini 2018 (Adorno, 2021). Here's an example of Intel's B2B sales model in action: Intel
sold chips to Apple so that it could manufacture and sell its own phones to customers. Users
appear to own Intel chips and sell them through Macbook products purchased from Apple. On
the other hand, customers are unconcerned about which chip Apple employs. Furthermore,
Apple is a prime example of a B2C business because it sells products directly to any customer
who wishes to purchase them for personal use. As a result, it is clear that B2B companies
frequently focus on customer segments that are suitable businesses and have a specific need for
their services, whereas B2C companies frequently have access to a large number of diverse but
heterogeneous consumers, and they use market segmentation techniques to organize customers
with similar characteristics into a group (Kotler & Keller, as cited in Madosh &Alander, 2019).
According to Claessens (2019), the most important variable in determining the B2C market
segment is demographics. This will assist B2C companies in reaching the right customers and
their needs in the midst of a large market, allowing for the development of appropriate marketing
strategies. Nike, for example, caters to and is accessible to customers of all ages and genders.
However, data show that millennials (24–39 years old) and Gen Z (18–29 years old) in the
United States buy the most sneakers (Kunst, 2020). As a result, based on the demographic
segmentation variable, Nike has identified customers aged 11 to 45 as an important target for
developing a long-term loyal consumer strategy (Panagiotopoulou, 2017). Meanwhile, B2B
market segmentation is classified by a greater number of specific manufacturers, businesses,
governments, or organizations in the region (Hutt and Speh, 2017). Specifically, due to the
specialized nature of the technology field, Intel only provides products that meet the needs of
businesses, such as when it is required to be used for a specific purpose or a component of a
product like the Apple iPhone. Thus, targeting all businesses would be an inefficient strategy. In
summary, the marketing strategy between B2B and B2C models is clearly differentiated in target
customers and market segmentation techniques because the need to use products differs between
retail customers and businesses. In this regard, by focusing on segments rather than the entire
market, businesses have a much better chance of providing value to consumers and reaping the
greatest benefit from paying close attention to their needs (Murphy et al., 2005).

Since there are different target market segments, customers of B2B businesses make different
purchasing decisions than those of B2C businesses. In the B2B market, the average order value
is higher than that of B2C products, and those offered to B2B businesses can be customized or
more complex than B2C products. Furthermore, once a customer chooses a B2B product or
service, they are often less likely to switch providers due to a lack of alternatives or consuming
time and expense. As a result, according to Pielien and Rklaitis (2019), in the B2B market, there
are more people involved in the decision process than in most cases. Therefore, understanding
the need of the business audience will make it easier for B2B marketers to recommend the best
decision for them. Furthermore, being able to communicate a message about the benefits and
values of a service or product in plain language can put a company one step ahead of its
competition and help to establish a bond between the two people involved. Small Business
Saturday, FedEx's most successful marketing campaign, will demonstrate the above theory.
According to FedEx (2012), this unique campaign informed small businesses that they are online
and media partners to support drive sales and highlight their importance in business local
communities, as well as ensuring that they are not overshadowed by larger companies following
the 2008 economic crisis. As a consequence, FedEx's program successfully increased the sales of
participating small businesses, generated billions of PR impressions, attracted over 2 million
Facebook likes and countless major partners, as well as even received unanimous US Senate
support (Neisser, 2012). This is in stark contrast to the B2C market, in which companies will be
required to meet with customers who make purchasing decisions by themselves. Furthermore,
B2C shoppers are any consumers who have identified their purchasing needs (for themselves,
their families, etc.) and have a clear understanding of the type of product they want to buy
( Linchpin, 2022). As a result, B2C marketers must make informed decisions in order to
maximize ROI (Return on Investment). Specifically, marketers must generate demand for the
product and simplify the search process in conversion channels to facilitate decision-making.
Using L'Oreal as an example, due to the growing demand for online shopping and the popularity
of selling tools such as Facebook Marketplace and Instagram's shoppable features, L'Oréal
transitioned to a new platform capable of monitoring L'Oréal's Facebook page for ads and posts.
With a built-in social commerce tool, L'Oréal can allow potential customers to make purchases
through its official Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and LINE accounts. Besides that, it allows
them to communicate directly with Customer Service or "Beauty Specialists". With this strategy,
L'Oréal was able to secure customer data that can be used to strengthen the relationship between
the brand and the customer, as well as the customer's attachment to the brand. In the first five
months of launch, the new platform increased customer engagement on L'Oréal's Facebook fan
page, with an average request-to-sales conversion rate of 22% (aCommerce, 2019).

According to Hutt and Speh (2017), the difference between B2B and B2C marketing strategies
manifests in aspects such as identifying target customers, developing marketing mix models,
handling customer purchasing decisions, and so on. However, both B2B and B2C models know
who their target customers are. This is essential for developing a successful marketing strategy.
Based on knowing the business's target audience, specifically whether they are B2B or B2C
buyers, businesses will have a way to convey their messages and approach customers in each
specific segmentation. In detail, while consumer marketers must manage each component of the
marketing mix to successfully execute their marketing campaign: product, price, promotion, and
place, the business market places only a relative emphasis on certain elements of the marketing
mix (Hutt and Speh, 2017). Specifically, business marketers focus on personal selling rather than
on TV or newspaper advertising with the aim of reaching potential customers, which make up
only a small portion of their budgets (Hutt and Speh, 2017). This approach frequently works for
B2B businesses because it requires marketers to understand the organization's needs and how to
meet those needs, as well as who will decide to buy. As a result, it is necessary for the business
marketer to understand the process that an organization follows when purchasing a product and
to identify which organizational members play a role in this process in order to enter the market
as early as possible in the field that determines the most successful sales results. 3M is used as an
example of how to promote B2B business. Before releasing a new product, 3M had a "huge"
agile marketing department within the company that started every project by mapping out the
customer journey and gathering data from users in the target market (Appendix A). Then, they
will share this information with internal developers in order to create new product ideas. Once a
potential organizational consumer has been identified, the company's sales force will conduct
direct interviews with experts and customers to identify the top needs of the target audience and
assist in the development of systematically disruptive strategies, products, and services. Coca-
Cola is an example of a company that used a custom-designed marketing strategy to increase
global brand awareness, which is the famous marketing combination of "4Ps". In terms of
products, Coca-Cola launched numerous product lines with the image of the Coke glass bottle
serving as an icon around the world. Customers can simply distinguish the brand from the
competition as a result of this. Furthermore, in order to avoid competition from competitors such
as Pepsi, Coca-Cola marketers must always be flexible in pricing their products. Furthermore,
strategies for frequent promotions such as discounts, bulk purchases, and gift-giving; while
simultaneously expanding a large number of products to over 200 countries to drive sales,
besides using various successful emotional campaigns and social media communities. This is one
of Coca-Cola's global marketing techniques that have helped the company remains an industry
leader after 125 years (Seabrook, 2020). Clearly, marketers at Coca-Cola are responsible for a
broader range of tasks, including product strategy, promotional strategy, IMC plan
implementation, and day-to-day management, among others. every day (Appendix B).