When do B2B Brands Influence the Decision-Making of Organizational Buyers? An Examination of the Relationship between Purchase Risk and Brand Sensitivity

International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 28, No. 3, September 2011

46 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2011 Last revised: 13 Jun 2011

See all articles by Brian Brown

Brian Brown

Virginia Commonwealth University

Alex R. Zablah

Oklahoma State University

Danny Bellenger

Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business

Wesley James Johnston

Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business

Date Written: February 18, 2011

Abstract

The dominant perspective on organizational buyer behavior suggests that buyers tend to rely on objective criteria when making product choice decisions and that the potential influence of subjective cues, such as brands, on buyer decision-making decreases with increasing risk. An alternative perspective, confirmed in this study by depth interviews with managers, suggests that brands serve as a risk-reduction heuristic whereby the influence of brands on decision-making increases as a function of risk. Building on risk and information processing theories, this research builds on these complementary perspectives to propose that risk and brand sensitivity relate in a U-shaped manner where brand sensitivity is highest in relatively low or high risk situations. The results of scenario- and survey-based field studies – involving 206 and 180 buying unit members, respectively – suggest that both perspectives have merit and support the proposed nonlinear relationship. Moreover, the findings reveal that the risk-brand sensitivity relationship is moderated by competitive intensity such that the linear (negative) and quadratic (positive) effects are stronger when competitive intensity is low.

Keywords: Branding, Industrial Branding, Business-to-Business, Field Study, Purchase Risk

Suggested Citation

Brown, Brian P. and Zablah, Alex R. and Bellenger, Danny and Johnston, Wesley James, When do B2B Brands Influence the Decision-Making of Organizational Buyers? An Examination of the Relationship between Purchase Risk and Brand Sensitivity (February 18, 2011). International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 28, No. 3, September 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1764132

Brian P. Brown (Contact Author)

Virginia Commonwealth University ( email )

Richmond, VA 23284
United States

Alex R. Zablah

Oklahoma State University ( email )

Stillwater, OK 74078

HOME PAGE: http://www.zablah.com

Danny Bellenger

Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 4050
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
United States

Wesley James Johnston

Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 4050
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
United States

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