Integrating Sustainability into B2B Marketing Strategies: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The sustainability benefits offered by suppliers through their products or services in business-to-business (B2B) industries are increasingly recognized as crucial factors influencing organizational success of buyers. Within B2B interactions, positioning of sustainability offerings by supplier significantly impacts buyer performance. However, there is lack of sufficient research or evidence on the relationship between sustainability values offered by suppliers and buyers’ performance metrics. This study aims to investigate the impact of suppliers’ sustainability positioning and their sustainability offerings on various aspects of buyers’ performance in B2B relationships. A comprehensive review of previous research through a literature review and online surveys are carried out in this research to explore the relationship between suppliers’ sustainability offerings and for buyers’ performance metrics such as brand image, cost saving, regulatory compliance, premium pricing, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, etc. Further, this research helps to understand the perception of industry professionals about importance of communicating and demonstrating commitment to sustainability principles and practices in B2B chemical or associated industries. By examining the linkages between supplier sustainability value additions and buyer performance outcomes, this study provides valuable insights for both suppliers and buyers in optimizing their B2B relationships with adoption to sustainability principles. The findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable business practices and offer practical inputs for enhancing sustainability positioning strategies in B2B contexts.

Keywords: Sustainability, B2B Relationships, Performance Metrics, Marketing, Sustainability Positioning

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