An ecosystem perspective on the customer buying center of B2B2C organizations – Conceptual foundations and qualitative insights
Type
conference keynote
Date Issued
2023-01-19
Author(s)
Susanna Maurer (née Renner)
Abstract
This paper explores the relevance of the customer buying center concept in the context of business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) organizations. It conceptualizes the B2B2C business model and the customer buying center of B2B2C organizations from the theoretical lens of service-dominant (S-D) logic. Based on in-depth interviews with marketing and sales managers from the construction industry in Germany and Switzerland, this study determines the dimensionalities of the B2B2C business model. It reveals the actors and their roles involved in the customer buying center. Existing literature about the customer buying center is updated, applying a service ecosystem perspective. The study broadens the scope of buying center literature, offering new insights for scholars and practitioners on the focal actors involved in the B2B2C customer buying center.