B2B Marketing -3M Canada B2B Case Study

This would generically be achieved through the treatment of the distributors of organizational customers. They would be approached and an offer for product sale would be made. The company would generically strive to attract as many distributors as possible and it would even engage in promotional activities with this purpose. Examples in this sense include the promotion of the company within the specialized media, conventions and so on, but also the offering of advantages to the distributors, such as discount prices on high volume purchases.

Given the current context at 3M Canada, the adequate course of action to follow would be that of switching the focus from the OEM customers to the MRO customers. This segment is continually increasing and it reveals valuable growth opportunities for the firm. Not only that it supports the context from the greater organizational change, but it could also generate long-term and stable financial results.In order to ensure the success of the strategy however, it is necessary for the organization to become more flexible and listen to the demands of the customers -- transmitted by the national distributors. In other words, the company would retrieve feedback from the distributors and would reshape its sales model so that it is more two sided, rather than one sided. Additionally, at the manufacturing level, it is important for the items to reflect and serve the new demands of the addressed consumer base.

Reference:

Chandrasekhar, R., 2006, Case 4: 3M Canada: Industrial Business Division, Ivey Management Services.....