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Building on information processing theory (IPT), this empirical study investigates the factors that drive a buying center's level of sensitivity to brand information. The authors propose that buying center brand sensitivity is related in a curvilinear fashion with purchase importance and purchase complexity, and that these relationships are moderated by several environmental, firm, and product factors. Data provided by 273 organizational buying center members confirm the presence of an inverse U-shaped relationship between purchase importance and brand sensitivity, strengthened in conditions of high brand presence and high end-customer demand. Purchase complexity and brand sensitivity appear to relate in a U-shaped fashion but only in light of the moderating effects of product tangibility. The relationship between purchase complexity and brand sensitivity appears stronger when buying firms are small and have prior contractual ties with their selling partners. These results offer guidance to managers concerning when business-to-business (B2B) brand investments are likely to offer their greatest return.

Although consumer branding principles might apply to business markets, several factors strongly suggest that brand information plays very different roles in business markets (Bengtsson and Servais, 2005 and Brown et al., 2007). The group decision-making process, nature of market demand (i.e., end-customer demand), and the more relationship-oriented promotional approach of B2B marketing suggest a reduced role for brands relative to consumer marketing contexts (Zablah et al., 2010). Consequently, a consumer-dominant approach to branding may offer some meaningful insights for B2B marketing managers, but it is apparent that a dedicated exploration of B2B branding topics that considers these and other complexities associated with organizational buying is warranted.

This study examines the conditions in which brand information is likely to influence group decision-making processes. In so doing, we also advance current understanding of how informational factors help shape buying center dynamics. At a very general level, our study confirms that group decision making is a complex process, governed by informational flows, in which objective and subjective factors exert measurable influences. However, this study represents just a first step toward improving our understanding of the role of brands in business markets; many unanswered questions remain. We hope that this study serves as a foundation for further investigations seeking to examine branding phenomena in business markets.