B2B 7O concepts

The 7 O concepts in marketing

This aide-mémoire might help you remember some of the important principles of b2b marketing as the SWOT, 4 Ps or other acronym of this type helps in other subjects. B2b marketing managers should avoid imagining artificial distinctions between each concept and understand where the overlaps exist.

Occupants

Refers to the companies, organisations and other institutions present in a defined sector of business activity. The subject includes market shares and trends, sector entrants and those leaving as well as concepts of direct and indirect competition.

Objects

Refers to the products and services offered by these occupants including ancillary or supplementary items such as package deals, guarantees, payment conditions, installation and other inducements.

Objectives

Refers to the qualitative reasons as to why clients buy these products or services proposed in the sector as well as the vital question as to how these reasons can be discovered by b2b market research and the use of supply or distribution chain relationships.

Organizations

Refers to those taking part in the buying, selling and negotiating process including initiators (or innovators), buyers, users, gatekeepers, deciders and influencers and their weighted importance. This subjects also includes and analysis of power relationships.

Operations

Refers to where negotiations take place, (Head Office, business exhibitions, factories, restaurants, neutral territories, at the buyers’, sellers’ or intermediaries’ premises) and how they occur, (formally or informally, face-to-face or not, by using intermediaries or both.)

Occasions

Refers to when these negotiations take place and this needs a quantitative analysis concerning the time of year if appropriate, the length of time taken for the negotiations, their frequency, repetition, the intervals between negotiations etc.

Outlets

Refers to the distribution part of the marketing mix to the final customer or client and includes transport, incoterms, packaging, storage, warehousing, distribution channels etc.

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