The course introduces students to the fundamentals and current challenges of business-to-business (B2B) marketing and sales. Compared to business-to-consumer (B2C) markets, B2B markets are characterized by more complex buying processes, long-term interorganizational relationships, and strategic decision making. As many graduates will work in firms operating in business markets, understanding B2B marketing and sales is highly relevant for managerial practice.

The course combines business cases, academic research, guest speakers from industry, and interactive discussions to connect theory with real-world business practice. Key topics include B2B marketing strategy, relationship management, sales management, pricing, innovation, and the impact of digitalization and AI on business markets. Students will critically analyze managerial challenges, evaluate strategic decisions, and discuss how companies and markets evolve over time. In this context, the course also addresses issues related to decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).

A particular emphasis is placed on evidence-based managerial decision making and the translation of research insights into practical business recommendations. The course aims to strengthen students’ strategic thinking, analytical capabilities, and ability to connect academic insights with contemporary business problems. 

The course equips students with a foundational understanding of key concepts in B2B marketing. It further aims to help students develop critical analysis and problem-solving abilities with respect to managing the marketing function in companies that operate in business markets.

After successfully completing the course, students will be able to:

• Understand key characteristics of B2B markets and differences between B2B and B2C marketing
• Analyze and evaluate strategic challenges in B2B marketing and sales contexts
• Apply insights from academic research and business cases to managerial decision making
• Communicate evidence-based recommendations effectively to managerial audiences
• Use AI tools responsibly to support strategic analysis and problem solving

Attendance during the course is compulsory. Students must attend at least 80% of all sessions to pass the course, which means that no more than one session may be missed.

The course follows an interactive, discussion-oriented, and application-focused learning approach. A central component of the course is the preparation and discussion of business cases in which students analyze managerial challenges, evaluate strategic trade-offs, and collaboratively develop recommendations. In many sessions, discussions extend beyond the original case context to examine how companies, technologies, and competitive environments evolved after the case was written and how strategic decisions can be reassessed from today’s perspective.

The course further integrates academic research through student-led Science2Practice sessions that translate research findings into actionable managerial implications. Several guest speakers from business practice complement the course by providing first-hand insights into current challenges and developments in B2B marketing and sales. Students are also encouraged to use AI tools responsibly to support information gathering, strategic analysis, and idea generation while critically evaluating the quality and reliability of generated outputs.

Overall, the course emphasizes active participation, collaborative learning, strategic thinking, and the application of theory to practical business problems.

Note. There is a fee for some of the case studies used in the course. Students must therefore expect to pay an excess of approx. 10-20 euros.

The grading is based on the following performance evaluation criteria:

• In-class Participation, individual (20%)
• Science2Practice Challenge, group (40%)
• Case Preparation & Quizzes, individual (40%)

This course is part of the portfolio of elective courses of the Master of Science in Marketing program at WU. The course imparts in-depth knowledge in one or multiple selected specialized fields of marketing. The course builds on a strong foundation in marketing knowledge and skills which students acquire during the first year of WU's MSc Marketing program (this first year comprises 62.5 ECTS credits in total).

For MSc Marketing students, the successful completion of the following courses is a prerequisite for the admission to this elective course:

• Management by Experiments (5 ECTS)
• Marketing Analytics (7.5 ECTS)
• Digital Marketing (5 ECTS)

Additionally, MSc Marketing students are prepared for this elective course by taking courses in the following fields during their first year:

• Global Marketing Strategy (5 ECTS)
• Qualitative Insights (5 ECTS)
• Consumer Psychology (5 ECTS)
• Consumer Value Management (5 ECTS)
• Retailing & Sales (5 ECTS)
• Business Modelling & Innovation (5 ECTS)

Moreover, this elective course builds on 45 ECTS credits in business administration which students had completed in order to be admitted to WU's MSc Marketing program.

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As a requirement to participate in the course, students should have acquired prior knowledge on B2C marketing and consumer markets in general.

If you have any further questions regarding the course content or organization, feel free to contact me anytime: pascal.guentuerkuen@wu.ac.at. During the course, I will also be available for questions in the classroom after each session.

Course Materials

All course materials will be made available via WU’s Canvas learning platform and the WU library.

UN Sustainable Development Goals considered in the Course: 

The course particularly relates to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) through its focus on strategic decision making, innovation, technological transformation, and responsible business practices in B2B markets.

The Use of AI

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Co-Pilot for various aspects of this course is encouraged. However, students shall keep in mind that these tools are not fully reliable and often return false results presented with great “confidence”. 

In their submissions, students must declare if and how they have used AI for their coursework. Reflecting on students’ use of AI will be subject to class discussion and best practices will be shared. Useful, state-of-the-art AI tools for different applications can be found here: https://theresanaiforthat.com/