How should a scientific software vendor design its marketing activities to effectively boost its sales numbers taking into account the multifacetedness of organizational buying behavior in the pharmaceutical industry?
The rapid technological advent along with the growing need to increase R&D efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry has brought scientific software into focus. For scientific software vendors to successfully tap into that niche market, it is crucial to grasp the complexities of the dynamic decision-making involved in such buying processes. However, the body of organizational buying literature does not address this niche market. Hence, this qualitative interview study aims at providing insights into this process, its participants, and factors driving their decision-making. A thematic analysis reveals that, for investments involving low six-figure sums and below, the buying process generally progresses through six sequential phases eventually resulting in a purchase followed by a single post-purchase phase. What this study highlights is the importance of scientific users, in spite of their hierarchical level, in the decision-making process. The actual buying decision, which is made by consensus, is positively influenced by a set of three deciding factors: product features, soft factors, and economic factors. Based on these findings, scientific software vendors are encouraged to strive for becoming a thought leader by following a science-heavy content marketing strategy.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Research Questions
1.3 Research Objectives
1.4 Thesis Outline
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Organizational Buying Behavior
2.2 The Organizational Buying Process
2.2.1 Factors Affecting The Organizational Buying Process
2.2.2 Purchase Decision Drivers
2.3 Participants in The Organizational Buying Process – Buying Center
2.3.1 Decider Typology
2.3.2 Buying Center-Map
2.4 B2B Marketing Approaches
2.4.1 Content Marketing
2.4.2 Thought Leadership
Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Guiding Paradigm and Research Design
3.2 Data Collection
3.3 Sample Selection
3.4 Data Analysis and Interpretation
3.5 Ethical Issues
3.6 Quality Criteria in Qualitative Research
3.6.1 Validity
3.6.2 Reliability
Chapter 4: Findings
4.1 Brand Awareness
4.1.1 Direct Vendor-Customer Interaction
4.1.2 Indirect Vendor-Customer Interaction
4.2 Deciding Factors
4.2.1 Product Features
4.2.2 Soft Factors
4.2.3 Economic Factors
4.3 Decision-Making Unit
4.3.1 Scientific Personnel
4.3.2 Non-Scientific Personnel
4.4 Buying Process
4.4.1 Need Identification
4.4.2 Team Building
4.4.3 Evaluation
4.4.4 Decision-Making
Chapter 5: Discussion & Conclusions
5.1 Discussion
5.1.1 The Buying Center
5.1.2 The Buying Process
5.1.3 Deciding Factors
5.2 Marketing Implications
5.3 Conclusions
5.4 Limitations and Future Research
References
Appendix I: Interview Guide
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