How B2B branding research measures up: A systematic review of key themes, theories, and methods

Although a growing number of literature reviews on business-to-business (B2B) branding may suggest that the field is maturing and expanding, this systematic review reveals that progress has been more limited than it appears. By analyzing the themes, theoretical foundations, and methodological approaches of B2B branding research over the past five decades, we identify modest advancement—and even signs of stagnation. Based on a systematic analysis of 235 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1988 and 2025, we find that while the volume of qualitative and quantitative contributions has increased, scholarly progress is often constrained by the predominance of descriptive case studies over more analytical and theory-building work. Moreover, many quantitative studies lack strong theoretical underpinnings, relying on hypothesis testing without robust conceptual frameworks or defaulting to generic and often B2C-derived branding frameworks. To advance the field, we identify the underlying causes of these limitations and propose a research agenda outlining future directions concerning theory, methods, and research themes. • Provides a holistic account of five decades of B2B branding research. • Identifies six core themes and an emerging servitization–branding stream. • Reveals limited cumulative theory development despite publication growth. • Shows a heavy reliance on descriptive cases and B2C-derived models. • Proposes a research agenda to advance theory, methods, and thematic development.