On the Applicability of Communication Theory to Industrial Markets

Patterns of influence within a given buying organization and among the various companies in an industry make industrial markets complex targets for marketing effort. Efficient marketing strategies build on these patterns of influence or, at least, do not seriously challenge these established relationships. It is therefore surprising that marketing literature has few studies of influence processes in industrial markets. With appropriate modifications, a broadly defined communication theory may help to identify, to structure, and to analyze patterns of influence in industrial markets. This article considers