Systematic review on B2B branding: research issues and avenues for future research

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to review the current body of the B2B branding literature, and identify research issues that hamper current B2B branding research. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a systematic review, and identifies 73 relevant journal publications from the years 1973‐2010 that were subsequently evaluated for further analysis. Findings – This study identifies five possible issues hampering current B2B branding research: the lack of systematic theory development, the transference of consumer concepts, the dominance of quantitative research, the lack of longitudinal research, and the focus on single industries. Research limitations/implications – This study considers only published journal articles, excluding books and conference proceedings. By highlighting the research issues, this paper aims to direct research efforts to areas where they will have the most impact, and thus aid more rapid advancement of B2B branding as a discipline. Originality/value – This study provides the first systematic review to identify and evaluate the current B2B branding literature. The review identifies the key literature related to B2B branding, provides an overview of past research and identifies emerging research issues to be addressed in future research.