There is no obvious winner in the B2C vs B2B marketing battle. Yet the path you take does have an impact on your career. Read which marketing blend fits your qualities best.

B2B vs B2C marketing: this is the one million dollar question that marketers actually rarely ask themselves. Should I pursue a marketing career in the B2B or the B2C sector? We often respond to the brand, the role and the salary rather than the industry when accepting a marketing job. Yet B2C and B2B marketing have their pros and cons, challenges and rewards. Let’s see which one can best fulfill your personality.

Branding: B2C marketing

If you love to create a very special bond with customers and a unique style and perception for your company, the B2C sector is the one to look at. You’ll be able to engage consumers by millions, with products that everyone knows, likes or dislikes. That gives plenty of room to apply your creative and analytical skills to aspects that will truly make a difference. Compared to a pair of jeans, the branding that goes behind a pair of elevators matters just a little bit less.

Corporate culture: B2B marketing

If you are a ‘no BS’ type of person, go with B2B marketing. There, you will have mature conversations on product features and the core needs of your clients. In B2C, you’ll engage the public in ways some can find too basic, biased or commercial. Yet, in the B2C scene, product and services have an emotional and social side that many marketers would never trade against marketing chemical products. Hard to give them wrong, but toothpaste isn’t fun either. We’ll go with B2B on that one.

Advertising: B2C

If you work in B2B advertising, chances are you’ll become excellent at digital advertising, because this is the perfect channel to reach your business target cost-efficiently. It’s also creative, yet with a strong tech and geek component that might fit you… or not. If you go B2C, you might get the big budget, work on large campaigns including billboard and TV ads. It’s perfect if you’re looking to show your friends that ad that YOU made. A lot of pressure and crazy working hours, but it’s a lot of fun.

Sales: B2B

If you enjoy sales, you’ll have more fun with it in the B2B sector. At lots of B2B companies, the marketing team’s primary focus is to deliver leads that the sales team can close. Also, the product or service typically requires a strong level of customization to adapt to the company clients processes. So you will be working hand in hand with engineers, sales and customer care. Sales in B2C generally pass through retail and distribution channels, something a marketer has less control of, unless you’re in DTC.

Management: B2C

Generally, the marketing function and department have a stronger status, prerogative and internal power within B2C markets. If you’re looking to manage large teams and seat at the CXO board one day, B2C marketing is the path you should follow. That does not mean you can’t make a big splash as a CMO in some huge B2B firms such as Accenture, General Electrics or IBM. But in B2B, the COO and CFO might have their way more often then you have yours.

Entrepreneurship: B2B

It is extremely hard to develop a successful B2C venture on your own, because most consumer markets are saturated and have high barriers to entry. Think of the investment, work and luck you’d need to launch a cereal bar or become the next Netflix. In the B2B sectors, it’s easier to put together an offer that buyers will consider, be it around content, consulting, software, or a particular piece of technology. The fact that you don’t need to build the end product helps you focus on a niche and start small.

B2C vs B2B marketing – Stoppage time

And what about B2B2C and B2C2B? Maybe they are the perfect mix for your particular marketing tastes! From Amazon to Uber to travel agencies, B2B2C business connects you on one end with the producer, and on the other with the consumers. Perfect if you believe like Eddie Temple in Layer Cake, that the art of good business is to be a good middleman.

Or maybe you’ll enjoy a different approach with B2C2B models such as Gmail or LinkedIn, where you engage consumers first, and talk to their boss later. It’s all up to you! To end our B2B vs B2C marketing review, remember that it’s perfectly fine and even advisable to have some level of B2B and B2C marketing experiences. Just remember that your fun in the job influences your commitment and performances (which you can also improve with a coffee). So try to pick a company wisely and a sector you’ll flourish in! 

Image by Alexa Popovich