B2B brand positioning - A capability (exploration x exploitation) based typology: Cases from the Middle East

As the importance of business to business (B2B) brand positioning increases, it has received considerable attention in recent years. While different perspectives have been used to explain B2B positioning, there is a lack of a comprehensive strategic framework of a positioning strategy choice and its effectiveness. Considering that positioning is inherently culture-specific and influenced by the macro environmental factors, having a framework that accommodates these factors becomes important, particularly in emerging markets. The authors develop a typology of brand positioning strategies using an organizational capability (levels of exploration and exploita-tion) perspective to address this gap. The authors use B2B firms from the Middle East to anchor the positioning strategies in business practices from an emerging market perspective. The value propositions, boundary condi-tions, and potential outcomes are also discussed for each positioning strategy. Implications for theory and practice are provided.