Market orientation, positioning strategy and brand performance

As the importance of B2B branding increases, literature has received considerable attention in the recent years. An underexplored area in B2B branding revolves around brand positioning and its antecedents. Towards this end, this study links market orientation (proactive and responsive) with the various positioning strategies. Specifically, we extend the extant literature by (1) exploring the possible connections (and alignments thereof) between market orientation types and brand positioning, and (2) examining the effects of these positioning strategies on brand performance. Based on data collected from individuals responsible for managing B2B brands in various industries, this study finds that both proactive and responsive market orientation types support the development of specific positioning strategies. These positioning strategies, in turn, mediate the relationship between market orientation types and brand performance. Implications for researchers and practitioners are provided.