Multiple roles of brands in business-to-business services

Purpose - The paper seeks to investigate the role of branding in a B2B service context. Design/methodology/approach - This paper focuses on a particular B2B service industry, namely leasing mall space to retail tenants. A quantitative study is undertaken of 201 mall tenants using SEM analysis. Findings - The main finding was that brand attitudes were the most important influence on the contract renewal. Another major finding was that brand attitudes were mainly explained by service quality. Branding also played another, albeit minor role, in building trust between the supplier and the customers. Practical implications - The results can be used by industrial firms to build stronger brands and, in turn, to use these brands to maximize customer retention. Originality/value - This is one of the first studies to examine service B2B brands. It is also one of the first studies to examine the multiple roles that brand can play in B2B marketing.