seem to have a less specialised approach online, hence discrimination is not as strong online as offline. In general, B2B companies spend a much larger proportion of their budget on online activities than B2C companies. In contrast, higher-spending B2B companies have a significantly lower usage of systematic methods for planning and prioritising of their online spending. Whereas B2C companies to some extent seem to rely on advertising planning criteria, eg reach-frequency, B2B companies lack planning and prioritisation methods for online marcom. This paper argues for better online marcom planning and prioritisation methods, especially for B2B companies. In doing so, it compares the importance of marcom disciplines between B2B and B2C
INTRODUCTIONThe increasing adoption of online media raises the question of whether existing marketing prioritisation and planning methods can accomplish the progressively more complex planning task. B2B companies without a strong tradition of quantifiable media planning may particularly find a need for more systematic and holistic methods. As is the case offline, the importance attributed to online marcom disciplines differs between B2C and B2B companies. Where B2C marketers find mass communication disciplines such as online display advertising and sales promotion more important, B2B companies prefer relational building disciplines such as online events and product demonstrations. Even though there are differences, B2B companies Abstract This paper addresses the issue of whether there is a need for better online marketing communication planning and prioritisation methods, particularly for B2B companies. It describes the result of an empirical study among larger Danish companies. The work looks at differences between B2C and B2B companies, regarding the importance of offline and online marcom disciplines, online spending and usage of methods for online communication prioritisation. The paper concludes that due to high online spending, a less specialised priority of online disciplines and very limited usage of existing methods, B2B companies need to be on the lookout for new systematic methods for online communication planning.