In a world dominated by consumer marketing wisdom, there’s a goldmine of B2B marketing insight that many UK business leaders have never encountered. The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group, founded back in 1976, has quietly built one of the most significant – yet underappreciated – collections of B2B marketing literature ever assembled.
What Makes the IMP Group Special?
The IMP Group emerged from a simple observation that traditional marketing theory didn’t match the reality of industrial markets[1][2]. David Ford from the University of Bath and Håkan Håkansson from Uppsala University, along with colleagues across Europe, noticed something critical[1][3]. Industrial markets weren’t characterised by short transactions and distant relationships, as traditional theory suggested. Instead, they saw stability, long-lasting relationships, and closeness between buyers and sellers[4].
This insight led to groundbreaking research that challenged the marketing establishment[1][2]. Rather than viewing marketing as something sellers do to passive buyers, the IMP Group developed an interaction approach that recognised both parties as active participants in complex, evolving relationships[4].
The Academic Foundation You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The group’s foundational text, “International Marketing and Purchasing of Industrial Goods: An Interaction Approach” (1982), emerged from extensive research across five European countries[4][5]. This wasn’t theoretical speculation – it was based on over 900 interviews with real businesses, providing empirical evidence that conventional marketing wisdom simply didn’t work in B2B contexts[4].
What followed was a stream of influential publications that remain largely unknown outside academic circles. The 1995 compilation “Developing Relationships in Business Networks” has been cited over 4,000 times[6], yet most UK marketing practitioners remain unaware of its insights. “Understanding Business Markets” (1990), edited by David Ford, brought together the most significant IMP research into a comprehensive framework[7].
Why This Matters for UK SMEs
The IMP Group’s work is particularly relevant for smaller UK businesses operating in B2B markets. Their research consistently emphasises that success comes not from traditional marketing tactics, but from understanding and managing business relationships[8][9]. For SMEs with limited marketing budgets, this relationship-focused approach offers a more achievable path to growth.
Recent research building on IMP foundations shows that SME marketing behaviour is fundamentally different from larger firms[9][10]. It’s more informal, relationship-dependent, and network-focused – exactly the conditions the IMP Group studied[9]. The group’s emphasis on interaction, mutual adaptation, and long-term thinking aligns perfectly with how successful SMEs actually operate.
The Network Perspective Revolution
Perhaps the IMP Group’s most significant contribution is the network perspective on business markets[8][11]. They demonstrated that companies don’t operate in isolation but within complex webs of interconnected relationships[8]. This insight predated current discussions about ecosystems and partnerships by decades.
For UK businesses, this network thinking offers practical advantages. Understanding your position within business networks, identifying key relationships, and recognising how different actors connect can transform strategic thinking[10][12]. It’s particularly valuable for manufacturing and B2B service companies looking to expand internationally or develop new market segments.
The Academic-Practice Gap
Despite the IMP Group’s practical relevance, their work remains trapped in academic journals. The Industrial Marketing Management journal, which has become the primary outlet for IMP research, receives nearly 1,000 submissions annually and ranks among the top marketing publications[6]. Yet this wealth of insight rarely reaches working marketers.
This represents a massive missed opportunity for UK businesses. The IMP Group’s research addresses exactly the challenges that B2B marketers face daily – managing customer relationships, understanding complex buying processes, coordinating across networks, and building sustainable competitive advantage through relationship capabilities[6][8].
Beyond Traditional Marketing Thinking
What makes IMP literature particularly valuable is its rejection of traditional marketing’s seller-centric view[4]. Instead of focusing on the “4 Ps” or marketing mix, IMP research emphasises interaction processes, relationship atmosphere, and network positions[4]. This approach acknowledges that B2B buyers are knowledgeable professionals who actively shape marketing relationships.
For UK SMEs, this perspective offers relief from the pressure to implement sophisticated marketing programs. Instead of trying to replicate consumer marketing tactics, businesses can focus on their natural strengths – building relationships, adapting to customer needs, and leveraging their network positions[9][10].
The IMP Group’s work also addresses technological development within business relationships[8], international market entry through networks[11], and the role of trust and commitment in long-term partnerships[13] – all critical issues for growing UK businesses.
References and Further Reading
The IMP Group maintains an active research community with hundreds of international scholars[3]. Their work spans multiple journals, but key sources include Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, and various academic compilations.
For UK business leaders interested in exploring this literature, David Ford’s “Understanding Business Markets” provides an accessible introduction, while “Managing Business Relationships” by Ford, Gadde, and Håkansson offers practical frameworks. The IMP Group’s website hosts conference papers and research summaries that bridge the academic-practice gap.
Sources
[1] David Ford (marketing scientist) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ford_(marketing_scientist)
[2] Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Marketing_and_Purchasing_Group
[3] Håkan Håkansson – Örebro University https://www.oru.se/english/research/honorary-doctorates/honorary-doctorates-2016/hakan-hakansson/
[4] International marketing and purchasing of industrial goods https://www.academia.edu/2291094/International_marketing_and_purchasing_of_industrial_goods_An_interaction_approach
[5] International Marketing and Purchasing of Industrial Goods https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/International-Marketing-and-Purchasing-of-Goods:-An-H%C3%A5kansson/e6733b9c10cc63ffe319174e32146a201dc5b72e
[6] IMP thinking and IMM: Co-creating Value for Business … https://www.utupub.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/165232/IMPThinkingSubmitted_R1.pdf?sequence=1
[7] Understanding Business Markets: Interaction, Relationships … https://pstobibliothekpublic01.z1.web.core.windows.net/toc/hm00020343.pdf
[8] Håkan Håkansson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5kan_H%C3%A5kansson
[9] A Systematic Literature Review – SMEs and Marketing https://iris.unife.it/retrieve/e309ade1-1519-3969-e053-3a05fe0a2c94/Bocconcelli_et_al-2016-International_Journal_of_Management_Reviews.pdf
[10] The influence of network effects on SME performance https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850114000157
[11] Marketing – Uppsala University https://www.uu.se/en/department/business-studies/research/marketing
[12] The influence of network effects on SME performance https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/85105/4/The%20Influence%20of%20Network%20Effects%20on%20SME%20Performance%20V12.pdf/1000
[13] MolesRCFSM2014Relationships… https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/50599371/MolesRCFSM2014RelationshipsAndTheBusiness.pdf
[14] IMP thinking and IMM: Co-creating value for business … https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850118300403
[15] IMP and service-dominant logic: Divergence, convergence … https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850110001185
[16] Social Networks of Researchers in B2B Marketing https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J033v12n01_02
[16] to [29] deleted as they were of low relevance.
[30] Conclusions | Understanding Interactive Network Branding in … https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/12810/chapter/83155608/Conclusions
[31] Handbook of Business-to-Business Marketing https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/handbook-of-business-to-business-marketing-9781800376861.html
[32] Understanding Business Marketing and Purchasing https://www.cengage.uk/c/understanding-business-marketing-and-purchasing-3e-ford/9781861527691/
[33] to [36] deleted as they were of low relevance.
[37] Customer involvement in new product development in B2B https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850116300888
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