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The design of B2B customer references: A signaling theory perspective

Author

Listed:
  • D. Eric Boyd

    (University of Central Florida
    University of Edinburgh)

  • F. Javier Sese

    (University of Zaragoza)

  • Sebastian Tillmanns

    (ETH Zurich)

Abstract

Customer references represent a popular marketing strategy, in which customers of a particular supplier share their prior experiences with other potential buyers. The number of customers featured in a customer reference (i.e., reference breadth) and the richness of information it provides (i.e., reference depth), as design decisions, in turn might influence the financial impact of customer references. Drawing from signaling theory, the authors develop a conceptual framework to understand the impact of customer reference design and the moderating role of trade receivables, which represents a finance-based signal of quality often used in business-to-business markets. Two studies test the model, one focused on investors’ reactions to the design of customer references and another that addresses buyers’ reactions. The results affirm the importance of reference design factors for both investors and buyers and reveal important insights at the marketing–finance interface.

Suggested Citation

  • D. Eric Boyd & F. Javier Sese & Sebastian Tillmanns, 2023. "The design of B2B customer references: A signaling theory perspective," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 658-674, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:51:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11747-022-00902-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11747-022-00902-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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