Advertising Campaign for Qatar Petroleum - Research Paper Example

Running Header: MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR QATAR PETROLEUM Marketing Campaign for Qatar Petroleum BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. Marketing Campaign: Research Objectives 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Research Design 3.2 Data Collection Methods 3.3 Fieldwork 3.4 Data Analysis and Procedure 4. Results 4.1 Creating a Value Proposition 4.2 The QP Difference and its Relevancy to Customer Relationship Development 4.3 The Role of Products 4.4 Customer Profiling 5. Constructing a Relevant Marketing Campaign 6. Conclusions and Recommendations References LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: The Recruited Sample Figure 1: Imagery Concepts for Western Television Advertising Figure 2: Mid-Eastern Targeted Marketing Visuals EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Business collaborations and joint ventures are common in the oil and gas industry and have brought Qatar Petroleum considerable successes as an outcome of such partnerships. However, these joint ventures and other alliances are usually coordinated through existing networking infrastructures with large corporations around the world and do not extend into other markets that attract creative talents from smaller companies to participate in such mutually-rewarding JVs and other alliance agreements. Furthermore, many companies do not emphasize their ethical business ideologies in promotional strategy and focus primarily on the quality of their products and services as a positioning tool. Qatar Petroleum, therefore, is pursuing development of a marketing campaign that positions the brand in terms of ethics and principled business ideologies to give the brand a distinct brand identity internationally whilst pursuing potential prospects to engage in various collaborations that can bring QP (and the partner) considerable financial and competitive advantages. Elements of this proposed campaign were founded on primary research with data collected through interviews with relevant QP professionals with experience in working within a collaborative joint venture and alliance with domestic and foreign partners. This exploratory study identified a customer profile of historical partners in the Middle East and from Western nations to assist in developing a workable and relevant marketing campaign to attract new prospective partners. Based on social, cultural and ethical profiles of these partners, the foundation for a campaign designed to foster interest in contacting QP for collaboration discussions was developed. The study found that Western cultural, professional and social beliefs and values were highly different than QP, however QP appears to be flexible and humble in terms of accommodating these differences that impact collaborative productivity and efficiency. The developed campaign consists of imagery and communications that are unique and are designed to have social, ethical and cultural meaning for the US, UK and Middle Eastern cultures. A dual campaign for launch in Western and Middle-Eastern markets was developed with implications of its intention to be more brand recognition internationally, to facilitate a further diversification strategy for QP, and to emphasize the firm’s commitment to ethical business-to-business relationship development needed to give the firm a competitive edge through shared human and resource capital. Marketing Campaign for Qatar Petroleum 1. Introduction Qatar Petroleum (QP) is a state-owned oil and gas company operating in Qatar and is currently the third largest petroleum company in the world (IBP, 2013). The company maintains a very diverse product and service portfolio, including natural gas, crude oil, liquefied natural gas, fuel additives, petrochemicals and even fertilizers (EBR, 2010). Onshore and offshore production, drilling, transportation and exploration of petroleum products occur as part of this firm’s business model. The company is even involved in the financial services industry and charters helicopters (EBR). To sustain these operations, the company has recruited 1,080 employees. In 2011, QP boasted massive revenues of $51.6 billion USD and maintained total assets exceeding a valuation of $107 billion (QP, 2012). Much of these revenues and assets have been procured as a result of licensing agreements for exploration with major international petroleum companies such as Exxon, Total and Chevron. Additionally, the firm has expanded its international presence in joint ventures with such companies as Norsk Hyrdro, RasGas Companies, and QAPCO. The parent company operates subsidiaries such as Qatar Fertilizer Company, Qatar Chemical Company, Qatar Vinyl, and Fereej Real Estate Company. The company has developed a diversification strategy in order to achieve growth and competitive advantage. Diversification is the process of selling products and services in an existing market while also developing new products continuously that are exploited in other markets (Thompson, Gamble & Strickland, 2005). For instance, the firm recently diversified by entering the polyethylene market producing export-based low-density polyethylene for use in plastic bags, toys, industrial stretch wrapping, buckets and pipes. This capability to diversify for foreign market export strategy was achieved through a joint venture with Total Petrochemicals and QAPCO (QAPCO 2012). As a company that engages in many partnerships, alliances and joint ventures, the organization must understand how to work productively and collaboratively with domestic and foreign business partners. According to marketing theory, B2B customers are most concerned with the ethical dynamics and quality of relationships in business-to-business agreements (Temporal, 2006). These dynamics include compliance to product quality expectations, pricing, and dependability of partners (Temporal). Therefore, sustaining a customer relationship management ideology and model is important to establish trust and motivations to continue collaborations with business-to-business partners. The situation, therefore, at Qatar Petroleum is to develop a B2B marketing campaign that focuses on ethical business behaviors in order to create a brand that is positioned among other industrial competitors in terms of ethical superiority. The World Bank asserts that when a nation is dependent on just a handful of important commodities, the more likely that government and businesses will suffer from corruption (Collier, 2000). Furthermore, with so much reliance on collaboration to achieve growth and revenue success, QP must express to stakeholders that partnerships will serve a mutual benefit and attempt to promote a set of shared ethical norms and rules to govern these partnerships (Gray and Wood, 1991). While other competitors throughout the world tend to focus on quality positioning to foster B2B marketing strategies, Qatar Petroleum maintains a unique opportunity to focus on its superiority of ethical behaviors and ideologies to better enhance its brand and motivate B2B partners to select QP over other competition in terms of trust, morality, conviction, confidence, dependence, and principled managerial actions. 2. Marketing Campaign: Research Objectives In order to develop a marketing campaign that focuses on ethical B2B relationships, it is necessary to fully understand what currently drives the business partnership ideologies at Qatar Petroleum. Will ethical positioning as part of brand management be a fundamental change to the existing norms, values and behaviors of Qatar management or will it be just an extension of an existing moral code of conduct already governing B2B relationships with domestic and foreign partners? To determine the relevancy of such a campaign, a primary study recruiting real-world Qatar Petroleum representatives must be developed. To this end, the study maintains three specific research objectives: Determine the existing ethical framework and ideologies at Qatar Petroleum driving current and desired B2B relationships. Investigate the extent to which the cultural dimensions of Qatar culture will be influential in constructing more ethically-oriented B2B relationships. Determine the most effective integrated marketing communications (IMC) required to obtain motivation, trust and conviction in contracting alliances and other collaborations with Qatar Petroleum personnel. 3. Research Methodology This section describes the methodological approach selected for this research project. 3.1 Research Design The research approach was exploratory, as the research problem, in this case, is not clearly defined. The specific dynamics of Qatari culture, its business ideologies and structures, and the social dynamics of relationships with domestic and foreign partners are largely unknown. There is not enough published literature on Qatar Petroleum or empirical studies on Qatari culture available to develop a working hypothesis. Social dynamics of relationships, meaning behind actions and behaviors, and values cannot be quantified statistically or scientifically, therefore exploratory research is most appropriate as it allows for an investigation into social phenomenon and interpretive, qualitative research that allows for initial construction of a theory achieved through informal discussions with employees when little information is known. Exploratory research allows for flexibility in interpreting data, in a research environment where opinion, culture, social beliefs and values drive the ideologies of business relationships that cannot be effectively measured using quantitative methods (Saunders, 2009). 3.2 Data collection methods To collect data, the researcher determined that utilization of interviews would be most appropriate to evaluate such factors as human behavior, social values, cultural values, and attitudes. Qualitative interviews allow for a more thorough explanation of the whys and hows of decision-making, which is a critical foundation of what might drive Qatari business practices when working with external partners. The researcher considered that ethnocentrism, or the belief in superiority of one’s own home culture (Hammond & Axelrod, 2006), might impact business relationship development. Additionally, cultural aspects of Qatari culture such as beliefs in power distance, long versus short-term orientation, masculinity, collectivism and propensity to avoid or embrace uncertainty in relationships might impact relationship development and relationship-based behaviors. Again, these are attitudinal and/or deeply engrained in a nation’s culture which will, likely, maintain some level of influence in what drives partnership-related values and willingness to collaborate. None of these factors can be measured statistically (i.e. surveys) and require more exploration of opinion, attitude and worldview that can only be effectively gleaned through interviews and discussion. 3.3 Fieldwork The researcher required approvals to access a select group of real-world professionals with direct managerial experience and responsibility at Qatar Petroleum in order to collect important data. The researcher maintains a family member that has been employed in a junior-level management position at Qatar Petroleum since 2002 with direct knowledge of the firm’s management structure in various business units along the firm’s value chain. This familial manager is responsible for general employee management in domestic production facilities in Qatar in the natural gas division of the business. Consultation with this manager provided important access information with the firm’s human resources department who were instrumental in assisting in recruiting a relevant sample to participate in interviews. The researcher, through the assistance of the familial manager and the HR department, identified three managers that could provide the most valuable knowledge of B2B relationship development and ideologies driving behaviors within a partnered, collaborative context. Table 1 illustrates the recruited sample and their responsibilities at QP. Scheduling of interviews was coordinated via telephone, email and through the direct assistance of the HR division. Table 1: The Recruited Sample Participant Responsibilities and Division Field Manager Oversees domestic production facility in natural gas division, coordinating general people and machinery management. Works directly with external partners in relationship to Quality Assurance Systems, technology implementation, and works as an off-site representative at joint venture operations to facilitate innovation. Junior Executive Works with senior management to develop strategic objectives, investment strategies, and coordinates contractual agreements with many foreign partners in joint ventures and other strategic alliances. Field Manager A manager in the crude oil division. Primary responsibilities include conducting tours of facility for current and prospective business partners. Travels to subsidiaries and partner-owned facilities to discuss R&D, new technologies, new processes and potential best practice methods of extraction and processing. Each of the three recruited participants agreed to participate in a 60 minute interview session which occurred on December 5th and December 6th. All interviews were conducted in field trailers at the QP natural gas division in Doha which had been coordinated with on-site employees and general managers ahead of time to facilitate private and non-interruptive interview environments. 3.4 Data Analysis and Procedure The main stipulation of agreeing to interviews was that interviews not be recorded as there was concern from the firm’s Junior Executive that such information could jeopardize aspects of corporate strategy and competitive advantage in the event that such information was procured by competitors or relevant media outlets. The Junior Exec demanded anonymity for all participants and expressed concern that such recordings could assist in pinpointing the identity of participants. As such, the researcher constructed a basic field note system to record responses and associated data. Findings of the interview involved correlating responses achieved from each participant using a basic critical discourse strategy, in which written text is analyzed for meaning and semiotics. During the interviews, the researcher also maintained notes regarding non-verbal cues provided by the recruited sample, including gesturing and other body language that might have indicated strong emotional responses. When there were notable correlations between respondents, these congruencies were added to a check-list framework and recorded via basic word processing software. Inconsistencies in responses to the interview questions (See Appendix A) were also given a numerical symbol that assisted the researcher in segregating congruencies with disparities when analyzing all of the data. 4. Results This section describes the results of the interviews related to cultural dimensions of Qatari culture, the perceived cultural dynamics of international partners, relationship development ideologies of QP management, and general customer profiling. 4.1 Creating a Value Proposition There was considerable congruency in responses from all participants about QP business culture being highly avoidant of uncertainty in business decision-making. This is justified by Geert Hofstede, a renowned cultural theorist, as being a significant cultural dynamic of Qatari society (Hofstede, 2001). Qatar Petroleum operates under a very centralized hierarchy where decision-making occurs top-down. Before decision-making occurs, managers and executives are expected to produce vast volumes of feasibility reports, statistical metrics, and industry/competitor analyses. However, the Junior Executive asserted that one of the problems with being productive and efficient in business partnerships is that foreign businesses (especially those from the West) want to make risky decisions and tend to rely more on instinct than quantitative metrics and feasibility reports. There have been problems and conflict at QP between business partners about the speed by which QP managers make decisions, especially when launching newly-conceived innovations in extraction and processing methods and technologies. The Junior Executive laughed when describing a situation where external joint venture partners were given access to the firm’s intranet to review feasibility studies that had an electronic signature showing these files and reports were never opened by the partner groups. However, the foreign partners indicated that they had, indeed, reviewed them and were adamant about moving forward with new processing innovations. Furthermore, both Field Managers and the Junior Executive showed marked exasperation with certain international collaborations in terms of the social dynamics of these relationships. For instance, the field managers were often frustrated with the level of informality when working side-by-side with these foreign partners who often suggested going to bars or restaurants after regular business hours to further discuss the dynamics of the collaborations. In one situation, the field manager agreed to such an informal meeting and was rather appalled by the amount of alcohol consumed and the casualness of partners from Britain involved in this scenario. The two field managers and the Junior Executive asserted that legitimate business success requires some degree of ceremony and formality which caused interpersonal conflict when working with partners from the UK and the United States. It seemed to one Field Manager that this informality and apt willingness to blend socialization with professionalism led to less productive outcomes of collaborative partnerships. All managers indicated they preferred working with Middle-Eastern partners in professional collaborations since they maintained professional distance, were just as focused on reviewing reports and metrics before making decisions, and were generally perceived as being more dedicated to achieving partner objectives and within deadlines established. However, one of the Field Managers and the Junior Executive did indicate they felt that foreign and domestic partners all were focused on ethics in relationships, with British, U.S. and Australian partners even providing partners with their corporate code of conduct for review to illustrate their commitment to moral and principled partner dealings. This was highly congruent to the perceived ethical stance of Qatar Petroleum. Nearly all domestic employees of QP hail from the Islamic faith, which demands humility, ethics, and morality as life-long virtues and expectations as mandated by Allah. As a result of the interview, a relevant value proposition can be constructed for utilization in foreign markets and the domestic market: “Qatar Petroleum maintains modesty and humility in our business relationships as instructed by almighty Allah. As a partner of QP, we maintain the utmost ethical stance and will ensure that all of our business collaborations are founded on this strict doctrine of goodness, decency and virtue. We embrace our differences between partners and are very flexible in considering the unique social, professional and cultural needs of colleagues and are eager to explore these beliefs to build a positive and trustworthy network of collaboration. Whilst we are highly diligent in exploring all risks related to collaborative decision-making, we are accommodating and fully understand that our partners often like to proceed rapidly on decisions with potential, mutual reward. We invite you to be our partner and witness, for yourself, this righteous ethical framework driving our partnership ideologies whilst we hope you will embrace what makes us unique as a Qatari business”. 4.2 The QP Difference and its Relevancy to Customer Relationship Development Clearly, flexibility is what makes QP different from other companies in this industry. Whilst the recruited participants were clearly frustrated with cultural dissimilarity with partners, their discourse and body language indicated an elastic attitude about working to embrace these differences at the social and cultural level. Qatari managers at QP did not have a sense of ethnocentrism (cultural superiority) and genuinely believed in diversity. The Junior Manager indicated that foreign cultural attitudes and values taught QP employees new ideas and brought value into the long-term relationships necessary to sustain B2B partnerships. Even though there were clearly frustrations, managers at QP understood that these frustrations needed to be hindered if meaningful outputs were considered. This obvious and overt flexibility was apparent and seemed quite legitimized which would likely be evident to partners when working with a very versatile and accommodating Qatari management team. This flexibility and sense of honesty about being diversity-focused and relationship-minded would likely underpin a positive CRM strategy. QP management humility borne of strong religious conviction related to integrity and virtue would indicate to business partners genuineness needed to build the foundation of trust, quality and conviction in relationships. Qatar Petroleum does not require advanced CRM technologies to facilitate this level of trust, but simply through projecting honesty, candor and cultural flexibility through behaviors and attitudes when working with partners. The extent of genuine humility, modesty and openness were highly apparent and it was rather surprising to the researcher the extent of sincerity that was evident in nearly all discourse related to ethics, virtue and diversity. 4.3 The Role of Products It is the facilitating goods, these being services, which would be most relevant in a B2B ethics-positioning marketing campaign to foster more interest from prospective business partners. In QP collaborations, new quality assurance systems, new process developments, and technologies are primary objectives to improve the financial and competitive advantage-related situation for Qatar Petroleum. QP provides its partners with access to the firm’s intranet (extranet) with their own log-in information and passwords that allow them to track invoices, quantitative data, reports, feasibility studies, and other relevant information. The pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, began providing its customers and partners with this type of technological access to support greater service inter-activity and even to submit orders to Pfizer electronically (Pfizer 2013). These are value-added service components to a B2B relationship that illustrates trust in the partner in improves the quality of communications in a service environment. Through these collaborations, Qatar Petroleum also allows partners to consult with internal R&D staff, information technology support staff, general managers, production employees, and other relevant internal human capital and systems. Giving this type of open access again illustrates trust and shows a servant leadership type of attitude which shows confidence and faith in business partners. Whilst other competition in this industry are more reclusive and want to maintain control over partner access to internal talents and systems, QP is much more transparent and amicable as part of service-related ideologies. Allowing development professionals from partnered B2B industries to work with internal technologies represents a service philosophy likely unparalleled in a very dynamic and centralized industry. 4.4 Customer Profiling Clearly, Western partners are more apt to take risk, are much more individualistic rather than sustaining collective values, are much less formal, and want to build intimate relationships with QP managers when working collaboratively. This was evident in Australia, the United States and in Britain. Middle-Eastern customers often follow the doctrines of Allah, are more collectivist in nature, demand strict professionalism, and like to make slow decisions founded on legitimate data and metrics that support the likelihood of success of a decision. The two Field Managers indicated that Mid-Eastern partners were also very respectful and courteous of the opinion and sentiment of Qatari Petroleum managers and employees in a far greater degree than Western partners. The Junior Executive insinuated that Western partners were more confrontational and challenging toward differing opinion which created more interpersonal conflict in the B2B relationship. 5. Constructing a Relevant Marketing Campaign Based on all research findings, a relevant marketing campaign can be developed to attract future prospective partners to QP. The campaign being developed will require a dual-promotional strategy that is relevant for the West and for Middle-Eastern prospects as the dissimilarity between social and cultural values cannot support a homogenous campaign strategy that will have relevancy and interest to such disparate prospective partners. Whilst the value proposition is designed to facilitate more interest and conviction in QP with disparate international and domestic partners, the integrated marketing communications strategy must have different meaning and symbolism for largely-disparate societies and cultures. For the Western prospective partners, based on all customer profiling attributes, IMC features in the campaign must have social relevancy and cultural relevancy that is unique to these demographics. The U.S. and UK cultures, for example, are not bashful about approaching unknown or foreign business counterparts and often show initiative in attempting to build social relationships in this context (Hofstede). Furthermore, Americans and British are a clan culture that looks after their immediate families (over that of collective society) with a strong emphasis on promoting family-oriented values. They are also success driven in business and should show initiative as well as demanding merit and recognition for their accomplishments (Hofstede, Hofstede & Minkov, 2010). Based on all of this cultural and social profile knowledge about Western business markets, the marketing campaign will maintain a social and cultural connotation in all visual imagery and communications that are relevant to the lifestyles of these professionals in the U.S. and United Kingdom. The goal of the campaign is to attract prospective business partners to develop alliances and build trust and conviction in the ethical ideology of Qatar Petroleum. Marketing literature states that the perception of an advertisement is a predictor of their attitudes toward the brand (QP) and that first impressions and stereotypes will drive these attitudes (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2010; Wang, Zhang, Choi & D’Eredita, 2002). As a result, visual imagery and communications that are relevant to the specific cultural and social values of American and British culture is critical to gaining a positive first impression and feeling of emotional attachment to the QP brand. The business will utilize television advertising in these markets that is capable of reaching a broader demographic of business professionals. A 60-second commercial showing Qatari business professionals in the industry working collaboratively with Western-like actors (i.e. ethnicity similarities and physical traits of these regions) in congratulatory poses, friendly hand-shaking and even informal social scenarios will be incorporated into these productions. The main marketing slogan, a better world starts with us, will be the primary conception driving a view of corporate social responsibility and the role of Western partners in creating such a world. The television ad produced will highlight the achievements of Qatar Petroleum working with foreign partners in collaborations, heralding dual innovations that have changed culture, national lifestyle, economic stability and the general improvement of mankind. It will therefore focus around innovations through collaborations with an emphasis on family-related outcomes (such as polyethylene products produced through QP joint ventures) and such concepts as sustainability through collaboration. Figure 1 illustrates the type of imagery that will be incorporated into the Western nation launch to promote more business interest in partnering with QP. Figure 1: Imagery Concepts for Western Television Advertising This integrated marketing communications strategy will also consist of supplementary radio advertisements in targeted regions consisting of oil industry and petrochemical industries. These advertisements, inclusive of a better world starts with us and innovation through collaboration, will be launched in key regions of the U.S. and Britain with invitations to visit the firm via the Internet. Using existing information technology support, the company will be developing an interactive and informational website consisting of how to make contact with relevant QP executives to discuss potential joint ventures or other collaborative partnership opportunities. The website will be devoted to the primary target market, the junior and senior executives of firms, with metrics, sustainability reports, future growth prospects for QP and its existing partnerships, alliances and joint ventures, with supplementary financial figures both pre- and post-partnership agreements. This will provide valuable growth metrics and instill a sense of integrity and genuineness about seeking partnerships to expand both businesses. There is a growing international trend for utilization of mobile devices and other personal computing software to regularly access social media. The company will develop a presence on Facebook and Twitter that can be regularly updated with dedicated QP technical support and media relations experts to update content and interact with interested petroleum and petrochemical industry professionals. For this market, there will even be stories posted about relevant senior executives and their family lifestyles and more intimate data to reinforce the firm’s targeting of American and British family values and bridge potential connections between both cultures. This campaign will be completed through the production of direct mail literature to relevant petroleum industry companies and petrochemical firms indicating QP interest in building international partnerships. A simple, four page brochure will be constructed and delivered via an established mailing list for all relevant industries in both nations at a marginal cost structure. This brochure will provide how to access the QP partnership website along with similar visual imagery that promote teamwork, reward and enthusiasm for accomplishments, and ethnic-oriented actors related to the home cultures where these marketing communications will be mailed. A contact number will be included on these brochures inviting direct communications with QP executives in an effort to send the perception of genuineness and accessibility for those interested in mutual gain through collaborations. The company’s virtue-oriented value proposition will also be included in these direct mail brochures. For the supplementary campaign targeted at the Middle Eastern nations, a different approach to marketing will be constructed. With the customer profile of Mid-Easterns as being highly professional with considerable social distance, demanding quantitative metrics for decision-making, and primarily Muslim and Islamic faiths, promoting prospective partnering with QP will include billboards, television advertising, and social media. Whilst the overall premise of marketing mediums used for promotion are similar to the Western campaign, the imagery and actors utilized in these promotional mediums will differ radically. Figure 2 illustrates the conceptual imagery to gain Mid-Eastern professional interest. Figure 2: Mid-Eastern Targeted Marketing Visuals The prospects are clear: Qatar Petroleum The dynamics of social media will be a reinforcement of the Islamic and Muslim values of professional business conduct with an emphasis on modesty, humility and trust. The page will have inspirational sayings associated with God and Allah and relevancy to the professional business environment. There will be case studies of partnership agreements and joint ventures that have achieved certain innovative successes through collaborations and how this has impacted corporate profitability, urban development, consumer lifestyle and even career growth for dedicated and motivated, whilst ethically-minded, career professionals. The company will also provide information about how to visit an Arabic-language website with similar statistics, financial data, and metrics of performance with existing partnerships both pre- and post-partnership. The ethical code of conduct will also be downloadable on the QP website dedicated to exploring potential partnerships with appropriate executive contact numbers to facilitate initial discussions. Founded on the Holy virtues of Islamic business ethics and humility as ideologies of corporate behavior, this site will be both a devotional and testament to business practices expected of joint ventures and other associated partnerships. 6. Conclusions and Recommendations The Qatar Petroleum effort to build prospective partnerships, alliances and joint ventures is unique from other industry businesses in that it is proactive in seeking interested companies in expanding their own diversification, innovation capabilities, and new market develop opportunities. Rather than networking through traditional channels, this will illustrate a legitimized effort on behalf of QP to allow potential partners to propose their own concepts and ideas without QP being the creative force in these discussions and negotiations. The marketing campaign represents an innovation in partnership-seeking and will further provide QP with a more visible and transparent brand in relation to its focus on ethics and corporate social responsibility in conjunction with tangible metrics illustrating QP’s historical successes in such collaborations in multiple industries and product development categories. In markets such as the US and UK where Qatar Petroleum maintains little brand recognition, it can build a brand identity and awareness about potential market entry opportunities for companies that are struggling to find growth in their prospective home territories. This will not only capture the interest for discussion with large corporations, but medium-sized businesses seeking new innovations and new product developments that can give a business a competitive advantage in their home territories. By not isolating the marketing campaign to only large companies, this campaign will illustrate that collaborations and partnerships with lesser-sized businesses can provide unique access to massive corporate capital and human talent with an international petroleum company that would not normally be accessible by smaller organizations in this industry without the capability to network professionally with large conglomerates. Smaller-sized companies in this industry maintain ample talent in technology, processes, extraction and general new product development in petrochemical research that can provide QP with tremendous advantages. With an emphasis on the value proposition for what can be achieved through partnership and collaboration, focusing primarily on ethical business ideologies, it should provide ample incentive to make contact with QP executives and relevant managers to begin discussions about how both firms can benefit one another and establish long-term international relationships to improve the financial and competitive advantage-based opportunities for both partnered firms. Through this dual marketing campaign, Qatar Petroleum can stand out from other large companies in this industry that are primarily focused on profitability as a main strategic objective. By illustrating a more humanitarian perspective, ethical stance, relationship management ideology, and people-centric business relationships, QP can build a global brand reputation as a caring, concerned and moral company ready to extend its know-how, experience and capital resources for the pursuit of mutual company gain. With many Mid-East partners sharing the perspective that quantitative metrics are necessary before decision-making is implemented, it is recommended that during the campaign, QP assign relevant managers to construct metrics regarding productivity ratios, cost/benefit analyses, various regression analyses on efficiency, and other relevant financial data to support questions that potential partners might propose about the prospects of success of partnerships and joint ventures in the future. By compiling such data, it will illustrate competency on behalf of QP and give more incentive for potential partners to have trust and conviction in the proficiency and aptitude of QP managers and executives. It is further recommended that the business assign several internal managers to coordinate metrics that measure ROI of this rather longitudinal and costly marketing endeavor. Calls received from prospective B2B companies, the amount of hits to the website as a result of the campaign, download metrics for posted online reports, and questions posed to telephone and web representatives must be recorded to determine whether the campaign is achieving return on investment. These should be compiled monthly and put into report form for analysis by QP executives to determine whether changes are required or whether the campaign should be abandoned. References Collier, P. (2000). Economic Causes of Civil Conflict and their Implications for Policy. Washington: World Bank. EBR. (2010). Qatar Petroleum, Energy Business Review. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www.energy-business-review.com/companies/qatar_petroleum Gray, B. and Wood, D. (1991). Collaborative Alliances: Moving from Practice to Theory, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 27(1), pp.3-22. Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behavior, Institutions and Organizations across Nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J. and Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. IBP. (2013). Qatar: Oil and Gas Exploration Laws and Regulations Handbook. Washington: International Business Publications. Pfizer. (2013). Business to business. Retrieved December 7, 2014 from http://www.pfizer.com/b2b/index.jsp QAPCO. (2012). Four Decades of Visionary Growth, Qatar Petrochemical Company. Retrieved December 1, 2014 from http://www.qapco.com.qa/userfiles/annualreport/QAPCO_AnnReport_2012_EN.pdf QP. (2012). At a Glance: 2011 Annual Report, Qatar Petroleum. Retrieved December 1, 2014 from https://www.qp.com.qa/en/MediaCentre/Pages/MediaCentre.aspx Saunders, M. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students (5th ed.). London: FT Prentice Hall. Schiffman, L. & Kanuk, L. (2010). Consumer Behavior (10th ed.). Prentice Hall International. Temporal, P. (2006). B2B Branding in Malaysia: A Guide to Building Successful Business to Business Brands. Selangor: Kanyin Publications. Thompson, A., Gamble, J. & Strickland, A. (2005). Strategy: Winning in the Marketplace (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill. Wang, C., Zhang, P., Choi, R. & D’Eredita, M. (2002). Understanding Consumers’ Attitude Toward Advertising, Eighth Americas Conference on Information Systems – Syracuse University. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://melody.syr.edu/hci/amcis02_minitrack/RIP/Wang.pdf Appendix A: Interview Questions for Primary Study 1. Business partnerships, alliances and joint ventures always maintain uncertainty and ambiguity about the potential successes and willingness of partners to collaborate and share knowledge. How would you characterize the extent to which you embrace uncertainty in these relationships? Do you have any strategies to reduce uncertainty and, if so, what might they be? 2. In some cultures, business executives and managers want to maintain a professional distance from foreign partners and maintain a strict, formal system. Other cultures like more interpersonal relationships and informality that they believe facilitates stronger relationship bonds. How would you characterize the differences between foreign partners, domestic partners, and Qatar Petroleum? Any differences or similarities? How do you believe these factors influence business productivity and quality of these partnerships? 3. Ethics in business relationships are gaining much attention and research interest as of late. Many companies believe that moral and ethical business dealings build a foundation for more trust and conviction in business partnerships. How would you characterize QPs ethical framework and values? How would you assess foreign partner ethics? Do you find similarity or difference (and how) in ethical beliefs and ethical business practices? Can you provide any examples of this? 4. Diversity in business relationships is also getting much business and industry attention today. What are your genuine opinions and attitudes about diversity and how do you believe that these values impact the quality of relationships with foreign partners? 5. Service quality between business partners is important to build trust and achieve mutual outcomes. What types of sevices do you offer your business partners when working collaboratively? How do you offer these services? 6. You work with Mid-Eastern partners, Western partners, and others throughout the world. How would you classify (or profile) these different partners in terms of their differences and similarities? If you could focus primarily on your most important partners it would be helpful and keep it restrained to only three or four different business cultures. Read More