Appearence Matters - Investigating the Return on Putting Effort in the Design of Presentation Material

Abstract: Should business-to-business (B2B) firms care about the design of their presentation material? Previous research within business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing has shown that putting more effort, in terms of e.g. creativity or expense, in advertising can be beneficial for the transmitting firm. This thesis aims to apply this line of reasoning in a B2B context by investigating if the design of a consulting firm's presentation material can affect perceived effort and thereby result in positive signaling effects. Moreover, extended effects on potential employees are also examined. An experimental study with two corporate presentations, one perceived as more well-designed and the other as less well-designed, was conducted. The results imply that more well-designed presentation material increases perceived effort and, in turn, brand attitude, brand ability, perceived product quality and employer attractiveness. From a marketing perspective the findings suggest that the creation of well-designed presentation material could be used for brand building purposes and leverage a consulting firm's marketing expenses.