Understanding How Brand Awareness Develops in Business-to-Business Medical Device Markets: Evidence from Indonesian Cathlab Hospitals

Abstract

Brand awareness has traditionally been examined from a business-to-consumer perspective, whereas its development within business-to-business (B2B) healthcare markets remains insufficiently understood. This study explores how brand awareness develops in the Indonesian medical device industry by examining the experiences of key stakeholders involved in cardiovascular medical device procurement and utilization across Cathlab hospitals. A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 15 participants comprising interventional cardiologists, Cathlab nurses, and hospital procurement officers. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify the organizational and market mechanisms shaping supplier awareness. The findings indicate that brand awareness is not primarily driven by promotional activities but develops through continuous stakeholder engagement, clinical experience, organizational trust, and repeated professional interactions. External market conditions—including healthcare market expansion, competitive rivalry, hospital heterogeneity, and substitute products—create the context within which supplier awareness evolves, while internal organizational capabilities such as technical expertise, distributor competence, product education, and relationship management reinforce supplier visibility. The study further demonstrates that physicians, nurses, and procurement personnel contribute complementary perspectives that collectively shape organizational recognition and supplier consideration. These findings extend existing B2B branding literature by conceptualizing brand awareness as a dynamic organizational process emerging from the interaction between organizational capabilities, stakeholder engagement, and competitive market conditions. Practically, the study suggests that medical device companies should prioritize long-term professional relationships and capability development over conventional promotional approaches to strengthen sustainable brand awareness in healthcare markets.