It is a fact that most B2B brands invest more in sales and product than in brand marketing. The reason for this is that superior specs and personal relationships is all they needed to grow their business.
What most business executives don’t understand is that strong branding is crucial in the B2B world, because it enhances the effectiveness of lead generation activities, lowers the cost of sales, and commands a price premium.
What is true in the B2C world is true for B2B: Emotion has always been a large driver in B2B purchases—more so than some people imagine. A business buyer, after all, is still a human buyer, and there are detrimental career implications for selecting the wrong supplier for a critical business process.
What's more, savvy B2B brands recognize that potential buyers can be classified into two groups: in-market and out-of-market.
At any given time, only a fraction of buyers are in-market: those that are actively seeking your product or service and thus likely to respond to rational product features and benefits marketing.
Most lead generation is currently in the out-of- market mode: They have just begun the process of gathering information to make an informed decision. Your goal in relation to the out-of-market majority is to be memorable enough that when those buyers do have a need, they seek out your brand. Strategically conceived and emotional messages are more likely to create such memorable bonds.
The power of emotion aside, we're also experiencing major market shifts, both technical and societal, that are intensifying the importance of smart branding for B2B—specifically branding that demonstrates how purpose, values, and user experience shape a brand's messages and behaviors.
If you're truly interested in improving your or your clients’ sales and marketing efforts, I am ready to help you build a brand that will lead to greater sales and profitability.
If you would like to disucss this further, call me at (314) 514-4000, or email me at alan@theoutsourcecmo.com. For more of what I do, click here.