For years now, B2B marketing has largely been stuck in a funk, mired in a repetitive loop of focusing on a rational “just the facts” mentality in messaging.
Of course it’s important to communicate the value of any product or service. But B2B buyers today demand more. And research confirms that notion, indicating that 75% of B2B creative is ineffective.
Buyers respond best to engaging content that both entertains and informs. For messaging to stand out — without the need to overspend on paid media — the content that wins is the content that connects on the emotional level, where decisions are most often made. After all, B2B buyers are people, too.
And with a permanent shift to more digital buying – spurred by the pandemic – that’s projected to reach upwards of $15 billion by 2023, there’s never been a greater need to stand out from the noise.
In other words, the time for a creative renaissance is here.
Taking a cue from the B2C marketing world, savvy B2B marketers are using creativity to increase share of mind – to more readily come to mind when buyers enter the category. These marketers use creativity to build mental availability, which is the key to unlocking long-term market share growth.
Does your B2B marketing cut through the noise? We’re going Live with Marketers @ Home on Thursday, August 26 at 2:00 PM EST/11:00 AM PT to talk more about emerging trends, barriers to overcome, and how to employ creativity to break the mold of traditional B2B marketing efforts.
Check out a few quick topical overviews below, and register here to attend.
Creativity as a Competitive Advantage in B2B Marketing
For this episode of our award-winning talk show for and by marketers, our own Ty Heath will host an expert panel featuring: Jann Schwarz, Senior Director, B2B Institute at LinkedIn; Dean Aragon, CEO & Vice Chairman Shell Brands International AG; Kirsten Allegri Williams, Chief Marketing Officer Optimizely; and Jon Lombardo, Head of Research, B2B Institute at LinkedIn.
Join us to catch up on:
- Creativity as the key to unlocking value in B2B. B2B marketers are mirroring how consumer brands are spending on and communicating in digital channels. Investing in creative can take many forms – including uncovering ways to repurpose existing content to give it new life via video, webinars, and roundtables. There is an undeniable shift toward digital advertising, and targeting the entire category will be the big breakout growth opportunity coming out of this disruptive change.
- Obstacles to unlocking creativity. When it comes to investing in creativity, B2B marketers often encounter the most resistance from within the organization. Faced with that resistance, it can feel like the risks outweigh the rewards of pushing boundaries. We’ll discuss challenges marketers encounter in making the case for B2B creativity, how embracing the humanity of customers can help break away from a rational/transactional mindset, and methods to overcome organizational obstacles and drive buy-in for creativity as a strategic centerpiece.
- Research highlighting the opportunity of B2B creativity, emotion, and attention. Digital ad spend continues to soar. With so much content inundating feeds and paid placements, grabbing customer attention and building awareness in today’s world takes more than a strong product and pitch. Plain and simple, emotion is a driver of decision making. Connecting with that emotion starts with creative messaging – both what you say and where you say it. We’ll cover some of the common elements shared by five-star creative, and areas to invest to get the most out of your marketing budget.
As we explore insights from our panel and discuss these and other issues, we hope you’ll be ready to jump into the conversation with questions of your own. They will be welcomed throughout the show.
The most forward-thinking leaders in B2B marketing are actively investing in creativity to drive growth and financial benefits by building a strong brand – understanding that it’s not enough just to generate demand, but to be in demand.
We hope you will join us to watch, learn, and engage during this episode as we take a look at where B2B marketing is now, and how creativity can help drive it where it needs to go.
Register now and don’t miss Live with Marketers: Champions of B2B Creativity!
Related articles