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Alina Adt

How to double your revenues?
Invest in B2B branding,
that's what research FROM GOOGLE shows.

By Alina Adt, 29 october 2019

"B2B brands that interact with their customers on an emotional level earn twice the impact over businesses that are still trying to sell product features and functions."
Google and Executive Board
(CEB Marketing Leadership Council™) research
In my previous article about B2B stereotypes I demystified B2B marketing, explaining why the beliefs that worked in the pre-internet era make no longer sense in the digital time.

We left the world of black and white fax machines and made a giant leap into to the high-tech space where the visual and emotional impact of design and branding affects the way potential customers feel and thinks through multiple online channels.

However, even today I still hear some people say that
there is no room for branding in the B2B world.

This couldn't be further from reality
and research from Google proves it.

Google partnered with Executive Board (CEB Marketing Leadership Council™) to find out: Does emotion actually play a role in b2b marketing? They surveyed more than 3,000 B2B purchasers and 70 marketers across multiple B2B industries, and got insights from the CEB advisory teams specializing in B2B marketing issues. They identified: B2B clients are much more emotionally connected to their suppliers and service providers than b2c consumers and named branding the highest priority.

STRONG B2B BRANDING DRIVES CUSTOMERS' WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER, PURCHASE, AND PAY A PREMIUM FOR PRODUCT OR A SERVICE.

The research has shown that branding can create significant value for B2B businesses. Prospects with a strong connection to a given B2B brand have higher rates of consideration, purchase and willingness to pay a premium (see the chart below). "High brand connection" in this case means prospects or customers give a brand higher scores for trust, image and industry leadership.
Graph that shows that branding can create significant value for B2B businesses

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS ARE EMOTIONAL CREATURES
AND THEY DON'T LEAVE THEIR EMOTIONS AT HOME WHEN THEY GO TO THE OFFICE.

Two men talking to each other, one of them points to the screen of a laptop
Today's B2B decision makers are much more sophisticated in assessing potential partners and vendors. They research and double check the information through myriads of digital channels before a sales representative of the company initiates the sales process. It means that the first impression about the brand and its qualities is mainly affected by design, words and their meaning. CEB estimates that 57% of the purchase process is complete before buyers talk to a supplier.*
In fact, today, in the world of open information, B2B stakeholders interact with brands in a very similar to the way this happens in B2C. Therefore, it becomes obvious that for a B2B organisation to succeed, it must adopt a B2C-like approach to communication.

That approach is based on emotional interaction with a consumer through the right brand identity, naming and graphic design.
B2B MARKETING IS PERSONAL. RESEARCH WORK FROM GOOGLE:
New rules for b2b marketing

Most B2B customers are more emotionally attached to the brand they bought than B2C consumers are.

There is a perception that B2C customers are more emotional than B2B customers. Google and CEB tested this hypothesis by comparing the emotional connections between customers of B2B and B2C brands. The results were shocking! Most B2B customers are more emotionally attached to the brand they bought than B2C consumers are.
Chart showing different companies and how much they score on emotional branding
"Business values have twice less impact on the purchasing decision compared to personal values"
To prove the power of B2B branding even further, the chart below shows that business values have twice less impact on the purchasing decision compared to personal values. Personal values in this case are defined as an emotional appeal in areas such as professional, social, emotional, self-image benefits. Business values are based on logic and reasoning in areas such as functional benefits and business outcomes.
Graph showing the impact of perceived brand benefits on commercial outcome
If you want to succeed - start communication with customers on the emotional and human level through the right brand identity, naming and graphic design.
To conclude, the way people interact with B2B brands today is very similar to how they behave with consumer brands, and successful B2B companies are turning to branding to win preference, purchase and higher price. Investing in B2B branding is the core that could give brands trust, image, and industry leadership.

If you find this article, please hit the 'Like' button and share via your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms. We invite you to join the conversation and make your comment below.
by Alina Adt | October 2019

Alina Adt
branding strategist and designer at Liinea
Alina Adt is a branding strategist and identity designer at Liinea, a B2B sales growth agency for enterprise SaaS companies.She helps create the right business identity that will make your potential customers instantly understand the personality of your business.

Liinea analyses your business and your goals, translates complex concepts
into clear messages into a brand, a sales playbook and a sales process that delivers fast and efficient sales scaling.