B2B? Be more B2C.

Business is a serious, well, business - isn’t it? It’s presumably why the expression ‘It’s a serious business’ came into being in the first place. And everything about business needs to be serious - doesn’t it? All those spreadsheets, forecasts, reports, plans, statements, balance sheets, invoices, meetings and minutes, not to mention all the acronyms - SLAs, NDAs, SOPs, EBITDAs, CEO, CMO, CTO, COO, CFO, HR, IT, R&D - and on they go, right up to FFS.

This should include business marketing communications - shouldn’t it? B2B should be rational and serious, whereas B2C can be fun, emotional and creative. B2B is navy blue and slate grey, serif fonts, black and white headshots, industry jargon and acronyms, lots of acronyms. B2C is bright colours, bold statements, funky typefaces, punchy straplines, tik tok and instagram. 

There’s always been a clear line between B2B and B2C, but this distinction doesn’t really reflect the world we live in now. Lines have been moved or erased altogether, for example, when was the last time you wore a suit and tie for work? In fact, when was the last time you saw someone wearing a suit and tie that wasn’t at a wedding or a funeral? No one dresses formally these days, in most workplaces and definitely not socialising. Even in high-class restaurants you’ll see more cup-sole trainers, jeans and black tee shirts than even open-neck shirts with suits. The most formal men get these days is to pair jeans with a blazer and shirt for which you can blame Jeremy Clarkson (not usually seen as a style icon but he led this trend). We live in a world where there is much less formality in almost every situation including the business world - possibly even more so. From ubiquitous dressing down with polo shirts and jeans, or correspondence where emails and text have replaced written letters, to ‘jumping on Teams’ instead of client meetings.

Business still needs to convey its expertise and gravitas to build trust and it’s often dealing with complex subject matter and processes, but it also needs to recognise that being innovative and creative doesn’t diminish credibility. B2B marketing communications, both in traditional and digital channels, need to adapt to new methods and techniques, which harness those in B2C marcomms, because our experiences as consumers set the bar. Likewise the user experience when it comes to websites or software. We’re all using highly-crafted, technically sophisticated and incredibly slick platforms all day every day and they become the 'accepted norm' that we judge every other site by. In turn, this results in an ever-lower patience threshold for sites that are slow, hard to use or just ‘clunky’. Of course any campaign or solution has to be appropriate for the audience and any specific scenario, but it should be creative, memorable, tell a great story and offer a delightful experience.

When it comes to marketing campaigns, just like in B2C, it’s about the target audience who are, obviously, also people. The messaging needs to land, resonate and make the audience feel something. Emotion makes campaigns memorable, from tragedy to comedy, you want a reaction. Clear communication is of course vital. Too many B2B campaigns use overly complex language, or worse industry jargon, to demonstrate expertise, but the most effective ideas convey their purpose in simple terms. Clarity and simplicity build trust and respect because the message is clear, rather than leaving people confused with jargon. This isn’t easy by the way, especially with complex subject matter. Boiling down technical, complicated and often long information down into key messages is an art in itself. The master of this is legendary ad man John Hegarty who seems to have such a natural to-the-point turn of phrase whether in speeches, books or articles. A young pretender to his throne is Oliver Yonchev, a tech entrepreneur, whose recent presentation in media city about AI was a masterclass in expressing complex subject matter in simple terms which was, as a result, way more memorable than other speakers talking about the same topic.

Creative thinking and good design are no less relevant in B2B scenarios because original ideas and great storytelling are the differentiators that make campaigns stand out. Stock images of business meetings to convey busyness; an oak tree metaphor to convey growth; chess pieces to show strategy; a sprinter bursting through the tape to say ‘winner’; a city skyline for scale; and those generic slogans that any other company could use. The intention is to look credible, but the result is bland and, therefore, not memorable. B2B needn’t mimic consumer marketing, but B2B brands should apply some of the tools – such as eye-catching design and memorable copywriting – that B2C brands use. 

Strong creative and the craft of how something looks, feels, works and sounds helps brands stand out in a crowded marketplace – particularly if it’s a marketplace of sameness. Coming up with a strong idea should be the focus for designers and marketers as it underpins everything from language and imagery to experience. It also helps overcome the subjectivity that often derails B2B campaigns. With a strong idea it’s easier to take creative risks with confidence. This doesn’t mean abandoning accountability and metrics, but getting attention is the first metric and without it the numbers won’t be good anyway.

Whilst the idea is key, the craft of execution is also vital, especially with Ui/Ux [user interface and user experience design]. This can be very challenging in B2B scenarios compared to B2C where functionality is often much simpler. As a B2C online consumer we’re probably looking to buy one or two pairs of shoes, or some jeans and a top. A B2B user can be placing orders comprised of hundreds or thousands of lines everyday. They need to see accurate stock levels, account specific pricing, volume discounts, previous orders, order status, back orders, split orders and so on, all of which makes a slick user experience harder to achieve. Harder, but not impossible. 

“The best B2B work today doesn’t look different for the sake of it; it feels relevant to the world around it. Whether through wit, humanity, storytelling, or design, great B2B work connects to the same sensibilities that drive consumer creativity, allowing B2B to show up in new spaces, such as entertainment streaming services, once considered only a B2C space. It proves that professionalism and imagination are not mutually exclusive. The gap between B2B and B2C has narrowed, but a mindset gap remains. As brands compete for attention in the same digital spaces, the advantage will go to those willing to treat business audiences like people: intelligent, emotional and discerning. Creativity isn’t a luxury in B2B; it’s how you get remembered. In a market where every brand claims to be innovative, those that show it through design and storytelling will stand out and endure.”

Scott McGuffie
Creative Director
HB