Brands matter in B2B marketing just as much as they do in consumer marketing – and there's a lot more at stake.
Outlining the importance of brand in B2B marketing, Ethelbert Williams, global director of integrated marketing at Kimberly-Clark's B2B division Professional, said: “Brands matter in B2B and we have to make them matter more.”
Speaking at the ADMA Global Forum in Sydney, he said the principles of consumer marketing also hold true for B2B: “Storytelling, disruption and innovation also fuel B2B brands.”
Williams said having a strong brand that people can emotionally connect to is just as important – if not more so – in B2B marketing.
“Business buyers are more and more emotionally connected to brands because they have a lot more to lose. Purchases in the B2B context are bigger decisions. There is more at risk.”
He said that 48% of B2B buyers buy with brand in mind. “That presents an amazing opportunity to get on their shopping list. Brand building leads to business building results.”
Williams also highlighted the opportunity to connect with people: “You are marketing to a person, not a title or a building. With inspiration from our consumer marketing peers, we can figure out what people are saying about our brands. And once we understand that we can unlock how to reach them.”
And social media must not be forgotten. “The B2B buyer is starting to become a lot more like a consumer,” added Williams. “Sixty per cent of them now look to social channels to help make decisions. There is an enormous prospecting opportunity.”
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