B2B and B2C brands are often assumed to be very different. One big assumption is that B2C brands are bought on emotions and B2B brands are bought on logic. This is partly, but not wholly true. B2B brands are actually also purchased emotionally, but on different emotions to B2C. B2B brands need to focus on generating emotions around things like reducing risk and increasing efficiency.
Now this should be no surprise, because the majority of B2B purchases are often of a higher value than B2C purchases. Reassurance – whether that’s professional, technical, financial, legal, or personal – is at the core of B2B purchase drivers. But being reassured has an impact on your emotional state, and can reduce anxiety, fear, and worry. Emotions are important, even in B2B purchase decisions.
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The Role Of Distinctive Brand Assets
So, if we agree that emotions play a part when making a purchase decision on B2B brands, we can look at the role distinctive brand assets play in B2B.
Distinctive brand assets have a huge role to play for brands, because they are the identifiers. They are how people recognize and associate the various moments with the brand with each other. But brand assets are distinctive because, not only do you know them but you know other people know them. They are what makes a brand famous and are how a brand is known.
Distinctive brand assets might include:
- Names
- Icons
- Logos
- Taglines
- Mascots
- Products
- Celebrities
- Sonic
There are so many B2C brands that have an identifiable one to all of the above.
- Names – Anyone you can think of
- Icons – Apple, Nike, Shell
- Logos – Snickers, Disney, FedEx
- Taglines – Just Do It, I’m Lovin’ It, Think Different, Snap! Crackle! Pop!
- Mascots – Michelin Man, Mickey Mouse, Tony the Tiger
- Products – Coca Cola bottle, iPhone, VW Beetle
- Celebrities – Nike and Michael Jordan, Nespresso and George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and Mint Mobile
- Sonic – Apple startup sound, Netflix sound, MGM lion sound
They are the identifiers of the ‘shared meaning’ that makes the brand valuable.
Now, often, the power of a distinctive brand asset can only truly be seen when judged alongside another or in its category. Red may not be enough to identify a brand, but the color red in the soft drinks category or sitting alongside some golden arches should bring a brand immediately to mind.
But how about their role in the B2B world?
How Many B2B Brands Have Distinctive Brand Assets?
Peter Weinberg & Jon Lombardo were previously at LinkedIn’s B2B Institute. Partnering with Distinctive BAT, they analysed more than 300 brand assets from 59 brands across six of the biggest categories in B2B: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), business intelligence (BI), customer relationship management (CRM), cybersecurity, business banking and business insurance.
In an article on Adweek they found that most B2B companies do not have any distinctive brand assets.
“B2B brands are all drowning in a sea of sameness. Every brand is blue, every brand is saying the same things in the same way.” Peter Weinberg
So Why The Lack Of Distinctive Brand Assets?
I believe the lack of distinctive brand assets for B2B companies is mainly due to the fact that there aren’t many B2B brands that require the reach (size or scale of audience) of a B2C brand. They don’t need to reach a mass market, because they have a specific purchase need or use case. How often do you need to buy an aircraft engine, or a CMS, or a business insurance, or even the design of some brand assets by a branding agency?
The leading voice on distinctive brand assets is Jenni Romaniuk of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. She is pushing B2B brands to increase their use and application of distinctive brand assets. And I wholeheartedly support her.
In a WARC article, Jenni identifies some issues B2B brands have with distinctive brand assets:
- Assets are more difficult to create in a B2B context as they tend to be built through the sort of broad-reach marketing more typical in B2C
- There are assumptions that buyers will do research themselves, making such assets largely unnecessary
- They feel they need to be taken seriously as a business, and so don’t pursue certain assets.
In B2B brands, it is very often the name and probably the logo that are seen as the only distinctive brand assets they require. There really aren’t all that many who go outside of these assets, but there are a few examples:
- Character – Salesforce Astro Nomical
- Sonic – Intel chime
Niche Audience. Niche Famous.
B2B firms are much more about creating ‘niche fame’, than reaching for mass market appeal. And this is a very different beast.
Returning to Jenni Romaniuk, her tracking of distinctive brand assets is measured on their uniqueness and fame. Now there is no reason why B2B businesses shouldn’t work to create distinctive brand assets. Assets that are unique and assets that make you famous have value to B2B business. It is just that they need to be unique and famous with a niche group of people. So you don’t need to use mass market channels, but you can start to develop distinctive brand assets within your niche audience.
The Value Of Distinctive B2B Brand Assets
Whether you’re a B2B or B2C brand, distinctive assets improve performance in two ways. They make buyers more likely to notice and recall your marketing efforts. And they make it easier for buyers to find your brand in a buying situation, online and offline. They increase mental availability and physical availability.
B2B firms are starting to see the usefulness of distinctive brand assets. They now just need to understand how to use them for themselves.
But B2B assets aren’t created equal. Research has found that logos and characters are generally better performers than other assets in a B2B world. If you have a B2B brand, you must ensure you’re spending marketing money on things that will stick in people’s minds.
B2B branding is not permission to be faceless. Boeing, GE and more have proven that you can be a reassuring presence and still be a valued and identifiable brand. B2B brands must start to realize and define their personality. They must evolve to appeal to emotions rather than rely on being bought on logic.
Maybe All Businesses Are B2P?
Because, whether you are B2C or B2B, maybe all businesses are B2P (Business to People) businesses now.
Paul Bailey is Brand Strategy Director at Halo – a brand-first agency in the UK, who with bold strategy and commercial creativity improve audience experience and business performance through brand.
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