A B2B Secret Weapon: Its Brand

I can't tell you how many CEOs of B2B businesses I've spoken to over the years  that think brand strategy only applies to B2C...that brand doesn't matter in B2B. Or that they've already done all they need.  "Just look at our website, business cards, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, etc.  See how consistent they are?  Yea, we've got branding covered."  At the same time, they're desperately looking for how they can get ahead of their competition.   The best solution to their search may be right under their noses ( or at least staring at them on their website):  their brand.

Khalil Grell of Siegel+Gale wrote a very nice piece on the importance of branding in B2B businesses.  One set of Khalil's stats really struck me.  He said, "Purchasers of B2B brands are more than 5x as likely to consider, 12x as likely to purchase, and 30x as likely to pay a premium for products with high brand connections than products with no brand connections."

Want to differentiate yourself among B2B competition? Think of your buyers not just as personas, but as humans.   Tell your brand story in a way that evokes emotion and is true to your brand promise.  Think about your brand personality.  How is it different than your competition?  How are you using that difference to your advantage? 

Focus on your brand strategy as seriously as you do the other strategies in your B2B business.  You'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.