Brand: What All B2B IT Marketers Need to Pay Attention To

In the fast-moving, sometimes downright confusing world of B2B IT marketing, marketers face the tricky task of juggling short-term revenue goals with long-term brand development. While performance-driven marketing often hogs the spotlight, brand marketing is crucial to building trust, winning over those sneaky hidden stakeholders, and creating lasting emotional connections.?

Why Pay Attention to Brand Marketing??

For many B2B marketers, the pressure to prove immediate returns has led to an obsession with the 'money in, leads out' model. But this laser focus on short-term gains can cost you brand equity, which is crucial when buyers aren’t actively looking for a solution. Investing in brand marketing helps create familiarity, trust, and recognition—key elements that influence decision-makers when they eventually start shopping around.?

Simply put, brand marketing is all about being remembered when a need pops up. When in-market buyers start searching for solutions, they gravitate towards familiar brands—brands they’ve heard about, seen in articles, or noticed at events. Brand marketing ensures your company is top-of-mind during these pivotal moments. It’s about creating a presence so strong that when buyers think of your category, they think of you first.?

In-Market Versus Out-of-Market Buyers?

Let’s be real: Most of your Total Addressable Market (TAM) isn’t even considering buying right now. They might not even realise they have a problem you can solve! Some organisations are ready to purchase, but they're the minority. That catchy 95:5 rule of in-market versus out-of-market buyers? It’s way too simplistic. The ratio can vary a lot depending on the industry—marketing low-orbit satellites isn’t the same as selling SaaS subscriptions. If you’re only targeting in-market buyers, you’re missing a huge opportunity to build brand awareness and preference for when out-of-market buyers decide they need you.??

A balanced marketing strategy needs to engage both in-market and out-of-market buyers. Out-of-market buyers might not respond immediately, but consistent messaging helps create a mental association that’ll be there when the time comes. Brand marketing is like planting seeds that will grow when conditions are right—your job is to make sure those seeds are planted.?

The Hidden Buyers of the B2B IT Marketplace?

Traditionally, B2B marketers have focused their campaigns on target buyers like IT decision-makers (ITDMs). But recent research from LinkedIn's The B2B Institute and Bain & Company shows that there are two types of buyers in buying committees: Target buyers, who are product experts; and hidden buyers, who are process experts—often from procurement, finance, or legal.?

Hidden buyers are tricky—they don’t engage with typical B2B content. They’re not downloading whitepapers or attending webinars, but they have a ton of influence. Hidden buyers care about brand reliability, peace of mind, and trust—attributes that brand marketing directly impacts.?

Deals often fall apart not because the product lacks innovation but because hidden buyers see risks. Investing in brand awareness that resonates with the entire buying committee—especially the hidden buyers—can significantly increase the chances of success by building a positive reputation that removes objections before they come up.?

Hidden buyers are risk-averse and responsible for mitigating potential downsides. If your brand isn’t well-known to them, they’re more likely to say no, simply because they don’t want to take unnecessary risks. This is where brand marketing plays a massive role—building a solid, reassuring presence in the minds of all stakeholders, even the ones you don’t see.?

But…Your Brand Is Not What You Think It Is??

One of the biggest misconceptions about branding is thinking it’s all about the logo, the product, or even the promises made by advertising. A brand is not just a visual identity or a product; it’s the perception that lives in the minds of your customers. It’s their gut feeling about your company—formed by all the impressions and experiences you offer.?

Brands are especially important in B2B, where the buying cycle is long and involves multiple stakeholders. A strong brand is one that buyers remember positively when it’s time to make a decision. It’s about being in that mental "consideration set" when they’re weighing their options.?

Your brand isn’t just a logo or tagline—it’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s that gut feeling they get when they think about your company. In B2B, where relationships and reputations matter, branding is all about building positive associations that stick.?

The Role of Emotion in B2B IT Decision-Making?

Emotion is often misunderstood in B2B marketing. Many assume that B2B decision-making is purely rational, driven by data and ROI analysis. But let’s face it, emotions play a huge role—even if they’re different from those in consumer purchases. B2B buyers, especially in IT, tend to be risk-averse. The primary emotion driving their decisions is fear—fear of making the wrong choice, causing disruptions, or picking a vendor that could let them down.?Let's call it FOMU - Fear of Messing Up!

This explains why many B2B buyers prefer to play it safe by choosing industry leaders or familiar brands. The fear of potential backlash leads decision-makers to go with the safe bet, offering them emotional comfort. B2B marketers must address both the rational and emotional sides of decision-making—the rational mind looks for ROI and tech specs, while the emotional mind needs stories of reliability, testimonials, and case studies that provide reassurance.?

Another emotion at play is frustration—especially when it comes to getting consensus from large buying committees. With more stakeholders involved, buyers struggle with internal politics, often delaying or derailing deals. By creating content that helps align and reassure all stakeholders, brand marketers can alleviate this frustration and make decision-making smoother.?

And don’t forget emotions like pride and the desire to be seen as an innovator. These can influence certain buyers, particularly early adopters. While fear might be the primary emotion for some, others want to be part of something cutting-edge or are motivated by making a name for themselves. Understanding these different emotional drivers allows marketers to craft messages that resonate with all segments of their audience.?

Bringing Reality Back to Brand Marketing?

Too often, brand marketing in B2B is driven by fleeting trends like "brand purpose" or flashy creative campaigns that are more about winning awards than achieving real business goals. Let’s be honest—those awards are nice for the agency’s trophy shelf, but they don’t exactly pay the bills. Instead, brand marketing should focus on what really matters: Measurable outcomes and results.??

Think of each ad as a purposeful message, not just a pretty picture or a clever line. Each outreach needs to serve a strategic purpose:?

• Capturing and holding your audience's attention?

• Creating durable associations between your brand and your product category?

• Establishing recall triggers tied to key buying scenarios?

• Differentiating your brand with a clear, memorable reason to choose you over competitors?

If we take a more disciplined, outcome-focused approach, brand marketing can regain its credibility and deliver results that genuinely matter to the buying committee.?

Forget chasing fleeting trends. Brand marketing should be about building something that lasts, not just impressing the creative community. Real impact beats a round of applause any day. When done right, brand marketing establishes your company as a leader, builds familiarity across stakeholders, and makes the buying decision so much easier.?

So, the next time you’re planning your marketing strategy, don’t just think about leads and conversions. Think about the bigger picture—being remembered, creating emotional connections, and making sure your brand is the one they turn to when it really matters. Brand marketing isn’t just about awareness; it’s about making your company unforgettable.?

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