Guess Who’s Back? Brand Completes Its Comeback Loop
PJA Marketing + Advertising
We help sell amazing things to the world's toughest buyers.
Our clients bring amazing things into the world. What fuels us as marketers—on top of our client's ingenuity—are the thinkers, practitioners and creators who are showing us a new way. In this space, every few weeks we share what is capturing our attention—big or small.
1. It’s the Year of the Brand (Again)
Interbrand predicted 2025 to be the year of the Corporate Brand.
A client passed that along, and I’m sure they’re correct. What brand consultancy wouldn’t want the new year to be the year of the brand?
At PJA, we’ve seen brand advance and recede over the years depending on economic conditions and the moves of a few big consumer players. Walmart has taken a fresh look at its brand. Jaguar has gone to the future. Diet Coke and Burberry have unleashed new brands. Even Evernote changed its elephant from gray to green.
In B2B we always take a more pragmatic look at brand. Is it leading the sales and marketing motion or following? Is it connecting itself to the best thought leadership at the top of the funnel or remaining a consistent drumbeat further down in the funnel?
This month’s noisy and capital-erasing birth of DeepSeek AI is a case in point. Through its breakout innovation and astonishing chip efficiency, it has become the most talked-about brand of the year. It ticks a lot of the boxes for brand power in 2025:
For the bulk of brands, this is the dream: like releasing a first novel that debuts at the top of the best-seller lists. But most brands were born gradually around a smaller idea, less disruptive idea and accumulate heft and meaning as time goes on.
All the more reason to make your brand stand out in increasingly crowded B2B categories. If only 5% of any given B2B market is in a buying mood, brand has to keep the flame burning through events, sponsorships, collaborations, webinars, apps, and yes, even good old digital brand advertising. Peep Laja, CEO of on-demand market research platform Wynter, recently surveyed 100 B2B SaaS marketing leaders with more than $50 million in revenue and found that brand awareness “is your ticket to the playground:”
“Buying from an unknown brand is risky, because we do not want to risk working with a vendor that may not exist in the long run. Also, an unknown could also mean they do not have a good set up for post-sales service, which will create frustrations if we encounter problems.”
Laja points to another key factor: the brand/budget relationship. The more you’re spending, especially one of those six- or seven-figure career-making (or limiting) expenditures in B2B, the more likely you are to go with a well-known brand. Laja points out several other factors beyond brand, though for me they are very much an expression of a strong brand position. If our brand personality is to own problems and be easy to work with, then it should be no problem to attract:
There’s much more in his very fine LinkedIn posts, but I’ll end on a note I sent to a former client who may be heading up the reinvigoration of several longstanding wet lab brands in life sciences:
“The funny juxtaposition I see these days is that on the one hand, buyers like younger Millennials and GenZ show less brand loyalty. Unless, of course, that brand
With so many kinds of buyers, your brand should always be on, in other words, up and down the funnel. In that sense, every year is the year of the brand.
PJA Author: Hugh Kennedy
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2. Magnetic Stories
As a parent and empathetic adult, I was attracted (pun intended) to Siemens Healthineers’ magnetic stories. I love the idea of making MRI scans less scary for the kids who need them.
Siemens identified sounds from the most common pediatric MRI scans, predicted when they would happen, and created audiobooks that sync with the noises to change their aspect. What used to be scary, unexpected rumbling and banging is transformed into fanciful sound effects of robots, spaceships, and the like.
I suspect Siemens will be selling this service to lots of hospitals.
Want to see if for yourself? Check it out here.
PJA Author: Ben Resnikoff
3. The Rise of Influencers in B2B Marketing: Bridging Expertise and Engagement
In the evolving landscape of B2B marketing, a new force has emerged: influencers. These aren’t the social media celebrities familiar to B2C audiences but rather industry leaders, consultants, and subject matter experts who possess both credibility and a dedicated following. B2B influencers have become an important component of marketing strategies, helping brands achieve both awareness and measurable business outcomes.
Unlike traditional advertising approaches influencer marketing focuses on authenticity and trust. For B2B brands, this means engaging experts who can provide valuable insights about products or services while connecting with decision-makers. The goal isn’t just visibility but building authority and fostering trust.
Platforms like LinkedIn, industry blogs, webinars, and podcasts have become the go-to venues for B2B influencers to share their knowledge. By co-creating content such as whitepapers, case studies, and educational videos, these experts amplify the reach of a brand while enhancing its reputation in its industries.
Interestingly, according to a recent Ogilvy Influencing business report, 75% of B2B companies are currently using influencer marketing, and 93% plan to increase their use in the coming year.
Successful Campaigns that Redefine Influence
Several B2B companies have already embraced this approach with remarkable success. Adobe’s Insider Program collaborates with creative professionals through Adobe's CoCreate to demonstrate real-world applications of its tools. This approach not only showcases Adobe’s value but also reinforces its thought leadership across diverse sectors.
Similarly, SAP’s partnership with CRM expert Brent Leary is an example how influencer collaboration can create content that addresses enterprise pain points while spotlighting specific solutions. Meanwhile, Cisco's Cisco Champions program leverages the voices of IT professionals to provide trusted, first-hand accounts of its technology.
The Future of B2B Influencer Marketing
As industries grow more interconnected, the role of influencers in B2B marketing will only expand. By focusing on authenticity, expertise, and strategic collaboration, brands can navigate the complexities of modern marketing while staying ahead of their competitors through examples.
Influencers are not just amplifiers, they are trusted advisors shaping how businesses perceive and interact with brands. Whether through event promotion, or thought leadership, B2B influencers are building the bridge between brand visibility and demand generation, making influencers almost an essential for B2B brands in today’s marketplace.
PJA Author: Greg Straface