Why B2B Marketing is Still So Boring?

It took almost 68 years for Cannes Lions to realize that B2B marketing needed a seperate category. Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has existed since 1954; last year (2022), they launched B2B Creative Lions.

In the first year, the award saw 400 submissions, which went up to 446 nominations in the next (2023). But that's only the start; even few on the jury felt that most of these submissions weren't Cannes-worthy or Cannes-ready. The truth is that most B2B brands lack the commitment and craft that marks Lions-winning work.

Walk into a marketing awards ceremony in India as a B2B marketer; you almost feel like an outcast. The room is usually filled with B2B brands that don't give two hoots about your work or what your organization does.

The truth is nobody cares; unlike B2C, your work is meant for a finite audience, and your best work almost always stays under the hood. B2B marketers are like your mailroom workers, who quietly get the work done without ever bothering you.

But how did we get here, and was B2B marketing always meant to be this boring?

B2B Marketing Over The Years

B2B marketing in the early 90s and 2000s meant running trade publications ads, sending press releases, and attending events and conferences. The last few decades saw an influx of digital channels that fueled content, performance, and account-based marketing.

But if you ask B2B marketing practitioners, much has stayed the same. Even today, nearly 30% of budgets are spent on events. The pandemic may have changed these numbers to a certain extent.

It is not uncommon for B2B marketers to find themselves bored at work, counting down the minutes until they can leave. Today, the crème de la crème of marketers don't aspire to work for a B2B brand; most would go on to say that B2B is the graveyard where people come to wither and die.

But then most B2B marketers would defend that this isn't true; we have brands like 印孚瑟斯 and 塔塔咨询服务公司 that frequently make it to the most valuable brands globally, the most recent being 凯度 BrandZ 2023.

Of course, both of these brands have put in a lot of work in their marketing efforts, but having seen the inner workings of both companies, I can say that a lot more needs to be done.

There are two common traits that both of these companies exhibit that get them a place on this list. First, they hire in huge numbers.

When I resigned from TCS, they had 3.5 lakh employees. I used to think it couldn't get any bigger, but today, they employ 6.1 lakh people, making them second only to the Indian Railways and Armed Forces.

With a workforce like that, you build massive recall. I still remember the smile my dad had on his face when he used to say, "My son works for TCS." This also has to do with the equity Tata has built over the years.

Secondly, both companies have a massive valuation; the financial value matters for surveys like Kantar BrandZ, which gives higher weightage to financial outcomes.

If you ask someone to share a few recent B2B marketing campaigns they remember, they would probably mention a Western brand.

Even if you prompt them to name one from India, they will likely struggle to come up with an answer and look to the sky for inspiration. I've seen this happen even with B2B marketers in India.

Boring to Brave: What B2B Marketing Needs?

I'm not here to criticize B2B marketers or claim that the world would be better without us. Instead, we must fundamentally rethink how we conduct our day-to-day affairs.

But if you were to decipher what leads to B2B brands being not creative enough? You will likely have the same conclusions I've arrived at.

Measurement

If you were to walk into any B2B brand and inquire about how marketers measure their roles, they would probably mention leads (MQLs, PQLs, SQLs, Opportunities). The terminology may vary, but the primary focus for most B2B marketers is business growth.

However, the downside of emphasizing leads is that nobody evaluates you based on your creativity quotient. But how do we measure the creativity quotient of a team?

• How many new ideas are initiated every year?
• What was the reception to some of these ideas? (engagement, response rate, prospect feedback)
• What was the impact of these ideas? (market share, awareness)
• Did the industry recognize your work? (awards, organic mentions by publications, virality, or increased word of mouth)

Creating a measurement framework with external validation shows that the team prioritizes true creativity and customer value over simply pleasing the executive team.

Executive Buy-In

If the founder or executive team doesn't support your team's goals, creativity is a secondary concern. In B2B, building trust often begins by helping the sales team achieve its goals.

Once trust is established, you can then push creative boundaries.

Being Brave

It doesn't take much to be brave, and nobody is asking you to put your job on the line, but a few calculated risks won't hurt. You'll have to build a culture that allows people to take risks and fail.

When the organization is inherently risk-averse, it is reflected in its marketing. You don't expect 印孚瑟斯 or 塔塔咨询服务公司 to do anything out of the conventional like Cred. They will always play by the book because the stakes are always too high.

But you only grow your business when you take risks, experiment, and let your people challenge themselves. When people challenge themselves, you get to see the magic happen. Almost every great brand did it and still does it.

The attention game requires you to go all in; there's no other way to play.

Message to the reader: This marks the year's final article; over the past few months, I've shared several with you. LinkedIn's metrics might not tell the whole story, so I'd love to hear from you. What topics interest you? Did you enjoy this piece? If so, a thumbs-up or a comment would be much appreciated! And, Happy New Year!