Why does our competitors' stuff look so flat?

That was the fabulous question I was asked in a recent pitch. One focused on B2B - or, really, business to professional advertising. We gave a smart, opportunity-focused answer. But, the real answer is likely this:

Companies and creatives skimp on B2B advertising. They treat it less like communication and more like the volleying of spreadsheets back and forth. As if the company itself could decide (Two skyscrapers walk into a room...)

So there is a real opportunity to break through. To treat your business customer like a person she is. To not pretend that she turns into a purely logical automaton when she dons her security badge and freshly-dry cleaned shirt. To use the same smart, emotive consumer ethic you'll market to her with when she's sitting on the couch watching American Idol later that same day. To care about connecting with her.

Comments

[elijahP]

Early on in my career, I had the great opportunity of working on several agriculture clients - pesticides, herbicides, tractors. We took the approach that farmers (small business owners and sometimes not-so-small business owners) were driven by - surprise - emotional triggers, just like actual, real people. Pride. Competition. Self-awareness. Beauty. Tradition. Each category offered many points of entry to talk to them as a business prospect and a human being. In b2b, you always have to find that balance between the rational, measurable reason to consider or buy and creating a true connection with your brand. In the end, any creative who denies they are a salesperson first, got in the wrong business.

[bruce]

i have written a couple of things along these lines (b2b marketing is overrated .. process is different but they are people) but everything i believe got summarized the best by my friend Luke Sullivan who answered the infamous question in a pitch "so, how much b2b experience do you have?" with his calm response "lots. we do it all the time. we market to people. and i believe they are people too."