Welcome to the Suck.
A phrase popularised by US Marines during the Iraq War (to capture the grim but inevitable reality facing new recruits), it also seems an apt description of where most B2B brands hang out.
‘The Suck’ is where unappealing has become acceptable, where sub-optimal is now inevitable. And that pretty much sums up the state of B2B brand building today.
Here are the grim facts of the matter:
• 75% of all B2B advertising is ‘ineffective’ and contributes little or nothing to long-term market share growth (based on research with over 6 million customers between 2018 – 2022)
• In 2023, only 26% of B2B marketing budgets were for longer-term brand building (the rest went on shorter-term demand/sales marketing)
• 'Brand personality', 'brand creativity' and 'brand stand out' are the lowest performing components of B2B brands (according to a recent survey of 500+ B2B marketers)
In short, most B2B brands are unloved, unmemorable, and underutilised.
How did we end up here? Well, for starters we bought into the myth that B2B buyers are simply ‘relational robots’ who just need functional marketing messages and a persuasive sales rep to get them down the funnel (more on that here).
And then we went about building departments, budgets and priorities around the mistaken belief that “brand matters less in B2B than it does in B2C”.
The result? B2B businesses with a flogged horse (a common problem) and a forgotten weapon (a missed opportunity) who aren’t sure what to do about either.
The flogged horse (your sales & marketing team)
There’s a consistent pattern to B2B audience research in recent years. All the evidence suggests B2B buyers increasingly (i) expect their experience to mimic a B2C purchase; (ii) rely on online research for their buying; and (iii) prefer to have a rep-free sales experience.
And yet most B2B businesses seem determined to get the sales & marketing troops into battle with outdates weapons, unrealistic expectations and little understanding that the world has moved on. The result? A collective ‘burn out’ at the heart of your business, and numbers that aren’t heading in the right direction.
The forgotten weapon (your brand)
And yet the key to escaping the death spiral of ‘The Suck’ is stuck somewhere in a bunker, a weapon whose power has been proven down the years but which nevertheless remains underused.
And therein lies the opportunity. A growing number of B2B marketers are waking up to the realisation that their brand doesn’t need to suck. It doesn’t have to keep letting the side down. Maybe it can start doing some of the heavy lifting (and help out the flogged horse of a sales & marketing team).
We gotta get out of this place
Escaping ‘The Suck’ involves accepting two realities:
(1) Your brand sucks (as in failing to deliver awareness, reputation and demand - leaving sales & marketing to carry the load)
(2) Your brand matters (in a market where 90% of B2B buyers choose a brand they had in mind at the beginning of the sales process)
Positioning that is differentiated
Positioning is where your brand chooses to pitch its tent. It’s a strategy for placing you in the crowd, and then differentiating yourself from those around you. And yet too many B2B brands either have no positioning strategy or end up with one that doesn’t help distinguish them from the brand next door.
Assets that are truly distinctive
It’s no surprise that B2B marketers who give their brand low marks for stand out also judge its personality and creativity harshly. Whether it’s the name, logo, strapline, avatar, graphic style or other device, your brand needs distinctive assets that your audience can recall when it’s time to buy. Too many B2B brands simply have nothing to be remembered by.
Messaging that is more emotive
The evidence is clear: emotive messaging is more effective than rational messaging in driving responses from B2B buyers. And yet most B2B brands prefer to play it safe and keep things rational. The result? A glut of rational (and forgettable) brands, and a dearth of emotive (and memorable) ones. The spoils are there for the brands who can connect with people on a human level – with emotion, purpose and care.
So, there you have it.
Your B2B brand may well be part of ‘The Suck’.
Your sales & marketing team might be bearing the brunt.
Your business might even feel stagnant as a result.
If so, maybe it’s time to dust off the secret weapon that is your brand (strategy and creative) and put it to use in fighting the good fight.
