Authored by: Lionel Knight, SVP Planning, Upshot
Why are business-to-business (B2B) marketing communications so dull? Sure, there are exceptions, but if you take a look at the ads in almost any trade magazine or check your office junk mail folder for B2B sales emails, I think you’ll agree that the standards are dreadful. As my colleague, Brock Montgomery pointed out, B2B Marketing Has an Image Problem.
Why is this? The common answer is that business people (apparently unlike “normal” people) are totally rational and can’t be influenced by anything as squishy as “emotion” in sales or marketing pitches. I just don’t buy that. People don’t change how they react to marketing when they’re at work.
We recently put this theory to the test and set out to prove —rationally, with quantitative research that would convince the most cynical B2B marketing client—that affecting emotion is a more effective way to influence all kinds of B2B decision makers. You can check out the full study here. The gist of it is, absolutely: tapping emotions is more effective.
So what does it mean?
Emotion is a powerful tool and deeply affects the way business decision makers react to marketing communications. The widely held belief that B2B decision making is rational and pragmatic is wrong. The research proved that just as in consumer marketing, emotions are a valuable tool.
Effective B2B marketing should affect the target’s emotions while delivering its selling message. It follows that the creators of marketing communications should work to inspire their audience with their creativity, be it a conference event, a website, a sales presentation or advertising.
And finally, the excuse, “Ah, but my business is different,” isn’t enough to justify lazy and uninspiring creativity in B2B marketing.
This post was originally published Friday, March 30, 2012 on the awesomeblog.net.
