Many B2B companies are poor at using creativity and emotional communication as tools for driving sales. In doing so, they miss a huge growth opportunity since creative communication is proven to generate 10-20x better result than dull communication. Yes, 10-20 times…
A recent study from System1 and the LinkedIn B2B Institute shows that 75% of all B2B brands fail to produce advertising that drive long-term growth. In this comprehensive research, six million people globally were exposed to 1,600 B2B ads. Three-quarters of these ads scored only one or less on a 5-grade scale. This means they don’t contribute at all to long-term market growth. Such ads require a far larger budgets than competitors’ just to be noticed, instead of leveraging creative strengths.
Behind this is the misconception that “emotional” is related to B2C products. Instead facts show that the more complex and expensive a product becomes, the more important are the emotional arguments for a number of reasons
- Complex products are hard to evaluate in detail, instead emotional arguments like reliability and trust becomes very important for the decision.
- A B2B decision is seldom taken by one person. According to LinkedIn in average 23 persons are involved in the decision, and this group needs to reach a consensus decision. In this situation it’s many times easier to get acceptance for a well-known brand as the long-term partner.
- Being the leader of the purchase is a risk. If the new ERP system can not send invoices for a month, someone is hanging loose. As the old saying goes: You never get fired buying IBM…
The driving factor in all of the above situation is emotional arguments. In a B2B context, these are often related to factors such as reliability and trust, but can also be factors like prestigious or fun to work with, especially when it comes to motivating a price premium. But important to note: In B2B processes you always need the rational arguments too!
Why creative advertising works
Research defines ad effectiveness in three ways:
- Emotional transfer: People like creative ads more, i.e. they evoke positive emotions that rub off on the brand. This makes the brand easier to sell – especially relevant today with increased ad fatigue.
- Processing: Creative ads are more attention-grabbing and memorable. People remember them longer, which means better effect and even cost savings – fewer exposures are needed and the effects last longer.
- Signaling value: Creative ads signal that the brand cares and is making an effort, which people respond to positively. It’s human nature to appreciate someone trying to communicate with or build a relationship with us.
One important point is that even a highly rational message can be packaged creatively. Volvo’s Epic Splitfilm is a great example. The message is precision steering – 100% rational. But it’s communicated in a creative, emotional way that sticks.
Do you want to know more about how to win new customers through creative and effective communication, just reach out to ulf.vanselius@comprend.com