Traditional economic theory assumes that humans make purchase decisions based on facts and logic. Behavioural economics says otherwise – we are irrational beings, shaped by cognitive biases and emotional influences, even in the most high-stakes buying situations. This is true for B2C decisions and, in fact, even more for B2B decisions.
Too many B2B brands today still produce forgettable creative and indistinct messaging that fails to produce results. According to LinkedIn’s B2B Institute, a staggering 75% of B2B ads score just one-star or lower for effectiveness – meaning three out of four campaigns fail to capture attention, resonate with buyer needs, or drive meaningful action. But what if we flipped the script – and built marketing strategies around what truly drives buyer behaviour?
While 58% of B2B marketers claim they are “very familiar” with behavioural science, only 24% believe it can effectively influence business buyers. As a result, just 17% are consistently applying it to their strategies and campaigns. That’s a striking 41% gap between understanding and execution.
There are two key reasons why:
- Most of the proof lives in B2C – the strongest evidence and case studies demonstrating the power of behavioural biases come from consumer marketing. As a result, 55% of B2B marketers remain sceptical about its relevance or effectiveness in their industry
- We’re unsure of where to start – 33% are concerned about about applying it in practice and struggle to integrate it into marketing campaigns, content, and engagement activities.
This is the reason behind the first-ever global study into the effectiveness of behavioural science in B2B marketing. The study and report are presented by Transmission, one of the major B2B agencies in the world, working in partnership with behavioural scientist Richard Shotton (author of “The Choice Factory”) and global research agency NewtonX.
Since we share the belief that understanding of human decision-making is even more important in a world of automation and AI, we have been allowed to share the interesting conclusions of the study. Be prepared for some interesting facts, and quite surprising conclusions. No fluff, no theory for theory’s sake. Just smart, evidence-backed ways to make your brand more memorable, your creative more effective, and your results more impressive.
The study for example shows:
- You will get 34.2% better effect if you use precise numbers (eg 39.6) compared with round numbers (40)
- By tailoring your social proof statements you can get 40% better effect
- If you present 3 options with different prices, sorting them in the right way can increase sales by 19%
Just three of many examples coming here weekly. If you can’t wait and want to read the report already now, just reach out to ulf.vanselius@comprend.com
Or you can download it here: The Yes Advantage – 9.5 Behavioural Biases that Redefine B2B_190625