There’s certainly been an awakening lately with some buzz in the branding world about the hurdles B2B marketers face in stepping out of the shadow of B2C. Maybe not a full awakening just yet, more like the first alarm you hit the snooze button on has emerged.
Nevertheless, more and more marketers are realizing the divide between B2C creativity and B2B. Here’s what’s holding B2B back—and how we can guide our clients to break through.
Barriers to Improving Brand Awareness
Barrier 1: Playing It Too Safe
B2B brands still cling to outdated notions that “serious” equals “credible.” Stiff, product-heavy messaging, muted color palettes, and jargon-filled copy that doesn’t resonate with buyers’ pains dominate, but research tells us decision-makers want more. LinkedIn reports that B2B buyers prefer ads with humor, emotion, and relatable storytelling.
Take inspiration from Slack’s “Big Meeting” campaign or Zekelman Industries’ “Demand Domestic,” which used bold narratives to resonate with audiences while staying true to their professional goals.
What we can do: Challenge clients to move beyond default “expert tones” or industry-safe visuals. Let’s build strategies that inject personality into their brand voice without losing professionalism.
“Our own Inspire studies show that not only does inspiration drive growth, but the dominance of emotional factors in decision-making is as true for B2B brands as B2C. Not only did we discover that brand perception drives 93% of market share in B2B, but our data also revealed that when looking purely at the influence of emotional and rational factors in those buying decisions, only 34% fell within the rational space, while emotional connections represented a full 66%. That’s almost exactly in line with B2C campaigns.” – LinkedIn B2B Institute
Barrier 2: Underestimating Brand Awareness
Too many B2B brands dismiss brand-building as “fluff.” Instead, they overinvest in performance marketing for short-term results, ignoring the long-term value of awareness campaigns.
But here’s the reality: brand awareness is demand generation. Thoughtfully executed campaigns not only make brands memorable but also create demand, generate leads, and drive sales over time.
What we can do: Frame brand awareness as a pipeline-building activity for clients. Metrics like share of voice and top-of-funnel engagement are just as critical as conversion rates.
EY UK CMO Rebecca Hirst’s perspective on brand-building from The Drum.
Barrier 3: Lack of Creative Risk-Taking
B2B marketers often fall into the trap of category conformity—repeating what competitors are doing for perceived safety. This leads to stagnation, making brands indistinguishable.
For example, while most tech brands stick to predictable blue hues and sterile messaging, companies like Salesforce disrupted the norm by embracing vibrant branding and human-centered storytelling early on.
What we can do: Encourage clients to take calculated creative risks. Differentiation through tone, visuals, and campaigns isn’t just nice—it’s necessary for standing out in crowded markets.
Barrier 4: Shallow Customer Personas
Budget constraints often lead to underdeveloped customer personas that reflect marketers’ assumptions rather than true customer insights. Without grounding in real data, campaigns fail to connect meaningfully with target audiences.
What we can do: Emphasize the value of VOC research to clients. Even small investments in surveys, interviews, or third-party insights can lead to more accurate personas and, ultimately, better-performing campaigns.
Barrier 5: Neglecting Visual Identity Consistency
B2B brands frequently overlook the power of cohesive visual identities, leading to scattered brand perceptions. Adobe’s recent rebrand shows how a unified logo and design system can transform brand scalability and recognition.
Case Study: Adobe’s Redesign
Here’s what Adobe did:
Created a unified Design System
Adobe introduced a new design system that standardized the look and feel of its entire product suite. This included a refreshed logo system with consistent visual treatments across its Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, and Experience Cloud products.
Scalable and Flexible Assets
Adobe ensured that its updated branding worked seamlessly across both digital and physical touchpoints, such as websites, apps, packaging, and advertisements. The design system emphasized clarity, simplicity, and versatility, enabling consistent application across diverse use cases.
Adobe’s Spectrum 2 Design System, Adobe’s vision for cross-platform consistency
Brand Cohesion
By standardizing typography, color palettes, and iconography, Adobe created a more cohesive experience for users interacting with its brand—whether in marketing materials, product interfaces, or social media content.
What we can do: If you’re considering rebranding, highlight the ROI of consistent visuals across all touchpoints—websites, sales decks, email templates, and beyond.
Embracing Boldness for B2B Success
The challenges holding back B2B branding are rooted in a fear of stepping outside conventional boundaries. Yet, the path forward is clear: greater creativity, bold risk-taking, and deeper emotional resonance are not just reserved for B2C brands—they are vital for B2B growth as well.
By moving past outdated notions of professionalism, investing in brand awareness, fostering creative differentiation, and prioritizing customer insights and cohesive visual identity, B2B brands can transform from cautious players into market leaders.
It’s time to break free from the safe confines of traditional B2B branding and embrace a future where boldness drives trust, growth, and long-term success. Because, in the words of The Drum, it’s truly time for B2B to come out of its shell.
Talk to a DRA strategist about how we can improve your brand awareness!
