It wasn’t a huge shock to see Microsoft retain its position as the world’s most valuable B2B brand in the latest report by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.
What is astonishing is the fact that Microsoft’s brand value grew by a whole third to an eye-watering $292.5 Billion. Proof – if any were still needed – of the incredible potential of brand in a B2B world that too often sees it as an afterthought.
Clearly there are lots of competing priorities for your budget – R&D, infrastructure, and talent recruitment and retention, to name a few. But if your brand isn’t resonating emotionally with the people you’re trying to reach, then your business will never achieve its full potential.
Or as Brand Finance’s Chairman and CEO, David Haigh, puts it:
“B2B brands have long been undervalued, partly because they invest less in advertising and partly because many boards are dominated by technical leaders who underestimate the power of brand. But the data proves otherwise: even in highly functional sectors, emotional connection and brand trust drive business performance.”
Emotional connection. That’s something we’ve been championing for years here at EM. In fact, it’s what we focus on every day – using creativity and emotional storytelling to help technology-led businesses go beyond the rational to forge deeper, human connections that drive growth.
Emotion in B2B is as important today as it was back in 2013, when a study of 3,000 B2B buyers conducted by Google and the CEB Marketing Leadership Council (now part of Gartner) concluded: “B2B customers are significantly more emotionally connected to their vendors and service providers than consumers.”
Within the latest Brand Finance Report, EY Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, John Rudaizky, reaffirms our philosophy here at EM in his article, Why emotion is the most underrated tool in B2B marketing:
“At EY, we’ve doubled down on creative campaigns, hero films and tactics that evoke emotion to stand out from traditional, bland feature or service-led marketing – and it's paying off. Over the last 10 years, our brand has accelerated and expanded as a direct result.”
It’s paid off for our clients too. Like the brand campaign that delivered a 38% increase in engagement across all social channels, reaching over 2.3 million users. Or where targeted creative campaigns made connections that supported a 17.6% increase in revenue. We’ve made emotional storytelling work in places most agencies wouldn’t dare try it. It’s what helps our clients spark interest, make deeper connections, build stronger relationships. And grow.
We could talk forever about the importance of creativity in building human connections. How it helps your brand stand out in a sea of sameness, drive faster sales cycles, build trust and loyalty, influence pricing strategy … But for now, let’s return to John Rudaizky:
“In B2B, the mechanics of reaching your audience are well established – but the real differentiator is the emotion you deliver through creativity.”
Thanks John – we couldn’t have put it better.
Ready to take your brand beyond the rational to stand out and drive growth? Let’s talk.
