When I wrote my last blog post, I stumbled across a white paper which deals with the B2B brand, and more specifically, the Digital B2B brand. Have you heard of this? In any case, I was intrigued by this theme and I continued my research.
Status of the B2B brand
There are 3 components in the status of this brand. We speak of two types of intangible elements, symbolic and relational dimensions. For all that is a B2B product with a name, we speak of components that are more concrete, tangible, and that are related to branding: the name, the logo, the axes of positioning, the positioning statement, etc.
Is the B2B brand more risky than the B2C brand?
Whatever it is, although they are less visible than B2C brands, B2B brands are much more important. According to an article in Forbes, buying a mass commodity has a much lower risk than the purchase of a B2B type product, which will be generally more expensive.
If for the longest time, buyers in the B2B market were influenced by the service, the availability, the cost and quality of a product or service, now, the reputation begins to play an important role in the purchasing decision, and plays on the emotional dimensions of the brand.
I would say that the reputation begins to play an important role in the purchasing decision as shown in a recent study conducted in the industrial B2B market. It states that 55% of purchasing decisions are still based on cost, while only 12% of buyers are influenced by the brand.
Moreover, the poll conducted by Google, the CEB and Motista demonstrates that a buyer will agree to overpay a product if their personal interests, based on emotion, are at stake and they perceive risks, such as losing credibility, time or even their job. The importance of the B2B brand goes very far, does it not?
The B2B brand in the digital age
B2B marketing is long related to the production of commercial or technical information. But times are changing… The digital boost now offers a number of tools and tactics to highlight the B2B brand and reach its target clientele, but they are still rarely used…
Every week, we meet clients who operate in the B2B sector and who understand that it is not enough to only have a website to promote their B2B brand, and to have a competitive advantage.
According to the article that I mentioned in the beginning of this post, there are four tactics that allow digital B2B brands to stand out:
- Creating brand content
- Creative narative through storytelling
- Broadcasting on social networks
- The digitization of events
Each of these tactics deserves a thorough advantage as they have already spilled generous amounts of ink, or rather, have warmed the keys on keyboards. But one thing is certain, we went from relational marketing to B2B marketing, and now, digital announces the era of the B2B brand. Do not miss this opportunity!
