Being boring is bad for business – Why creativity matters in B2B marketing
Let’s face it - in marketing, B2B might as well stand for “boring-to-boring”. For an industry driven by innovation, B2B marketing has fallen into a predictable rut. Jargon, stock images and meaningless data points - smack bang in your face. The result? Campaigns that leave your buyers yawning instead of engaging. Shivani Patel, VP of client services for dentsu B2B, explores.
B2B marketing is tedious… but it doesn’t have to be this way.
With some creativity and bold thinking, B2B brands can craft marketing that’s memorable, exciting and, dare I say it, might even give B2C counterparts a run for their money.
Why is B2B marketing so bland?
Blame it on the oldest myth in the industry. B2B marketers have long believed that business buyers are too rational for creativity, that serious products demand serious messaging, and that cold, hard facts trump storytelling.
Here’s what the assumptions miss: it’s people, not companies, making decisions. And people are driven by emotions – trust, confidence, pride, and a fear of messing up. Ignoring these emotional drivers is a recipe for missed opportunities and is bound to leave a bland taste in your buyer’s mouth (pun intended).
Take DocuSign, for example. The “That Time I Screwed Up” campaign tapped into a universal fear of messing up by sharing relatable stories of document signing mishaps. By positioning its product as a safeguard against future blunders, DocuSign connected emotionally with its audience. It wasn’t just Jules Lund or Janine Ellis facing document signing blunders… it was also me. A masterclass in relatability and empathy (that drove 3M+ views on YouTube and 27K+ new accounts, might I add).
Buyers are wading through ‘sea of sameness’
We’re on the verge of a B2B brand renaissance. Insights like the 95/5 rule, Ehrenberg-Bass’s focus on mental availability, and Harvard Business Review’s “Day 1 list” are pushing marketers to think beyond the bottom of the funnel. The message being touted from each angle is clear: distinctive branding matters.
Yet, there’s a problem. According to our latest Dentsu B2B Superpowers research, while 71% of marketers think their messaging is strong, 68% of buyers say the opposite: most brands look, feel, and sound the same. Welcome to the sea of sameness, where, if you lack differentiation, you’ll get swept up in the current.
This lack of differentiation is where Mailchimp stood out with its “Did You Mean Mailchimp?” campaign. Mailchimp took a frequent mispronunciation of its name and leaned into it by creating a playful campaign that turned a brand challenge into a Cannes award-winning brand asset. It was distinctive, memorable, and generated an uplift of 67M organic searches for the brand.
Tell stories, not specs
Today’s buyers want stories that resonate on a human level. Stats alone don’t engage – they need context and emotion to make them stick.
HP’s Wolf Security campaign, featuring Christian Slater, is a standout example. By using cinematic storytelling to dramatize the risks of cybersecurity threats, HP made a highly technical topic engaging and understandable. The campaign wasn’t just educational – it was entertaining and has continued to strengthen HP’s brand equity and leadership position in endpoint security to this day.
It’s time for B2B marketers to be BOLD.
In the world of B2B marketing, “safe” often feels like the default. But the most successful brands don’t settle for safe – they go bold, standing out with creativity, confidence, and a willingness to take risks.
So, is there a winning formula B2B marketers can adopt to avoid drowning in the ‘sea of sameness’? Let’s break it down with some practical steps.
Prioritise people over products: Buyers may wear business hats, but their decisions are emotional. Speak to their aspirations, fears, and purpose. Build trust and be relatable. Remember, people plus purpose builds connection.
DocuSign’s campaign is a perfect example of putting people first. By addressing fears of failure, they positioned the brand as the trusted ally its buyers didn’t know they needed.
Know your customer: Creativity stems from killer insights – and the best insights come directly from your customers. According to our Superpowers research, 71% of buyers want brands to spend more time understanding their challenges and needs.
Tell Stories, Not Specs: Stories stick; specs don’t. Great B2B campaigns like the ones from HP and DocuSign position brands and products as the heroes in compelling narratives.
Dare to Be Different: Being distinctive isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s non-negotiable. Take a leaf out of Mailchimp’s book and use creativity to drive distinctiveness and memorability. Or – be where the other brands aren’t. Sage UK was the first B2B advertiser to pioneer TikTok with its #BossIt2021 campaign, taking to the emerging (and conventionally ‘un-B2B’) platform to reach enterprises and small business owners in a new and engaging way.
Rethinking “serious”
Who says serious products need serious marketing? Creativity and humour don’t undermine professionalism; they amplify it. Brands like Mailchimp and DocuSign prove that adding personality and authenticity can turn standard business tools into beloved brands. And if you’re still not sold, the latest stats from Magna and LinkedIn show that with a bit of creativity peppered into an otherwise bland and boring campaign, you can increase your buyer’s purchase consideration by +40%.
The future of B2B marketing
The question isn’t “why is B2B marketing so boring?” – it’s why are we letting it stay that way?
With brands like DocuSign, HP, Mailchimp, and Salesforce showing what’s possible, the choice is clear: play it safe or embrace boldness. For those ready to break the mould, the future isn’t just about being seen – it’s about being unforgettable.
Shivani Patel, is VP of client services for dentsu B2B.
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Very interesting read, but it’s disappointing that this article offers such a generic take on creativity in B2B marketing. The need to stand out and differentiate in the market isn’t a groundbreaking insight—it’s a challenge brands have faced for years. The issue isn’t just about differentiation; it’s about having the boldness to challenge conventions and lead meaningful change.
It’s also worth noting that the examples cited in this piece don’t seem to reflect clients managed by Dentsu B2B. If the principles outlined here are as straightforward as suggested, why hasn’t Dentsu B2B applied them to its own clients with notable success? Why are clients reportedly leaving, and why does the internal team appear to be struggling under leadership challenges?
These aren’t questions for me to answer, but they do merit reflection. Creativity in B2B marketing isn’t just about encouraging clients to be different—it’s about taking them on a journey, fostering trust, and leading them toward bold, transformative actions. That’s where real change happens.
User ID not verified.