Everyone’s a Consumer: Why B2B Brands Are Essential
An Introduction, in Three Acts
Act One: A Misconception
A common belief goes like this: “Consumers make buying decisions emotionally, while businesses act rationally.” At first glance, it feels logical.
When buying for ourselves — a car, a jar of peanut butter, a pair of running shoes — emotions often take the wheel. Brand is central to the decision: “This car feels like me.” “This is the peanut butter my mom bought.” “These shoes are dope.”
Business purchases, by contrast, seem like the opposite: objective, analytical, spreadsheet-driven. Surely there’s no room for emotional bias — just rigorous cost/benefit analysis and a logical conclusion. In this narrative, brand barely registers.
Only … it’s not true.
Act Two: A Dubious Conclusion
From that flawed assumption grows an equally wobbly mindset.
“Brand matters for consumers, but in B2B, it’s all about price, specs, and delivery. Get the numbers right and you’ll win.”
It sounds practical, maybe even strategic — but it leaves something vital out.
Act Three: A Costly Strategy
Believing that myth, many B2B marketers sideline brand entirely. They lean into transactional tactics: price cuts, technical claims, rebates, limited-time incentives. Over time, the brand fades into the background, the offering becomes interchangeable, and the company slips toward commoditization. Margins shrink. Market share erodes. Customer loyalty wanes.
And when leadership looks back, they’re left wondering: Where did we go wrong?
The truth is simple: Every business decision is made by people — and people are emotional beings. Numbers must make sense, but the decision also has to feel right. Which is why …
Brand is Essential in B2B Marketing
When we talk about a “business” making a decision, we’re really talking about the individuals within it. Even the most “objective” procurement process ultimately comes down to a human choice. And outside of formal procurement, emotion often plays an even bigger role.
(When James Brown feels good, he will proceed to get on up. But not before then.)
As an agency that works in both B2C and B2B brands, Adcetera has long understood that the same branding tools that move consumers can powerfully influence enterprise buyers. Recognition, recall, emotional connection — these aren’t luxuries in B2B. They’re competitive advantages.
How B2B Branding Fights Commodification
At their core, brands are shorthand. They serve as mnemonic devices, encoding the experiences and associations — positive or negative — that affect our perception of the offering. It’s easy to understand how this works with consumer brands. A pass through a roster of familiar brands elicits immediate, instinctive reactions: Apple, Ben and Jerry’s Homemade, Facebook, the Philadelphia Eagles, Heinz Ketchup, Guinness Stout, and Tom Brady are fine examples — in every case, almost everyone will have an opinion, positive or negative.
B2B Brands Differentiate
Brands in the B2B space don’t often have the same ubiquity. But in their specific contexts, they can be equally powerful and equally essential. A strong brand can move an organization out of a commoditized space, helping it stand out from its competition by emphasizing details of its offerings, differentiators in the ways it does business, distinctive commitments, or other priorities. Brand messaging, design, and marketing strategy all come into play.
B2B Brands Mitigate Perceived Risk
The dusty old saying “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” comes into play here. The person who decides to buy IBM products (rather than those of a less esteemed brand) may or may not get the best hardware — but, by virtue of the reputation and heritage of the IBM brand, they’re unlikely to be faulted for the decision.
Imagine a more contemporary example. You’re facing a cybersecurity threat and you need to demonstrate to your market that you’re taking that threat with the necessary seriousness. Do you choose an upstart, or would you prefer to announce that you’ve retained a leading brand in the space? The safest response may not be the least expensive, and it might not even be “the best” — but the strength of the brand makes the decision a safe one.
B2B Brand Strength Powers Upward Price Elasticity
This provides a segue to the pricing power of brand: a familiar brand with a strong reputation for quality and performance can charge a premium an upstart brand cannot. As in a consumer context, brand preference can increase margin.
B2B Brands Lend Cachet
A premium partnership, a well-reputed supplier, or a renowned service provider can reflect powerfully on the organization that’s signed the contract. If the partner’s brand is held in high esteem, the halo effect extends to both parties. “They have high standards, and prioritize this part of their business.”
Let’s Strengthen Your B2B Brand
With long experience in developing, launching, and building B2C and B2B brands, Adcetera is well positioned to assess the state of your brand, evaluating its alignment to your business, its positioning versus your competitors, and the value it could have in your market. And we can use our proven One Voice Program (OVP) to help you rejuvenate your existing brand or even stand up a completely new one.
Contact us to discuss how we can help transform your B2B brand into a business-building asset.