There’s a reason the history books aren’t full of famous rule followers

To achieve a different outcome, you need to do things differently. Yet, in any B2B category, marketing activity reveals that brands continue to follow each other, often saying and doing the same things due to social proof, FOMO, or a fear of challenging internal demands – “an instance of obedience to authority.”

No-one wants to be seen as an obedient follower. Such conformity doesn’t yield success. A mindset shift and understanding of the real drivers of growth are necessary to defy expectations.

So how can you avoid your brand looking like a follower?

1. Defy the trend to tactical campaigns. Build brand fame for greater commercial success.

Economic challenges push B2B marketers to focus on demand generation, often sacrificing brand fame, despite research showing 95% of your audience isn’t in market at any given time. Our commentary last year - “It’s time to challenge ‘switch off, switch on’ marketing” - emphasized the need for an always-on, brand-to-demand approach. Binet and Field’s research indicates that while bottom-of-funnel tactics boost short-term revenue, they harm long-term performance. Data from 6sense reveals that 70% of B2B buyers complete most of their purchase process before engaging with a vendor, often choosing the first brand they encounter. The lesson – if your brand doesn’t show up, you’re not going to be at the party!

2. Defy the perception that B2B brands need a high budget to be iconic and drive growth.

The industry is full of brands that look, feel, and act the same. Gravity Global has long championed the power of iconic branding that significantly lifts recall and helps stand out, like Investec’s zebra and Embraer’s Profit Hunter. By adopting iconic branding, our clients have achieved the same market impact and recall as competitors but spent ten times less in getting there. Recent Kantar research shows that distinctiveness can amplify growth potential by a factor of four. Iconic branding stands out, captures attention, builds fame, and strengthens competitive performance and growth.

3. Defy paying lip service to emotion in B2B marketing for greater engagement.

Putting customers at the centre means more than featuring people in a campaign; it’s about building deep emotional engagement. However, with a focus on demand tactics and channels, there often isn’t enough opportunity for emotion to carry through. Forrester research suggests that 84% of B2B buyers are emotionally driven, with 60% relying on ‘gut instinct.’ The emotional equation in B2B is critical: the brands buyers choose can make or break their career.  With such emotional commitment behind every buying decision, how a vendor’s brand is perceived, and the admiration and belief it builds within its target audience, is key. 

Defy belief.  

Acting outside the conventions of B2B marketing is not a gamble but risk mitigation. Defying the constraints of B2B marketing to drive attention helps brands achieve what they seek most – growth and impact.  By focusing attention on fame, admiration and belief - and building programmes around these 3 KPIs - a brand can outperform its competitors without it being dependent on outspending. If you want to know how you measure up on the key drivers of growth, visit defy.gravityglobal.com and let’s talk about your next act of defiance.