3 Ways to Improve B2B Brand Experience
1. Communicate the experience, not prices or features
Too many B2B companies go to market based on product features and price. The problem with that marketing approach is that features and prices change… a lot… so you’re always stuck in the spin cycle of re-purposing mixed messages. Just ask Microsoft or RIM.
Marketing a “brand experience” that stands for one thing and one thing only, however, lays a core foundation for consistently communicating a unique brand promise, regardless of how often features or prices change. Just ask Apple or Cisco.
2. Tell a unique brand story that resonates value with your audience
Combining an engaging brand story with compelling bottom-line benefits will hit a home run every time. It’s not easy but it pay huge dividends when done right.
Below are five excellent examples of B2B brands that create fantastic brand experiences by combining branded storytelling with bottom-line results.
3. Focus on bottom-line marketing results
For B2B Customers, senior executives are starting to care less about features and more about growing their business with solutions that will positively impact their revenues, sales and market valuation. In other words, they seek brands that deliver measurable results, so make sure your B2B Marketing communicates accordingly.
Communicating your B2B Product or B2B Service offering with a brand experience that is different from the other guys will resonate with senior level decision makers far more than price or features. Why? Because everyone talks about price and features. Only you can tell your own unique brand story.
How does your organization communicate its brand experience? Do you rely on features and prices, or storytelling and bottom-line results? Share your thoughts below or on Twitter (@SterlingKlor).
The place to start with brand promotion is your online reputation. No one will associate your brand with any experience unless you have a 5-star reputation. So reputation ‘marketing’ should be the foundation for all of your other efforts.
Part of communicating an experience is getting all of your communications personalized. This way, the individuals, and not just the target audience, will begin the know-like-trust cycle.
Sometimes a story is just a story. This strategy works better for up-and-coming than it does for entrenched-and-unapproachable. You should choose your examples from the story-tellers that are benefiting from their stories,not just trying to tread water.
Interesting comments, Mike
I don’t think any of the examples I gave are companies that are “treading water.” On the contrary, they are not only benefiting from their stories, they are also leading the charge when it comes to B2B storytelling and establishing engaging B2B brand experiences.
And who says you need a killer social media profile to win with brand experience? Apple and Lululemon don’t and yet are terrific story-tellers (and they are B2C brands!).
B2Bs are beginning to figure out that in order to create differentiation Research > Engagement > Storytelling (in that order) are critical steps for generating demand and nurturing leads. In other words, strong brand experiences foster great relationships and reputation.
Cheers