We believe B2B brand owners need to rethink how their brand behaves in the marketplace.

While we appreciate the humor of Hugh MacLeod’s cartoon, we actually think some brands talk in a way that leaves people feeling numb.

This is especially true of B2B brands which seem to think that business buyers are robots, that it is dangerous to have a personality and that buzzwords and cliches are poetry.

Perhaps the reason why so many B2B brands are so unadverturous is because they haven’t yet realized the value of connecting meaningfully with the people to whom they are selling (you know, those people often referred to as “business decision makers” and “influencers”).

We’re not saying that industy-specific terminology shouldn’t be used. We’re simply saying that the voice of communications should ideally convey not only the “what” and “how” of your offering, but also resonate on the “why” of it all. While doing this, language and imagery can be used to evoke relevant emotions that elevate the message.

By introducing and centering communications and actions around the “why” of your brand, your brand becomes more personally relevant to the people you’re trying to influence. By consistently evoking a set of feelings, your brand become more emotionally important to them.

As a result, they remember more about what you say to them because your message truly matters to them. These meaningful memories pay dividends when these people go to give advice or make decisions about your brand’s products or services.

The emotive branding process helps brands capture a compelling “why” about themselves and to identify the ideal emotions to evoke. The process culminates in helpful tools the people behind the brand can use to enhance the way the brand reaches out to people.

Don’t talk to the wall. Talk to the minds and hearts of people. 

Emotive Brand is a B2B brand strategy firm.

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod.