Why It’s Time to Revive Creativity in B2B Advertising

Creative advertising can help B2B brands on multiple levels—there’s the emotional engagement of customers, which keeps the brand in their minds, builds trust, enhances authenticity, and promotes sales. 

B2B advertising is dull—this might be a major generalisation, but is also a statement of fact. 

While B2C brands go head-to-head racing to outshine each other in a Christmas ad extravaganza, for the B2Bs, facts, data, and figures dominate. Video ads are dry and tedious, with no hint of a story and no spark of imagination. Because we’re doing business. 

It’s a shame, because this lack of video vision – imagination, inventiveness, originality, call it what you will – totally belies the vibrancy of the B2B sector.

We need to do something about that. 

What’s gone wrong with B2B advertising?

It’s no secret that creativity has habitually been viewed as less important than more ‘serious’ topics. Every kid whose parents ever shook their heads over their intention to attend art college could tell us that. But in B2B, a sector built upon a strong foundation of traditional corporate values, that viewpoint is deeply ingrained because creativity isn’t known to be data-driven. 

Right now, data is not only valued, but more widely available and usable than even the most optimistic entrepreneur had previously imagined. So, why wouldn’t you use it? Why wouldn’t B2Bs offer this untold bounty of data up to their customers so they too can share in the delight?

This data is splashed around and displayed but it’s straight-laced, factual, and totally missing out on its wild, creative potential. 

Stop. Being. Boring.

There is no denial that data is important. But when data is relied upon to the point that it pushes out creativity, you have to know that you’ve gone too far. 

Even outside of the festive season, the B2C sector is known for its creative advertising. Cadbury’s drumming gorilla became legendary. The balls of the Sony Bravia campaign was a piece of visual mastery, while the subtlety and simplicity of the Volkswagen Golf ‘night drive’ ad left tingles. 

All of these ads work because they’re entertaining, engaging, and they tell a story. They’re as far away from data driven as you’re ever likely to get. But they make that all-important human connection. And that is what sells. For some reason, B2Bs have failed to grasp that fact. 

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You’re Making your Brand Ignorable

The single point of making a video ad is to draw attention to your product or brand. That’s the ad’s raison d’etre. But by focusing on the data, making the product the star, and forgetting about the human element, you’re making your brand forgettable. 

When you bring in creative storytelling, you open a door for your customers to engage with your products and your brand. It’s a simple fact of psychology that most people remember stories more than facts. So, by telling stories, you create a hook, and help to shape the way that your customers feel about your brand. 

While data is undoubtedly useful when your customers want to dig down into the details of your products or services, when an ad is little more than a visual info-dump, it’s a completely wasted opportunity. It doesn’t simply make your audience register your brand as boring, it’s far worse than that – it makes your brand ignorable. 

That’s why you need to start with an engaging story. 

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Channel 4’s ‘Meet the Superhumans’, Stella Artois’ ‘Reassuringly Expensive’,  ‘This Girl Can’

The chances are you’ve seen and remembered these campaigns. Successful video ads live in people’s heads. 

Most of the time, we don’t want them there. But knowing how to achieve that is the only way to make paying for video ads worthwhile. So, ask yourself, why would people remember your last video ad?  What can you change that will make them remember the next? 

Effective creative storytelling requires compelling narratives, imagination, and insight.  But more than anything else, it needs to connect with its audience, which is where a human element should come in. When you focus on people instead of products, you build an emotional connection with your target. And then you can start the process of selling. 

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Overlays of motion graphics and visuals enhance your story arc and underscore your message. But even with the tech in place, it’s the story that really matters.  

But does it, though?

You’ve managed OK so far without wasting your time on fairytales, so what’s the point in changing now?

The thing with creative advertising is that it can help your business on multiple levels. 

There’s the emotional engagement of your customers, which keeps you in their minds, builds trust, enhances authenticity, and promotes sales. 

There’s the connection with investors. Of course, they’re interested in the numbers. But before that can happen, they’ll want to know more about you. Creative advertising can provide that in, helping would-be investors to get a feeling for the business, to gauge its personality before parting with their cash. 

And then there’s talent. If you want to work with the best in the industry, you have to make them want to work with you.  Revolut did this spectacularly well last year, creating films showcasing employees’ hobbies. It did something different. It was honest, open, and entirely free of conventional corporate insipidness. 

B2C businesses have been embracing creative storytelling for decades. They’ve not moved away from it because it works. So, as a B2B business, what’s your excuse for ignoring its potential? 

Stop being boring. Creative bravery can take your advertising budget and make something beautiful that your customers will remember. The data will still be there waiting when, and where it is needed. But for now, you have the potential to make an impact on the world.  

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