Does branding work in B2B?
Copywriter extraordinaire Bob Bly questions if branding really works in B2B (a common question from the direct marketing side of the coin).
He quotes Gordon Graham, a B2B copywriter:
Certainly ‘branding’ has SOME value in terms of positioning and making any company look like a together, prosperous firm. But real, solid branding has to be earned, not just claimed.
Real branding has to be earned. That’s an excellent way to put it. Gordon goes on to give examples of misdirected branding efforts masquerading as real branding, but his second sentence really nails where branding is valuable.
In the comments, Derrick Daye offers some insight on what leading organizations have achieved when they earn their brand status:
- Increased revenues and market share
- Decreased price sensitivity
- Increased customer loyalty
- Additional leverage with vendors and retailers (for manufacturers)
- Increased profitability
- Increased stock price, shareholder value and sale value
- Increased clarity of vision
- Increased ability to mobilize an organization’s people and focus its activities
- Increased ability to expand into new product and service categories
- Increased ability to attract and retain high quality employees
I think the answer is a resounding yes. I’ve seen all sizes and types of businesses leverage their existing brand (not just redesign!) for improvement in the areas listed above. The question shouldn’t be if branding works or not — “you cannot not brand”. The question is are you branding on purpose?