So, how does b-to-b score on branding?
According to our research with System1, on average, b-to-b brand recognition is 76%. That means 24% of buyers cannot correctly identify the brand in the ad. And keep in mind this is a “forced exposure.” In the real world, where professionals are free to scroll by online or stroll by offline, actual brand recognition is almost certainly lower. According to our research, b-to-b lags b-to-c, where average brand recognition is 83%.
To be sure, b-to-b branding does seem to be getting better, with average fluency increasing from 71% to 76% over the past three years of the study. But even with those improvements, marketers could still benefit from better branding.
A new formula: ABLE
Our research and analysis paint a bleak picture of b-to-b marketing effectiveness. It also makes clear that better creative may be the single biggest opportunity in b-to-b.
Creativity is essential to getting ads noticed and remembered, but fewer than 10% of b-to-b ads are likeable enough to get noticed in the first place. And a significant percentage of those ads are not well branded enough to get linked back to the right brand. That means the total percentage of b-to-b creative that achieves both cut-through and attribution is likely in the single digits.
We need to abandon this formula and move to a new model.
To imagine what that new model could look like, we can start by analyzing how Disney makes movies. Disney studies the best-performing creative, identifies a formula and applies that formula year after year to generate consistent results: 90% of Disney’s movies are sequels or remakes; 90% include superpowered protagonists; and 50% come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
B-to-b marketers should embrace the same ethos. Instead of getting depressed by the average scores, we need to be inspired by the best scores and replicate that formula.
The following ads can teach us what great b-to-b creativity looks like:
- This Adobe ad scored 5.3 stars and achieved 78 on brand fluency due to great music, a heartwarming story and the consistent use of strong brand assets.
- This Simply Business ad scored 3.2 stars and achieved 87 on brand fluency due to a clever script, colorful characters and excellent visual and verbal branding.