B2B marketing has a reputation problem.
Scroll through LinkedIn or browse a few industry websites and you’ll see the same thing on repeat: stock photos, sensible blue branding and copy that could’ve been written by committee or ChatGPT. Technical? Sure. Rational? Definitely. Memorable? Not so much.
Somewhere along the way, B2B forgot that behind every buying decision is a human being and that human beings don’t make decisions based on specs alone.
But things are changing. And the brands leading the way aren’t necessarily the biggest or the loudest – they’re the boldest.
The sea of sameness is real
Our new whitepaper explores how creativity is the missing link in most B2B strategies and why it’s also the strongest lever for growth.
We’re not talking about gimmicks or making things look pretty. We’re talking about genuine creative distinctiveness: storytelling, emotional resonance and a brand identity that’s impossible to confuse with your competitors’.
Because right now? Most B2B brands are swimming in what we call the “sea of sameness.” MAGNA and LinkedIn’s research, also cited in our whitepaper, shows that across industries, business buyers struggle to recall a single ad that felt emotional, entertaining, or original. In fact, less than half described B2B ads as “memorable” at all.
In a buying landscape where only 5% of your audience is in-market at any one time, that’s a serious problem.
Creativity = commercial impact
As part of our research we analysed 20 award-winning B2B campaigns and compared them to 80 competitors. The results? Eye-opening.
Just winning an award was enough to move the needle:
- 85% of creative award-winners increased their share of search in the year they won
- A quarter saw growth above 25%, and many maintained momentum even a year later
- Financial services brands outperformed their peers by a staggering 58%
And Hallam’s findings aren’t isolated. A recent report from WARC, created in partnership with Google and Nielsen, echoes the same conclusion: creativity is a growth engine. The report reconfirms the 60/40 rule: that around 60% of media budgets should go to long-term brand building and 40% to short-term performance. Why? Because upper-funnel brand activity drives sales, both now and later.
According to Nielsen’s MMM data, increasing upper- and mid-funnel brand awareness by just 1% leads to a 0.6% increase in long-term sales and a 0.4% lift in short-term sales. That’s a powerful rebuttal to the idea that brand building only pays off in the distant future.
There’s more: when Google and Ipsos studied emotional YouTube ads, they found that those sparking “highly pleasant emotions” increased the number of people who said a brand was “worth paying more for” by 40%. In other words, emotional campaigns grab attention as well as boost pricing power. And according to the IPA, brands with greater pricing power (lower price sensitivity, fewer discounts and stronger loyalty) are nearly twice as likely to grow profitably.
So what are smart marketers doing about it? They’re doubling down. Further research from LinkedIn shows that:
- 67% of marketing teams have increased their brand-building investments
- 88% of CMOs are advocating for bolder creative campaigns
- And more than 70% of marketers say bold, innovative work has directly improved their brand strength and engagement
The message is clear: creativity is a commercial asset. It lifts awareness, sharpens pricing power and drives measurable business outcomes. And in a market full of safe, forgettable campaigns, boldness becomes a strategic advantage.
The challenger brands leading the charge
Take Workbooks, for example. A mid-size CRM brand without the budget of the tech giants but with a big personality and a point to prove. Our “No BS CRM” campaign, featuring the headline “Has your CRM hit the fan?”, broke every B2B convention going.
The result? A 143% increase in UK pipeline value and recognition as Marketing Week’s Campaign of the Year.
It didn’t happen because they shouted the loudest. It happened because they stood out and stood for something.
What can you learn from the boldest B2B brands?
The most successful brands in our study did a few things differently:
They told stories, not just statistics
Instead of relying on technical specs and performance claims, these brands built emotional connections through narrative. Whether it was a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a customer’s transformation or a bold rebrand that challenged category norms, storytelling helped them build trust and stay top of mind.
They found their edge and owned it unapologetically
High-growth brands weren’t afraid to be distinctive. They leaned into their unique personality and point of view, even if it ruffled a few feathers. From provocative taglines to design that broke the mould, they chose memorability over conformity.
They embraced experimentation, even in ‘boring’ sectors
Some of the most impressive results came from brands in highly technical or low-interest industries. What made them stand out? A willingness to take creative risks, such as using humour in finance or gamifying complex cybersecurity offerings, to engage their audience in fresh, unexpected ways.
And the best part? These weren’t one-off stunts. The boldest brands made creativity a strategic habit, testing new formats, measuring what resonated and building long-term equity along the way.
Want the full picture?
This blog only scratches the surface.
Our new whitepaper, “Creativity. The Forgotten Advantage in B2B Marketing”, reveals the full data behind these trends plus the bold moves high-growth brands are making right now to break free from the status quo.
👉 Download the whitepaper here and discover how creativity can become your most powerful performance lever.
