There, I said it. That feels better.
As someone who has worked in more agency new business pitches than I can count, I have been wanting to say that sentence for years. More specifically, I have been wanting to say it when countless RFP’s landed on my desk that read: “B2B Experience required,” or “share examples of relevant B2B work,” or even “include B2B client references.”
So why don’t we believe in it? It’s pretty simple actually – because we believe that every B (business) is truly just a C (consumer) like everybody else. Sure they have different needs, sure there are different ways to think about execution or media buys, but at the end of the day we believe Business to Business advertising is just advertising. The goals are the same: build awareness with the target, connect with a new target audience, breakthrough competitively, etc. The only thing that changes is your ability to truly understand and connect with the needs of the business person target. Because let’s face it, it’s easier to understand what a mom wants from a grocery store than it is to understand what an architect needs from a plumbing manufacturer or what a COO needs from a telecommunications provider.
But don’t get caught in the B2B trap!
Just because they are part of a business, don’t de-humanize your target audience – they are consumers, operating within a business. So spend extra time getting to know their needs, their frustrations, their goals – and meet them where they are, as people. That’s what we have been doing for clients that we love like Atlantic Broadband, MOO and Symmons (see how I didn’t say B2B clients there?). Have a look at some of our new work and see if you think we are hitting the mark with the consumers that each of these businesses serve.
