In markets where competition is becoming increasingly fierce, creative expressions are one of the few instruments left to truly make a difference. This holds true for both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) companies. Creative campaigns can not only generate significant profits but also give your brand a long-term competitive advantage. This article is inspired by the 'B2B Trends Report' by Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo of the LinkedIn B2B Institute.

B2B buyers are also people

We often think of B2B purchases as primarily rational decisions. However, when all options start to look the same, the emotional connection your brand creates can be a differentiating factor. Remember that B2B buyers are also people. For maximum effectiveness in B2B marketing, you should use a balance of rational and emotional brand expressions. Reach potential buyers, long before they enter the market, with emotional and familiar brand expressions. Then, when they're ready to make a purchase, reach them with convincing rational product messages that help close the deal.

Creativity and emotion in campaigns do three important things:

• Break through the abundance of advertising and capture attention.
• Create stronger associations between your brand and a buying situation.
• Ensure that your brand is remembered during a buying situation.

blockbuster marketing

There is no formula to determine whether campaigns perform well or poorly in terms of creativity, but there are principles you can follow to increase the likelihood of developing strong creative campaigns. Disney, one of the most creative and successful companies globally, adheres to creative core principles. An algorithm. This 'blockbuster' algorithm works for Disney and can work for your business too:

Creative Success = (Big Bets) on (Familiar Stories) with (Distinctive Styles) in (Every Channel)

• Big bets: Companies are so afraid of creative failures that they try to reduce risk by creating many small campaigns or brand expressions on a small budget. These 'small bets' rarely break through in the competitive media clutter. With 'Big Bets,' Disney has a much higher chance of breaking through and generating significant profits.

• Familiar stories: Generally, people prefer experiences that are 'surprisingly familiar.' If you look at Disney's highest-grossing films, they are mainly sequels, prequels, and remakes. Therefore, it's not surprising that Disney focuses on well-known franchises that everyone is familiar with.

• Distinctive Styles: Every brand has at least two 'distinctive brand assets': a name and a logo. Successful brands have many distinctive assets that ensure immediate brand association with each creative expression. Disney has a distinctive style that they use in all their animated films.

• Every Channel: Rather than creating custom ads for all media channels, it's better to reuse and scale advertising materials. This enhances creative effectiveness and recognition. For Disney, Star Wars is not just a movie; it's a video game, a lunchbox, an action figure, and a ride at Disney World.

people are story processors

Learn from Disney's algorithm and infuse your campaigns with branding while sticking to the same successful creative expressions. Over time, your creative creations will build memory links with potential customers, giving your brand a head start when those customers are ready to buy. Realize that people are not processors of logic but processors of stories. Tell a story in your brand expressions and campaigns. This could be about a character going through a relevant buying situation.

Creativity in campaigns is a rare opportunity for companies to secure a competitive advantage. Do you want to grow with powerful creativity? At Vandeez, we are dedicated to creativity and long-term brand building every day. Interested in examples? Check out our cases. Want to know more about creative campaign concepts? Our creatives are happy to brainstorm with you!