Why Personification is a superpower every B2B brand needs in 2022

What is common between Apple, Nike, Gucci & Harley Davidson?
Apart from being billion dollar giants & frontrunners in their own industry, The biggest commonality is that they have cultivated a personality for themselves that goes beyond a mere buyer-seller image and connects to their buyers as being aspirational as well as inspiring a feeling of loyalty and belonging. 

Each of these brands are not considered as only a purchase, but an experience cherished by the buyers. And that is the power right personification can bring to your brand.

Personifying your brand makes it relatable to your customer, making them feel like you understand their problems, priorities & aspirations, positioning you like a trusted friend in a sea of impersonal strangers.

So why is Personification very relevant for B2B?
B2B brands on the other hand, function very differently. Other than rare occasions, the communications from most brands are so similar-that they could literally be interchanged for anyone else in the industry. The tone of voice is the same everywhere too- impersonal, stiff, often filled with complicated jargons and self-proclaiming posts about products/services.

But with technology becoming an integral part of everyday life,technologies like cloud, IoT, AI have now become common knowledge. Today your enterprise customer sits at their home desk, having an option to browse through the vast variety of content put up globally at their fingertips, from netflix streaming to cat videos, all while he is thinking of taking a peek at your content.

So unless B2B brands step up, they are in danger of being forgotten & ignored by their target audience- the nightmare of every B2B marketing team.

On the other hand, a brand that rises to this challenge and personifies itself ,not just stands out from the competition, but also positions themselves as a trusted friend, a thoughtleader, for the existing customers,promoting loyalty. It is also respected by your prospects & ecosystem of partners, analysts & investors. A strong narrative today is as important as your product/service and often the differentiator for customers. Particularly for a technology driven product, where the final decision maker is a business buyer, how you say it is the deciding factor.

According to research by CEB Marketing with Google and Motista, 50% of B2B buyers are more likely to make a purchase if they connect to a brand on an emotional level. So it does tie in to your leads & conversions seamlessly.

Here is why Personification of your brand communication is a must for every b2b brand in 2021:

1. The connected yet remote world: With the pandemic still raging on, we are in a curious hybrid bubble. With in-person events & meetings showing no chance of resuming with full gusto, the importance of inbound marketing has been never felt more than this. In the digital world, the playing field is now level for all your competition too, irrespective of the size of your office or team. For the customer checking you both, your brand relatability will be what will arrest them first.
2. The rise of social media & community : 84% of C-Level executives today use social media to make purchasing choices. The hybrid culture also means your decision makers now become more digital-savvy -something that was a major hindrance for a b2b company seeking out senior level personas. From having a cursory presence on linkedin, your ecosystem is now active even twitter, quora & reddit, gaining knowledge about the solutions they want. Brands can leverage social media channels to build user forums & communities. Personifying right can turn your social media visitors into followers, then in community numbers to raving fans! Some B2B brands that are doing a commendable job globally here are Upkeep & Gong.
3. Rise of the informed consumer: The consumer of today is fully researched, aware of pros and cons, all the options for the solution they are seeking, even before they fill in the form.The options are also immense- from old time analyst sites, brand communications to user/peer communities (also called dark social), your users are seeking you out actively everywhere all the time. If they are engaged through the right communication,  even when they are not actively seeking, you will be the first one they will reach out to when they do, if they identify with what you say.
4. The Founder Influencer: Your leader today is the face of the brand, as important as your brand. A Founder brand today is the easiest way to showcase thoughtleadership, domain expertise, culture and build unparalleled relatability. At the end of the day, people prefer to buy from people and having a founder who is present & relatable to the customer is worth their weight in gold (or bitcoin :)). Some founders doing a phenomenal job on social media are David Cancel from Drift and Casey Graham from Gravy.

As David Ogilvy said memorably: “A brand is not a logo or an ad- it is an experience”. Personifying your brand makes it relatable to your customer, making them feel like you understand their problems, priorities & aspirations, positioning you like a trusted expert in their brand.

Want to know how you can leverage the power of personification for your brand ? Reach out to us here to set up a quick call with us.