The most dangerous lie in B2B marketing is that taste lives on the surface. A logo refresh here (probably flattened), a new color palette there, a tagline brainstormed in a Google doc, and suddenly, people think the job is done. But that’s not taste. That’s paint. Taste is built within the architecture. It’s embedded in the brand's structure, not layered on top of it. Sarah Guo in her manifesto re: Taste, points to Stripe’s error messages as proof: they’re not just technically correct, they’re respectful. They are human. She also goes on to state, “real taste shows up in the features you kill because they’re not essential.” Let’s read it again. Real taste shows up in the feature you kill because they’re not essential. That small nod to focus reveals an entire philosophy revolving around CARE. Kristian Andersen has put it to me a little more bluntly: “Everything is designed, either by you or for you,” which means if you don’t take ownership, entropy will. This was followed up by some ahhhhmazing LinkedIn comments: kelsey calabro called it “refined judgment,” Taylor Wilson said it shows up in the details (the care and thought behind choices), not in flashy aesthetics. Good taste, in other words, is substance. And in B2B, this matters more than anywhere else. A beautiful website doesn’t fix a confusing onboarding flow or sh*tty product. A shiny campaign doesn’t erase a lifeless sales deck and a terrible story. Good taste shows up in the in-between: how a customer conversation feels, whether the follow-up email respects their time, and how your brand comes alive in places where boring is constantly manufactured (biz reviews, booths, events, etc). If good marketing only shows up at the surface, it’s already too late.

B2B marketing is dead. Air is building creative cults in plain sight ☁️✨ "No one says, 'I f*** love Dropbox.' No one identifies as totally obsessed with Google Drive" says Ariel Rubin, Head of Content @Air “B2B audiences are hoping for something that’s not just regurgitated bullshit. We’re all people. We all have taste.” he later explains. And that was exactly how Air was able to triple their revenue in just 18 months after cutting 90% of their marketing budget. The word “Creative” has always been used as shorthand for belonging to an in-group, but the group has gotten way too big. That’s why the word gives the ick — it’s been hollowed out, then resold to us through campaign decks, especially so in B2B marketing. That's why Air felt different. They were able to be culturally relevant because: → 🏴☠️ They put culture at the forefront, not product. With the Kareem Rahma and The Rizzler collabs. → 🕯️ As a platform for creatives, it was made BY creatives, and they made sure this was signaled in every campaign they put out. → 😈 They took risks and *myfavoritewordever* played! Assigning a "Chief Imagination Officer" and then proceeding to fire him and making a 20-min mockumentary. A few days ago they had their one-day On Air event "The Age of Aquarius" revives a sacred language that almost feels "cult-y". By summoning archetypes you actually want to be seen as: poet, philosopher, deviant. Because no one wants another platform promising “efficiency.” You want a brand that understands creativity as a fragile, cult-like practice that still needs defending. What B2B marketing can learn from cults like Air is; sometimes, being provocative means knowing you're not marketing to everyone. You're only signaling to the ones who've grown cynical of being called a "target group" or a mere "demographic". That exclusivity is the wink that says this isn’t for them, it’s for "us", is exactly why it hits. "Everyone talks about product-market fit, and that customers pull you into the market because of success. At Air, we believe that content-market fit is equally important.” says Air's CEO Shane Hegde. But what do you think of Air's latest campaigns? #OnAir #AirPartner

B2B Lead gen is not a strategy. It’s a sugar rush. And branding? It’s not the saviour you think it is either. Marketing won’t save you. Branding alone won’t either. On one side: Performance Marketing Trackable. Tactical. Lead-chasing madness. CEO and CFO love it. The kind of marketing that fills a pipeline… fast. But burns through budget just as fast, leaving no lasting brand equity. On the other side: Brand Marketing Emotional. Aspirational. Sometimes considered fluffy, especially from Phil the CFO. The kind of work that builds reputation and recall… but struggles with ROI and board meetings. And here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: Neither one works in isolation. In a saturated, low-attention B2B economy, Performance Branding is the only strategy that makes sense. So what is Performance Branding? It’s the strategic integration of two things most companies still treat as separate departments: - The data-driven precision of performance marketing - The emotional depth and memorability of brand building You don’t have to choose. In fact, choosing is the problem. Why it matters now more than ever: 1. Short-Term Wins + Long-Term Value Yes, you need leads. But leads without lasting brand recognition are just transactions, easily won, easily lost. Performance Branding ensures that every campaign plants a seed for future sales and delivers measurable results today. 2. The 95-5 Rule Only 5% of your market is actively buying right now. The other 95%? Not yet. But they will be ready. And when they are, your brand needs to be the first thing that pops into their head. Performance Branding is how you stay top of mind, by reaching beyond intent signals and building familiarity before demand kicks in. 3. Brand Without Performance = Wasted Potential If your brand is strong but your marketing doesn’t convert, you’re just a pretty face with no influence. People know you, but they don’t choose you. 4. Performance Without Brand = Race to the Bottom If you’re always chasing clicks without a clear brand story, you’re one discount away from irrelevance. Cheaper competitor? You lose. No emotional differentiation? You’re forgettable. Data + Creativity = The New Power Couple Performance Branding is not “branding with KPIs.” It’s creativity that performs. It’s when your ads get attention and action. It’s when your campaigns are optimised, but not sterile. It’s when your message cuts through, not just because of the algorithm—but because it’s memorable and meaningful. Think about it this way: Marketing fills your pipeline today. Branding makes sure that next quarter, people still remember who you are. Performance Branding makes sure both happen. And in a world of B2B sameness, where features blur and products copy each other overnight...your brand is often the only thing that sets you apart. Final thought: It’s time to stop choosing between performance and brand. You need both. Not in conflict. In harmony.

Too often there is an over reliance on performance marketing and data with branding and long term strategies pushed to the side or totally disregarded. Over reliance on performance marketing is like trying to fly with one engine. We can only drive real long growth and success when we bring these two prongs together in a way that resonates with customers.

🚨 Are We Chasing the Wrong Numbers? Thank you Martin Zarian, for highlighting a critical point: too many B2B companies focus on leads, clicks, downloads, and form, while the real goal, building trust and meaningful relationships, often gets overlooked. From my experience, chasing numbers can feel productive… until you realize those leads rarely convert into loyal customers/followers. 💡 Lesson learned: Focus on relationships first, leads will follow. Martin, I’d love to hear your thoughts: how do you balance short-term lead metrics with long-term relationship building? #RelationshipMarketing #CustomerRelationships #B2BMarketing #TrustBuilding #LongTermGrowth #MarketingStrategy

Performance alone is a short-sighted sugar rush. 🍭 Brand without performance is wasted potential. 🗑️ Good article -> even more impressive carousel from Martin Zarian reminding us all to stop 🛑 choosing between performance and brand. The companies that integrate both stand out and scale.

Absolutely agree 👍🏻 In today’s crowded B2B space, it’s not about choosing between performance or brand — it’s about blending both. Performance Branding is the smart balance between short-term results and long-term value.

B2B marketing is having an identity crisis. And honestly? It's about time.... I've been watching B2B brands tie themselves in knots trying to be "LinkedIn thought leaders" while simultaneously churning out the same recycled content about AI and leadership lessons from someone I've never heard of. Here's what's actually happening in B2B right now: The performance theater is cracking. Everyone's optimizing for engagement metrics that don't correlate with pipeline. We've built entire marketing departments around vanity metrics while the sales team quietly wonders what marketing actually do all day. Attribution has made us stupid. We can track everything, so we optimize everything, which means we've forgotten how to build a brand that people might actually want to buy from when they're finally ready. Peter Field's research shows B2B has swung too far into short-term activation, and surprise - it's not working. But here's the interesting bit: A few B2B brands are breaking out. They're doing work that's genuinely distinctive, emotionally engaging, and - wild concept - memorable. They've realized that "B2B buyers are also humans" isn't just a conference talk platitude, it's the entire strategy. The uncomfortable truth? Most of us need to delete about 80% of what we're currently doing and invest that energy into work that might actually move the needle. One genuinely great campaign beats 50 mediocre activations. B2B marketing isn't broken. But the way we're measuring it, incentivizing it, and doing it definitely is.

Navigating the Complexities of B2B Marketing: Essential Perspective for CEOs' Company Success Today’s B2B marketing landscape is more complex than ever before. As a CEO, understanding these complexities at a high level can help you make informed decisions around your best first steps when it comes to making a more serious investment in marketing and choosing the marketing model that best fits your company. Here are some of the ways B2B marketing today is more complex than ever before: The explosion of B2B Marketing Channels: The sheer number of marketing channels now available – from traditional print and broadcast media to digital platforms such as social media, search engines, email marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, and more – can be overwhelming. Each channel requires its own strategy, approach, nuances, and understanding of best practices. Plus, the technology and requirements of each of these channels are constantly changing and evolving, and what worked last year may no longer work this year. Constantly Evolving B2B Marketing Technology: New tools and technologies are continually emerging, each promising to transform the way you do marketing. However, with so many options, it can be challenging to decide which ones are right for your business. Moreover, integrating these technologies and ensuring they work together efficiently is a task in itself. Heightened Customer Expectations: Today’s B2B buyers are more demanding than ever before. They expect personalized, relevant experiences that align with their unique needs and preferences. Meeting these expectations requires a deep understanding of your target audience and the ability to deliver the right message at the right time. Changing Buyer Behaviour: The way B2B buyers prefer to consume information and move along the buyer’s journey is changing. This means that marketing methods that worked even one year ago may no longer work today. It also means that every small marketing detail is very important. It’s tough to keep up with these changes and understand what’s working today, what’s not working, and why. Skill Gaps: Modern marketing requires a wide range of skills, from strategy development and positioning to data analysis to content creation, SEO, social media management, and more. Building an expert team that covers all these areas can be time-consuming and expensive, and evaluating these skills can be challenging as well. Regulatory Challenges: As privacy concerns rise globally, understanding and complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA become critical. Non-compliance can lead to penalties or damage to your company’s reputation. Let us help: https://bit.ly/3E0EjcN #fractionalCMO #b2bmarketing #newtomarketing #marketingstrategy

Navigating the Complexities of B2B Marketing: Essential Perspective for CEOs' Company Success Today’s B2B marketing landscape is more complex than ever before. As a CEO, understanding these complexities at a high level can help you make informed decisions around your best first steps when it comes to making a more serious investment in marketing and choosing the marketing model that best fits your company. Here are some of the ways B2B marketing today is more complex than ever before: >>The explosion of B2B Marketing Channels:  The sheer number of marketing channels now available – from traditional print and broadcast media to digital platforms such as social media, search engines, email marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, and more – can be overwhelming. Each channel requires its own strategy, approach, nuances, and understanding of best practices. Plus, the technology and requirements of each of these channels are constantly changing and evolving, and what worked last year may no longer work this year. >>Constantly Evolving B2B Marketing Technology:  New tools and technologies are continually emerging, each promising to transform the way you do marketing. However, with so many options, it can be challenging to decide which ones are right for your business. Moreover, integrating these technologies and ensuring they work together efficiently is a task in itself. >>Heightened Customer Expectations:  Today’s B2B buyers are more demanding than ever before. They expect personalized, relevant experiences that align with their unique needs and preferences. Meeting these expectations requires a deep understanding of your target audience and the ability to deliver the right message at the right time. >>Changing Buyer Behaviour:  The way B2B buyers prefer to consume information and move along the buyer’s journey is changing. This means that marketing methods that worked even one year ago may no longer work today. It also means that every small marketing detail is very important. It’s tough to keep up with these changes and understand what’s working today, what’s not working, and why. >>Skill Gaps:  Modern marketing requires a wide range of skills, from strategy development and positioning to data analysis to content creation, SEO, social media management, and more. Building an expert team that covers all these areas can be time-consuming and expensive, and evaluating these skills can be challenging as well. >>Regulatory Challenges:  As privacy concerns rise globally, understanding and complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA become critical. Non-compliance can lead to penalties or damage to your company’s reputation. Let us help: https://bit.ly/3E0EjcN #fractionalCMO #b2bmarketing #newtomarketing #marketingstrategy