Hey – Rob here.

I've been in a writing funk. Not in terms of ideas, but format. Producing loads without discipline doesn't cut it for me. I'm not built for indulgence.

So, here's a return to the roots. Based on an old topic. Just enough words.

B2B. And how boring and bleh it all feels, most of the time.

Except it doesn't have to, and there's a huge market opportunity for any of us who dare to find the unsexy stuff and attempt to make it sexy. Not a lot more sexy. Just 10% more. Given the bar is subterranean, it's enough.

I've spent 3 hours reviewing everything I know about B2B effectiveness. It's now a 10-point list you can take to your next meeting. Pick n' mix time:

1. In 2024, B2B ads cost $38 billion (Statista). But only 15% of ads are distinctive (Ipsos). If we win by being memorable, we're pissing away money and for little to no return. Someone will ask questions.
2. 95% of B2B buyers are out of market at any given time (WARC). As of 2024, the average time for a B2B sales cycle is 379 days (Dentsu). Anyone who thinks they're not playing the long game is delusional.
3. 81% of B2B buyers buy a brand they knew of on Day 1 (Bain & LinkedIn). B2B brand fame campaigns deliver 2.2 ROI, vs 0.7 for activation (B2B Institute). Forgetfulness is the real wastage.
4. 70% of B2B decisions are emotional, or a mix of emotional and rational (B2B Institute). A wrong move will cost you money, but also reputation among peers. Now tell me again business isn't personal.
5. 10% extra share of voice causes B2B market share to rise by 0.7% p.a. (B2B Institute), but 75% of B2B ads score poorly on emotional engagement (B2B Institute & System1). Good ideas are important but not sufficient. You need to invest in them sufficiently to win.
6. 97% of B2B marketers want to humanise their brand, only 26% do it (Allison+Partners). 71% of B2B marketers say they have a USP, 68% of buyers disagree (Dentsu). Your brand is what people say it is.
7. 47% of campaigns with a clear Promise To The Customer grow brand health vs 19% without, 44% grow penetration vs 36% without, and 20% grow market share vs 7% without (WARC). It's kinda insane that you stand out by making a promise you deliver.
8. 77% of attendees trusted a brand more after an interaction at a live event, and 70% felt more knowledgeable after exposure to a brand at a live event (Freeman Trust Report). Live events might be one of the last few AI-proof routes to market. IPA budget data agrees.
9. Delayed B2B opportunities cost $1.9tn (Dentsu). 84% of Account Based Marketing users reported improved reputation and 69% growth in revenue (WARC). Knowing how to follow up with people without getting annoying as fuck is the new B2B CX playground.
10. Brands that grow trust report 65% more business effects (IPA). People are 14% more likely to buy from a trusted brand, trusted companies outperform their sector by 6%, and by 11% in a crisis (Edelman). When AI slop destroys shared reality, trust beats trends.

If you want to share this list with your boss, peers or enemies, use this link.

Keep swimming,

Rob Estreitinho

Founder of Salmon Labs, a strategy studio