how to capture the imagination with your marketing · advertisers push content toward prospects in...

How tocapture the imagination

with your marketing

[double b] design + copy

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http://www.doubleb-design.com

IMAGINATION | B2B TECH | PRODUCT | BRAND | YOUR STORY WANT MORE?

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we capture the imagination of our prospects in the stories we tell.

These stories can then impact our product marketing and our brand.

We’ll see how in the following sections:

• stories spark our imagination

• what’s the story in b2b tech?

• the product is not the brand

• bring brand stories back

• how to tell your story

Just suppose...

https://www.doubleb-design.com/blog



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Everyone has experienced the flicker of fancy sparked by a story.

Stories are used to share and interpret experiences, to inspire or

teach us things like ethics, morals or cultural values, to persuade,

influence or foster empathy and community.

Stories spark our imagination

Stories are important because:• Stories shape how others see you• Stories are memorable• Stories can persuade others to action




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When we make a connection with a story, we also innately

connect with the storyteller.

Stories work by engaging our temporal lobe...

A good story releases chemicals in the brain which regulate attention span, stress, pleasure, and empathy.

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..which processes complex language.

A story isREMEMBERED

than facts alone.Stanford University Research

22 -times more

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The goal for storytelling in marketing is to make that connection

with your audience first and foremost—before ever trying to promote

a product or service.

But today’s marketplace is crowded, especially in the business-

to-business (b2b) tech space.

What’s the story with b2b tech?

$113.1 BILLION 75%

CUSTOMERS$90.7 BILLION

SaaS cloud applications (Software as a Service)

IaaS & PaaS (Internet and Platform as a Service)

Technology application and services market growth by 2021:Gartner Research

Prefer to buy via app or website without any salesperson engagement

Forrester Research




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Alongside the digital product boom, online technologies shifted

the way we market. Every online search, click, download, chat or

purchase gave marketers insight into the buyer’s persona and

online behavior. Channels and influencers now had to be considered

strategically as a way to break through the noise and clutter of an

ever-deafening din of online messaging.

The result of all this change over time has been the shift to a very product-centric message.

Brand Led PushAdvertisers push content toward prospects in an

obtrusive way hoping they may have a need to buy.

Push versus pull marketing:Digital technologies track online behavior and feed the marketing machine, resulting in a product-centric focus.

Consumer Led PullConsumers pull content and resources to help

them do their job and will buy when they are ready.




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This is all great. This messaging is relevant to what people want.

We learn to market products in terms of the problems they solve or

how the product will make the user’s job easier, faster, better.

But products are fleeting. A new one is always around the corner.

Bells and whistles seek to attract the audience and the decision comes

down to a brutal line-by-line comparison of one product over another.

Where’s the soul in that? What happened to the brand?

Products are fleeting...Feature comparisons are ever-changing and can devalue the brand.

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The product is not the brand

Sources of brand power:• Science = data• Art = creativity• Craft = purpose

We know that people purchase based on emotion. (Yes, even in

b2b tech marketing!) Once made, people then use logic or data to

justify and validate their decision. Especially in more crowded

product spaces, companies must work harder to not get lost in

the product shuffle.

The modern business must seek to define a brand proposition

(offer + emotion) that becomes associated not just with the product

but is integral to the company itself—to the brand.

“Data shows, as choices and channels increase, brand trustworthiness

is more important than ever to consumers.”

MsKinsey & Company, Global Consultancy Research




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Bad Examples Good Examples

Polaroid = lacked vision Slack = helpful collaboration at work

Blockbuster = missed trends MailChimp = marketing that’s quirky and playful

Netscape = ignored competition Amazon = revolutionary delivery of choice

One way to illustrate that product does not trump brand

is to look at some past business failures. These brands’ sole focus

on product resulted in a failure to invest in emerging technologies,

caused them to miss market trends, or to ignore competitive threats

that pushed them out of business.

On the other hand, other players are nailing the digital marketing

game by touting more than their product virtues and establishing

strong brand equity.

Product plus brand winsYour brand proposition combines both offer and emotion.




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Check out these successful b2b campaigns with a focus on people-led stories:

Moo: https://www.moo.com/blog/category/interviews

Zendesk: https://www.zendesk.com/repeatcustomer/

Cisco: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/wearecisco

Critics of b2b marketing say there is a failure to connect with users

on a personal level. Businesses lack personality; it’s quite literally

like one business talking to another business—think concrete walls!

But people buy from people. So b2b marketers must talk

directly to their consumers, as people. Relating back to the magic

of story-telling, why not flip the script from product-led stories

to people-led stories?

Bring brand storytelling back



https://www.moo.com/blog/category/interviews

https://www.zendesk.com/repeatcustomer/

https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/wearecisco


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Tell people-centric stories in these ways.

1. Build Community: Championing your users.

• Create user groups, online forums, training events• Evangelize via content, speaking, other events• Foster engagement via social media, sponsorships, culture

Brands are a combination of tangible and intangible elements:

• Visual design elements logo, color, typography, images, tagline, packaging, etc.

• Distinctive product features quality, design sensibility, personality, etc.

• Intangible aspects of customers’ experience with a product or company reputation, customer experience, etc.

WHAT MAKES A BRAND




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2. Embrace a Cause: Cause-related branding is especially

powerful in reaching the millennial market. Focus your stories

around the people working on your cause or benefiting from

it. Let your people stories inspire.

3. Strengthen Culture: Attracting the best employees can

mean a competitive edge. Tell people-led stories about your

employees. Define your company values and communicate

them well and consistently. Your brand will be influenced by

every customer touch-point along their buying journey.

4. Consistency is Key: Brand lies in the opinion of the

consumer. To influence the heck out of it, consistency is key.

Think of brand as a look, feel, voice, and personality. Be sure

all the elements come together cohesively to tell one simple

truth about your brand.

Then do it over and over again.




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Take a self-audit of your own marketing. How are you doing?

Do you use storytelling to inspire and to be remembered? Are you

focused on more than your product offering to tap into community

and emotions and to differentiate your brand? Do you have a

clearly defined brand personality, voice, culture and supporting

messaging to communicate it consistently?

This is how you capture the imaginative power of a story

that will make your brand thrive—from beginning to...

How to tell your story

Messaging Architecture

Brand Story - positioning, offering + emotion

Brand Pillar Messages - differentiators

Persona Messages - audience needs/problems

Product or Platform Messages - specific solution offering + emotion

Campaign Messages - limited-time (outside evergreen or overall brand)

the end.



[double b] is a solo-owned boutique agency with expertise in b2b tech marketing.

I specialize in combining words and images with sound strategies to

help you build a brand that people will love.

If I can lend a hand in putting a story and visual voice to your

brand marketing, from concept, copy, to design,

just give me a call.

“Storytelling is the most underrated skill.

You can have a great product, but a compelling story puts the

company into motion.”

Ben Horowitz, Forbes interview


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