B2B marketing is boring, right?

 

 

Well, if you believe that you’re in the wrong place. B2B marketing can be boring, sure, but so can any industry if you try hard enough. Of course, for too long far too many B2B brands have been approaching it all wrong.

 

 

It doesn’t matter if it’s B2B, B2C, or a BLT—all marketing is done to people. And it’ll stay that way until the Cylons take over as they did in Battlestar Galactica. And even then, I’m sure some robots will have a sense of humour.

 

 

While it’s true that 48% of B2B consumers are bored and tired of seeing the same old B2B marketing, it’s also true that that means there is a big opportunity for those who are willing to break the mold. So today, we’re sharing 10 top-tier B2B marketing campaign examples that not only break the stereotypes—they also saw serious results.

 

 

Here are 10 iconic B2B marketing campaigns for you to learn from.

 

 

#10 – Logitech’s April Fools Ad

 

In 2018, Logitech shared an advertisement for a new speaker that could detect BS, aka “Business Speak.” Unfortunately, it’s not a real product and the video was uploaded on April 1st—but it resonated with a lot of people.

 

 

Now, while Logitech straddles the line between B2B and B2C, this campaign was very clearly speaking to executives and upper management teams who are tired of hearing the same overused phrases again and again.

 

 

It was funny, witty, and gave us all a good laugh. 

 

 

#9 – Sweet Fish Media’s Podcast

 

Another B2B marketing strategy we love comes from Sweet Fish Media, a podcasting company that yup—you guessed it—has its own podcast. Now, of course, this makes sense that they would create a podcast to show off their services. But there’s more to it than just that.

 

 

What’s also genius here is who they have on the podcast. Sweet Fish Media is strategic in that they invite their ideal clients onto the show to share advice with their listeners. Not only is this a great way to make an introduction, but it’s also brilliant because you’re offering so much value to your prospect from the start of the relationship. 

 

 

#8 – Drift’s use of Live Chat

 

Instead of using email, Drift decided to do something different. First, it’s also worth noting they’re the pioneer behind the #NoForms movement, which proposes highlighting alternative approaches to lead gen.

 

 

Instead of your typical email opt-in form, they went against the grain with live chat. They found that 63% of folks opened that chat box on their pricing page and started a convo with the sales rep. That’s a lot better than your typical lead capture form which gets click rates of 2-3%.

 

 

#7 – Cisco’s Graphic Novel

 

Wanna talk about unconventional marketing tactics? Then this one will scratch that itch. 

 

 

Instead of making another generic white paper, Cisco decided to do something a little different. The company created a comic book that shared the story of a security officer who was learning all the vulnerabilities companies face and how they can overcome them.  

 

 

Just because some B2B brands work in “boring” industries—doesn’t mean you can’t make it fun.

 

 

#6 – Dropbox for Business 

 

We all know marketing to marketers is difficult. So, to tackle that challenge DropBox knew they had to think outside the box (pun intended). 

 

 

After doing some market research, DropBox learned one of the biggest issues marketing teams face is personality clashes. Communication and internal team issues were huge reasons for project delays. To help, Dropbox released the Marketing Dynamix—a personality assessment tool that helped marketers better understand their team.

 

 

They saw a huge number of shares on social media (over 12 million impressions to be exact). They even went on to receive the LinkedIn 2018 Marketing Award for it.

 

 

#5 – SAP’s Sapphire Now Event

 

Another great B2B marketing example comes from SAP, which proved that B2B marketers can still make use of influencer marketing. For their 20,000+ event, Sapphire, the company decided to change things up and promote it through a B2B influencer marketing strategy. 

 

 

As a result, they quadrupled the size of the event to over 80,000+ people. Their Facebook Live strategy also helped them scale the event to reach a lot of new people and include everyone who couldn’t attend the event in person.

 

 

#4 – HubSpot Academy

 

When it comes to content marketing for B2B—HubSpot is a leader. They created the Hubspot Academy back in 2016 and it’s done wonders for their company since then.

 

 

By sharing high-value resources for completely free, HubSpot exploded its revenue in the last decade. In 2010, they were earning $15.6 million each year, and now in 2018, they’re reached a whopping $513 million.

 

 

#3 – MintMobile’s PowerPoint  

 

Now, Ryan Reynolds used to own the ad agency, Maximum Effort made this one. However, it’s not technically a B2B example. Still, we could see this same idea working with a B2B audience just the same.

 

 

The ad starts with Ryan Reynolds boasting about the epic ad they were going to do before the pandemic hit. Then, he goes on to share a silly PowerPoint presentation with his classic sass. It’s simple, (was) timely, and made us laugh at a time we all needed it most.

 

 

It’s a great reminder that even a good ‘ol fashioned ppt can get the job done and you don’t need a massive budget to have massive impact. 

 

 

#2 – Quick Books “Backing You” Campaign

 

For the last few years now, Quick Books has been targeting small businesses with excellent accounting software. They even partnered with Danny Devito for a number of ads where he teaches viewers how simple it really is to use.

 

 

And that’s just one half of the story. Quick Books also went on to make a collection of GIFs with Danny Devito that anyone can use. As a result, they got over 15 million views in 2019 alone.

 

 

#1 – Slack’s “So Yeah, We Tried Slack …” Campaign 

 

Finally, we had to shout out Slack’s viral mockumentary featuring one of their “clients” Sandwich, Inc. An agency that used Slack to improve their communication which is depicted in their video case study.

 

 

The script is witty, the characters are relatable, and you can really see the production value that went into it all. Seriously, did Wes Anderson direct this? Because it’s very well done and we loved every second of it.

 

 

Key Takeaways 

 

Whatever your industry, there are tons of excellent examples of B2B marketing campaigns to learn from. And the biggest lesson is this. B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boring. You can absolutely have fun with it, poke fun at yourself, and even create a graphic novel if you want to do so.

 

 

At the end of the day, marketing has to speak to people no matter what your company does. If you forget that, you aren’t going to get anywhere.

 

 

With ScaleUpSales, you’re assured of curated copy that drives engagement and generates leads. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!