As Indians, we are too quick to stereotype people, culture, things etc. Similarly, when it comes to communicating in the B2B segment, we tend to fit it in a box where the communication is thought to be serious and straightforward. But not to your surprise though, it’s not true!

The way people get influenced and behave while looking for products in the B2C segment is the same as when businesses look for their product. So, not just features and prices but creativity and storytelling along with brand building are equally important for brands to relate to its potential buyers in B2B segments.

As per a research done in New York in 2019 by marketing consultants Peter Field and Les Binet, head of effectiveness at Adam& EveDDB, ideally B2B brands should on average spend 46% on marketing and 54% on lead generation (ref- https://www.marketingweek.com/b2b-brands-invest-brand-marketing/). On the contrary B2B brands spend significantly less than this ratio on brand building but the research eventually deduce that a rise is seen in investment when there’s growth in business.

Binet and Field are known for their work in the B2C segment and their 2013 book ‘The Long and The Short of It’.

Storytelling is an integral part that drives a buyer’s decision to buy a certain product from a certain brand or not. This includes B2B as well as B2C. Because, as humans we look for relatability, a cause to believe in, an idea to resonate with.

Those brands which have both B2B and B2C segments operating simultaneously, one can take both the communication with similar approaches. Relating with customers on an emotional base is a key to communication for both segments. Brands must go for long term branding, which will eventually help them in achieving customer attention and loyalty. If one sees, B2B needs more emphasis on awareness and building an image of brand because customers in this segment have more at stake than one in the B2C segment.

We have had quite a few opportunities to work with clients that are mainly B2B. Honestly, it was good to see them investing in their brand to create an identity for them. Because be it B2B or B2C, a brand is always got to be a brand!

Recently, we got an opportunity to work with Jindal Stainless Lifestyle Limited (JSLL), an arm of Jindal Group which is the largest integrated steel manufacturer of India. Jindal Stainless Lifestyle Limited has four major verticals- Value Engineering catering to OEM services, JSLL Mobility – serving to the public sector, majorly Indian Railways and Delhi Metro, JSLL Plumbing – delivering plumbing and sanitation solutions and JSLL Infra – targeting Urban development projects.

JSLL, operates in the B2B segment. And as mentioned above, B2B communication can get trapped in the box of plain and rational communication. But in every B2B brand, there’s always something that you can take advantage of. For JSLL, picking that element was easy- STEEL. As their primary product is steel and it is widely used in India, our communication strategy was based on exploring how we can market steel by connecting it with people. With our creative team, we devised campaigns that targeted positioning steel as an ultimate redeemer from other materials in the market that are hazardous.

Apart from the digital campaigns, we also had to showcase its products. Here, we extended the brand language, so as to create a synergy which can give the brand a strong recall value. With colour palettes and the design, a constant theme was maintained. We also designed brochures and newsletters for all the four verticals with an informative and connective tonality.

As much like any B2C Brand, we tried to give JSLL a structure and design that would resonate with its potential buyers.