In the B2B sector, purchase decisions are high stakes. The sales cycle is long. And your audience is overwhelmed with options.
That’s why a strong brand isn’t just nice to have — it’s a business imperative. According to Boston Consulting Group:
- Robust brands deliver 74% higher return on marketing investment
- They own 46% more market share
- Stronger brands see a range of additional benefits, including more sales and cross-sell opportunities, in addition to increased brand awareness
Combined with the fact that B2B buyers often see purchase decisions as career-defining, and it’s clear that trust, familiarity and perception aren’t soft metrics. They’re deal drivers.
5 Key Tactics for a Successful B2B Brand Awareness Campaign
Strong B2B brands don’t just stand out — they outperform. With high-value purchases on the line and long sales cycles at play, brand awareness isn’t just about visibility. It’s about building familiarity, trust and emotional resonance that influence decision-makers at every stage of the buying journey.
The tactics below translate neuroscience, narrative strategy and media planning into actionable brand-building moves that drive real business outcomes.
1. Leverage the Senses to Improve Recall
Multi-sensory campaigns form stronger memories, according to neuroscience. Articles citing academic research — including insights from a Boston University professor and New York Times contributors — note that stories activate multiple areas of the brain, not just the language center.
Use that to your advantage. Create campaigns that combine:
- Sight + sound (e.g., paid media opportunities such as video ads, CTV, podcasts)
- Language that evokes texture, sound and emotion
- A mix of high-impact (video, audio) and high-frequency (display, programmatic) placements
This layered approach improves memory retention — and creates a more immersive brand experience.
2. Use Storytelling to Build Emotional Connection
We’re wired for storytelling. Studies by Dr. Paul Zak show that compelling narratives trigger the release of oxytocin, the “trust hormone,” which influences behavior and decision-making.
Effective brand awareness campaigns:
- Put your audience (not your product) at the center
- Use narrative arcs, not just benefits or features
- Drive emotion through tone, pacing and character
Still not convinced about the value of storytelling for advancing your brand? Then consider this: Joe Lazauskas, co-author of The Storytelling Edge, notes that compelling stories can trigger a fivefold increase in neural activity fivefold — essentially turning your messaging into a mental cityscape.
3. Activate Multiple Touchpoints to Drive Recall
The brain tends to forget quickly — but repetition reinforces memory. That’s the principle behind Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve, which shows that we forget new information unless it’s reinforced.
The most successful B2B brand campaigns account for this by:
- Using spaced repetition across B2B marketing channels
- Mixing formats to avoid ad fatigue (e.g., pairing video with B2B display advertising and audio)
- Timing media to align with intent signals or buyer stages
It’s really a simple formula: more touchpoints = stronger brand salience.
4. Differentiate — or Risk Blending In
According to Gartner, while 71% of marketers believe their brand messaging is distinct, 68% of customers say all brands in a category sound the same. One of the primary reasons for this dissonance is ad interference — when similar messaging from multiple brands blends together.
To combat the effects ad interference, marketers must:
- Develop clear, ownable positioning
- Use visual and verbal distinctiveness
- Invest in strong media placements and sequencing
It’s not enough to say you’re different — your campaign has to prove it.
5. Reach the Entire Buying Committee
B2B purchases are rarely solo decisions. On average, six to 10 people are involved in a typical buying group, each with different priorities and pain points.
In fact, research from CEB shows that building consensus is one of the hardest parts of the B2B journey, and much of it happens before sales is even looped in.
Your brand campaign should:
- Tailor messaging to each role in the buying group
- Use media targeting to reach decision-makers, influencers and gatekeepers
- Align your brand value to both emotional and rational drivers
Measuring Brand Awareness Outcomes
Brand initiatives don’t live in a vacuum, you can effectively measure their impact. Here’s how:
Brand Awareness & Brand Lift Studies
Brand lift studies are the gold standard for quantifying brand recall and perception. Many platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, YouTube) offer brand lift studies with spend thresholds. Agencies can also offer these studies.
Lift studies are valuable because they answer questions like whether people remember your brand, or whether brand perception has shifted after a campaign — information you need to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts.
Proxy Metrics for Awareness
If a formal study isn’t in scope, there are metrics your team can track on their own. Keep an eye on changes in:
- Branded search volume
- Website traffic and time on site
- Social media followers, shares and engagement
- Earned media or brand mentions (e.g., via Google Alerts)
Sales Signals
Brand awareness isn’t the only factor driving deals, but it influences them. Monitoring metrics such as deal velocity, close rates and sales cycle length can also help you measure the success of your brand campaigns.If these metrics improve, it’s a directional signal of success.
Case Study: commercetools Captures Attention With a Bold Narrative
commercetools needed to stand out in a crowded commerce tech market dominated by legacy platforms. At Walker Sands, we worked with them to bring the “Naysayer” to life — a creative concept that personified outdated competitors as curmudgeonly skeptics stuck in the past.
We supported the campaign with strategic placements across paid social, digital and OOH — including targeted messaging at key industry events.
The results speak for themselves:
- A 308% increase in brand conversations on LinkedIn and X (3,200% during launch week)
- 100+ new followers in one day
- 98% positive online sentiment
- Features in AdWeek, The Drum and MediaPost
You can read the full case study here for more information.
Final Thoughts: Awareness Is a Growth Lever
Successful brands don’t happen by accident. They’re built through intentional storytelling, smart media strategies and rigorous measurement.
When executed well, a B2B brand awareness campaign does more than improve perception and reputation — it improves performance.
Want to build a brand that drives results? Let’s talk outcomes.
FAQs
What’s the difference between aided and unaided recall?
Aided recall means someone recognizes your brand when prompted. Unaided recall means they recall your brand without a prompt — a key goal of awareness campaigns.
What is brand salience?
It’s how easily and often your brand comes to mind when your audience is ready to buy.
What makes a strong B2B brand?
A strong B2B brand needs a strong B2B brand identity. This includes clear positioning, emotional resonance, creative storytelling and consistency across every touchpoint.
What is the “rule of 7”?
The idea that it takes seven impressions before a buyer takes action. Whether the number is exact or not, the principle holds: Repetition fuels recognition.
