What Ogilvy knew about B2B buyers that marketers forgot
The buyer has a spreadsheet. The decision is still emotional.
A while ago, we were choosing an LED wall supplier for a major industry event. The first quote was expensive, so Finance did what Finance should do and asked us to test the market. Cheaper options appeared quickly. One cost almost half as much, which looked excellent until we examined what was actually included. It covered only three days, used a weaker processor and could not meet the installation window. Another supplier had screens that had been heavily used for roughly five years.
The option we chose was not the cheapest. It covered the full five days, used screens that were around six months old, included a better processor, could install when we needed it and came with a technician on standby. On the spreadsheet, we had rejected a saving. In the room, we had paid to reduce the chance of a black screen greeting thousands of visitors while everyone searched for the person who approved it.
That is what B2B buying looks like once the procurement theatre ends.
David Ogilvy wrote
The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.
The wording belongs to another era, but the point still holds. Customers deserve respect. They want useful information, and they can see through slogans dressed up as substance. Ogilvy did not believe facts made advertising dull. He believed dull advertising made facts easier to ignore.
B2B marketing somehow split that idea in two and lost both halves. One camp produces feature tables, ROI calculators and white papers dense enough to stop a door. The other hears that buyers are emotional and responds with cinematic brand films, founder confessionals and photographs of people staring thoughtfully through office windows.
The buyer still has a decision to defend.
In our supplier choice, the technical details mattered because each one translated into a human consequence. Older screens meant a greater chance of failure. A weaker processor could reduce the quality of what appeared on them. A missed installation window could derail the stand before the event opened. The standby technician mattered because problems do not check whether support has finished for the day.
Nobody gets praised for choosing an LED wall that stays on. That is what it is supposed to do. But choose one that goes black during the busiest hour and your name develops surprising levels of recall.
This is the emotional layer of B2B buying. It is rarely the emotion marketers like putting into mood boards. The buyer is managing fear, status, workload and blame. They want confidence that the supplier will turn up, relief that somebody understands the operational mess, and enough proof to explain the decision when Finance asks why the cheapest quote was rejected.
Trying to win that person with a spreadsheet alone is like trying to seduce someone with a tax return. Impressive preparation. Strange understanding of the problem.
The strongest B2B marketing connects facts to consequences. Do not say the equipment is newer and leave it there. Explain what newer equipment reduces. Do not say support is included. Show who answers, how quickly and what happens when something fails. A case study matters because it lets the buyer point to someone else who made the same decision and survived. A clear implementation plan gives them fewer unknowns to defend internally.
This is also why familiar suppliers often beat better ones. The incumbent can fail quietly because everyone already understands its problems. A new supplier fails loudly. Changing vendor creates work, meetings and accountability. The challenger has to prove that the risk of changing is lower than the cost of staying where you are.
Making B2B marketing less boring helps, but boredom is only the symptom. The deeper problem is that marketers often write for an imaginary company instead of the people inside it. Companies care about cost, reliability and performance. People care about those things too, along with what the decision will do to their week, their reputation and their chances of being blamed.
Ogilvy knew the buyer was intelligent but B2B marketers forgot the buyer was exposed.
See you out there.
Martin
Go Deeper
Check out these hand-picked resources:
Recommended Books
Confessions of an Advertising Man
Good Reads:
The Harvard Business Review - The B2B Elements of Value: This article is about understanding what B2B buyers value. It discusses the importance of understanding both the rational and emotional factors that influence B2B purchases. Businesses need to consider these factors to avoid becoming a commodity.
The Harvard Business Review - What Do Your B2B Customers Really Want?: This is an article about understanding B2B customer needs. It discusses the importance of considering psychological factors in addition to rational ones. The author argues that focusing on autonomy, relatedness, and mastery can improve customer service.
B2B branding is boring, but it doesn’t have to be: The author argues that B2B companies can improve their branding by focusing on the emotional impact of their brand.
Outstanding. Businesses don't buy, people do -- that's the bottom line. Anyone who masters David Ogilvy and the bonus Rory Sutherland principles is light years ahead of the pack.
Love when you recommend books in the end.