B2B Growth Isn't Just About Leads: Why Investing in Brand Is Your Best Strategy

There's a persistent myth in B2B marketing: Performance marketing drives growth, while brand building is a nice-to-have.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Recent research from LinkedIn and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute's How B2B Brands Grow, reveals a clear message for B2B leaders: Brand and performance aren’t rivals, they are essential partners.

If you still view brand investment as optional, especially in uncertain times, you're not just playing it safe—you’re risking your future growth.

The Science Behind B2B Brand Growth

For years, B2B marketers have been told that success lies in hyper-targeting, nurturing loyalty, and focusing on short-term conversions. But the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute's research flips this thinking on its head:

• Growth comes from customer acquisition, not loyalty.
• Mental and Physical Availability, being easy to think of and easy to buy, are the fundamental drivers of market share.
• Brands don’t grow by being "better" or "different," but by being consistently visible and memorable across all buying situations.

This isn’t theory, it’s backed by decades of data.

Consider the 95-5 Rule: 95% of your potential B2B customers aren’t in-market at any given time. If your marketing only targets those ready to buy today, you ignore the vast majority who will make decisions months or years from now.

Brand marketing's role is to build memory structures so that when buyers enter the market, your brand is top of mind.

Brand Rejection Is Rare, Obscurity Is Your Real Enemy

Another key insight from the research is that lack of awareness, not negative perception, is the biggest barrier to growth.

Across B2B categories, fewer than 1 in 10 decision-makers actively reject a brand. The real issue? Most potential buyers don’t know your brand exists or don’t recall it when it matters most.

So, instead of obsessing over "fixing" perceived flaws or over-investing in loyalty programs, B2B marketers should focus on expanding reach and building mental availability—connecting their brand to a wide range of buying situations, known as Category Entry Points (CEPs).

Performance Marketing Works Better with Brand Support

A recent study from Tracksuit complements this by showing how performance marketing thrives when underpinned by strong brand equity:

• Brands with high mental availability enjoy lower acquisition costs.
• Familiar brands convert better because they’ve already earned trust.
• Emotional, consistent branding improves campaign ROI across all channels.

Think of brand investment as a force multiplier for your performance efforts.

Take Salesforce ’s Trailblazer campaign as a case study. Although a household name, Salesforce realised that fame alone wasn’t enough. By focusing on mental availability—using distinctive brand assets like Astro and Codey to connect emotionally across multiple buying situations—they doubled brand metrics and fueled long-term growth.

Four Steps B2B Marketers Should Take Today

1. Invest in Consistent, Broad-Reach Branding
2. Align Marketing to Mental & Physical Availability
3. Stop Over-Prioritising Loyalty
4. Play the Long Game

Brand and Performance: Better Together

In uncertain economic times, it’s tempting for B2B businesses to retreat into short-term performance tactics. But history, science, and modern platforms like TikTok show us that those who continue to invest in their brand emerge stronger.

If you want resilience, market share growth, and better-performing campaigns, it’s time to stop viewing brand and performance as separate. They are two sides of the same coin.

So, ask yourself: Is your brand easy to think of? Easy to buy? If not, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

Let’s build brands that last—and perform.

If you're curious how Human Digital helps B2B businesses integrate brand and performance for sustainable growth, get in touch with us!