Creativity is a topic that continues to generate more questions than answers. Indeed, the very meaning of the word defies neat definitions. But one thing at least seems certain: creativity is key to the effectiveness of B2B marketing communications and brand building.

And while there are countless books, articles and blogs on the topic of creativity in marketing, relatively few actually engage with professional creatives themselves—with the men and women whose daily job is to ensure campaigns are fresh, memorable and engaging.

To redress the balance, CBC Creative Director Jeppe Grangaard and his colleague Senior Art Director Bent Høier took some time out to discuss creativity from the perspective of practicing creatives. Speaking from CBC HQ in central Copenhagen, the two B2B creative specialists discuss what the term means to them, and how it informs the work they produce for clients.

The three-legged stool: A model for B2B brand creativity

As one might expect from a Creative Director with more than three decades as a B2B creative, Jeppe Grangaard uses a visual image to illustrate his thinking. “In the context of brand building, a creative concept can be visualised as a three-legged stool. One leg is distinctive in a positive way that is consistent with a brand’s tone of voice. The second leg has to be relevant to the audience your are attempting to influence. The third leg is the doable part of the equation; can the idea be realised within budgetary and technical constraints?”

CBC blog link: Why the right tone of voice is crucial for your B2B brand

For Bent Høier, creativity remains an elusive entity. “One can waste hours trying to define it,” he says. “But you definitely know it when you see it. Creativity in any context—marketing, art, literature, whatever—has a way of bypassing the logical centres of our brain and connecting straight with our emotions.”

Both men maintain that strong emotional connections are a defining effect of creative communications. It is also essential, given the short attention spans of today’s commercial audiences. “It’s actually much tougher than most people think,” says Grangaard. “Everyone knows that we typically have only a couple of seconds to win attention. But the situation in B2B is made worse by the often overlooked fact that for most of the time, B2B buyers aren’t even in a purchasing phase!”

Grangaard makes a valid point. In fact, research shows that 95% of the time, B2B purchasers are ‘out market’, i.e. are not in an active buying mode. “That,” adds Høier, underscores why it’s so important to connect deeply with audiences. Only then can we actually build a relationship with audiences, a relationship that bears fruit when those 5% buying windows come along”

CBC blog link: More B2B sales? Don’t forget memory generation

Big ideas with staying power: shaping lasting B2B relationships

Both men agree that to build such relationships over time, creative concepts must have what communications professionals refer to as ‘legs.’ Put simply, this means that a concept should be effective over the long term, regardless of the platform or media used. “A great one-off ad is just that,” says Høier. “It might win an award. But by itself it won’t build the deep buyer-brand relationship that pays dividends in B2B. For that we need big, bold ideas with staying power.”

Developing a ‘big’ visual concept is however not the end of the creative process. “Our jobs would be a lot easier if it was,” adds Grangaard. “In fact, the birth of the concept is only the beginning of what can be extremely detailed work: honing the visual tone, selecting imagery, choosing typefaces, deciding on a colour palette, supervising shoots and animations, the list goes on.”

From complexity to clarity: crafting creative ideas for global B2B audiences

B2B audiences are invariably specialists with deep knowledge in specialised fields. Unfortunately, many B2B marketeers interpret this to mean they have to use overly technical language. “I think,” says Grangaard, “that a lot of use of non-natural language stems from insecurity. Some marketeers think their products and services will somehow be perceived as less sophisticated if they use simple, clear language. The reality is quite the opposite.”

There are several reasons why clarity of expression is so important. Most obviously, busy audiences don’t have the time and mental energy to decipher complex messages. Second, clarity of expression suggests clarity of character. “It always helps to think of your brand as a person,” says Høier. “Let your brand speak with calm authority, and chances are it will be perceived as calmly authoritative.”

Thirdly, clarity is important in a globalised market. Where communications are often devised in one country, only to be translated, adapted and deployed continents away, lack of ambiguity can be crucial. “Plain, honest speaking in one language or culture usually translates well into others,” says Grangaard. “Creativity does not equal complexity. Keep things simple yet fresh, and you’ll minimise the risk of cultural misunderstandings.

CBC blog link: How to develop B2B creative that can go the distance

Human creativity meets AI: a partnership in B2B branding

But what about the enormous elephant in the room: the impact of AI on B2B branding communications? Has the emergence of tools like ChatGPT rendered human creativity redundant? Who even needs to be creative when a few prompts can generate texts and images in seconds?

“I think,” says Grangaard, “we need to step back and recall the arrival of computers and design programs a few decades ago. Back then, many people proclaimed the end of human craft and creativity in art direction and graphic design. But it soon became apparent that the new technology was actually no more than a set of tools. Powerful tools, certainly. But tools nonetheless.”

Høier agrees. For him, the arrival of AI should also be seen in terms of productivity; of quantity over quality. “Sure, AI is a powerful tool, particularly for visualising ideas, rather than generating them. But I don’t think it’s helpful to place human creativity on one side, and AI on the other—they’re not, after all, antagonistic.”

At the same time, both men agree that the arrival of AI is placing new demands on all marketing creatives. “For example,” says Grangaard, “creatives are really having to master the art of writing sharp prompts in order to extract the best from AI engines. But right now, we need more time to see how AI will impact B2B branding.”

Face-to-face with B2B creatives?

Interested in any of the creativity in B2B branding insights addressed by CBC creatives Høier and Grandgaard? Curious to see how their thinking is reflected in CBC’s campaigns for international B2B clients? Want to learn how creative branding can make long-lasting emotional connections for your brand? Drop us a line at letsmeet@cbc.dk or give us a call on +45 35 25 01 60 and we’ll organise a one-on-one, no-obligation consultation.