B2B Marketing Isn’t B2B — It’s B2H (Business to Humans)
For years, B2B marketing has been obsessed with logic the way some people are obsessed with spreadsheets: comforting, neat, and completely avoiding emotion at all costs. And sure, logic feels safe—especially when the stakes are high.
The assumption is simple: if you throw enough facts, stats, and proof points at someone, they’ll rationally conclude, “Yes, this is the correct decision.”
If only humans were that predictable.
Here’s the truth: business decisions are made by humans who are navigating risk, reputation, and long-term consequences. And guess what? Those humans have recently been spoiled by the best B2C experiences. After shopping on Amazon or using Apple products, it’s hard not to expect the same level of ease, clarity, and delight in business software.
In B2B, the stakes are even higher—premium price points, longer cycles, and C-suite approval. Which is exactly why humanity matters.
The Myth
The typical B2B marketing playbook goes like this:
Lead with information
Confidence follows
Profit appears
It sounds reasonable. It just doesn’t match how decisions actually get made.
Because people don’t decide with logic first. They decide with instinct and emotion, and then use logic to justify it afterward. That’s why what people say they value rarely matches what they actually buy.
It’s the halo effect. Once someone has a positive impression, they interpret everything else through that lens.
In high-stakes purchases, trust, clarity, and confidence matter as much as proof. Sometimes more.
The Reality
B2B purchases happen over long cycles, with high consequences and complicated internal politics. Product specs alone rarely build the kind of trust needed for these decisions—especially in crowded industries like IT, finance, and professional services where everyone sounds identical.
Behind every big purchase is a person thinking: “Am I making the right call?”
What moves deals forward isn’t just information—it’s how well a brand makes people feel informed, understood, and supported while they weigh risk. Emotion and logic aren’t enemies here; they’re teammates.
Knowledge builds credibility. Humanity builds confidence.
Buyers don’t just want information. They want the confidence to say yes—and to stand behind that decision.
A Real Example
During my time at GE, we loved doing the unexpected. We were tasked with making marketing as innovative as the products. One standout example was partnering with electronic musician Matthew Dear to turn the sounds of jet engines, turbines, and MRI machines into music.
On paper, it made no sense. It didn’t explain features. It didn’t walk through specs.
But it did something far more powerful: it made people feel the ingenuity behind the technology. It humanized complexity. It changed the conversation—not by dumbing things down, but by making them resonate.
Where Brand Comes In
This is where brand matters in B2B—and where most teams pull back instead of leaning in.
At any given moment, only about 5% of B2B buyers are actively in-market. The rest are forming impressions, building familiarity, and deciding who they trust long before they’re ready to buy.
That’s the messy middle of the journey, and it’s where brands either earn belief or lose momentum.
The “Glitter Bomb” Strategy
Many clients come to us wanting to stand out and share the stories behind their work. These are our favorite assignments—complex brands where trust is earned slowly and decisions aren’t made lightly.
So we build teams differently. We bring in senior people who’ve actually been in the room, who understand the pressure behind every decision, and who know how to make complex things clear without dumbing them down.
We call this “glitter bombing the category.” Not just to get attention, but to keep people moving forward with confidence. Because the work that lasts does both.
The Takeaway
B2B marketing isn’t just business-to-business. It’s business-to-human. Decision makers are humans too.
Brands that understand this—and invest in storytelling, emotional intelligence, and real human connection—don’t just win. They build loyalty. And loyalty builds a moat that competitors can’t cross.
That’s the work. And honestly, that’s where the magic has always been.
