A recent report by Google has highlighted a growing issue within B2B marketing: just 40% of senior decision-makers believe their organisation has a clear goal for marketing effectiveness, and only 20% agree on how to measure it. According to Google, this misalignment presents a significant commercial risk—without the ability to demonstrate the full impact of their efforts, marketing teams risk reduced budgets, ultimately undermining business growth.
This disconnect is particularly evident in the gap between brand-building and demand generation, a challenge that continues to trouble B2B marketers. The seamless journey from brand awareness to demand creation, where marketing and sales collaborate effortlessly, is still largely unrealised for many companies. This gap isn’t just a theoretical concern—it means that a substantial amount of revenue is left untapped, as brands fail to leverage the full potential of their marketing investments.
In an environment where marketing budgets are being squeezed and pressure mounts to deliver short-term results, the need for B2B marketers to close this gap has never been more urgent. The question remains: how can B2B marketing leaders bridge the divide between brand and demand to increase their impact?
This was the focus of a recent roundtable hosted by Redwood BBDO, a leading B2B agency working with global brands like Google, Nokia, and Vodafone Business. While the discussion was held under Chatham House rules, several key insights were shared that offer practical strategies for closing this gap.
Why Does the Gap Exist?
Understanding how to close the gap requires first examining why it exists. Several factors were identified during the roundtable as contributing to the divide between brand and demand marketing:
1. Organisational Structures:
In large multinational companies, the scale of operations often leads to fragmented marketing strategies. With substantial budgets, marketing is typically divided into separate segments that focus on different stages of the traditional marketing funnel. Unfortunately, this segmentation can result in little overlap or strategic alignment between brand marketers and demand generation teams.
2. Misalignment with Sales:
While not all roundtable participants reported a misalignment with sales, many agreed that marketing and sales teams often target different prospects at different times. A LinkedIn study from 2023 found that sales and marketing teams are targeting only 16% of the same prospects. This disconnect between the two departments makes it even harder to align brand-building efforts with demand generation.
3. The Focus on Promotion:
In many cases, marketing teams are seen primarily as responsible for promotion, with little involvement in broader discussions around product, place, or price. As long as B2B marketers are pigeonholed into the “promotion” role, their ability to bridge the gap between brand and demand will remain limited, leaving them focused on tactical execution rather than strategic alignment.
How Can Marketers Close the Gap?
To bridge the divide between brand and demand, B2B marketers must adopt a more integrated approach. Here are some strategies discussed at the roundtable:
1. Education and Communication:
A major challenge for B2B marketers is translating the value of brand-building into terms that resonate with other departments, particularly sales and finance. While marketers understand the long-term benefits of a strong brand, sales teams and CFOs may not immediately see the connection between brand investment and business outcomes. Marketers need to speak the language of sales and finance, using commercial metrics like shorter sales cycles and higher sales prices alongside more traditional brand-focused metrics like search rankings and website traffic. By making their case in terms that resonate with other departments, marketers can build stronger internal support for brand-building efforts.
2. Demonstrating Commercial Value:
To earn the necessary investment to close the gap, marketers must prove they are ‘commercial marketers,’ not just ‘promotion-only marketers.’ This means showing that brand-building contributes to both long-term growth and short-term sales. By demonstrating the tangible commercial benefits of brand investment, marketers can gain the trust and support of senior leadership, securing the resources required for sustained success.
3. Targeting In and Out of Market Audiences:
Only a small percentage of prospects are in the market at any given time, which means focusing solely on the in-market audience is a short-sighted strategy. While some salespeople still underestimate the value of long-term brand efforts, most recognise that brand differentiation is key in the competitive B2B landscape. Marketers must demonstrate how brand-building impacts not just long-term growth but also immediate sales. By showing that brand investment directly contributes to short-term sales efforts, marketers can align their strategies with sales targets.
4. Leveraging Content to Connect Brand and Demand:
Content is a powerful tool for bridging the gap between brand-building and demand generation. As Nick Duxbury, Executive Creative Director at Redwood BBDO, pointed out, “big ideas” should be designed to work across all stages of the marketing funnel. Too often, there’s a divide between high-level brand campaigns and tactical demand-generation content. B2B brands need to create unifying ideas that resonate across multiple channels—whether it’s ABM, thought leadership, sales collateral, or event keynotes. When done right, content can serve as a unifying force, aligning brand-building and demand generation efforts to create a more effective marketing strategy.
5. Leadership and Ownership:
Finally, strong marketing leadership is essential for closing the gap. Marketers must take ownership of the process, ensuring that marketing strategies are aligned with broader business goals. By advocating for the value of brand-building and producing compelling content, marketers can create a pipeline that supports both short-term sales and long-term growth.
A Challenging, Yet Rewarding Journey
Closing the gap between brand and demand is no easy task. It requires a shift in mindset, a stronger alignment between marketing and sales, and a commitment to demonstrating the commercial value of both brand-building and demand generation. However, for those who succeed in bridging the divide, the rewards are substantial. Marketers who can integrate these efforts effectively will position themselves to deliver sustained business growth and gain the trust of their senior leadership.
In the words of one roundtable participant, “It’s all about taking ownership, creating alignment, and proving that the value of brand-building isn’t just in the long-term, but also in the here and now.” For B2B marketers ready to take on this challenge, the future holds great potential.
Source: Google Report, 2023: “The State of B2B Marketing Effectiveness: Bridging the Gap Between Brand and Demand.” https://www.b2bmarketing.net/bridge-the-brand-demand-gap/
