Innovation. It’s been a recurring theme in almost every one of our conversations with B2B companies looking to refresh their brands. From the CMO to the CEO, B2B executives have been laser-focused on building brands that convey innovation.
When did this word become so ingrained in our lexicon? According to Google Ngram, the…
As we approach 2020, the role of the B2B CMO is changing dramatically. How can brand and marketing agencies evolve to better serve them?
DeSantis Breindel is proud to host Huddle, an annual educational and networking opportunity for select B2B marketing leaders. Each year, to ensure that our programming is compelling for our guests, we…
From a business perspective, few things are as critical to get right as a major merger or acquisition — and few things are as challenging. On the long list of considerations during M&A activity, merger branding is one of the most crucial. Not getting brand right is a key reason that, according to the…
Few would dispute that the world in which we live and work is changing at an extraordinary pace. In this dynamic landscape, business executives face immense pressure to not only survive – but thrive. In other words, they have to keep up with the pace while bumping up profits.
Continuous innovation is a strategy we hear…
With M&A activity at record levels, marketing thought leadership is abuzz with tips and tricks for maximizing the effectiveness of brand mergers. Such pieces often center on how to align corporate cultures and boost internal engagement. Without a doubt, these are vital issues that demand consideration. But is today’s culture craze sidestepping…
In today’s digitally-driven B2B marketing environment — one which offers buyers easy access to access to an array of information and a plethora of opinions — companies no longer control exactly where or when customers or prospects encounter their brand. And with 68 percent of B2B buyers preferring to conduct independent research online, it’s…
In our work with nonprofit research institutions, we’ve found that many of them are hesitant about marketing. They believe their missions — and their accomplishments — should sell themselves. In the past, this just-the-facts communications approach may have been sufficient for research nonprofits, since they could depend on generous government funding. However, the funding…
Last year we published a whitepaper that examines how professional services firms can leverage the power of branding to stand out in an increasingly competitive industry. It’s a fairly comprehensive look at the process of building a solid and differentiated brand, from conducting internal and extensive research to identifying core brand attributes and developing…
For a business to be successful, it’s no longer enough to just have the best offering or most talented employees. These have become table stakes thanks to players like Amazon and Airbnb that have reinvented what it means to be customer-centric. Now, customers can order almost anything with the click of a button…
It’s all too easy for CMOs and other marketing leaders to get trapped in the bubble of their role, team, company, or industry. With jam-packed home and work schedules, there may be little time for education, networking, or brainstorming. It’s a paradox of the modern workplace — while we hear a lot about…
A tale as old as time
From early humans drawing pictures on walls to parents telling bedtime tales; from ancient civilizations that invented myths to modern creators who create sagas on the screen and plots on the page — storytelling is a tradition as old as humanity. Today, it’s also one of the most popular…
When a company makes a major strategic pivot, such as M&A or entering a different category, leadership often ponders a new name, design language, and messaging. These are all important considerations, but too often one of the most crucial underlying aspects of a customer’s experience is overlooked—the company’s brand architecture…
You can’t accuse B2B marketers of not practicing what they preach. For every content marketing recommendation that makes it into a client presentation, there’s an agency or independent consultant or news outlet with a blog to push. These sites can be invaluable resources for information and inspiration, but too frequently their content is…
Learning from one another’s experiences can really help B2B CMOs to flourish. This is what motivated us to create Huddle, an annual, invitation-only community of B2B marketing leaders that addresses their most pressing issues while empowering them with stories of peer success. The event is moderated by DeSantis Breindel and headlined by an…
“What’s in a name?” It’s not just William Shakespeare who wants to know. Companies have been pondering this question for years, trying to crack the code for the perfect name to gain recognition — and help their products sell. That’s because a name carries real weight. Brand naming has the power to reinvigorate…
As strategists and designers, we are always curious about the use of color in culture and business. Recently, we took a look at brand colors in the top 100 technology firms. While the range of colors and combinations is varied, we noted a few intriguing themes.
For tech company colors, blue is always true
Not…
From the movies we watch to the friendships we develop, loyalty is a quality that plays out in culture, life, and, of course, business. In a crowded marketplace, brand loyalty is something that many companies strive to cultivate among their customers. But what if these organizations could take the concept of brand loyalty even further…
The playwright Tom Stoppard once said, “Words are sacred… if you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little…” We took a look the annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports of several top B2B companies in an effort to observe trends and common practices, and we couldn’t…