That switch from "I know that brand name" to "take my money" requires a major shift from recall to actual consideration. In a B2B setting, this shift is even more significant because businesses want to see a return on their investment.

Brand salience measures a brand's ability to be recognised and remembered by consumers. While it is crucial, salience is only one rung on the customer journey ladder. You still need to convert this awareness into someone putting your product into their shopping cart.

Product consideration, meanwhile, is about getting consumers to see your product as meeting their needs or as a viable alternative to one they're already using. It's on this journey that brands are most likely to lose a customer.

When it comes to B2B marketing, this journey is more complex. B2B buyers are generally not buying on a whim or on an influencer's product recommendation, they want to know that a product is going to add value or solve a problem in their business. And when it comes to big ticket items like software or hardware, your customers are going to spend time researching options.

Traditional advertising alone will not close this gap, so you need to create opportunities for direct engagement between the product and the buyer. For B2B marketers, this is where you need to build the relationships and trust that drive purchasing decisions.

Experiential Marketing in Product Consideration

Experiential marketing is a powerful tool for turning brand awareness into product consideration. This is because it offers your buyer, whether in a B2C or a B2B setting, the opportunity to interact with a brand which creates a lasting impression.

The catch with experiential marketing is that you want the offer to be enticing, but you also want it to be low commitment. Customers are much more likely to respond to campaigns that don't force an immediate sale, but give them room to experience the brand first-hand, and time to think about it.

Euphoria Telecom's 'Ball Call' campaign is an example of this. In exchange for signing up for a 30-minute demonstration of our system, business decision-makers get a free game of Padel and a sleeve of balls. This creates an opportunity for businesses to interact with the product in an obligation-free environment and in return, they get to partake in a fun, healthy activity.

We've seen excellent conversion rates because we've leveraged the appeal of Padel, one of the fastest growing sports in the world, to turn brand salience into tangible action. In a B2B setting, getting someone to interact with your product is a golden opportunity and the 'Ball Call' campaign marries that opportunity with a memorable, lifestyle trend that they may not otherwise have experienced.

Lessons for Marketers

Bridging the gap between brand salience and product consideration requires creativity, relevance and needs to deliver value. There are three key takeaways when delivering a B2B campaign:

  • Experiential engagement is powerful because it allows consumers to connect with the brand in real-life settings.
  • Low-commitment incentives yield better results because the B2B consideration process is complex, and customers want to spend time considering their options.
  • Follow-through is important. Building brand loyalty takes time so the experience should be the first of many engagements.

Successful campaigns go beyond visibility and convert brand familiarity into meaningful consideration. While they may not be the first option for many B2B marketers, experiential campaigns are an excellent tool to show decision-makers how the product can address their business needs. And it's when a business owner or decision maker starts to envisage your product in their business operations, that you truly build a connection.

For more information, visit www.euphoria.co.za. You can also follow Euphoria on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor