What makes a creative B2B ad?
This article was prompted by a LinkedIn study into Drivers of B2B Ad Effectiveness. Using empirical data, it investigates what makes compelling B2B ads on LinkedIn.
Of course, it has an agenda.
Of course, LinkedIn is not the only channel used in B2B marketing.
Of course, it has some flaws.
But, it does have some very solid insights reinforcing our experiences over the years.
Better Ads: everyone wants them. Audiences, marketers and agencies.
It stands to reason. Decluttering timelines and grabbing attention in a time-poor world is in everyone’s interest. What is noticeable to us, is that audiences still welcome ads as a way of discovering products/services to help them in their role.
Many Gen Z studies tell us that the younger generations are anti-advert. However, their behaviour does not justify this. YouTube has been packed with ads forever, so many view ads as simply part of their watching experience. But they just don’t want rubbish ads. Who does?
Sadly, a lot of ads for tech brands fall victim to this
The study shares some home truths: tech marketers need to reflect on their ads. It highlights that, on average, 56% of the audiences say that they see creative techniques such as humour, strong storytelling or a unique perspective only “somewhat/not often”.
Other sectors don’t fare much better, but this does not provide reassurance.
So, what does make a powerful ad?
Ads targeting those in the research phase need to be memorable with a clear message. The study concludes that a lack of clarity harms impact by 29%. Candidly, we’re amazed it is not more. Always ask yourself: does this make sense to someone not in the industry? If it doesn’t, suggest it’s time to try again.
Having a clear, concise and relevant Value Proposition is vital to start from. Otherwise, you end up with features and benefits alone. The test is to look at your ad and ask: am I being clichéd or vague? Neither achieve brand salience or cut through. Stop it. Save your time and budget.
Ads for brand affiliation with a sensible and unique perspective, delivered with emotional appeal out-perform. The study concludes that having a unique viewpoint is 2X more important than being funny. Whilst there is a place for humour in B2B, it should only be to articulate a clear brand position – not instead of it. Your brand essence is vital to anchoring this thinking and making sure all your communications reinforce and refer back to it.
Visual tricks in B2B
We’ve observed the benefits of using real people (not celebrities) in your advertising, shown in authentic situations. They need to be using and benefitting from your proposition, ideally looking positive as they do it. Avoid those pictures of server racks or beautiful “business people” holding iPads/laptops/paper and looking at the camera like “they’ve just stepped out of a saloon”. Real people don’t do this or look like this.
In our tests, real people outperform abstract imagery. Note the emphasis on real as scenes of perfect-looking models from stock scenes do not come across with authenticity.
Did you hear that?
No. Audio is often muted on many platforms by default, and this may explain why the study believes that the wrong music tracks can switch people off from watching videos. For us, this is a frontier that needs more exploration.
As B2B ads move into audio format in relevant podcasts, we think there is more room for sonic branding as the techniques are used more – but only over a threshold of placement numbers.
Is it about the format?
The study compared video and image/text ads on the platform. Unsurprisingly, video ads achieved higher research intent, purchase consideration and brand favourability. But, of course, in the real world, we know that getting people to engage with these ads is more difficult than it may seem.
They work harder if they watch them. The skill is making videos that people want to watch in the first place. We’re back to creativity.
Where do AI-generated ads fit in?
Many marketers use platforms such as Canva or other generative AI platforms to produce different ads in different sizes. Perfect, we encourage this.
What AI cannot do – apart from as a supporting ideation tool when prompted – is come up with the story and the creative idea in the first place. Don’t get sucked into thinking that AI is the answer. It needs the idea. And, for this, you need experienced humans, too. Many use agencies for this part. Unashamedly, I would encourage this.
Creative, powerful ads are not easy. There is nuance everywhere. However, what is consistent is that there is room for growth for many B2B marketers. Is it time to throw an agency into the mix?
