Recently, I was asked how we approach brand strategy for companies that are in both B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) markets. The short answer is that a brand strategy seeks to effectively position a brand among the appropriate target markets. So, there is not a different strategy for B2C and B2B markets.
A brand is not made up, so you can’t invent a brand position that is relevant to B2C and another one for B2B. A brand IS born from internal attributes; it’s your TURTH. As brand strategists, our role is to take brand attributes and put them together in a manner that is attractive to all potential audiences. So, not just attractive to the external business and consumer markets in this instance, but also to employees, stakeholders, and anybody else that you want to appeal to, perhaps the media that covers your industry.
To be clear, how you message to various audiences is certainly different because the benefits to them may very well be different. But, all messages should support the greater brand. Take a bank, for instance: consumer loans and commercial loans. Same brand position. Same brand vision. Same brand personality. Different audiences. Different messages.
Having different brand strategies for different market segments is actually confusing to the consumer. They would have a hard time understanding what you stand for and what they can expect. That would actually hurt the brand. And THAT is the TRUTH.
