Keep the creative spark in your B2B marketing campaigns
- Paola Piccinno
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Most B2B marketing is sadly blander than a bowl of plain porridge. Jargon-filled websites, and yet another whitepaper, generic emails, forgettable webinars… It's all becoming a sea of sameness. And in that sea, your ideal clients are drowning in boredom. And you are losing their attention.
But it does not have to be that way!
Account Based Marketing, when done right, is supposed to be rather the antidote to all this. It is about personalised engagement, building real relationships, and cutting through the noise (oh the noise!). But too often, even ABM programs fall into the trap of predictable tactics and tired tropes.
So today I want to talk to you about using more of your imagination to keep the creative spark alive in your B2B relationships with prospects and accounts. Creativity is the secret sauce (mmmhh…. well, ok, not that secret!) that separates good ABM from great ABM. It's the spark that ignites attention, fuels engagement, and makes your brand unforgettable.
Think about one of the typical ABM scenarios: you're targeting a select group of high-value accounts (what ‘high-value’ exactly means to each of you will vary, but you get the point, and we are likely to be talking about revenue here). These are the VIPs, the decision-makers who can make or break your business. Don't they deserve more than a generic email blast? I think so, I think we all do.
So, how do you inject some creative juice into your ABM campaigns? Here's what I've learned from my years in the B2B marketing trenches with companies of all sizes across the globe:
🎨Ditch the corporate speak: no more jargon, buzzwords, or empty promises. Talk like a human. Be authentic (heard that one before?). Show some personality. Your brand's personality. Your clients will appreciate it. These guys are flying this flag so well these days on LinkedIn in my opinion: Heather Barnett and Henry Hayes.
🎨Embrace the unexpected: what can you do that your competitors aren't doing? Surprise and delight your target accounts. Send a personalised video message, a handwritten note, or a thoughtful gift related to their interests (not just your logo plastered on a cheap pen).
🎨Tell a story: facts and figures are important, but stories are what connect with people. Share customer success stories, showcase your company culture, or even tell your own story. Make it personal, make it relatable, make it memorable. I wrote more about this topic in this article.
🎨Create experiences: think small, exclusive gatherings tailored to your target accounts' interests. A private wine tasting, a cooking class, or even a virtual escape room can build stronger relationships than any generic webinar. ABX (= Account Based Experience) will be a topic for another article perhaps.
🎨Don't forget the follow-up: a single touchpoint won't cut it. Nurture those relationships with ongoing, personalised engagement. Send a handwritten thank-you note after a meeting, offer exclusive content, or simply check in to see how they're doing.
Need some inspiration? Check out these examples of creative ABM in action, in which I was not involved but I would have love to:
🧩O2’s personalised campaign for a truck-loving CEO: https://www.themarketingpractice.com/en-gb/work/o2-business-abm
🧩GumGum's comic book for T-Mobile's Batman-fan CEO: https://www.oktopost.com/blog/5-examples-account-based-marketing-done-right/
🧩Learn how HP Apollo managed to win out for their ABM campaign through sales and marketing alignment, creative messaging and key account management: https://www.b2bmarketing.net/case-studies/find-out-hp-apollo-won-out-for-best-account-based-marketing-for-its-campaign/
Did I make you re-think about the way you are currently running your ABM campaigns? Are you not a tiny bit curious at least?
Embrace your (and your team’s) creativity, take some risks, stay curious and make it hard for those stakeholders to ignore you. Because in the crowded world of B2B, a little imagination can go a looooong way.
