What is love? (Baby don’t hurt me)
Can B2B organisations really create ‘brand love?’

If you’re a child of the 90s, you’ll recognise the nod to Haddaway. But dodgy 90s dance tunes aside, can consumers and b2b buyers ever truly ‘love’ a brand?

My answer for the most part, is that people don’t love brands. Yet in our insular marketing world, the phrase ‘brand love’ is thrown around more often than a hot potato. And herein lies what I believe to be the challenge; the word ‘love’ is interchanged with ‘emotional connection’ – which is what I believe is actually happening.

While emotional attachment may seem like love, there is a difference. Experts far more knowledgeable that I have identified that love is selfless – you are completely giving and expect nothing in return. Emotional attachment however is selfish. Yet selfish shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing, it’s just that emotional attachment is about making sure your needs are met. There’s a give and take.

So, can brands say that their customers truly love them? Are customers completely selfless and devoted to the brand, expecting nothing in return? While there might be a few Apple or Tesla fanboys or fangirls out there, most of us want something in return from the brands we interact with – we have needs to be met.

So it begs the question, if creating a sense of love is merely a pipedream, can b2b brands create emotional connections with their buyers?

Of course the answer is yes, but how?

If we consider the consumer brands people love (sorry have an emotional connection to), the starting point for any connection has to be the product. Think the iphone, a tesla car etc… But what about the b2b world?

A rather unobvious example I could use is Xero. They disrupted the accounting world with a product accounts people fell over their feet for. It revolutionised the way businesses managed their accounting. It gave accountants their lives back and a genuine connection was created with the brand through what was an awesome product.

But while the product is the starting point, it’s what you do after that decides whether that emotional connection remains for the long term. So what can b2b brands do to maintain an emotional connection?

Brand storytelling: Probably one of the most important of all, and that is leveraging storytelling to communicate your values, vision, and impact. Crafting compelling narratives and showcase the human side of your brand. Humans like emotions. Emotions means they need you. If they need you, they’ll keep buying from you. If they keep buying from you, you’re boosting revenue. Now, next time someone in finance questions brand investment…. You know what to do!

Customer-centric approach: Focus on understanding your customers' needs, aspirations, and pain points. Provide exceptional customer experiences, personalised interactions, and tailored solutions.

Trust and reliability: B2B relationships often involve long-term commitments and significant investments. Building trust means consistently delivering on promises, providing excellent customer support, and being responsive to customer concerns.

Thought leadership and expertise: Establish yourself as an industry leader by sharing valuable insights, knowledge, and expertise.

Relationship building: B2B transactions often involve multiple touchpoints and interactions. Building strong relationships with your customers, nurture partnerships, and go beyond being ‘transactional’.

Create brand communities: Foster a sense of community among your customers and stakeholders. Organise events, set-up forums, online communities, and networking opportunities.

While the emotional dynamics in B2B relationships may differ from those in B2C, the principles of understanding and connecting with customers on an emotional level still apply. Afterall, who really wants to create true love…? It’s only going to end in tears as the great Haddaway said,

“No, I don't know why you're not fair, I give you my love, but you don't care.”