B2B creative work has a poor reputation for... well, creativity. It’s the same the world over. You know the stuff, laptops on skateboards, jigsaws of light bulbs.
Apart from lack of originality, there's nothing intrinsically
uncreative about ideas like this. The problem is, they are totally
divorced from the business idea they're representing. Irrelevance
is rife in B2B communications, often letting down a good business
and brand strategy. With the attention spans of audiences
diminishing, business brands can't sustain it.
Can you blame the creatives? Yes, but only if
they're as tuned into the business, brand and dialogue strategy as
the rest of the team. All too often, weeks of planning arrive at
the creatives' desks on one piece of paper. "Here you go guys, a
few choice straws from acres of knowledge. Now spin them into
advertising gold!"
Although far from ideal, this can work in B2C, which takes a
relatively simple proposition and delves into the everyday life of
the consumer to make it relevant. B2C creatives don't struggle
because they are everyday consumers. But in B2B you are dealing
with the complex, everyday, professional life of your target and a
business proposition that may not be immediately clear to an
industry outsider.
One answer is to follow the IAS philosophy: Get
b2b creatives in the zone by taking them outside their comfort
zone. This doesn't just mean a factory tour. It means creatives in
brand workshops. Creatives helping shape contact strategy.
Creatives talking to industry panels. Creatives developing
propositions. Not only will you get far more informed, relevant
creative dialogue on implementation, you'll also enjoy a vital
injection of creativity in your strategic development.
Comment: As the communications landscape
changes, it makes sense to expand your creative horizons.