COVID-19 is just the latest in a series of challenges that B2B brands have had to navigate. But it’s arguably the most disorienting. The pressure to make the right decisions while maintaining marketing effectiveness is immense, and the brands that come through this strongest will be those that lean on strategic partners to help them think clearly, not just execute faster.
In ‘normal times’, B2B buyers are driven by aspiration, confidence, and a fear of failure. Trust is the currency. But layer on a recession risk, the guilt of spending when others are cutting, and a deeply ingrained avoidance of risk, and the emotional landscape shifts dramatically. Understanding this shift is the starting point for any brand that wants to maintain relevance.
There’s been a lot of noise around “growth hacking”, but let’s not forget that B2B targets are human beings, not robots. Binet & Field’s analysis of the IPA Databank has consistently shown that fame and salience, being known and being remembered, are the strongest drivers of long-term commercial effectiveness. That doesn’t change in a downturn. If anything, it matters more.
The Kantar COVID-19 Barometer found that 75% of consumers say brands should not exploit the crisis. Only 8% say brands should stop advertising altogether. And 77% expect brands to be helpful, to talk about how they can be useful in this new reality. The message is clear: be present, be genuine, and be useful.
This means shifting from business-as-usual promotions to genuinely helping your audience. As Astra Taylor put it: in a crisis, the rules don’t apply. The brands that try to force old playbooks onto a fundamentally changed audience will lose ground. The ones that adapt, that offer real value, real empathy, and real support, will build loyalty that compounds long after the crisis passes.
A McKinsey survey found that 60% of consumers anticipated a reduction in vehicle purchases. SEAT responded by publishing content about the risks of moth-balled cars, genuinely helpful advice for people not driving. Sage launched a content hub focused on supporting small businesses through the crisis. These brands held their nerve. And in the “new normal”, the brands that held their nerve, that stayed visible, stayed helpful, and stayed authentic, will be the ones that thrive.
