Here’s a question. Does B2B need to be boring? Well, let’s turn it around, does B2C always have to be wacky and exciting? Of course not. A luxury car doesn’t take on the same tone as a bar of chocolate. The differentiation isn’t between B2B or B2C, it’s simply between the brand. You don’t want wacky when dealing with your pension company just as a business doesn’t want dull when looking for a new PR agency. It’s all about context.

But the problem is, some companies don’t think that way. They get bogged down in serious things like return on investment, corporate brochures and when they look around at the market place they think they have to follow suit. Afraid they’ll get sent to stand in the corner if they misbehave. Suddenly every marketing belief that’s ever held true (differentiate, stand out from the crowd, create an emotional as well as a rational desire) seems to go out the window to be replaced with the world of sensible old men in dark suits.

Yes, a business purchase is usually far more costly than anything we pick up in our day to day lives but let’s not forget that we’re still talking to people. And people are emotional. Sure, mention your great ROI, name drop your happy clients, boast about your green credentials but that doesn’t mean you have to do it with all the enthuse of a mortician. No, B2B doesn’t have to be boring but the sad truth is, the majority of B2B companies think they do.