For decades, one thing has driven marketing and sales campaigns: the product. But as technology develops and industries adapt to keep up, companies are shifting toward a new focus in marketing. 

As opposed to product centricity, the customer acts as the motivation behind today’s marketing efforts. Connecting with customers, optimizing the customer experience, and taking in customer feedback have become critical parts of any outward-focused marketing strategy.

All customers have problems that a business can solve. The purpose of any company’s branding is to position itself as the unique solution. 

A company’s efforts to establish its individuality do not represent a new marketing trend. Creating value for customers is a necessity, especially in the face of intense competition. Attracting and retaining B2B customers hinges on value-based marketing. B2B customers are looking for solutions that go beyond just the product itself. 

But what exactly is value-based marketing? Once a marketing team has implemented a strategy focused on creating value, the focus shifts to considering how they can deliver what B2B buyers are looking for.

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What Is Value-Based Marketing? 

Value-based marketing is essentially a marketing strategy that makes the customer a top priority. In value marketing, the customer is always first — and crafting the ideal customer experience is the primary goal. 

According to B2B value marketing experts at DecisionLink, value marketing campaigns are meaningful, authentic, and focused on creating customer loyalty. Instead of advertising efforts that exclusively consider the company itself, like the products and services it provides, the needs of the customer propel value-based campaigns. 

What Are the Benefits of Value-Based Marketing?

When implementing value-based marketing strategies, a marketing team can expect financial and professional benefits for both their company and their B2B customers. 

For companies, value marketing tactics can do more than just improve overall customer experiences. It can create loyal customers who return for products and services again and again. These consumers can also help boost a company’s reputation through reviews and word-of-mouth support.

The bottom line is that the more a company provides for its customers, the more they will engage with the brand. 

As for the customer, they are seeking deeper and more meaningful interactions with brands. In a 2019 study, 90% of surveyed consumers reported that authenticity was important when deciding which brands they wanted to support — an increase from the 86% in 2017. When they come to a brand with a problem, they want to receive a concrete solution. 

Leveraging value selling is a mutually beneficial process. Not only will a brand grow and thrive with this new customer-centric focus, but its customers will also, by extension, reap the rewards. After tailoring their brand vision around the customer, a marketing team can more effectively exceed their expectations.

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What Are B2B Buyers Looking For? 

Knowing what customers are looking for from value-based marketing can help any marketing team hone their strategies. Here are a few steps they can take to better appeal to their B2B buyers. 

1. Project a Set of Values 

Value-based marketing strategies rely on the company projecting a set of values. Every company needs a certain set of standards that their marketing revolves around — something that reflects both their brand and what they stand for with respect to business interactions. 

This B2C example from Under Armour’s 2014 “I Will What I Want” campaign offers a good take-away lesson for B2B companies. In this video advertisement, ballerina Misty Copeland dances while a voice-over reads a rejection letter she received from a ballet institution. 

This campaign successfully applied value-based marketing strategies, creating a culture of strength, empowerment, and achievement, while also appealing to the emotions of its viewers. By incorporating Copeland’s lived experience, Under Armour generated a meaningful response from its audience. 

“I Will What I Want” yielded significant results. The video received billions of impressions across the Internet and drove high numbers — mostly new customers — to their e-commerce site. 

While it is true that B2B buyers tend to be less fickle in their purchasing decisions than the average consumer, values and emotions can still play a role in the process. Buyers are seeking confirmation that the seller’s values align with their own. 

2. Focus on Delivering Results, Not Features 

Instead of focusing on the benefits of a company’s product or service, value-based marketing focuses on results. Selling outcomes instead of features can help pave the way toward higher margins. 

B2B buyers in particular are looking for value realization. They want a measurable and concrete picture of their return on investment, whether it is efficiency, profit, or anything else that will benefit their customers. 

3. Create Meaningful Interactions 

When engaging with consumers, it is vital to create meaningful interactions. This is especially important in value-based content marketing. A company benefits from B2B customers engaging with its content — clicks, engagement, conversions, and more — but the consumer should benefit too.

Businesses can maximize value realization by prioritizing the customer. Their time invested reading an article or the caption on a social media post should get them something valuable, whether it is simply new knowledge, the answer to a relevant question, or an increased interest in interacting with the company online. 

Engagement is not just a metric in value-based marketing — it is an opportunity to create value that goes in both directions. 

4. Understand the B2B Buyer 

Consumers tend to gravitate toward businesses they believe understand them. It is no different for B2B marketing. 

Business leaders are most likely to seek out sellers who understand their company — their industry, their goals, and their challenges. A 2018 report found that 64% of B2B buyers preferred suppliers who knew their industry well and could offer insight into the challenges they were facing.  

When a company communicates that they understand their buyer, it builds a foundation of trust. This not only increases the likelihood of securing their business, but it can also lead to a long-term relationship down the road. 

Building Impact With Value-Based Marketing 

In today’s competitive market, B2B buyers want more from businesses than empty, generic advertising campaigns. They are looking for authentic connections with brands that share their values and offer defined, actionable solutions to help them meet their strategic goals. 

To effectively implement a value-based marketing strategy, customers and businesses must have an exchange of value. Both the company and the B2B consumer should benefit. And most importantly, the customer must receive some kind of tangible value, a crucial step in customer value management. 

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