Let’s get real: “brand awareness” could be holding your pipeline hostage.
Back in the late ’90s, sales reps just needed prospects to know the name. A rep once told me, “Get them to recognize us—I’ll take it from there.” And it worked.
But today’s buyers don’t trust logos, taglines, or cold calls. They research, compare, and spot a sales pitch a mile away.
Here’s the problem: most SaaS companies are still leaning on SDR outreach because it’s easy to measure.
Marketing, meanwhile, gets stuck playing the “brand” game—vague headlines, fluffy messaging, and websites that scream, “We’re just like everyone else.”
The result?
Crappy leads and missed quotas.
While you’re busy debating logo placement, your competitors are out there sharing sharp insights, testing ideas, and building demand that converts.
Here’s the opportunity: stop trying to control how buyers feel about your brand and start solving their problems.
Flood the market with bold, useful content that grabs attention, earns trust, and makes your audience say, “This is what we’ve been waiting for.”
SaaS revenue teams that pivot won’t just get noticed—they’ll dominate.
The question is: will you make the shift, or let the competition run the table?
Big consumer brands—Nike, Coca-Cola, Corona—are masters of emotional branding. They’ve spent decades (and billions of dollars) anchoring their products to memories, vibes, and aspirations.
When you see a Corona ad, it’s not about the beer—it’s about the beach, the sun, and the relaxed escape you crave after a long week.
It works because those feelings are universal, simple, and don’t require a committee to approve the purchase.
B2B marketers go wrong when they borrow from these same playbooks, hoping to build “emotional connections” with their buyers.
They pour big dollars into polished campaigns, vague taglines, and fluffy messaging that feel impressive but say nothing and assume they know what the buyer wants.
But B2B buying is a different beast entirely.
No one’s signing a six-figure software contract because your brand feels aspirational.
Buyers want to make progress in their jobs.
They want answers to problems, and when it comes time to choose a vendor, they’ll go with the brand that:
Need proof?
According to the 2024 TrustRadius Report, 72% of buyers rely on customer reviews and third-party validation over anything your brand says.
And 90% say authentic, unfiltered feedback sways their purchasing decisions far more than polished campaigns.
So, while consumer brands win with vibes, B2B brands win with value.
Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the loudest voices in modern marketing, has a bone to pick with brand guidelines.
According to him, they’re a relic of the past—a set of rules that stifle creativity and slow you down.
“Brand guidelines are old school,” he says. “They limit creativity and stop you from creating enough volume to actually learn what works.”
He makes a great point.
Too many marketers are so fixated on perfection—the perfect message, the perfect video, the perfect tagline—that they move at a glacial pace.
Every piece of content gets scrutinized to death in the name of “staying on brand.”
But while you’re polishing that one perfect piece, your competitor is flooding the zone.
They’re testing ideas, getting feedback, and learning what works—all while you’re stuck in endless approval loops.
Gary’s alternative?
Focus on speed, volume, and iteration.
“You don’t build trust by talking about yourself—you build it by being everywhere, testing, and proving what works.”
Here’s the counterintuitive truth: B2B buyers don’t care if your fonts match perfectly across every platform.
They care about whether your product solves their problem.
If your messaging is raw, honest, and speaks to their pain points, you’ll win their attention—even if the logo isn’t in the corner.
Meanwhile, agile teams—the ones willing to take risks and adapt quickly—will find real opportunities to connect with their audience.
Your brand isn’t the point—it’s the byproduct of solving real problems.
Marketers who can move beyond rigid brand guidelines have a massive opportunity to punch above their weight. The future belongs to those who put customers first, embrace experimentation, and measure success by outcomes—not aesthetics.
Create content that helps your buyers make progress. Test, learn, and iterate relentlessly.
That’s how you build trust. That’s how you create customers.
Big companies—and the agencies serving them—won’t do this. They’ll stay stuck defending “brand awareness,” clinging to consistency instead of connection.
Meanwhile, your buyers are scrolling past the noise, searching for someone who gets their problems and answers the questions they’re asking themselves.
Be that someone.
Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.
Our free Conversion and Messaging Review analyzes your website and content through the eyes of your buyers to uncover what’s stopping them from booking a demo. Then, we’ll give you a personalized report with practical recommendations to help you turn more visitors into sales conversations.
And the best part?
💡 It’s completely free.
No commitments, no pressure—just actionable advice to help you book more demos.
Your next demo is just a click away—claim your free review: