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Guides marketers through brand awareness campaigns, creative differentiation, event strategy, and attention-generating tactics; trigger when a user needs help standing out, building brand equity, or designing creative executions.
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Based on SOC occupation classification
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Guides marketers through ABM program design, pipeline attribution, and sales-marketing alignment decisions; trigger when working on account selection, attribution models, lead qualification frameworks, or pipeline accountability metrics.
Guidance for planning, executing, and measuring account-based marketing (ABM) programs in B2B; trigger when a user asks about ABM strategy, target account selection, ABM measurement, account-level personalization, or sales-marketing alignment for named accounts.
Guidance for selecting, structuring, and managing relationships with marketing agencies, freelancers, and external vendors â trigger when a user is evaluating, hiring, briefing, or managing an external marketing partner.
Guidance for marketing leaders on adopting AI tools, enabling teams, structuring workflows, and navigating the human-vs-AI creative tradeoff in B2B marketing contexts
Guidance for using AI tools to create, repurpose, and distribute B2B marketing contentâcovering workflows, quality guardrails, tool-specific tactics, and where expert opinion diverges on AI's proper role in content creation.
| name | brand-building-tactics-and-creative |
| description | Guides marketers through brand awareness campaigns, creative differentiation, event strategy, and attention-generating tactics; trigger when a user needs help standing out, building brand equity, or designing creative executions. |
| version | 2026-04-20 |
| episode_count | 28 |
This skill covers how B2B marketers can build distinctive brands, generate attention, design memorable creative, and execute events and campaigns that cut through noise. All practices are sourced exclusively from Exit Five podcast guests across 28 episodes. Do not supplement with general marketing knowledge not represented here.
When helping a user think about brand awareness creative, start from the premise that most audiences are not actively shopping. Structure advice accordingly.
Lead with attention, then product. Follow the two-step sequence described by Dave Gerhardt (Episode 316): (1) run a play designed purely to get attentionâwithout leading with product features or benefitsâand (2) only after earning mindshare, use that attention to tell the product story. Do not invert this sequence for top-of-funnel audiences.
(Note: whether to separate attention-getting from product messaging or integrate them is contested â see Where Experts Disagree)
Abstract to emotional pain points for mass-market creative. When creating brand awareness creative for broad audiences (e.g., Super Bowl ads), move away from product-specific messaging. Instead, articulate the feeling of the problemâthe emotional pain point and aspirationâbefore introducing the solution. For example, rather than "manage HR and payroll," communicate "leaders with big plans held back by mundane operational tasks." This makes the message universally resonant. (Source: Ryan Narod, Episode 330)
(Note: this emotional-first framing is part of a broader disagreement about sequencing â see Where Experts Disagree)
Maintain a running list of 50â100 bad/crazy ideas. Keep a dedicated list in your phone or notes app of unconventional, even absurd, ideas for getting attention. Volume and permission to be bad are the goalsâmost ideas will be unusable, but 1â2 actionable ones will emerge. This is a deliberate practice to overcome the pull toward safe, boring marketing. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 316)
Source inspiration from outside your industry. Do not limit creative inspiration to B2B SaaS examples or direct competitors. Study how sports, entertainment, and consumer brands capture attention and adapt those principles. The core gameâgetting human attentionâis the same regardless of category. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 316)
Apply bold creative principles to B2B. B2B audiences are still human and respond to novelty, emotion, disruption, and awe. Gen Z now occupies procurement and decision-making roles and expects engaging content. Do not treat B2B as exempt from the creative standards that work in B2C. (Source: Mark Schaefer, Episode 261)
When a user has a limited budget but needs brand visibility, prioritize these approaches.
Amplify small physical placements through owned channels. Instead of expensive traditional media buys, identify small, high-visibility placements and amplify them through owned channels. Examples: a single digital billboard near a high-traffic event, album-release-style posters in three strategic locations for under $10k, or a one-hour Times Square billboard slot. Execute the physical play, document it with photography or video, then distribute that content across LinkedIn or other owned channels to multiply reach. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 316)
Punch above your weight with affordable premium placements. Create the perception of a much larger company by purchasing small, affordable versions of premium advertising mediums (e.g., regional Wall Street Journal ads, cheap Times Square billboards). Hire a photographer or videographer to capture high-quality content during the placement, then amplify across owned digital channels to your actual audience rather than relying on the physical medium's reach. (Source: Udi Ledergor, Episode 237)
Ride existing cultural waves rather than manufacturing trends. When a cultural moment emerges that aligns with your brand, move quickly to capitalize on it. Identify moments your audience is already creating and engaging with, then jump in authentically. Do not try to engineer virality from scratch. (Source: Brianna Doe, Episode 305)
Run an April Fools parody campaign. Create a landing page announcing a humorous, outdated version of your product (e.g., software on CDs). Make it clearly a joke but entertaining and on-brand. This generates social media engagement, press mentions, and brand awareness. Ensure the broader context allows for humorâdo not run during crisis periods. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 214)
Secure front-table placement in airport bookstores. For physical products (books, etc.), negotiate placement fees with airport bookstore chains (e.g., Hudson News) to get front-table placement for 6â8 weeks across multiple locations. This creates organic social media amplification as travelers discover and photograph the product. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 214)
Self-publish a physical book. Instead of another ebook or blog post, self-publish a physical book about your company or marketing approach. Make it free and distribute it. Physical products create more affinity and shareability than digital content and become a marketing asset that drives word-of-mouth in your niche. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 214)
When helping a user develop creative work or make the case for design investment, use these principles.
Treat creativity as a business superpower, not a nice-to-have. Invest in unconventional creative executions that delight and surprise audiences, even when they're harder to measure. This requires executive buy-in that creativity is a legitimate business driver. (Source: Emma Robinson, Episode 277)
Use the three-lever framework to break through noise. To stand out in oversaturated markets, systematically disrupt one of three elements: the story (narrative), the channel (where it's told), or the storyteller (who tells it). Changing one of these three creates differentiation because most competitors do all three the same way. (Source: Mark Schaefer, Episode 261)
Take creative risks in design to stand out from category sameness. In B2B SaaS, most companies default to safe, corporate aesthetics (black, white, blue). Stand out by using unexpected color palettes, unconventional imagery, bold typography, or distinctive visual treatments. Risk-taking must be intentional, not random. Examples: mascots, unusual compositions, or breaking category norms. (Source: Eli Rubel, Episode 120)
Embrace bold risk-taking as a strategic necessity when competing against larger players. When competing against better-resourced competitors, playing it safe guarantees failure. Bold marketingâunconventional offers, new formats, untested tacticsâis not optional; it's a strategic requirement. Reject cookie-cutter templates and focus on ideation and innovation. (Source: Gurdeep Dhillon, Episodes 280 and 203)
Quantify design impact as a conversion lever to secure stakeholder buy-in. When pitching design or brand work, frame it as a direct conversion and revenue driver. Calculate the potential ROI: if a company spends $250,000/month on paid social and search, a 5% improvement in conversion rate driven by better design directly translates to measurable revenue. Ask stakeholders: "Do you care more about being on-brand, or do you care more about that $250,000/month converting 5% better?" (Source: Eli Rubel, Episodes 153 and 120)
Experiment outside brand guidelines in paid media. Many companies operate under outdated brand guidelines that constrain paid creative performance. Test unconventional imagery, tone, or design approaches in paid media experiments. If a creative variation drives 25â50% lift in conversions, the performance gain justifies stepping outside guidelines. Start with small experiments to build internal confidence before scaling. (Source: Eli Rubel, Episode 120)
Use mood boards to establish creative risk boundaries early. At the start of brand development, present mood boards and reference imagery to establish the outer boundaries of creative risk toleranceâboth the maximum boldness the client is comfortable with and the minimum blandness they want to avoid. This prevents late-stage rejections of work that falls outside the client's actual comfort zone. (Source: Eli Rubel, Episode 153)
Presell creative concepts by framing them within brand story and strategy. When presenting creative work to internal stakeholders, do not lead with visuals alone. First, tell the brand story and strategic rationale that informed the creative. Use narrative structure (setup, conflict, resolution) to build context and buy-in before revealing the visual execution. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 153)
Build brand affinity through copy-paste templates and frameworks. Create marketing assets (templates, frameworks, guides) that customers can immediately use to look good in front of their boss or team. When a customer successfully uses your template and receives praise, they develop brand affinity toward your company even before considering your product. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 311)
(Note: where creative capability should liveâin-house vs. agencyâis contested â see Where Experts Disagree)
Create and lean into a distinctive brand mascot. Develop a unique mascot character tied to your product value proposition and use it consistently across all marketing channelsâsocial media, ads, email, events, and branded merchandise. Assign someone to comment and engage as the mascot character on social platforms. Mascots work particularly well in B2B SaaS where most competitors use generic, minimal design. (Source: Jess Cook, Episode 321)
Use bold, unexpected colors and emotional messaging in out-of-home creative. When designing billboards and transit ads, choose colors that stand out against typical urban environments (e.g., vibrant turquoise instead of gray or muted tones) and lead with emotional, human-centered messaging rather than product benefits. Use portrait photography of relatable personas instead of product screenshots or generic imagery. (Source: Amrita Gurney, Episode 287)
Establish a predictable monthly launch cadence. Create a monthly product or marketing launch cadence (e.g., first Tuesday of each month) tied to your core strategic narrative. This creates momentum independent of third-party validation (Gartner, G2, etc.) and gives the team a regular opportunity to drive attention and engagement. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 134)
Design shared experiences to generate collective effervescence. Create marketing moments where people come together in new, stimulating, and meaningful ways. Shared experiences create emotional bonds and organic advocacy that digital marketing cannot replicate. This is especially powerful in a world where most consumption is isolated. (Source: Mark Schaefer, Episode 261)
(Note: the structure of influencer relationshipsâformal programs vs. organic cultivationâis contested â see Where Experts Disagree)
Prioritize authenticity in influencer and analyst partnerships. Avoid paying analysts or influencers to write favorable content about your product. Audiences detect pay-to-play arrangements and it damages brand credibility. Earned recognition (e.g., Gartner Magic Quadrant placement) carries far more weight than paid analyst reports. Only use influencers who are genuine product advocates. (Source: Megan Lueders, Episode 229)
Cultivate relationships with influential people who will organically mention your product. When influential people in your space casually mention your product in comments or posts without being paid, it drives significant awareness and trust. Focus on building genuine relationships with influencers in your space so that organic, unpaid mentions occur naturally. (Source: Peep Laja, Episode 119)
When helping a user plan events, apply these principles across event strategy, format, and execution.
Treat events as products, not one-off projects. Apply product thinking to events: invest in the venue, brand, and experience as a long-term asset. Make strategic decisions about location and positioning that become part of the brand identity. Be willing to spend significantly on the event experience because it compounds over time as people return and recommend it. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 294)
Set a minimum attendance threshold before hosting a flagship conference. Do not host a flagship customer conference unless you are confident you can fill it with at least 500 attendees. A half-empty event damages brand perception more than not hosting an event at all. If you don't have the customer base or prospect pool to fill a venue, run smaller roadshows or regional events instead. (Source: Stephanie Christensen, Episode 227)
Ensure events are packed with no empty seats. Always size the venue so the room feels full and energetic. If you can't fill a space, downsize the venue or don't host the event. A half-full event is worse for your brand than not hosting. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 227)
Select event venues based on aesthetic and brand alignment, not just cost. The venue is a brand touchpoint. Choose venues that reflect your brand positioning and create the right atmosphere. A well-designed venue elevates brand perception and creates a better attendee experience than a generic hotel ballroom. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 227)
Set an authentic, approachable tone from the opening remarks. Open events with genuine, personal remarks rather than polished corporate messaging. Share stories about the company, show photos of the team, explain the origin story, and use humor. This signals that the event is real and approachable, not a buttoned-up corporate conference. (Source: Anna Vermillion, Episode 294)
Replace branded swag with memorable experiential activations at trade show booths. Instead of handing out branded hoodies, hats, and stickers, create an experiential activation that attendees will remember and talk about. Examples: tarot card readings, live pancake art with attendee likenesses, cold brew coffee service, or other interactive experiences. This creates word-of-mouth buzz and stronger brand recall than generic swag. (Source: Stephanie Christensen, Episode 227)
Invest in distinctive booth design to stand out on the trade show floor. Do not accept generic booth templates. Invest in custom booth design with thoughtful layout, branding, and visual elements that draw attendees in and create a professional impression. (Source: Kristina DeBrito, Episode 227)
Run events with creative, non-pitch formats. Move beyond traditional pitch-heavy events by designing unique formats that give attendees a reason to show up beyond product education. Examples: musician performances paired with casual networking (no pitch), webinars where presenters paint while discussing topics (Bob Ross style), or intimate dinners with like-minded professionals. Pair these with strong SDR follow-up post-event to convert relationships into pipeline. (Source: Jason Lyman, Episode 263)
Reframe webinars as one-of-a-kind brand launch events. Move away from standard webinar formats (guest + topic covered by 100 other companies) and instead create unique, memorable live eventsâaward shows, product launches, GTM demo days, or other novel formats. Measure success by attendance lift, brand search volume spikes, sales team feedback on deal acceleration, and ability to reactivate cold prospects. (Source: Madhav Bhandari, Episode 183)
Build brand recall through repeated logo exposure across multiple event sponsorships. Instead of investing heavily in one major event activation, distribute budget across multiple smaller sponsorships (lanyard sponsorships, breakfast sponsors, etc.) at the same events year-over-year. Repeated logo exposure compounds brand recognition and recall over time. (Source: Sandra Rand, Episode 265)
Host customer appreciation events at key industry conferences. Identify the 2â3 major conferences where your target customers gather. At each, host a small happy hour or social event with customers and prospects, splitting costs with a customer partner if possible. Start with the cheapest booth option. The goal is to create a memorable experience that makes attendees feel part of an exclusive community, generating word-of-mouth buzz. (Source: Michael Cole, Episode 212)
Use sports sponsorships to reach B2B and B2C audiences simultaneously when buyer personas align. When your B2B buyer persona and B2C consumer target overlap, build the business case for sports sponsorships on both audiences independently. Use Nielsen data and third-party research to find sports properties that align with both personas. Justify the investment on B2B ROI alone, then treat B2C reach as additional value. (Source: Melton Littlepage, Episode 223)
Execute high-production YouTube Live events for product launches. Create significant brand impact through product launches by producing high-production YouTube Live events. This generates excitement, drives attendance, and creates brand liftâparticularly for audiences inherently interested in product announcements. (Source: Sylvia Lepoidevin, Episode 199)
Run a low-cost accelerator program to acquire early-stage customers and build brand halo. Create an accelerator cohort for early-stage founders in your target market. Offer a compelling package (cash prize, vendor discounts, no equity stake, no fees) and build community through Slack and regular calls. This generates direct customers, creates a halo effect as participants share their experience with peers, and reinforces brand positioning as helpful. Keep cohort size manageable (50â70 participants; 170 was too large). (Source: Andrew Davies, Episode 195)
Integrate demand generation pull-through into brand awareness campaigns. When running large brand awareness campaigns (out-of-home, digital, TV), create landing pages and CTAs that drive B2B actions (demo signups, contact sales). This allows you to measure both brand perception lift and immediate business outcomes from the same campaign. (Source: Kristine Segrist, Episode 277)
(Note: whether to integrate demand gen CTAs into brand awareness creative or keep them sequenced is contested â see Where Experts Disagree)
Measure large awareness campaigns through multiple methods. For large awareness campaigns, measure impact through brand tracking (perception shifts), media mix modeling, geographic experiments, and conversion lift. Thread the campaign through to targeted B2B motions (ABM, field marketing, lifecycle email) to drive enterprise outcomes. (Source: Emma Robinson, Episode 277)
Invest in unscalable, high-touch tactics that build brand and trust. Allocate budget and time to marketing activities that don't scale easily and are difficult to measure directlyâhand-written personalized invitations, billboards, physical books, TV commercials with real actors. These tactics break through AI-generated content noise and create memorable experiences. While you may not attribute specific pipeline to them immediately, they build brand authority that shows up in the funnel over time. (Source: Tom Wentworth, Episode 304)
Support summary: 2 vs 1
Position A â Keep creative in-house: Embed a creative and design team directly within marketing to maintain brand consistency, reduce briefing overhead, and ensure every asset reflects the brand without extensive specification. In-house teams understand company rhythms and strategic direction deeply enough to execute with minimal direction.
Position B â Use external agencies or specialists: Bring in external creative specialists for brand and design work, particularly for establishing creative risk boundaries and preselling concepts to stakeholders. External experts bring fresh perspective and structured processes that internal teams may lack.
Context dependency: Eli Rubel speaks from an agency operator's perspective and his advice is directed at clients engaging external help, while Mychelle Mollot and Tom Wentworth speak from in-house CMO perspectives. However, the underlying question of where creative capability should live is a genuine strategic disagreement, not merely a framing difference.
Why it matters: Where creative capability lives affects brand consistency, speed of execution, and cost structure. Over-reliance on agencies can create briefing overhead and brand drift; over-reliance on in-house teams can limit creative freshness and specialized expertise.
Support summary: 2 vs 1
Position A â Attention first, product messaging second: Lead with plays designed purely to get attentionâwithout product features or benefitsâand only introduce product messaging after you've earned mindshare. Most people are not actively shopping, so generic product messaging will not hook them.
Position B â Integrate demand gen CTAs into brand awareness campaigns: When running large brand awareness campaigns, simultaneously create landing pages and CTAs that drive B2B actions (demo signups, contact sales). Brand awareness and product/demand messaging should be integrated in the same campaign rather than sequenced.
Context dependency: The attention-first approach is most explicitly argued for mass-market or top-of-funnel audiences not actively shopping. Kristine Segrist's integrated approach may suit audiences already somewhat aware of the category. However, the disagreement about whether product/demand messaging belongs in the same creative moment as brand awareness is a genuine strategic tension.
Why it matters: Whether to separate attention-getting from product messaging or integrate them affects campaign structure, budget allocation, and how you measure brand vs. demand outcomes. Wasted brand spend with no pipeline or product messaging that fails to break through to unaware audiences are both real risks depending on which approach you choose.
Support summary: 2 vs 1
Position A â Formal authentic advocacy; no pay-to-play: Influencer and analyst partnerships must be built on genuine advocacy. Paying for favorable content damages credibility because audiences detect it. Earned recognition carries far more weight than paid arrangements.
Position B â Casual, unpaid mentions are highly effective: Casual, unpaid mentions by influential people in your spaceâsuch as a LinkedIn comment recommending your productâdrive significant awareness and signups because they carry third-party credibility. Focus on getting influential people to organically mention you, not on formal advocacy programs.
Context dependency: These positions are more complementary than fully conflicting. Megan Lueders argues against paid inauthentic arrangements; Peep Laja describes unpaid organic mentionsâboth agree authenticity matters. The tension is subtle: Lueders implies a formal (but genuine) advocacy program, while Laja suggests the most effective form is entirely informal and relationship-driven. This is a mild tension rather than a strong disagreement.
Why it matters: How you structure influencer relationshipsâformal programs vs. organic relationship cultivationâaffects both budget and credibility. Misreading which approach works can mean wasted spend on formal programs or missed opportunities from not nurturing organic advocates.
Do not lead with product features in mass-market or top-of-funnel creative. Generic product messaging will not hook audiences who are not actively shopping. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 316; Ryan Narod, Episode 330)
Do not limit creative inspiration to your own industry. Studying only direct competitors homogenizes your marketing. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 316)
Do not default to safe, corporate aesthetics. Black, white, and blue B2B SaaS design is a sea of sameness. Safe choices guarantee invisibility in crowded markets. (Source: Eli Rubel, Episode 120; Gurdeep Dhillon, Episodes 280 and 203)
Do not host a flagship conference you cannot fill. A half-empty event damages brand perception more than not hosting one at all. Do not host a flagship event unless you can confidently fill it with 500+ attendees. (Source: Stephanie Christensen, Episode 227; Dave Gerhardt, Episode 227)
Do not hand out generic branded swag as your primary trade show activation. Branded hoodies, hats, and stickers create weak brand recall compared to memorable experiential activations. (Source: Stephanie Christensen, Episode 227)
Do not pay analysts or influencers to write favorable content. Audiences detect pay-to-play arrangements and it damages brand credibility. (Source: Megan Lueders, Episode 229)
Do not try to manufacture trends. Forced virality rarely works. Identify moments your audience is already creating and jump in authentically. (Source: Brianna Doe, Episode 305)
Do not present creative work to stakeholders without first telling the brand story behind it. Leading with visuals alone without strategic context makes stakeholders more likely to reject bold creative choices. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 153)
Do not run a humor-based campaign during crisis periods. Timing matters for campaigns like April Fools parodiesâensure the broader context allows for levity. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode 214)
Do not make a flagship event cohort too large to maintain community quality. An accelerator cohort of 170 was too large; 50â70 is more manageable. (Source: Andrew Davies, Episode 195)
| Episode | Guest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 119 | Peep Laja | 2024-02-22 |
| Episode 120 | Eli Rubel | 2024-02-26 |
| Episode 134 | Dave Gerhardt | 2024-04-22 |
| Episode 153 | Eli Rubel | 2024-06-27 |
| Episode 153 | Dave Gerhardt | 2024-06-27 |
| Episode 182 | Mychelle Mollot | 2024-10-07 |
| Episode 183 | Madhav Bhandari | 2024-10-10 |
| Episode 195 | Andrew Davies | 2024-11-21 |
| Episode 199 | Sylvia Lepoidevin | 2024-12-05 |
| Episode 203 | Gurdeep Dhillon | 2024-12-19 |
| Episode 212 | Michael Cole | 2025-01-21 |
| Episode 214 | Dave Gerhardt | 2025-01-27 |
| Episode 223 | Melton Littlepage | 2025-02-27 |
| Episode 227 | Kristina DeBrito | 2025-03-13 |
| Episode 227 | Stephanie Christensen | 2025-03-13 |
| Episode 227 | Dave Gerhardt | 2025-03-13 |
| Episode 229 | Megan Lueders | 2025-03-20 |
| Episode 237 | Udi Ledergor | 2025-04-14 |
| Episode 261 | Mark Schaefer | 2025-07-03 |
| Episode 263 | Jason Lyman | 2025-07-10 |
| Episode 265 | Sandra Rand | 2025-07-17 |
| Episode 277 | Kristine Segrist | 2025-08-28 |
| Episode 277 | Emma Robinson | 2025-08-28 |
| Episode 280 | Gurdeep Dhillon | 2025-09-08 |
| Episode 287 | Amrita Gurney | 2025-10-02 |
| Episode 294 | Dave Gerhardt | 2025-10-16 |
| Episode 294 | Anna Vermillion | 2025-10-16 |
| Episode 304 | Tom Wentworth | 2025-11-17 |
| Episode 305 | Brianna Doe | 2025-11-20 |
| Episode 311 | Dave Gerhardt | 2025-12-11 |
| Episode 316 | Dave Gerhardt | 2025-12-29 |
| Episode 321 | Jess Cook | 2026-01-15 |
| Episode 330 | Ryan Narod | 2026-02-17 |
