Brand Building Tactics And Creative

Brand Building Tactics and Creative

Overview

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.

Earning Attention Before Selling

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 attention—without leading with product features or benefits—and (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 — 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 problem—the emotional pain point and aspiration—before 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 — see Where Experts Disagree)

Maintain a running list of 50–100 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 goals—most ideas will be unusable, but 1–2 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 game—getting human attention—is 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)

Scrappy, Low-Cost Attention Plays

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 humor—do 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 6–8 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)

Creative Strategy and Design

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 marketing—unconventional offers, new formats, untested tactics—is 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 25–50% 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 tolerance—both 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 live—in-house vs. agency—is contested — see Where Experts Disagree)

Brand Identity and Differentiation

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 channels—social 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)

Influencer and Analyst Marketing

(Note: the structure of influencer relationships—formal programs vs. organic cultivation—is contested — 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)

Events and Experiential Marketing

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 events—award 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 2–3 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 lift—particularly 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 (50–70 participants; 170 was too large). (Source: Andrew Davies, Episode 195)

Campaign Measurement and Integration

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 — 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 directly—hand-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)

Where Experts Disagree

1. Should creative and design work be kept in-house or outsourced to agencies?

Support summary: 2 vs 1

Position A — 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.

• Mychelle Mollot (Episode 182): Argued that in-house creative teams understand brand essence and company rhythms deeply, reducing the transactional overhead of briefing external resources and ensuring consistent execution.
• Tom Wentworth (Episode 304): Advocated investing in talented in-house designers as a defensible competitive advantage, arguing design is one area where AI still struggles and a strong in-house team allows obsessing over details that generic AI-generated creative cannot match.

Position B — 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.

• Eli Rubel (Episodes 120 and 153): As a creative agency operator, described structured external processes (mood boards to establish risk boundaries, preselling creative with brand story) that imply an external agency relationship, and framed design investment as a conversion lever that external specialists are positioned to deliver.

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.

2. Should brand awareness creative lead with product messaging or earn attention first without product messaging?

Support summary: 2 vs 1

Position A — Attention first, product messaging second: Lead with plays designed purely to get attention—without product features or benefits—and only introduce product messaging after you've earned mindshare. Most people are not actively shopping, so generic product messaging will not hook them.

• Dave Gerhardt (Episode 316): Explicitly described a two-step sequence: (1) run a play designed purely to get attention without leading with product features or benefits, (2) then use that attention to tell the product story. Argued most people are not actively shopping so product messaging alone won't work.
• Ryan Narod (Episode 330): Argued that mass-market creative (e.g., Super Bowl ads) should move away from product-specific messaging and instead focus on the emotional pain point and aspiration as the hook before introducing the solution.

Position B — 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.

• Kristine Segrist (Episode 277): Described integrating demand generation pull-through (landing pages, CTAs for demos and sales contact) directly into brand awareness campaigns (OOH, digital, TV) to measure both brand perception lift and immediate business outcomes from the same campaign.

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.

3. Should influencer marketing require formal authentic advocacy, or do casual unpaid mentions work just as well?

Support summary: 2 vs 1

Position A — 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.

• Megan Lueders (Episode 229): Explicitly warned against paying analysts or influencers to write favorable content, arguing audiences detect pay-to-play arrangements and it damages brand credibility. Argued earned recognition carries far more weight.
• Brianna Doe (Episode 305): Her example of a brand partnering with a Love Island couple (a commercial arrangement) to ride a cultural wave and sell out in two hours demonstrates that paid influencer partnerships can deliver strong results when timed to authentic cultural moments—suggesting paid arrangements are not categorically off the table when authenticity is present.

Position B — Casual, unpaid mentions are highly effective: Casual, unpaid mentions by influential people in your space—such as a LinkedIn comment recommending your product—drive significant awareness and signups because they carry third-party credibility. Focus on getting influential people to organically mention you, not on formal advocacy programs.

• Peep Laja (Episode 119): Cited specific examples of influential people (Kathleen Booth, Guillaume) casually mentioning Wynter in LinkedIn comments without being paid, which drove signups. Argued this is more effective than direct advertising due to third-party credibility.

Context dependency: These positions are more complementary than fully conflicting. Megan Lueders argues against paid inauthentic arrangements; Peep Laja describes unpaid organic mentions—both 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 relationships—formal programs vs. organic relationship cultivation—affects both budget and credibility. Misreading which approach works can mean wasted spend on formal programs or missed opportunities from not nurturing organic advocates.

What NOT To Do

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 parodies—ensure 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; 50–70 is more manageable. (Source: Andrew Davies, Episode 195)

Sources