What B2B Marketers Can Learn From B2C Giants

Forbes

08-07-2025

Christina Hager, VP and Client CMO at Crux, helps individuals and brands transform into industry leaders through marketing strategy.
getty
The most talked-about marketing examples often come from iconic B2C brands—Sephora, Starbucks, Airbnb, Netflix. But when I present these to small and midsized B2B companies, they often feel aspirational at best and at worst, completely out of reach (and out of realistic budgets).
But here's the truth: B2B marketers can (and should) take cues from their B2C counterparts. In 2025, the most forward-thinking B2B brands already are—and they're seeing real results.
B2B Marketing Goes D2C In Style
Today's buyers expect the same experiences they get as consumers: emotionally resonant, exciting and digitally savvy. That's why many B2B marketers are adopting direct-to-consumer (D2C) tactics to better connect with modern decision-makers.
What That Looks Like:
• Social media campaigns focused on storytelling over specs
• Emotional content that builds connection and trust
• Creative thought leadership using video
And here's a stat worth noting: B2B buyers are 50% more likely to purchase from a brand they've interacted with on social media. That reinforces how critical it is for B2B companies to show up authentically on digital platforms—not just with content, but with personality.
Case Study: Salesforce—Emotionally Driven, People-First Marketing
Salesforce is a standout B2B brand that markets like a B2C giant. Instead of just pushing product features, its 'Trailblazer' campaign shares stories of real people whose lives and careers have been transformed by Salesforce tools.
Their messaging is emotional, empowering and community-driven—like something you'd expect from Nike or Apple.
Then there's Dreamforce, Salesforce's annual conference that feels more like a cultural festival than a software expo. With big-name speakers, live music, immersive branding and powerful storytelling, it's a showcase of what B2B marketing can be.
This approach isn't just flashy—it's strategic. LinkedIn data show that 69% of B2B marketers believe B2B purchasing decisions are just as emotionally driven as B2C. Salesforce gets that, and they lead with identity, aspiration and emotion.
Short-Form Video: Still The Undisputed Champion
Short-form video continues to dominate marketing in 2025. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts aren't just for entertainment—they've become discovery engines for product research, brand evaluation and professional learning.
Why It Works:
• Grabs attention in seconds
• Tells a complete story quickly
• Encourages engagement and conversation
Eighty-seven percent of marketers say short-form video delivers the highest ROI of any content format.
Case Study: HubSpot—Turning CRM Into Scroll-Stopping Content
HubSpot set out with a clear goal: Build brand awareness and stay top of mind for anyone searching for a CRM solution. But instead of relying solely on white papers, LinkedIn posts or podcasts, they turned to TikTok, one of the world's fastest-growing and most attention-grabbing platforms.
HubSpot was one of the first major B2B brands to lean fully into TikTok—and it paid off.
They produced full-screen, fast-paced videos that used storytelling, humor and cultural relevance to connect with users. Whether or not viewers knew what a CRM system even was, what they witnessed was content that was fun, relatable and entertaining.
Their recipe for success?
• Content tailored to specific interest groups
• Story-driven, meme-savvy video
• Collaborations with creators to drive reach and relevance
HubSpot showed that even a B2B company can act like a lifestyle brand—and in doing so, made their product more accessible, more memorable and ultimately more engaging.
What else did they do?
When HubSpot saw that TikTok was a powerful platform for entertaining and engaging content, they doubled down—becoming the first B2B brand to run a TopFeed campaign, designed to increase the frequency of exposure to their target audience.
The Results?
There are a ton of stats that showcase what a great campaign this was, such as a lift in brand awareness and ad recall. What this campaign shows B2B brands, most importantly, is that there is success in producing native content and short-form video that dares to be fresh, utilize humor and humanize a brand, no matter the product.
Short-form video doesn't just drive visibility—it shapes perception, improves recall and builds meaningful brand equity for B2B companies. HubSpot made TikTok not just a tool for reach, but for relevance.
What B2B marketers can learn: Don't underestimate the power of attention. If your content resonates, it can change how people feel about your brand—even in just 15 seconds.
Trends To Watch
As B2B brands embrace more B2C strategies and tactics, these trends are leading the charge:
• UGC-driven video that builds trust and community
• AI editing tools that make content creation faster and easier
• Shoppable and interactive video formats that convert views into sales
• Influencer and creator collaborations to tap into niche, high-trust audiences
• Emotionally led brand storytelling that highlights transformation, not just products and services
• Platform-native social content tailored to fit the audience and behavior of each platform
The Common Thread: Human-to-Human Marketing
Whether it's Salesforce inspiring through storytelling or HubSpot breaking the B2B mold on TikTok, the underlying principle is the same: Marketing today is human-to-human.
Whether you're selling professional services or a new product, your buyers are scrolling, watching and engaging just like everyone else. They want relevance, relatability and content that earns their attention.
The B2B brands that embrace this shift will be the ones that thrive in 2025 and beyond.
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?