Brand building rises as 62% surge signals shift in B2B buying behaviour: Report

Dentsu published the study of B2B buying behaviour globally for the fourth consecutive year. The Superpowers Index includes over 14,000 individual buyer interviews​ and covers over 25,000 in-depth buying experiences. The research provides a diagnostic platform that addresses the real drivers behind B2B buying decisions, where to improve the B2B buyer journey and the business impact ​of the experience.

In Asia Pacific, Kiaran Geen continues to lead dentsu B2B. The Superpowers Index, originally published in 2021, uses a single metric that captures the overall brand experience and provides a comprehensive, single index to help brands assess their performance against key criteria that drive success. This index offers insights, enabling businesses to fine-tune their strategies and achieve superior outcomes.

• Brand building has jumped from the fifth priority in 2023 to the number one priority in 2024
• The number of brands considered as part of B2B buying journeys is up 62% since 2021
• Average decision time has increased 54 days since 2021. The estimated value to the world economy of these delayed B2B opportunities is approximately $1.9tn
• Only around two in five businesses were highly satisfied with the brand they chose in tailoring their offering to fit their needs, and these scores have shown no sign of improving since 2022
• A 10-point increase in the proprietary Superpowers Index Score results in a 14% average uplift in the dollar value of each opportunity

In addition to the Superpowers Index, dentsu B2B has launched speciality capabilities aimed at B2B marketing and sales strategies, via the dentsu B2B growth engine:

Marketing For Growth — This growth framework leverages both technology enablement and marketing services to accelerate business expansion. By integrating advanced technology with strategic marketing efforts, businesses can achieve scalable growth and enhanced market presence.

Intelligent ABX - By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Intelligent ABX revolutionizes account-based management initiatives. This solution empowers clients to transform their approach, ensuring more effective targeting and engagement with key accounts, ultimately driving better business results.

 Brand-to-Demand- Advertising — Focusing on a full view of the customer, this solution seamlessly integrates brand and demand generation efforts to enhance B2B performance. By aligning these critical elements, businesses can create a cohesive strategy that maximizes brand impact and drives demand, resulting in sustained growth and success.

 Sales Enablement — Designed to propel B2B leaders into the future, Sales Enablement focuses on driving commerce and enhancing customer experience. This solution helps businesses improve revenue by optimizing their sales processes and delivering exceptional customer journeys.

“Five years ago, Merkle B2B was launched to provide integrated solutions to B2B customers across media, customer experience and creative. Today’s expansion into dentsu B2B marks a real opportunity for the team to drive further innovation for our clients, creating real business outcomes for our clients that help their growth and generate real impact,” said Kiaran Geen, President APAC, dentsu B2B.

“Every company in the world is a B2B company in some capacity and we can harness that opportunity to be a true innovation partner for clients, leveraging our globally connected capabilities across business transformation, media, creative, CXM, commerce, data and technology to drive impact,” he added.

“The Superpowers Index provides a framework for driving client growth by benchmarking performance across the 30 decision drivers, pinpointing improvement opportunities and measurement and gives a comprehensive look at the evolving landscape of B2B marketing year over year. The research allows us to target and refine our dentsu B2B capabilities to the needs of global clients across markets,” said Patrick Hounsell, President dentsu B2B. “Our goal is to provide B2B brands with the tools and insights they need to connect their marketing, IT, and sales efforts more effectively and these solutions represent a significant leap forward in our commitment to driving B2B success."