What makes B2B creative win: The formula behind impactful work
In B2B marketing, creativity isn’t just about clever headlines or slick visuals. It’s about solving real problems with ideas that connect, educate and drive results. That was the premise behind a recent collaboration for the CMA B2B Council, where we unpacked what separates award‑winning B2B creative from the rest.
From brief to breakthrough: Creativity that sells
As David Ogilvy famously said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.” That ethos still rings true, especially in B2B. Great work starts with a smart strategy, grounded in real audience insight. A standout example? Canada Post’s “Engagement Kit,” designed to combat a decline in direct mail use due to sustainability misconceptions.
Instead of preaching facts, the creative team explored several high-impact concepts, each aimed at reframing direct mail as an eco-friendly, results-driven channel. Ideas included a poetic “Mother Nature” mailer printed on bark, and a bee-themed kit featuring a DIY bee hotel to highlight environmental impact. Ultimately, “See the Light” won the day: a paper origami lantern that recipients could physically assemble and light, paired with a sustainability guide.
And it worked. The campaign:
- Generated a 22:1 ROI
- Reversed erosion in key segments
- Won Gold at the CMA Awards
It wasn’t just beautiful. It was strategic and measurable, proving that direct mail is definitely not dead!
Watch how a little light sparked big results.
Three traits of winning B2B content
Before we break it down, it’s worth noting the expanding role of content marketing in B2B strategy, shaping narratives and building brand resonance well beyond traditional channels.
1. Tangible strategy
Winning campaigns don’t just look good. They reflect a deep understanding of the audience’s context and mindset. Take TIAA, for example. Under CMO Micky Onvural, the brand launched TMRW, a multi-channel content platform that included event, publication and digital content aimed at retirement plan sponsors. It succeeded not just in branding but in perception too, with over 80 per cent of event attendees reporting a significantly improved view of the brand.
2. Memorability through experience
Creative should give people something to hold, see or do. Lenovo’s Late Night I.T., hosted by Baratunde Thurston, exemplifies this; it’s a web series built for IT decision-makers that translates complex tech into human, accessible conversations. Season two hit 83.5 million video views, 97 per cent completion on Bloomberg TV, and won multiple industry awards including Best in Show at ANA’s B2 Awards and a Shorty.
3. Alignment with sales goals
The strongest ideas align tightly with business objectives. Campaigns like Canada Post’s kit and Lenovo’s series did more than entertain—they built pipeline, boosted brand consideration (Lenovo saw a +7‑point lift), and supported sales conversations with rich storytelling.
Bridging brand and buyer: The power of ABM
While creativity wins attention, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) ensures it’s focused in the right direction. The strongest B2B campaigns don’t stop at engagement. They drive intent, alignment and ultimately, revenue. That’s where ABM thrives.
ABM: When personalization meets performance
ABM is a highly focused strategy where marketing and sales align to target specific, high-value accounts with tailored messages and experiences. Rather than casting a wide net, ABM treats individual accounts as markets of one, prioritizing quality over quantity. It’s precise, data-driven and rooted in personalization.
And it works. When executed well, ABM improves win rates, shortens sales cycles and maximizes marketing ROI. According to industry benchmarks, organizations that implement ABM report up to 80 per cent higher close rates, and 91 per cent agree that ABM accounts deliver a higher return on investment.
Take Snowflake as an example. After going public, the brand needed to scale its enterprise presence without diluting its message. Their ABM playbook was cross-functional: marketing, sales, SDRs and partner teams collaborated to warm up high-value accounts before personal outreach began. A hybrid strategy using intent data, LinkedIn, RollWorks, direct mail and field events drove results:
- 75 per cent increase in SDR-booked meetings
- 3x meeting rate improvement for ABM-aligned accounts
- Scaled personalized campaigns across 2,000+ accounts globally
Learn more in Hillary Carpio and Travis Henry of Snowflake book.
Or consider Acxiom, a leader in data services. They needed to build a £1.5M pipeline in the UK automotive sector—fast. The team used intent data to identify in-market accounts, then layered on a mix of blogs, videos and direct outreach. Sales and marketing operated as a single unit, even embedding an SDR into the marketing team for tighter alignment. In just 120 days, the campaign:
- Engaged 86 named accounts including Nissan, McLaren, and The AA
- Promoted 35 accounts to active ABM status
- Secured six high-profile meetings and hit the sales target, £1.5M pipeline from a £55,000 investment
These aren’t just campaign wins. They’re business wins. ABM isn’t a tactic. It’s a revenue engine.
So, what makes B2B creative win?
It’s not just originality. It’s originality anchored in strategy. It’s creative that doesn’t just earn attention. It earns results. And it’s built on deep collaboration between marketers, sales teams and creative thinkers who know that in B2B, the real magic happens when insights become ideas, and ideas become outcomes.
When embedded in strong content strategy and supported by focused ABM execution, B2B creative doesn’t just win awards. It moves business forward.
Authors:
Marc Cooper, Partner and President, Junction59
Angela Ferreira, Director Growth Marketing, Introhive
Santo Ligotti, Vice President Marketing and Member Services, Retail Council of Canada and Digital Marketing Professor, School of Marketing, George Brown College-Centre for Business
Tristan Retelsdorf, Lead Director, Brand, Digital and Customer Marketing, TELUS Business
