Branding and marketing with with Stefan Maritz

Hey Everyone.

Once again, it’s been a minute. Going to try and get to these a bit more. Been slacking on my own content a little. I need to do better, I know. Thanks for being here and welcome to all the new subscribers.

Let’s dive in

THE BRAND ADVANTAGE: WHY B2B COMPANIES NEED TO STOP OBSESSING ABOUT FEATURES

Most B2B and SaaS companies are terrible at brand building. 9 out of 10 get it completely wrong, and 7 out of 10 don't even bother thinking about it.

They're too busy cramming feature lists down prospects' throats.

THE FEATURE TRAP

Here's what happens in most B2B companies:

1. Product team builds something

2. Marketing tries to explain it

3. Sales tries to sell it

4. Everyone focuses on what it DOES

That's the problem.

Features only deliver functional benefits - they help customers "do it faster" or "do it better." But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why people actually buy.

Think about it. When was the last time you made a significant purchase decision based SOLELY on features? Never. Because humans don't work that way. We trust the brands everyone else trusts and talks about. In B2B, it’s less about status and more about fear of failure.

Pushing hard to use a new CRM tool that does exactly the same as Hubspot, that no one’s heard of, doesn’t make you cool. It probably raises flags around the boardroom table and gets a red tick next to your name. Strike one. If it goes wrong, you're out.

THE DECISION ICEBERG

Your customers' decision-making process runs deeper than you think. Much deeper.

At the surface: "What does this product do?"

• Functional benefits (Do it faster/better/cheaper)

• Features and capabilities

• Basic problem-solving

Below the surface: "How does this make me feel?"

• Emotional benefits

• Supporting causes they care about (Someone shout greenwash!)

• Being part of something bigger

Deep below: "What does this say about me?"

• Self-expressive benefits

• Career advancement ("Will help me get my promotion" or “keep me from losing my job)

• Identity reinforcement

• Status signals

Most B2B marketing never gets past the surface level. It's all speeds, feeds, and specifications. Meanwhile, your buyers are making decisions based on what's happening below the waterline.

This is not something reserved for luxury cars and $2000 handbags. It’s ever-present, in every purchase.

EVERY
SINGLE
TIME

YOUR BRAND IS THE DIFFERENTIATOR

Let's be brutally honest: your product isn't that special.

In most B2B categories, true functional differentiation lasts about 90 days before competitors catch up. Features get copied. Prices get matched. Technology becomes commoditized.

And just in case you haven’t noticed, AI is now speeding this up.

What can't be copied?
What can’t be AI’ed?

Your brand.

Your brand is what adds substance and creates real differentiation through:

Reputation

• The collective memory and feelings people have about your company

• Built through consistent experiences, not marketing claims

• The single most valuable asset you can develop

Purpose

• Why do you exist beyond making money

• The problem you're truly passionate about solving

• The change you want to create in your industry

Promise

• What customers can count on, every single time

• The consistent outcome you deliver

• The thing you stake your reputation on

Values

• What you stand for (and what you stand against)

• The non-negotiable principles that guide decisions

• The beliefs that attract like-minded customers (and employees)

Culture

• How you operate internally translates to external experience

• The behaviors your team actually demonstrates, not what's written on your wall

• The "vibe" customers feel when interacting with you

Point of View

• Your distinct perspective on your industry

• The stand you're willing to take when others won't

• The voice that cuts through the shit (or in the words of every AI generated linked in post “stand out in the sea of sameness”)

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW MORE THAN EVER

The B2B buying journey has changed fundamentally:

1. More stakeholders with opinions on which brand (not which features)

2. Longer sales cycles

3. Less direct contact with sales before decisions are made

4. More self-directed research

5. More emphasis on trusted sources and reputation

Your brand is working when you're not in the room. It's influencing decisions when your sales team isn't on the call. It's creating preference before a prospect ever fills out your contact form.

WHAT REAL B2B BRAND BUILDING LOOKS LIKE

Forget your logo refresh. Skip the website redesign. Put down the brand guidelines document.

Real B2B brand building means:

1. Defining your distinct position in the market

2. Articulating why that position matters to customers

3. Aligning your entire organization around delivering on your promise

4. Consistently showing up in ways that reinforce that position

5. Making hard choices about what you won't do, say, or be

The strongest B2B brands are built on consistency, not creativity. On substance, not style. On delivering real value, not just talking about it.

THE BRAND ADVANTAGE GAP

While most of your competitors are stuck in feature wars, fighting over minor functional differences and a few extra credits on a pricing page, you have an opportunity.

Build a brand that connects on all three levels:

• Functional

• Emotional

• Self-expressive

When you get this right, price sensitivity decreases. Sales cycles shorten. Customer loyalty strengthens. Word-of-mouth accelerates.

This isn't soft, fluffy brand stuff. This is cold, rock-hard business impact.

THE WAY FORWARD

Start by asking:

1. What deeper outcomes do our customers actually care about?

2. What emotional need are they trying to satisfy?

3. What does their choice of vendor say about them to others?

4. How is our current marketing addressing these areas?

Then build your brand strategy to deliver on all three levels of benefits.

Remember: features get you considered. Brand gets you chosen.

Are you still just selling features?