Why Most B2B Marketing Still Blends In

MY DEEP DIVE

I just got back from SaaStr AI London, and one idea kept coming up in different conversations:

Most B2B marketing still looks and feels the same.

Different companies.

Different stages.

Same formats.

Same tone.

Same playbooks.

The teams actually breaking through are doing something else entirely. They’re hiring differently. They’re thinking differently. And they’re giving themselves permission to market differently.

A speaker talked about hiring a marketer whose most visible work wasn’t a B2B campaign at all. It was organizing a viral protest around absurd laws on public displays of sex toys and guns.

Not a typical B2B résumé.

That was the point.

The hire brought originality the team couldn’t get by following the usual paths. And it worked.

It was a good reminder for me:

Audiences don’t remember what follows the script.

They remember what feels different.

B2B markets are saturated. Buyers are overwhelmed. Content is everywhere—and most of it blends together.

What I see many teams do in response is produce more.

More posts.

More assets.

More campaigns.

But not more originality.

Even strong teams with good intentions default to safe, polished work. It looks professional. It checks the boxes. But it doesn’t earn mind share.

And in a world with infinite noise, sameness isn’t neutral.

It’s a disadvantage.

The best B2B marketing today happens when creativity and data work together.

Not creativity without discipline.

Not data without personality.

Both.

Across conversations, four principles kept coming up:

1. Hire non-traditional thinkers

People with unexpected backgrounds bring creative instincts you can’t teach through frameworks alone.

2. Optimize for mind share, not impressions

One speaker mentioned people across Europe recognizing their marketing videos. That level of recall doesn’t come from optimization alone.

3. Make creativity the norm, not a one-off

Most B2B teams treat creativity as something special. The best teams treat it as part of how they work.

4. Use data to iterate, not to limit ideas

Creativity isn’t guesswork. Strong teams test, learn quickly, and scale what resonates.

For me, the framing is simple:

Creativity is the spark.

Data is the steering wheel.

You need both if you want marketing that compounds instead of just filling a calendar.

Clay is a strong example of this in practice.

Before they were generating meaningful revenue, they invested heavily in brand. That decision created differentiation early—long before competitors realized what was happening.

Their video content didn’t just explain marketing ROI. It entertained. It showed personality. It was consistent. And it became recognizable.

People remembered Clay not because of one viral moment, but because the brand showed up clearly and creatively over time.

Creativity and brand worked together to build familiarity and trust.

Coming out of SaaStr, it pushed me to reflect on how easily B2B teams—including very smart ones—default to safe execution.

If you want more innovative marketing, you don’t need bigger bets.

You need better structure.

Here’s what I took away:

– Hire for creative instincts, not just experience

Look for people who’ve done interesting, unconventional things—even outside marketing.

– Run fast, low-cost experiments

Test new formats, tones, and ideas weekly. Let real signals guide what you scale.

– Build creativity into the process

Structured brainstorming, regular reviews, and protected time to experiment shouldn’t be optional.

– Anchor creativity to your brand

Original doesn’t mean random. The work should still feel unmistakably you.

– Look beyond clicks

Mind share shows up in recognition, comments, mentions, and recall—not just dashboards.

My biggest takeaway from SaaStr AI London is simple:

Creativity isn’t a luxury in B2B anymore.

It’s an operating advantage.

The teams that hire for originality, experiment consistently, use data intelligently, and express a clear identity are the ones that stand out.

In a landscape obsessed with optimization, the real edge goes to teams willing to think differently—and actually act on it.