Why most B2B marketing fails: A timing problem

Play the long game

Long sales cycles are the norm in B2B, with companies changing major service providers (banks, law firms, engineering consultants) once every 5 years on average. Most of your audience isn't buying today or even this year.

Memory beats search

When buyers do enter the market, they strongly prefer brands they're familiar with. Just like B2C buyers, our decision to go with the familiar is an evolutionary trait that's served us well for a very long time.

Your job isn't to interrupt their decision-making process - advertising isn't a very persuasive tool, nor does it need to be. It's to be remembered when that process begins.

Mental availability takes time

Even market leaders often only achieve 50% mental availability. Building the mental associations that drive consideration is something that needs to be measured over years, not quarters.

And here's what bigger brands understand: They're not just buying reach - they're buying timing. By maintaining consistent presence, they increase their probability of being visible when any individual buyer enters their once-every-five-years purchasing cycle. In today's digital age, timing is both a mental and physical availability tool.

Don’t miss the small window of opportunity 

Small budgets that go dark between campaigns miss entire buying cycles. It's why sustained presence, even at lower intensity, typically beats sporadic visibility.

That’s how you get more BANG for your brand.