Ever watched a B2B video that left no impression at all? We have. Some of them were even ours. Not because we lacked talent, but because the marketing team played it safe.
Here’s the thing: playing it safe isn’t cheap... it’s just quietly expensive.
Most digital marketing teams are told to stay “professional.”
The result? Emotionally neutral, content marketing that disappears in the feed. Stock music, deadpan voiceovers, zero emotional storytelling, all wrapped in a €25K scroll past.
The deeper problem?
Fear.
Of standing out. Of risk. Of someone saying: “That’s not what we usually do.”
This fear gets magnified in stakeholder reviews:
So marketers deliver videos that are technically accurate… and totally forgettable.
Let’s talk numbers.
Translation: if your video doesn’t resonate, it doesn’t drive lead generation, conversion rates, or market share.
Worse, it increases customer acquisition cost. Because you’re spending on ads, email, social media marketing, and cold outreach, but your brand still isn’t sticking.
The biggest cost?
To match the impact of a creative, engaging ad, you’ll need to spend an average of 2.6 times more on media for a dull or 'safe' one.
Same results, nearly triple the budget. See the research for yourself here.
Here’s what standout video marketing actually looks like.
A bold, high-risk marketing campaign that ditched features in favor of human truth. This was one of the first, if not THE first, B2B ad during the Super Bowl. But hang on... they didn't spend millions on a national level. They hyper-focused the media plan on reaching key demographics in three cities in the US.
Gong didn’t explain their product. They connected with their target audience - salespeople - through humor and insight. Result? Massive brand awareness, press buzz, and an internal culture boost.
This parody horror trailer turns every agency’s worst nightmare into comedy gold. Their ICP-focused campaign leaned into customer stories and niche jokes only project managers would get. Teamwork manages to make B2B pain points not only relatable but also viral. As a cherry on top, System1 ranked it one of the most emotionally resonant B2B ads they’ve ever tested.
Jenny Hayes , Head of Brand, Teamwork.com said:
"Great brands go beyond product promotion, they empathize with customer pain. This isn’t new, but the category convention is to stop short of these more emotional triggers. Our product is built to solve these real-life challenges, and if our video brings a moment of recognition or relief to this audience, then it’s done its job!"
Apart from building brand awareness and recognition in the industry, the video had a direct impact on the pipeline. One new customer has reportedly said:
“Anyone who understands me this much must have the right solution.”
This UK-based company said “screw safe” and launched a satire-driven brand video that mocked CRM pain points.
Dan Roche, Workbooks’ Chief Marketing Officer, told Marketing Week that the goal was to make the message “emotionally resonant” in a way that would cut through the noise of a crowded market.
It worked In just 3 months after launching the campaign (digital and OOH), Workbooks recorded:
And all this without showing the platform's features.
SAFE CREATIVE:
STANDOUT CREATIVE:
Ask yourself: If a competitor ran this, would anyone care?
B2B brands often confuse “professional” with boring. But even enterprise buyers are human. They get distracted. They forget your brand. You need marketing strategies that build memory, not just clicks.
Yes, you still need to collect data, drive leads, and track ROI. However, without investing in brand building, your marketing campaigns will only yield short-term results.
Studies from System1 and Lumen prove it: Emotionally-charged, high-attention creative increases recall and drives actual decisions.
Not just vanity metrics, but revenue.
Digital marketing isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being remembered. That’s how you lower customer acquisition costs, boost revenue, and grow market share.
Oh, and don’t forget the blog post. Yes, still relevant—for search engines and new subscribers alike.
Safe doesn’t scale. And “keeping it professional” is just another way of saying “let’s be invisible.”
If you’re investing in video, make it brave. If you’re launching marketing campaigns, make them emotional. If you’re building a marketing strategy, tie it to real business outcomes, not internal politics.
Great video marketing is never an accident. It’s a decision.
Let’s talk. Whether it’s a product launch, a digital marketing sprint, or a full-scale brand building push, we help brands show up with guts. And yes, we’ll still make your analytics dashboard happy.
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