Why Brand in B2B is Not a Cost Centre but the Core of Market Leadership

Kodak once owned more than 90% of the global film market (BBC). Masters spent billions trying to compete with Bunnings and failed within five years (Sydney Morning Herald). Selleys began as a small player and became the leader in adhesives and sealants, named Australia’s Most Trusted Brand in those categories six years in a row (Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands). Bayer, a global agribusiness and life sciences company, was recognised as Australia’s Most Trusted Chemicals and Fertilisers Brand in 2024, demonstrating how innovation and sustainability underpin strong brand equity (Bayer Australia).

These examples all point to one truth: brand equity determines whether a business thrives or merely survives.

A senior executive I spoke to recently, with more than 40 years in the hardware industry said: “the biggest challenges brands face today are not just consistency but relevancy — staying aligned with market shifts and technology. Without vision and relevance, even the strongest legacy brands lose their edge”.

The Real Issue in B2B

From my experience in B2B, too many leaders still see brand as brochures, a nice website, or marketing collateral. That’s a dangerous way to think about it. Brand is the foundation.

Your competitors also have good service, strong expertise, and customer relationships. They will catch up. When they do, the only thing that separates leaders from followers is brand equity.

If brand had no value in B2B, every industry would collapse into commodity. But that is not the case.

  • Steel is steel, yet BlueScope is recognised as the Australian leader because it positions itself around quality and sustainability.
  • Chemicals are chemicals, yet BASF has been ranked the world’s most valuable chemical brand for ten consecutive years, trusted as an innovation leader across industries (Brand Finance).
  • Paint is paint, yet Dulux dominates the building sector because of the trust its brand commands with specifiers and builders.
  • Agribusiness is agribusiness, yet Elders has been crowned Australia’s Most Trusted Agribusiness Brand, thanks to its enduring presence and service to farmers (Roy Morgan).

Even in B2B, emotional connection matters. People buy from companies they trust. But if every competitor claims trust, expertise, and service, the real question becomes: how do you stand out?

Followers compete on price and service. Leaders shape categories, command stronger positioning, and often justify a price premium.

There is no shame in being a follower, but it means thinner margins and constant pressure to pivot as competition intensifies.

So the question for CEOs and business executives is clear: do you want to lead or follow?

Five Realities CEOs and Leadership Team Cannot Ignore

  1. Brand is equity, not a cost centre: Brand is not marketing spend to trim. It is an investment. You invest to make a return through stronger pipelines, higher margins, shorter sales cycles, and better exit value if you sell.
  2. Brand is holistic: It is not just a logo, tagline, or campaign. It is your products, your people, your processes, your delivery, and above all, your vision.
  3. Marketing can fix weak businesses if empowered: Marketing alone cannot patch over structural issues. But when marketing is empowered to influence positioning, solutions, and customer experience, it can transform a weak business into a stronger one.
  4. Leaders vs followers: Followers compete on price and service. Leaders command market share, earn trust, and often justify a price premium. Followers are reactive. Leaders set the terms of competition.
  5. Vision is non-negotiable: The question every CEO must ask is: Where do we want to be? Without vision, consistency drifts into irrelevance. With vision, brand becomes a compass that aligns strategy and execution.

The Bottom Line

Even if you intend to sell your business, brand equity is non-negotiable. Strong brands sell for more. Weak brands sell at a discount.

Brand building is not just about communications. It is the entire experience of your business, expressed through products, people, processes, delivery, and marketing. Marketing brings it to life, but the foundation is built in how you choose to position yourself.

Your brand equity determines your future. It is the difference between thriving and merely surviving.

Next Step:

If you are questioning whether your brand is leading or following, let’s chat. At Neo Jupiter Marketing, we work with CEOs and leadership teams to uncover their positioning, strengthen brand equity, and build strategies that drive growth.

References

Mira Varathan

Mira Varathan

Co-Founder & Director of Strategic and Digital Marketing, Neo Jupiter Marketing