B2B Brand Awareness 3.0: The New Playbook for Industrial Marketers

If you're a marketer in 2024 (and I'm purposely not qualifying that as B2B or B2C...) you know how difficult and complex brand awareness-building has become. In a world crowded with noise, how do you reach the 95+ percent of your potential audience that isn't even yet in-market? Is it even possible? And is that a strategy that's even worth prioritizing? 

Spoiler alert: the answer is "yes." But of course, it's not as simple as that. 

In this episode of The ChangeOver podcast, Greg and I explore how the brand awareness landscape is shifting for industrial marketers and what you can do to adapt. Here’s a recap of the conversation including key takeaways for implementing successful strategies in 2025.

Watch the full episode or continue reading the summary below.

The Shift: From Website Traffic to Off-Site Authority

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: the days of simply relying on your website to generate brand awareness are gone. By the time potential customers reach your site, they’re likely already aware of your brand. This means our brand awareness efforts must shift focus from generating website traffic to establishing trust and authority before a lead lands on our site.

How did we get here? We identified three key eras of brand awareness:

• Brand Awareness 1.0 (Traditional): Think print ads, billboards, radio spots — the tactics of yesteryear
• Brand Awareness 2.0 (Inbound): This era focused on creating top-of-the-funnel content based on topics your personas would find interesting and optimizing it for search engines (SEO), e.g. content marketing and paid digital ads to drive traffic and generate leads
• Brand Awareness 3.0 (Now): This new era prioritizes building relationships and trust off-site through audience intelligence, community building, collaborative content creation, and strategic PR

Key Drivers of Change

Two major forces are driving this shift to Brand Awareness 3.0:

• AI Search: LLMs like ChatGPT and AI-powered search engines are changing how people find information. They deliver answers directly, which means fewer people are clicking through to websites. We have to adapt to this new reality and find ways to connect with our audiences where AI is less dominant — which means going off-site to communities where your audience is already active.
• Generational Shifts: As Baby Boomers retire, they’re being replaced by younger generations of digital natives who are accustomed to finding information and connecting with brands in different ways. These audiences prioritize social media, peer reviews, and online communities as their primary sources of information.

Warning Signs You Need a Brand Awareness Boost

Greg asked me how marketers can recognize if they need to step up their brand awareness game. Here are some key indicators:

• Not enough quality leads: If you’re struggling to attract qualified leads, it might mean your website isn’t reaching the right audience. This suggests you may need to expand your brand’s reach off-site to connect with potential customers earlier in their buying journey.
• Losing market share to newer competitors: New players entering the market are often more adept at leveraging newer channels and tactics to build brand awareness. If you’re losing ground to these competitors, it's time to re-evaluate your approach.
• Target audience doesn’t know your current capabilities: Even well-established companies need to consistently communicate their evolving offerings and expertise. If your target audience isn't up-to-date on what you can do for them today, you have a brand awareness problem — or more accurately, a brand positioning problem.

The New Playbook: B2B Brand Awareness 3.0

So, what’s the solution? We outlined three core strategies for building brand awareness in this new landscape:

1. Audience Research and Insights Gathering:
   • Understand your audience. Go beyond basic demographics and use tools like SparkToro to gain deeper insights into their online behavior, preferred publications, industry groups they follow, and the social media platforms they use. This data helps you target your content distribution strategically.
   • Get personal. Don’t rely solely on data. Conduct surveys and interviews to understand your audience’s preferences, challenges, and pain points. This qualitative data adds depth to your audience insights and helps you create content that resonates.
2. Community Building in Industry-Specific Spaces:
   • Meet your audience where they are. Actively engage in industry-specific online communities, LinkedIn groups, trade associations, and forums. By participating in relevant discussions and sharing valuable insights, you can position your brand as a trusted resource and thought leader.
   • Empower your internal experts. Encourage subject matter experts within your company to become active participants in these communities. Provide them with support and resources to help them share their expertise authentically.
3. Leveraging Collaborative Content and Thought Leadership:
   • Partner up. Collaborate with industry experts, influencers, and even complementary competitors to create valuable content such as surveys, benchmark studies, podcasts, webinars, and case studies.
   • Stand out with original data and insights. In a world where AI is increasingly generating content, original research and first-hand perspectives will set your content apart. Collaborative content creation can provide unique data points and insights that wouldn't be possible alone.

Measuring Success in Brand Awareness 3.0

While direct attribution in brand awareness can be a challenge, it’s not impossible. Greg and I discussed some key metrics to track the effectiveness of your efforts:

• Branded search volume: An uptick in searches for your brand name indicates growing awareness and interest. Track these searches over time to monitor the impact of your brand-building activities.
• Mentions by industry experts: Being cited by industry leaders and influencers as a credible source demonstrates thought leadership. Use social listening tools or media monitoring services to track mentions and engage with those who are amplifying your brand.
• Anecdotal feedback from sales conversations: Don’t discount the power of qualitative feedback. Pay attention to how prospects are becoming aware of your brand. Are they mentioning specific content pieces, industry events, or online communities where they’ve encountered your brand? This anecdotal evidence provides valuable insights.
• Quality of leads vs. quantity: A higher quality of leads suggests that you are attracting a more informed and engaged audience.

Key Takeaway: Don't get hung up on trying to attribute every lead to a specific brand awareness tactic. Focus on the signals that indicate you’re moving in the right direction.

Brand Awareness 3.0 Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Embracing Brand Awareness 3.0 requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to building genuine relationships within your industry. By focusing on audience insights, community engagement, collaborative content, and meaningful metrics, you can establish your brand as a trusted authority and build lasting connections that will fuel your business growth for years to come.

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