• by Jarie Bolander , July 15, 2025

I’m often asked how to justify marketing spend to get more pipeline. The framing usually sounds like: “What’s the ROI?” or “What should we measure?”

Fair questions — but often asked for the wrong reasons.

What many B2B leaders really want is a growth machine: Put in a dollar, get three back. Predictable, repeatable, and directly attributable. That fantasy fueled the predictable revenue industrial complex for two decades.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your brand isn’t on your buyer’s short list, your performance marketing is just expensive noise.

Performance marketing isn’t dead. But it’s no longer the dominant growth lever. Today’s buyers don’t click and convert. They consult peers, read reviews, and text a friend. If your brand has stayed top of mind, then — maybe — they’ll reach out.

The highest-ROI marketing activity? It’s not a perfectly optimized funnel. It’s when someone says, “Who should I talk to?” and your name comes up. That’s word of mouth. And it beats any marketing-qualified lead you bought from a lead vendor.

The Real KPI: Being in the Room

B2B buying isn’t a meritocracy — it’s a memory test. If your brand doesn’t show up in the buyer’s mental shortlist, you’re not in the game. Most marketers know this but can’t prove it, so they chase attribution instead of investing in attention and word of mouth.

Winning brands are already top-of-mind when buyers are ready. How? Through clear, concise, consistent brand building.

Brand Is a Shortcut, Not a Vanity Play

Buyers don’t want to evaluate every option. They default to brands they know and trust. That’s why Coke still advertises — not because you forgot what it tastes like, but because when you’re thirsty, it’s what you remember.

Brand means mental availability. When your ideal buyer finally has a budget and a need, they should already know who you are and trust you can solve their problem.

Most B2B Brands Fly Blind

Most companies don’t know where they stand in the buyer’s mind. They track leads and clicks, but not brand perception. Smart marketers invest in brand tracking — measuring unaided recall, category association, and message resonance.

The data backs it up:

• 68% of buyers think vendors sound the same (Dentsu, 2024).
• 78% pick a product they already know, and 71% stick with their initial favorite (TrustRadius, 2024).
• 77% of influencers say brand awareness directly impacts trust (Forrester).
• Buyers pay more for trusted brands (LinkedIn and Ipsos).

Final Thought: Brand Is Not a Budget Line. It’s a Bet.

Brand shows up in win rates, pricing power, onboarding calls, and sales velocity. You can’t performance-market your way onto the short list.

But brand doesn’t compete with performance — it supercharges it. When combined, strong brands double click-through rates and lift revenue by up to 40 times according to Search Engine Land.

Build your brand. Track it. Be remembered — and be chosen.