Why Brand Matters

“Branding is simply a more efficient way to sell things.” – Al Ries

Brand. It’s not just marketing jargon, it’s an illustration of your competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace.

Your brand is the strategic presentation of your organization to the world. It’s how you want to be remembered, the position you stake in the marketplace against competitors, and the collection of distinctive assets that make you unmistakable. While closely linked to reputation, they’re not interchangeable; your reputation is how others collectively perceive you based on your actions and track record.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about it like that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

In commodity industries like insurance and financial services, brand isn’t optional; it’s essential. It’s how you become the preferred choice, make it onto consideration lists, and become the company people want to work with and for.

Many executives hear “brand” and think logos, colors, or advertising campaigns. But brand, in the marketing sense, is MUCH more than that.

What is Brand, Really?

Brand is a thread that weaves through every part of your organization: from the feeling people have when entering your office to your customer service experience. It’s how you build relationships, develop products, nurture company culture, and leverage technology to be faster, easier, and more accurate.

“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” – Steve Forbes

From your brand evolves the brand experience—the way people outside of your organization interact with your company at every touchpoint. It influences the services and products you offer, shapes your business strategy, and determines who will (and who wants to!) partner with you to grow your business.

Why does this matter for B2B companies? A strong brand:

 

• Builds Awareness with Decision-Makers. They can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist. And in fact, Tracksuit’s research reveals that 92% of categories have less than three brands in their consumers’ consideration set. Even more telling, consumers who know a brand very well are more than 2.5 times more likely to consider it compared to those who only recognize the name. If knowing a brand makes someone more likely to add you to their consideration list, good branding primes sales to make the pitch easier.

 

And, most importantly, according to research by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, only 5% of B2B buyers are in-market at any given time. That means 95% won’t buy for months or even years, but brand awareness ensures you’re top-of-mind when they’re ready

• Shortens the sales cycle by accelerating purchase decisions. Trusted brands require fewer touchpoints to close deals. When prospects already recognize your reputation and value proposition, they need less education and reassurance, making your sales process more efficient and effective and your sales cycle shorter.

Strong brands consistently enjoy lower customer acquisition costs because qualified buyers already know, trust, and actively seek them out. Instead of paying premium prices to acquire leads, these brands naturally attract interested customers.

This advantage becomes particularly powerful in high-risk or complex B2B scenarios, where buyers heavily weigh peer recommendations, customer reviews, and their own brand perceptions when making purchase decisions.

• Provides a competitive advantage by differentiating your company in a crowded marketplace. In highly regulated industries like insurance and financial services, product offerings and even visual identities often look similar due to compliance requirements. A distinctive brand breaks through this sameness. The numbers speak for themselves:  PwC research found that companies with strong brand differentiation achieved a median five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%, compared to just 1.7% for companies lacking clear differentiation.
   

The financial impacts of your brand experience are measurable. Data shows that brand consistency can boost revenue by over 20%. While not an overnight transformation, investments in brand building create long-lasting effects. Companies that consistently invest in their brand grow faster and navigate economic downturns more successfully.