While ROI and commercial value matter, B2B buyers are humans with KPIs, stress levels, and sleep patterns affected by their purchase decisions. Fashion marketing's emphasis on emotional connection and brand meaning translates directly to B2B—decision-makers consume the same high-quality content outside of work and expect that caliber during work hours. Messaging should address both the rational business case and the emotional relief of problem resolution.

Email marketing isn't archaic—it's data-rich. Unlike paid media, email provides granular behavioral signals: which pages someone visited, how long they engaged with interactive demos, how many steps they completed, and whether sales has made contact. Use this behavioral data to trigger hyper-targeted campaigns based on actual intent signals rather than demographic attributes. Being "brave with words"—borrowing B2C's FOMO tactics and harder-hitting copy—can break through B2B's typically conservative messaging.

Generic tech press and regional business magazines build brand awareness but rarely drive pipeline. Shift PR efforts toward the specific trade publications your ICP consumes daily. For Partful, this meant deprioritizing Northern UK tech magazines in favor of manufacturing and OEM industry publications. This surgical approach to media relations delivers both brand credibility and demand generation simultaneously.

HubSpot's Prospecting Agent functionality (and similar CRM tools) enables sending 700+ hyper-personalized emails daily by automating research and customization. The key is calibrating tonality to show genuine care rather than "Big Brother" surveillance—reference what the prospect's business does in ways that demonstrate research, not creepiness. This approach removes manual work while maintaining the personalized touch that drives response rates.

When entering a role, identify underutilized owned channels that can deliver immediate results—like email marketing on an existing HubSpot instance. This creates "free" marketing capacity while you experiment with emerging platforms. Test AI operational tools (segment building, workflow automation) even if manual execution is currently faster; the learning compounds as the tools improve.

B2B marketers should actively study B2C newsletters and campaigns, particularly in email marketing where consumer brands push creative boundaries. Chase Dimond's newsletter exemplifies B2C email innovation that can be adapted to B2B contexts. The discipline of translating consumer tactics into specialized B2B applications keeps marketing fresh and prevents the creative stagnation common in technical verticals.