Be a leader not a follower in B2B marketing
The most memorable marketing is driven by brave ideas and bold concepts, and we often see inventiveness listed as a core skill requirement for any B2B marketing agency. So why, in an industry that thrives on reinvention, do so many marketers default to following ‘best practice'?It's something we've been thinking a lot about recently. And who gets to decide what best practice is, anyway? Thought leaders, B2B marketing agencies, analysts, industry bodies, MarTech providers, they all offer models and methods, but the bigger question is, why are we so obsessed with following them? At a time when AI is disrupting what we thought we knew, maybe it’s time to look closer at whether best practice is helping or if in fact, it’s holding us back.
The problem with 'best practice' in B2B marketing
Best practice gives us structure, reassurance, and a sense of safety. After all, it provides data-driven rationale and a ready-made defence if campaign results fall short. But that safety net can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.Overreliance on ‘tried and tested’ approaches can make B2B marketing agencies complacent. What worked last year might not work today. Markets change, audiences shift, and strategies that once delivered results can quickly become outdated. You don't want to end up solving yesterday’s problems rather than today’s.
Worse still, best practice often becomes common practice. Blindly following others is when creativity stalls and bureaucracy takes over, leaving the real opportunities untapped. Powerful Creative Thinking is about breaking free of this and being brave enough to do something different.
Too many trends: when to follow, when to forge your own path.
In a world of 24/7 noise coming from news, podcasts, not to mention endless LinkedIn advice, it’s easy to confuse activity with progress. Every new framework or trend promises success. But what if we chase after everything? Surely we spread ourselves too thinly and become that thing nobody wants to become? Unremarkable. Forgettable. Average.Writer Jay Acunzo says “It’s never been easier to be average. If we don’t have an answer or an idea, we can find and follow everyone else’s. As a result, much of our work is derivative.”
Best practice isn’t a silver bullet. At best, it’s a guide. At worst, it stops us questioning, experimenting, and carving out our own direction. Use it wisely.
Staying curious but grounded in reality
So, how can B2B marketing agencies navigate this challenge? How can you break the mould without really breaking what works? We’ve got a few ideas:You never know what will get results
Treat best practice as guidance, not gospel, and keep questioning the why behind it. If something feels right for your audience, but it's widely done... don't dismiss it, you may have struck gold.
Experiment within parameters
Best practice frameworks are a good guide for any B2B marketing agency, but give yourself room to test, adapt, and take calculated risks.
Balance intuition with evidence
Big ideas need structure, so back up creative leaps with testing and optimisation to make the case more persuasive.
Best practice still has value, but it should evolve with us. And a really exciting B2B marketing agency is more concerned with defining best practice, than following it. Real progress comes when we stop treating it as a set of rules and start treating it as an evolving reference point that shifts with context, markets and creativity.
Chris Banner
Creative Director
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Putting powerful creative thinking to practice
Safe ideas rarely change perceptions or markets. Progress in B2B marketing comes from balancing insight with invention, and having the courage to challenge what ‘best’ really means. Want to break free from the B2B marketing status quo? Let’s explore how curiosity, creativity, and calculated risks deliver results for your brand. Contact: hello@uppb2b.co.uk.
