The B2B Marketing challenge
With B2B purchasing decisions taking longer, and in some cases stalling altogether, the phenomenon of ‘professional ghosting’ is on the rise. Research from Matt Dixon and Ted McKenna’s book, ‘The Jolt Effect’ reveals that over 40% of B2B deals stall because a group of buyers cannot reach consensus. Sales teams are reporting more leads going dark, while marketing struggles to stay top of mind in an increasingly noisy marketplace. At Upp B2B, Strategy Director, Alex Bone argues that strong brand building is one of the most effective tools for reducing ghosting. It’s achieved by creating long-lasting mental impressions and emotional connections that are remembered when a customer enters the sales cycle.
"I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost!"
Well, maybe you should be.A recent YouGov survey of 7,180 adults revealed that 42% have ghosted someone, and this trend is creeping into the business world too. Buyers are more likely to disengage mid-funnel or delay decisions, often indefinitely.
One big reason? Decision paralysis. As B2B buyer groups expand, consensus becomes harder to achieve. This dynamic now accounts for over 530,000 days of lost productivity per year in a typical Fortune 500 company. Even marketers aren’t immune. You may feel ghosted by your leadership team, who are uncertain of your impact, sceptical of brand marketing’s value, and hesitant to invest in what’s hard to measure. Brand building can be hard and expensive to measure for B2B brands.
But strong branding isn’t just about vanity. It’s a commercial asset that helps buyers remember you, trust you, and choose you. So, how is brand building like ghostbusting? Here are four tools marketers can use to reduce ghosting and drive long-term growth.
1. Proton Beam Guns: Consistency Builds Recognition
Like the Ghostbusters’ Proton Packs Proton Packs, which provide a consistent stream of energy, consistent brand activity creates a powerful, sustained presence. Consistent creativity in brand building has a compounding effect.According to research from System1 and the IPA, the top 20% of consistent brands see 75% higher sales value gains compared to only 40% in the bottom tier. An important figure to know when attending the next Board Meeting. What this means: Resist the urge to frequently overhaul your brand look, message, or tone. Instead, refresh elements while preserving core brand assets, this will strengthen familiarity and recognition over time.
2. Ghost Traps: Capture Attention, Build Memories
Ghost traps catch the unseen. In B2B, great branding does the same, it catches the attention of buyers before they know they need you.Emotional campaigns in B2B aren’t just permissible, they’re powerful. Research shows that emotional brand connections are stronger in B2B than B2C. Emotional storytelling helps you connect with both obvious and ‘Hidden Buyers’ (e.g. legal or procurement), who have just as much influence as traditional ‘Target Buyers’ (49% vs 51%). These hidden stakeholders are 70% more likely to reject unfamiliar brands.
What this means: Don’t be afraid to lead with emotion, not just features. Communications that use emotion deliver higher revenue deliver higher revenue compared to rational ones. Emotional messaging helps build mental availability, which is critical when buyers finally enter the decision phase.
3. Ghost Trackers: Reach the 95% Who Aren’t Buying Yet
Your next buyer may not be ready this quarter. But branding today makes it easier for them to find you and more likely to choose you tomorrow. This is the essence of John Dawes’ 95/5 Rule: that 95% of your market is not actively buying. Yet by reaching them early with brand communication, you prime them for future consideration. Brand building is essential to ensure business growth, as it speaks to future buyers and allows them to engage with your brand. In fact, the B2B Institute found that brands are 20x more likely to be purchased when everyone in the buying group recognises them from Day One. What this means: Frame branding as future sales enablement. This aligns marketing investment with long-term growth, and helps Boards and Sales Teams understand its commercial value beyond immediate pipeline impact.
4. Ecto-1 Siren: Be Distinctive (and Easy to Spot)
Most B2B creatives look and sound the same. They have the same stock imagery, same buzzwords, same brand colours. This blurs differentiation and makes it harder for buyers to remember who said what.Research shows that distinctive brand assets like visuals, language, even sound, dramatically increase salience. While rare in B2B, sonic signatures (e.g., jingles, mnemonics) have been shown to significantly improve recognition and correct brand attribution. The most important thing is to build mental availability and ensure your brand is salient salient when customers are ready to buy
What this means: Take a hard look at your brand assets. Are they truly unique? Do they stand out in your category? Investing in distinctiveness helps reinforce memory and makes it easier for buyers to consider you when the moment is right.
Alex Bone
Strategy Director
Final Word: Ghosting Happens, But You Can Fight Back
Professional ghosting is frustrating, but it’s not inevitable. With the right brand-building strategy, marketers can reduce ghosting, improve mental availability, and support both immediate sales and long-term growth.So next time sales slowdown or leads go cold, don’t panic. Just ask: “Who you gonna call?” Answer: Your brand… if you’ve built it right. At Upp B2B we work with marketing and sales team to ensure brand is supporting business growth. We’d love to hear about your wories and challenges when it comes to sales targets and how marketing activities can support the delivery. If you think that your marketing activity could benefit from some powerful creative thinking across your brand touchpoints, then drop us a line at hello@uppb2b.co.uk
