Noah Brier

If b2b tech firms figured this out, generating demand would be easy... We get asked all the time: "How do we come up with our unique POV as a firm?" Or...said differently... "What's our story?" "We're tired of being part of the sea of sameness." "How are we different? Nobody knows." To left-brained, numbers-driven, analytical business leaders this sort of thing is just fluff. Call it positioning, storytelling, or POV, it's all the same...and without it you're in for long, hard, road for any and all brand or marketing related goals you want to achieve. Without a strategic narrative that sets you apart from all the other firms you are going to be climbing an up-hill battle. I'm going to simplify strategic narrative creation for you right now. Stop overthinking something that at its core, is a very human element of your business. A good strategic narrative should do three things: ✅ Challenge the beliefs in your industry around how or why things are done ✅ Give a unique view on what the future looks like for your buyers ✅ Showcase how you believe your customers should transform Sprinkle in some audacity, warmth, and really attention grabbing takes and you have the foundation for a successful demand generation program. The firms who are the best at capturing the 95% of buyers who aren't ready to talk to sales have the strategic narrative nailed. Here's a real life example: Sex sells clothing. Fear sells politics, but being radically human is what sells complex technology and service offerings. Humanity Sells! While every other brand and marketing business sells tactics, "marketing services," and "leads", i'm going to keep selling what actually elevates brands, amplifies messages, and brings in real revenue. Humanity. After, all that's what connects us together in the end, and it's the same reason WHY people buy. Does your firm have a strategic narrative that sets you apart? Start here: ✅ Challenge the beliefs in your industry around how or why things are done ✅ Give a unique view on what the future looks like for your buyers ✅ Showcase how you believe your customers should transform Start here and demand for who you are what you offer will increase. .... #humanitysells #humanity #humancentered #b2bmarketing #b2btech #enterprisetech #b2bbranding

4

2 Comments

I'm currently attending I-COM and there's a lot of discussion about the role of AI in marketing mix modeling. Here’s my take on this: Certain aspects of MMM can definitely be automated with AI. But there will always be elements that require human interpretation. Right now AI in MMM has been a gamechanger in 3 areas: 💱Data preparation: Automating the transformation of raw data into a suitable format for MMM. ⚙️Feature engineering: Applying established processes to prepare data for modeling, which can be automated based on past experience. 📊Model selection: Using AI algorithms to select the best models. These algorithms can process vast amounts of data and combinations, guiding the analyst to calibrate coefficients based on their experience. An experienced modeler who understands the business challenge can leverage AI to automate these tasks, speeding up delivery and improving efficiency. That said, we are still far from full automation of the process. Anyone who has worked extensively with MMMs is aware of the fundamental challenges that remain to be solved. No AI-powered tool can magically provide all the answers. Beware any vendors who claim otherwise.

93

24 Comments

Currently reading Sam Walton’s memoir, "Made in America," and I loved this quote from former Walmart CEO David Glass describing Walton. These qualities have become so important to embrace over the years. Running an agency, growing with the team, and refining how we serve clients is a constant process of trial, error, and adaptation. It means showing up every day with a mindset of improvement, trying new things, and having the courage to pivot when things don’t work out. Like Sam, I’ve learned that failure and being wrong are essential parts of growth. Without that mindset, missteps or feedback could hold you back from progress—and sometimes, you’re on the edge of something great. It’s about asking: What’s the takeaway? How can we do better? This past year has had its challenges, but it’s been full of reflection and refinement. I’ve spent more time in one-on-ones with the team, gathering feedback, and figuring out how we can improve for both clients and each other. We’re experimenting, making educated guesses, and adapting from missteps and surprises. I know not everything will go as planned, but staying flexible is key. It’s equally important to instill this mindset within the team to keep morale and momentum strong. Having a vision and setting goals is important, but loving the process and enjoying the journey is what makes it all worthwhile.

4

No one got fired by buying IBM products back in the 80s. 🚪 When a brand is familiar to your buyers, it can establish creditability and trust. But don’t let familiarity be the only factor. Familiarity associated with certain brand attributes (positioning) is step two in defining a brand’s CEP (category entry point). In #B2B, if your brand is not familiar with your buyers, it remains risky in their minds. And risk equals negative associations with your brand, even though your brand is none of those associations. So how can you become a familiar brand to your buyers so creditability and trust can be established? Start with these things (high-level): ➡ Define and know your ICP ➡ Create your positioning and differentiation that resonate with your ICP ➡ Bring your positioning and differentiation to life in messaging and visual identity ➡ Find the right channel to make your brand known (to become familiar with your buyers) ➡ Test, refine, repeat your marketing efforts It will take time for your brand to be familiar to your buyers. There is no silver bullet in getting your buyers to buy at the right time. However, if your brand remains top of mind that triggers certain CEP, then you are one step closer to being considered when your buyer is ready to buy. #brandtrust #branding #brandbuilding #strongbrands

8

We know that AI is changing the game for agencies... and we couldn't be more stoked about it.  But not because of efficiencies and value across workflows.  It’s completely redefining how we deliver value to our clients -- and passing down that value. By leveraging more AI and automations across creative digital processes, we’re not only working smarter and faster, but we’re passing those efficiencies directly to our clients. The results: ROI driven reporting, enhanced creativity, closer client touch points, better communication and ultimately... cost savings to clients. It’s not about replacing human creativity—it’s about supercharging it to take your brand further than ever before. The takeaway: partner with an agency that's transparent about the efficiencies AI is creating for you (as the client).

29

1 Comment

Here’s a powerful brand consideration NO ONE ever thinks about (and more should).

3