A major conversation is emerging in B2B marketing: how to link brand and demand effectively. Kelly Olson from The MX Group explains why this connection is essential and how marketers can approach it strategically.
In recent years, B2B marketers have recognized that brand distinction and awareness are critical for attracting customers, talent, and investors. Evidence of this shift can be seen in the rise of prominent B2B brands across sectors such as energy, technology, and infrastructure.
The latest focus is on connecting brand to demand. It’s a topic gaining traction at conferences, in industry forums, and in requests for proposals. The goal is simple: ensure that brand marketing doesn’t just raise awareness but actively drives revenue by converting interest into tangible business outcomes.
For many marketers, creating this connection isn’t intuitive. The problem lies in fragmented thinking. Brand marketing is often seen as building recognition and trust, while demand marketing is treated as generating leads through targeted content. This division limits impact. Even when teams are structured into brand, demand, digital, content, or customer experience, a unified approach is possible—and necessary.
The key insight is that all marketing should originate from one source: brand.
Brand Through Every Interaction
Brand isn’t built solely through awareness campaigns. It is shaped by every touchpoint a customer has with your company: online experiences, sales interactions, and the messages encountered across media. Every team contributes—intentionally or not—to the brand experience. To create distinction and inspire trust, purchase, and loyalty, marketers must focus on the overall experience.
Olson calls this approach “experience thinking,” which helps marketers rise above silos and complexity, turning fragmented efforts into a cohesive market presence rather than noise.
From Tasks to Passion
Experience thinking requires moving beyond tactical execution to make the brand promise a living, breathing part of the company. Just as a passionate leader inspires quality work, a brand infused with genuine purpose draws audiences in. When a shared passion drives every interaction, it becomes a magnet for engagement and loyalty.
From Agenda to Shared Value
This mindset also emphasizes two-way engagement. Experiences are created in the exchange between brand and audience. While business objectives matter, allowing them to dominate can result in one-sided communication. Instead, every marketing decision should be evaluated through a lens of shared value—ensuring that every interaction genuinely benefits the audience. This approach fosters high-quality, long-term experiences rather than superficial or short-term gains.
From Siloed Efforts to Holistic Experiences
Finally, experience thinking encourages breaking down organizational silos. Brand, demand, and content teams cannot work in isolation. Marketing should start by defining the desired customer experience and then align activities across departments to deliver it. Planning—annual, quarterly, or campaign-based—should be cross-functional, with KPIs tied to shared business goals. This alignment ensures a consistent brand message and a cohesive experience that resonates with audiences.
By thinking holistically, B2B marketers can create campaigns where brand and demand are not separate functions, but mutually reinforcing forces driving growth and engagement.
