It’s a truth universally acknowledged that eliciting an emotional response from your customer is a core part of CX. So we thought we’d speak to a host of B2B experts to find out which brands are getting it absolutely spot on…

1. Motorola

We all know that good storytelling is key to emotional engagement, and the strongest brands are those that root those stories in authenticity. Motorola did just this a few years ago following the decision to split the main company and its mobile phone division.

“In order to become relevant once again, Motorola needed to elevate their brand story to communicate holistically – both internally and externally – the impact their products and solutions make,” explains

Dan Vasconcelos

, associate creative director,

Siegel+Gale

. “For this organisational arm, which focuses on government and enterprise customers, a new brand purpose was developed: ‘To help people be their best in the moments that matter’ – whether it’s first responders in emergency situations, doctors caring for their patients or retail associates during busy holiday sales. Motorola needed to tell the story of how it mattered all around the world, in moments that are truly mission-critical as well as those which are life-enhancing.”

2. Slack

As a communication tool, Slack was up against a number of heavyweight competitiors when it first launched in 2009. But through a carefully crafted message and a focus on its target audience’s passion for collaboration, they managed to quickly make a name for themselves. “Slack taps into this passion with lots of content focusing on the amazing things achieved by the teams who use it all over the world to organise themselves,” explains 

Jim Bowes

, CEO at 

Manifesto

. “Whether it’s NASA scientists, Antarctica-bound physicists or a 

team of volunteers who came together to reimagine public transport

, by showcasing the achievements of Slack-using teams, the brand inspires its audience to sign up and start creating.”

3. Fruitful Office

If Slack helps their customers feel part of something, Fruitful Office is all about harnessing the power of altruism. Consumer brands have been doing it for ages, so why shouldn’t their B2B counterparts give it a go? “It might be harder to do in the B2B space,” says Jim Bowes, “but Fruitful Office, the office delivery company, has pulled it off. When you order a fruit basket from the company you not only provide your staff with a nutritious, delicious, waist-line friendly source of energy, you also facilitate the 

planting of a fruit tree in Malawi

. Just see how cancelling that subscription makes you feel!”

4. Caterpillar

Communicating the emotional value of giant pieces of machinery sounds like a big ask, but tractor manufacturer Caterpillar got it spot on with this campaign, as

Jessica Sundstrom

, VP digital marketing,

Jahia

, points out. “Caterpillar tapped into the distant memories that children have of driving big heavy equipment by showing how giant machines play Jenga,” she says. “Not everyone may drive heavy equipment but we have played games. This video extends the brand with fun, familiarity and the somehow elegant finesse that only heavy equipment can demonstrate – it makes everyone want to play with Caterpillar tractors.”

5. Juniper Networks

The rise of gamification has been well-documented for a while now, and network solutions provider Juniper Networks jumped on the bandwagon in the best way possible with online game Deception Force (see trailer below). “They’ve managed to successfully gamify their value proposition through a marketing campaign that clearly resonates with their audience by drawing them into an online experience,” says Jessica Sundstrom. 

6. Ernst & Young

EY has developed a strong hook for emotional engagement through its ethos of ‘building a better working world’. “They believe that asking better questions provides better answers,” explains 

Richard Dunn

, chief stategy officer EMEA, 

Wunderman

. “It’s simplistic, and delivers on utility, but on an elevated level it also deals with the world’s most complex problems in order to provide their clients with solutions to those larger problems. Moreover, it provides that social connection, by facilitating debate, and delivers the purpose that people seek to align themselves with.”

7. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

The enterprise entity of HP knew that engagement isn’t just about logos, taglines and brochures – it’s about creating immersive experiences that shape brand perception. “HPE worked with Paramount Pictures to feature their futuristic technologies in the latest installment of

Star Trek

,” says Dan Vasconcelos. “Having their brand associated with such a franchise supports their campain platform of ‘Accelerating Next’ in an engaging and unexpected way, positioning HPE as a future-forward brand.”