Companies can no longer rely on product/service differentiation strategies as their mainstay for a sustainable competitive advantage. This is due in part to the increasing sophistication of consumers who now take into consideration the social, environmental, and ethical make-up of the goods and services they select both as individuals and as corporations. 

In today's crowded and commoditized business landscape, B2B marketers are becoming more customer-centric and ramping up their branding efforts. A brand-building imperative has always been to create an emotional connection with consumers. However, focusing on business value to differentiate their brands assumes customers make purely rational decisions. Is this assumption correct? Does emotion actually play a role?

The advent of the internet has had a seismic impact on b2b sales and marketing, dramatically changing the buyer’s journey. Gone are the days when sales executives directed the buying process, determining what information was presented to audiences, when and how. Today’s buyer is in control of their journey.