The Three Cs of B2B Creativity - Context, Customisation, Clarity
By Joe Campbell, PR Senior Account Manager
+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
|Y|o|u| |w|i|l|l| |l|i|k|e| |t|h|i|s| |p|i|t|c|h|
+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
Last year, I attended a PR workshop where one of the guest panellists was a journalist for a national title. She was walking through some of the more ‘creative’ pitches that filled her inbox, including the above, which featured a hypnotist's swinging watch made entirely out of punctuation marks.
While certainly memorable, there’s a thin line in creative pitching - you may think you’re a revolutionary, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it will be the latest punchline in the newsroom. Trust me, sitting in the same room as the NDA editorial team, we often hear firsthand their uncensored takes on the latest clickbait pitch.
That said, there is a case for thinking outside the usual playbook, especially in the B2B world, which is often pigeonholed as safe. On the contrary, some of Bluestripe’s strongest, most punchy pieces have been with the more corporate and publicly listed clients. The problem isn’t the sector - it’s the mindset. If you play it boring, you’re going to blend into the background.
What has made the difference here is context, customisation and clarity. Creativity can’t operate in a vacuum and isn’t about wild ideas and gimmicks for the sake of being “different.” It’s about balancing an engaging and clear idea with a solid understanding of your client, your audience, and the media and market landscape.
Creative ideation: clarity beyond clickbait
Being creative doesn’t mean you have to resort to clickbait tactics. Instead, encourage your team to brainstorm ideas that are fresh, off the beaten path, yet well grounded in the reality of your industry. This also means bringing together diverse voices from different walks of life to ensure you’re engaging the full zeitgeist and not getting tunnel vision. Sometimes, that spark can come from an unexpected source - a reality TV reference or a trending meme - that helps you see your client’s challenge in a new light.
It’s also important to take on feedback and refine it. While there are ‘no bad ideas’, if your colleagues aren’t buying your pitch, it’s time to refine. The goal is clarity, not confusion.
Context and customisation
Iterating your idea also means tailoring it to your audience. Whether you’re reaching out to an entrenched industry veteran or a new reporter, research their recent work, interests, and the current trends impacting their beat. A bespoke approach cuts through the generic clutter.
AI tools can help generate that initial kernel of an idea, find ways to adapt it, and review a pitch to pick out potential holes. Still, human intuition and experience ultimately create an authentic, emotional connection. Knowing your contacts, over email, phone, and in person, is crucial for crafting a pitch that resonates.
For your pitches to shine, you must break the stereotype that B2B can’t be bold. Equally, they should be grounded in ideas that align with and focus on your client’s goals and audience interests. This means empowering your team to embrace innovative storytelling and pairing it with rigorous research of your targets to customise your approach and ensure clarity and relevance.
Yes, many pitches will fail, but embracing the challenge and continuing to iterate and refine your idea will inevitably achieve those moments that stand out and can move the dial for your clients.