Glen and Kevin sit down with Azeem Ahmad, international marketing speaker and strategy director of Reflect Digital. We unpack what it really takes to build B2B brands that people remember.
With experience across global B2B organisations, Azeem has spent more than a decade helping brands find their voice in crowded categories. His journey from PPC specialist to global keynote speaker reflects the evolution of marketing.
Campaigns are becoming community-centric vs being channel-specific.
And ultimately, business transactions require more trust.
Now available on all platforms
B2B does not have to be boring
It’s only boring if you make it.
Too often, B2B brands default to corporate sameness. Templated messages, jargon-heavy content, and a focus on features over feelings. Azeem argues that this is not only ineffective, but it is forgettable. The brands that win are the ones that humanise complexity and communicate with clarity. Kevin adds:
“The most memorable B2B brands don’t hide behind corporate language. They connect by making people feel something first.”
The conversation dives into how tone, storytelling, and creativity shape brand perception, even in industries many would label as boring. This reminded me of a talk I attended this year at Up North, where Andreas Stefanou, YouTube product lead, broke down the A, B, C and D’s of ensuring maximum return from advertising on the platform.
A – Attract: Sound is often a forgotten key component. Think about the last film you watched. Remember the epic intro from the production team. It’s there for a reason. You know it’s a Disney film the moment you hear the famous intro, accompanied by the magically lit night sky, the palace, and the fireworks, etc.
B – Brand: This doesn’t need to be in your face, but it should be distinct. This could be on-brand colours or visual cues.
C – Connect: Human connection is perhaps the most essential element. People need to feel something.
D – Direct: What do you want the audience to do next?
Brand and performance, the false divide
One of the most valuable insights from Azeem is that the long-standing debate between brand and performance marketing is completely outdated.
“If you’re only chasing leads, you’ll eventually run out of trust,” he explains. “Performance without brand is short-term thinking.”
Glen echoes this point, noting that too many marketing teams optimise for quarterly wins instead of long-term brand equity. The key, they agree, is to build systems where brand visibility and performance efficiency work together.
Azeem’s thinking aligns closely with Growthack’s own philosophy: data-driven, creative, and scalable marketing that balances short-term delivery with long-term positioning.
Building trust in the age of AI
As automation and AI reshape marketing, Azeem believes the true differentiator will be creativity and authenticity.
“Anyone can automate ads. Not everyone can build trust.”
He stresses that AI should be used to enhance the human connection, not replace it. Personalised storytelling, community-led campaigns, and transparent communication remain essential to creating meaningful brand experiences.
Glen builds on this point:
“Before you even start something, most people create their own barriers. Just start, and let your perspective be the reason it stands out.”
Creativity as a competitive advantage
Azeem shares examples of B2B brands that use creativity as strategy — not decoration. From simplifying complex ideas to using humour and emotion, he shows how B2B storytelling can make technical products relatable.
“Fun and emotion aren’t just for B2C — they’re how B2B brands become memorable.”
Kevin agrees, pointing out that the most successful modern B2B brands are those brave enough to break the mould.
“Modern B2B brands are starting to drop that ‘boring’ label — and the creative ones are the ones winning.”
Leadership, Growth, and Letting Go
Beyond brand and performance, the conversation turns to leadership. Azeem reflects on how his approach has evolved as he’s moved from practitioner to strategist. He says:
“The most reasonable leaders empower people to perform even when they’re not in the room.”
Kevin relates this to his own experience at Growthack.
“Sometimes leadership is just learning when to step back and let people take ownership. That’s where real growth happens.”
Azeem adds that the difference between good leaders and great ones lies in how they handle egos and friction inside a business.
“Egos will always exist. The difference between good leaders and great ones is how they navigate them.”
B2B vs B2C: The Human Element
Azeem believes the biggest opportunity in B2B is to be more human.
“If your website has no faces, you’ve already lost the human connection.”
He argues that great B2B marketers give customers space to explore alternatives — because strong brands attract people back naturally.
“The best B2B marketers are the ones confident enough to let customers go, knowing that great brands bring them back.”
Glen sums it up perfectly:
“The goal isn’t to chase people endlessly. It’s to build an ecosystem where your content calls them back when they’re ready.”
B2B brands can learn a great deal from major direct-to-consumer advertisers. As the Christmas ads have just rolled out, John Lewis has been a clear favourite, yet again. They have been making people ‘get in their feels’ with their ads each year for over two decades. This time, they picked an unusual theme: the often-unspoken love between a father and son. You can watch it here in case you missed it.
The future of B2B marketing
Looking ahead, Azeem believes the next generation of B2B marketers will be defined by adaptability, empathy, and curiosity. He encourages marketers to stop trying to be everywhere and instead focus on understanding their audience deeply.
“Understand where your audience actually is, not where LinkedIn says they are.”
Glen notes that the gap between traditional and modern B2B is widening rapidly:
“The line between old-school B2B and modern B2B isn’t a gap anymore — it’s a chasm.”
Key takeaways
- B2B marketing does not have to be boring. It is a choice to be forgettable.
- Brand and performance are partners. Treat them as a single system.
- Creativity and trust will define the next era of B2B growth.
- AI can scale output. Human insight builds loyalty.
- Great marketing tells stories people remember. Metrics support the story.
- Search Pulse Report here: https://searchpulse.reflectdigital.co.uk/
Listen to the full episode
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube as part of the Beyond SEO series.
Connect with Azeem Ahmad
About Growthack.io
Growthack.io specialises in building SEO systems that drive revenue by combining technical, content, data-driven insights and AI-ready strategies to help your business scale smarter. No hype. No guesswork.
Award-winning SEO that helps your brand stay discoverable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.
