When I talk to marketing and communications professionals, I often hear the same story: they want to be more creative but they face real challenges — time constraints, internal buy-in, idea generation, and budget limitations.

However, there’s one myth that continues to surprise me. The belief that creativity isn’t relevant to their audience — because IT directors/developers/accountants/CFOs etc are a purely rational bunch who only care about facts and clear ROI.

While you can see why they’ve come to this conclusion, and perhaps those audiences are more rational than most, it ignores a fundamental reality — they’re human beings first.

Decision paralysis

Like all of us, they are people who act on instinct, emotion, memory, fear, and feelings. Before their rational brain kicks in to weigh options and evaluate data, their subconscious mind — what behavioural scientists call System 1 — has already made a snap judgement.

If people had to make calculated decisions about everything, they’d be paralysed by choice overload. Imagine trying to decide the optimal time to wake up, what to wear, or what to have for breakfast with a fully rational process. We’d never get out of bed!

Humans make up to 35,000 decisions a day. Our brains simply don’t have the time or capacity to make fully weighed-up decisions about everything.

So, our brains take shortcuts, relying on — what the scientists call — heuristics to help us function. These mental shortcuts aren’t just for small decisions; they play a role in the big ones too, like choosing a house, a partner — or the right B2B software.

This is where creativity and strong branding come into play.

The science behind the choice

A memorable, emotionally engaging brand can create positive associations and make your company the default choice, even in complex B2B purchasing decisions.

From a neuroscience perspective, the limbic system — especially the amygdala — plays a crucial role in emotional processing and decision-making. Even in B2B contexts, emotions significantly influence decisions, often without the buyer realising it. B2B buyers may rationalise their choices with logical arguments, but underlying emotional drivers — like fear of making the wrong decision, trust in a brand, or the desire for professional validation — heavily sway the final decision.

Science also shows that the brain is wired to respond to stories. When we hear a compelling story, the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes light up, creating emotional connections and enhancing memory retention. This makes creative storytelling critical for building brand recall, which is essential for those unconscious decisions we rely on.

Additionally, let’s not forget dopamine — the brain’s reward chemical. When we encounter brands we like, our brain releases a little dopamine, reinforcing our preference for that brand.

The B2B decision making process

But how do you apply this understanding of the brain to B2B communications?

The key is to remember that your audience isn’t a bunch of robotic decision-makers. They are humans, driven by emotions, often making instinctive assessments before their rational minds engage.

The B2B decision-making process can be complex and involve multiple stakeholders, but ultimately, those people want to buy products and services that make them look good, feel good, and make their lives easier.

Whether it’s reaching a journalist or a CFO, you need to get their attention — make them stop scrolling, read an email, click to find out more, or simply remember you. But that’s not easy when they’re bombarded with content all day long.

The daily barrage of corporate press releases, boring blogs, and dry LinkedIn posts has turned into white noise. It’s a lot of effort, and it’s just not making a difference.

As PR professionals our goal should be to help clients tell their stories in a way that makes people sit up and listen, surprises them, and compels them to find out more and click. To achieve that, we need to be creative, memorable, visual, entertaining, and — most importantly — human.

I understand that it’s challenging. Everyone is busy just getting the basics done, jumping between calls, and answering to different stakeholders. And let’s be honest, no one has a big pile of money specially earmarked for creative projects.

 Creativity doesn’t cost the earth

But the good news is that creativity doesn’t have to be expensive.

We’re not talking about mega-budget creativity like rebranding the OXO Tower or floating something down the Thames. Creativity can be as simple as how you launch a story to the media. Not with a standard press release, but with a personalised desk drop, a picture story, or a theme that brings your message to life in an entertaining way.

In the end, embracing creativity in B2B isn’t just about standing out. It’s about connecting on a human level, cutting through the white noise, and leaving a lasting impact.

Because when you reach people where they are most responsive — emotionally — you make a lasting impression that transcends the rational and drives real business results.