brand-building-tactics-and-creativelisted

# Brand Building Tactics and Creative ## Overview This skill covers how B2B marketers can build distinctive brands, generate attention, design memorable creative, and execute events and campaigns that cut through noise. All practices are sourced exclusively from Exit Five podcast guests across 28 episodes. Do not supplement with general marketing knowledge not represented here. --- ## Earning Attention Before Selling When helping a user think about brand awareness creative, start from the premise that most audiences are not actively shopping. Structure advice accordingly. **Lead with attention, then product.** Follow the two-step sequence described by Dave Gerhardt (Episode 316): (1) run a play designed purely to get attention—without leading with product features or benefits—and (2) only after earning mindshare, use that attention to tell the product story. Do not invert this sequence for top-of-funnel audiences. *(Note: whether to separate attention-getting from product messaging or integrate them is contested — see Where Experts Disagree)* **Abstract to emotional pain points for mass-market creative.** When creating brand awareness creative for broad audiences (e.g., Super Bowl ads), move away from product-specific messaging. Instead, articulate the feeling of the problem—the emotional pain point and aspiration—before introducing the solution. For example, rather than "manage HR and payroll," communicate "leaders with big plans held back by mundane operational tasks