Why B2B is stealing the show at Cannes Lions 2025

It’s worth taking a step back and thinking about the broader global macroeconomic environment. Based on some of the shifts we’re tracking, we can see that B2B marketing is on the rise. If we look at Brand Finance’s Top 150 B2B Brands index for 2024, it shows that the top 100 B2B brands grew their equity by 10% (totaling a quarter of a trillion dollars) compared to 2023. We also can’t ignore that B2B brands account for nearly half of the Fortune Global 500 list of companies. 

This builds upon a trend we witnessed at the 2024 Cannes Lions awards. Our Creative B2B jury observed that the overall quality of the work in the B2B Lions had dramatically improved, with the president of the jury, Andisa Ntsubane, saying that “the foundation has been laid and now there is clear momentum in this – the decade of B2B”.

The Creative B2B Lions award was launched in 2022, although we had been discussing it since 2013. Over the years we had seen a rise in B2B work winning Lions and many in the industry felt that introducing a specialist Lion in this area would raise the creative bar and elevate the discipline. The Creative B2B Lions award is now entering its fourth year, providing the benchmark for an industry that continues to grow significantly – with worldwide B2B digital ad spend set to be nearly triple its pre-pandemic level by 2026. 

For 2025, we’ve introduced a question within the Creative B2B Lions to help clarify the type of work submitted. Entrants will need to specify if the work is for a traditional B2B model where one business sells directly to another, a model involving a partnership between businesses to reach consumers or work aimed at attracting consumers as a way to engage a business customer. This is to ensure the jury can view the work through the correct lens.

Ultimately, the jury is looking for work that redefines how B2B brands engage with their audiences, showcasing exceptional craft, long-term brand building or ideas that challenge industry norms.

The creative bar is absolutely being raised and it’s inspiring to see. As global jury president for the Creative B2B Lions this year, I’ll be looking for work that not only solves a business problem, but redefines what B2B creativity can look like.

A winning campaign needs to be brave. It must challenge category conventions, break through what is expected and show us something we haven’t seen before. I’ll be drawn to work that has a strong strategic foundation, that brings purpose and impact into focus and that tells a story with emotional depth and authenticity. We’ll be celebrating work that is executed with excellence, grounded in insight and delivered with bold, creative thinking. 

That’s the kind of work that doesn’t just meet expectations, but elevates the entire industry.

Overall at Cannes Lions last year we saw a rise in B2B presence – and not just in the B2B Lion category. A staggering 50% of the winning work in the Titanium Lions – which is the top accolade for game-changing creativity – came from B2B (or B2B2C) brands. So the rise in B2B is definitely the untold story from the festival last year and I expect this momentum to continue into this year’s awards. Let’s watch and see! 

B2B marketing has undergone a remarkable transformation. Five years ago, we were just starting to see emotional storytelling and brand-building emerge in the space. Since then, it’s been a steep upward trajectory. What was once seen as dry or overly rational has become more dynamic, human and creatively ambitious. Today’s B2B work embraces storytelling, taps into emotion, and connects on a far deeper level. We’re seeing work that’s more human, more daring and far more connected to the world around it. 

Marketers have realised that even in complex buying cycles and technical categories, it’s still people making decisions. And people respond to stories, to emotion and to brands that stand for something more than just function. It’s become an exciting space for creativity and impact, and it’s driving growth in ways we simply weren’t talking about five years ago.

B2B buying has evolved over the last decade – B2B purchasing decisions are typically longer, more emotion-driven, involve up to 20 stakeholders and require, on average, 17 meaningful interactions before a buyer completes a purchase. With success in B2B not just down to one relationship or connection, building “collective confidence” among the buyer group, who influence a purchasing decision, is key. 

As a result, B2B marketers have had to change the way they think about their marketing strategy and the content they build to influence purchase decisions. We found in recent research that nearly three-quarters (73%) of B2B marketers globally are focused on developing bolder creative and they’re investing in fresh marketing tactics. To stand out from their competitors, they’re engaging their audiences by creating more short-form social video and partnering with influential voices to educate audiences and build trust and credibility. Our research revealed that six in 10 leaders of B2B brands say they will increase spend on influencer marketing content in the near future.

B2B buying is becoming increasingly complex and decision-makers are harder to reach than ever, but the tools we have, especially those powered by AI, will allow marketers to meet this moment. AI is poised to play a transformative role, specifically when we think about predictive targeting. When marketers use AI, they can more efficiently and accurately identify and engage high-intent professionals. 

Our research shows that marketers are already using AI to build and optimise campaigns – by enhancing audience segmentation and targeting, by improving measurement and performance tracking and by bolstering personalised content creation.

The most exciting opportunity is that AI can give marketers the gift of time. As it takes on the operational load – things like content sorting, data processing and other routine tasks – it creates space for us to focus on what really matters, such as creativity, innovative problem-solving, and finding new ways to connect with our audiences. 

The challenge will be staying intentional and making sure we don’t let efficiency dilute originality. The best B2B marketing has always been about unlocking ideas that move people. AI can help us get there faster, but it’s the human spark, the empathy and the originality that makes the work unforgettable.

Bet big on video. B2C brands have long invested in short-form social video to grab eyeballs and build a strong connection with their audiences and this is one of the smartest investments that B2B marketers can make because video produces the highest ROI. Over half (55%) of the B2B marketers surveyed for the 2024 LinkedIn B2B Benchmark Report said their short-form social videos produced the highest ROI of all video types, making them the most effective. 

Lean into emotional messaging. Most B2C brands have successfully built a strong human connection with their audiences through emotional messaging and B2B brands must remind themselves that even if they are selling to businesses, it’s still humans who make the decisions! Using humour is a great way for B2B brands to hold their audience’s attention and stay top-of-mind when it’s time to buy. 

Partner with authentic, influential voices. By partnering with influencers, B2C brands have successfully created brand ambassadors across their audience community, who are telling their brand story in authentic and engaging ways. And now B2B brands are finally jumping on a key trend that can transform B2B marketing – influencer marketing. In B2B, subject-matter experts, company executives and employees can be great brand advocates to educate audiences about technical product know-how, demonstrate the deeper value of their products and services and build long-lasting resonance with their community. 

B2C marketers have long understood how to connect emotionally, tell culturally relevant stories, and deliver consistently great brand experiences. In the B2B space, we’ve historically focused on rational messaging and clarity and, while that still matters, we now have an opportunity to bring more depth and resonance into our work.

You can see this shift in many B2B brands like Workday, IBM and, of course, Salesforce. These campaigns are engaging, emotionally led and rooted in a clear understanding of the audience. They demonstrate that you can stay true to your business objectives while also telling stories that connect on a personal level. That balance of relevance, creativity and emotional clarity is something every B2B marketer can learn from.

Absolutely, and I would argue it’s one of the most important differentiators we have today. 

In many B2B categories, the core offering is comparable across competitors, so how a brand tells its story and connects with its audience is what truly sets it apart. Creativity allows B2B brands to simplify what is complex, bring energy and emotion to technical subjects and build trust in a way that’s memorable. 

In the B2B space, most of your audience isn’t ready to buy right now. The 95/5 rule reminds us that only a small fraction of your potential customers are in-market at any given time – the rest are future buyers. That means brand building isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential. When the time comes to make a decision, it’s the brands that are known, trusted and remembered that rise to the top. It’s not about being everywhere – it’s about being unforgettable when it counts and that is where creativity plays a huge role and can deliver as a growth multiplier.

A powerful creative can be 10x to 20x more sales-effective and B2B marketers are recognising the impact of creativity on the bottom line. With 81% of B2B ads failing to gain adequate attention or drive recall, B2B marketers need more compelling ways to connect and engage with their buying groups. 

On LinkedIn, we’re starting to see that B2B marketers are in it for the long game and understand the cost of losing memorability. Brands like ServiceNow, Maersk, Juniper Networks, Orange Cyberdefense are humanising their brands by tapping into video, using humour, building authentic thought leadership and partnering with B2B influencers to build credibility. With 95% of B2B buyers not in the market to buy today, staying top of mind so you are memorable when they are ready to buy is key. 

The next era of B2B marketing will be defined by how well we create space for depth, relevance and connection. We’re seeing a shift away from transactional touchpoints toward formats that allow brands to slow down and build relationships over time; through long-form video, podcasts, editorial content and live experiences that invite participation and conversation.

At the same time, the channels themselves are evolving. Webinars are becoming interactive environments. Community platforms are growing in influence. And we’re seeing the rise of co-created content, where customers and partners help shape the narrative, bringing trust and authenticity to the forefront. And AI is absolutely adding momentum to this shift, helping us scale with intention. It’s giving marketers the ability to surface insights faster, repurpose content intelligently and maintain quality across more channels so we can spend more time crafting stories that resonate.

To prepare, marketers need to think beyond campaigns and start designing connected ecosystems, building content that adapts, earns attention and builds memory over time. It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about being meaningful, memorable and ready when your audience is.

Authentic brands will win in the current competitive climate. To build authentic brands, we’re going to see brands bet big on short-form video and invest in creating credible thought leadership in the months ahead.