Inspire B2B 2023

Welcome to Inspire B2B 2023, VML’s latest update on the world’s most inspiring B2B brands. This report is grounded in our evidence-based Inspire methodology, a powerful tool that helps us deliver on our purpose of inspiring growth for ambitious brands.

Inspire is a global research initiative that uncovers a never-before-identified connection between brand growth and human inspiration.

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Key insights from the Top 100 Inspire B2B Score 2023 report:

Positions within the Top 20 have been relatively stable. These brands remain the inspiration engines with the ability to place themselves at the center of people’s lives, and stay there.
While established brands dominate, new brands have a unique window of opportunity to inspire, with two new brands (albeit restaged established businesses) going straight into the Top 20 – Kyndryl (IBM spinoff) at No. 15, and Meta (Facebook) at No. 16.
Tech brands are among the big movers who are successfully inspiring business audiences to create the conditions for accelerated growth. Dell moved from No. 7 to No. 3 overtaking IBM, HP, and Intel; Adobe leapt from No. 98 to No. 28 and Huawei took a massive leap - moving from outside the Top 100 to No. 44.

Inspired B2B brands always win

Graphic B2 B Score 2023 cropped — Source: n Global Inspire Study. Top Brands 2023

To succeed, B2B brands must engage and inspire diverse buying groups. Work done by Binet and Field, and the LinkedIn B2B Institute has identified that B2B brands that make an emotional connection and drive “fame” are just as successful as B2C brands.

The three factors in inspiration

This study shows that inspiration is a process, where the brand puts forward a new, positive possibility for people, one that they feel compelled to take advantage of. Based on research into inspiration in the field of motivational psychology, we determined that inspirational brands score highly on three factors: Elevating, Magnetic and Motivating.

At a Glance

Elevating

Brands demonstrate a positive impact on society and a caring approach to their customers

At a Glance

Magnetic

This speaks to the social power of a brand; people feel pulled to the brand

At a Glance

Motivating

Motivating says that the brand offers something different that will help you accomplish your goals

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Our global B2B experts

James Irvine

James is the EMEA B2B Lead. He has a real passion for creating disruptive ideas in B2B, from digital and content to tech and advertising that break away from the norm, giving him a well-rounded and integrated viewpoint.

Bill Burkart

Bill is the North America B2B Lead. An integrated marketing executive with a wealth of experience and knowledge in B2B from digital demand generation and ABM to customer relationship management, Bill is a true master of his craft, with a passion for using his skills to help brands thrive.

Virginia Alvarez

Virginia is an award-winning Head of Insight and Effectiveness at VML UK. She leads the EMEA Cognitive Intelligence Practice, utilising AI, and psychological insights to craft customer-centric strategies that decipher consumer behaviour and motivations.