B2B Marketer Practices What It Preaches

It’s often the case that companies that sell products or services to other businesses don’t follow their own advice in marketing themselves. 

But a recent business-to-business effort mailed by Safeguard Business Services shows that your brand is your first campaign, and you should treat it like one.

B2B With a Personal Touch

At the top of the sales funnel, you usually want to avoid a pricey direct mail effort. Your main goal is raising brand awareness, while leaving more elaborate designs for later stages. However, as a provider of marketing and branding solutions, Safeguard differentiates itself from its competitors with a package that wows prospects as soon as they see, and feel it.

The 10.5”x6” self-mailer uses a Closed Gate fold to draw the reader in with visuals that highlight people, not products, on its front panel and first inside spread. The copy emphasizes the value of Safeguard’s network of professional advisors in solving “your biggest business channels.”  

When opened to the next spread across 4 panels, the mailer gets down to business, listing the company’s print collateral and marketing materials, promotional products, and office efficiency products. The call-to-action includes a QR code to experience a product showroom as well as the name and contact information of a company advisor and “true partner”.

The paper used here has all the feels—literally

This folded self-mailer uses a combination of finishes to add to its tactile as well as visual appeal. Soft touch coating applied to sections of text creates a durable luxury velvety texture across the mail piece. People images shine because of a matte finish. And on the inside product panels, individual items pop against the soft touch thanks to spot UV coating. 

Why this mailer made our Inspo Collection

This piece earns its spot in our Inspo Collection because it relies on finishes and a smart design to effectively showcase how Safeguard can create print materials that help people grow their businesses. To build credibility with an audience, it makes a lot of sense to apply the same strategies to market its own brand that it recommends to clients.

Finishes and embellishments are only part of the story. Another important lesson is that even in B2B marketing, people buy from people, not buildings or websites. An approach based on ideas like support, teamwork, and partnership can start conversations and open doors to deeper discussions about how you can help customers meet specific challenges, needs, and wants.