What “Brand Gravity” Means in B2B Marketing
Brand gravity is a framework that focuses less on chasing individual leads and more on building a magnetic presence that naturally attracts buyers, builds trust and shortens buying cycles. Unlike traditional lead gen (focused on forms, MQLs and conversion events), brand gravity emphasizes content, credibility and community to create long‑term influence and visibility. (CMSWire.com)
According to the Brand Gravity concept popularised by marketing leader Lisa A. Cole, the funnel model — from awareness to MQL to SQL — is increasingly outdated because modern B2B buyers conduct much of their research independently and anonymously, long before they ever talk to sales. Brand gravity aims to position firms as the obvious choice throughout that self‑directed journey. (CMSWire.com)
Case Study 1 — ABB: From Lead Conversion to Trust and Influence
Company: ABB Global (electrification and industrial automation)
Shift: Rather than purely chasing leads through traditional campaigns, ABB has reoriented its marketing toward content that creates “genuine value and emotional connection” with its audience. This includes featuring real customer and employee stories to deepen trust. (The Gradient Group)
Why it matters:
- In long sales cycles (common in industrial and enterprise sectors), buyers may take years before engaging a vendor, so being top of mind and trusted becomes crucial.
- ABB shifted its focus from isolated lead capture activities to building influence — aimed at ensuring the brand lands on prospect shortlists when they’re finally ready to buy. (The Gradient Group)
Marketer comment:
Joanne Woo, a global marketing leader at ABB, said the emphasis is now on “influence” and trust rather than volume of leads — reflecting a deeper, relationship‑centric approach. (The Gradient Group)
Case Study 2 — EY: Balancing Brand Gravity and Demand Growth
Company: EY (Ernst & Young)
Shift: EY’s marketing strategy balances short‑term performance tactics with long‑term brand building, expanding beyond narrow lead‑gen funnels to develop a wider brand presence across channels and buyer touchpoints. (The Gradient Group)
Impact:
- EY’s leaders describe brand gravity as focusing on nurturing buying demand units (not just individual leads) and ensuring the brand appears early and often in buyer consideration sets.
- Instead of only chasing quick conversions, the strategy builds a foundation of credibility that supports sustained growth. (The Gradient Group)
Marketing takeaway:
For complex B2B purchases, closing a sale often depends more on whether a brand is trusted and familiar than how many leads are captured — especially in long buying cycles. (The Gradient Group)
Case Study 3 — Concept in Practice: Digital Mass + Community
While not a company example, the Brand Gravity model itself is increasingly cited as a practised strategy among B2B leaders:
Key Principles from the framework:
- Gather insights: Understand what matters to your buyer audience.
- Accumulate digital mass: Create a presence through content, thought leadership and visibility.
- Validate with social proof: Use case studies, testimonials and endorsements.
- Track key growth metrics: Monitor metrics that reflect trust and visibility, not just “clicks and leads.” (CMSWire.com)
This model replaces traditional funnel dashboards with cohort retention and engagement metrics — tracking return visits, community interaction, share of voice and influence signals rather than just MQL counts. (pineappleview.com)
Why the Shift Is Happening
1. Buyers Are Self‑Directed
Modern B2B buyers do extensive research independently — often anonymously — using digital content, peer networks and expert communities before they ever enter an email address or speak to sales. Traditional lead capture tactics miss much of this buying intent because they focus on late‑stage conversions. (CMSWire.com)
2. Traditional Funnels Are Less Predictive
Survey data show B2B marketers are evolving how they attract prospects, with many moving from top‑of‑funnel lead volume toward value at every stage of the journey — essentially building pull rather than push marketing. (Marketing Week)
3. Shift Toward Broader Influence
Increasingly, marketers invest in thought leadership, social engagement and brand advocacy on LinkedIn, industry forums and content hubs — not just performance channels — to create sustained interest over time. Research finds a large share of B2B professionals now prioritise engaging content and long‑term visibility over collecting data points. (open-lead.com)
Commentary from Marketing Leaders
Lisa A. Cole — on why lead chasing is outdated:
Cole argues that most buyers trust what they discover on their own — content, communities and credible sources before they ever engage sales — and that relying on outbound lead capture is no longer as effective in complex B2B decisions. (Demand Gen Report)
Industry voice:
Survey insights show that about two‑thirds of B2B marketers report their lead generation strategies are evolving — not disappearing — but being integrated with deeper engagement and brand visibility efforts that create long‑term demand. (open-lead.com)
Marketer perspective on forums:
Practitioners increasingly note that brand equity and trust help improve demand gen performance and make lead engineering easier. Strong branding helps reduce customer acquisition cost and accelerates conversions because prospects are already familiar and receptive when contact happens. (Reddit)
How the Strategy Looks in Practice Today
| Traditional Lead Gen Focus | Brand Gravity / Influence Focus |
|---|---|
| MQLs, SQLs, funnel conversion | Content, credibility, community |
| Short‑term volume targets | Long‑term trust and pull |
| Performance metrics only | Influence and visibility metrics |
| Lead forms and campaigns | Thought leadership and engagement |
| Push outreach | Pull attraction and shared value |
Bottom Line
B2B marketing is shifting from transactional lead generation to strategies that build brand gravity and influence over time. Instead of chasing MQLs through traditional funnels, modern B2B teams focus on producing high‑value content, establishing credibility, nurturing communities, and being a trusted presence in the research journey — so that when buyers are ready to act, the brand is already in their orbit. (CMSWire.com)
Here’s a detailed, case‑study and commentary‑focused look at how B2B marketing is shifting from a traditional lead generation model toward “brand gravity” and influence‑driven strategies — with real examples of how this is happening, what experts are saying, and why it matters today. (Marketing Week)
What’s Changing: From Lead Chasing to Brand Gravity
Traditional lead generation in B2B (forms, gated content, cold outreach) has long driven measurable lead counts and pipeline volume. But modern B2B buyers behave differently — doing much of their research anonymously and independently before they ever engage sales. As a result, marketers find that chasing leads too early can miss the broader marketplace where trust and familiarity are built. (CMSWire.com)
Brand Gravity is a concept gaining traction as an alternative or complement: it focuses on building magnetic pull by establishing credibility, creating valuable content, and nurturing community and trust so that buyers come to you when they are ready. (CMSWire.com)
Case Studies in the Shift to Brand Gravity
1. ABB — Influence Over Immediate Conversion
Strategy: ABB (industrial automation) deliberately moved away from volume‑focused lead campaigns and instead created content that builds trust and emotional connection with audiences, including showcasing real customer and employee stories. (The Gradient Group)
Why it matters:
- In long‑cycle industries where decisions take years, being top of mind matters more than lead counts.
- ABB’s marketing now focuses on influence and value — helping the brand appear on the customer’s “first call list” when they eventually evaluate solutions. (The Gradient Group)
Comment: Joanne Woo of ABB notes that success “isn’t measured by downloads or clicks — it’s about being on the list when buyers act.” (The Gradient Group)
2. EY — Balancing Long‑Term Brand & Short‑Term Demand
Strategy: EY, a global professional services firm, expanded its marketing beyond tight lead gen to nurture wider buying decision units and brand consideration over time. (The Gradient Group)
Tactic: By blending high‑value content, thoughtful brand presence and performance marketing, EY’s teams work to ensure the EY brand enters the buyer’s longlist and shortlist — even before formal leads are captured. (The Gradient Group)
Comment: EY’s marketing lead explains that separating brand and lead gen risks focusing too narrowly on short‑term wins, whereas opening the aperture gives a larger pool of interested buyers that eventually convert. (The Gradient Group)
3. Canva — Creating Pull Through Value‑Driven Engagement
Strategy: Canva’s B2B team moved toward “pull”‑oriented experiences by combining intent data, personalized content, and dynamic engagement that resonates with specific personas across journeys rather than simply filling out forms. (Marketing Week)
Tactics:
- Using predictive insights to identify high‑value accounts earlier.
- Creating visually personalized content.
- Investing in thought leadership and community‑oriented events like Canva Create. (Marketing Week)
Comment: Head of B2B marketing at Canva says it’s about meeting decision‑makers where they are, not just chasing top‑of‑funnel numbers. (Marketing Week)
Commentary: What Experts Are Saying
1. The Funnel Model Is Breaking Down
Marketing thought leaders argue the traditional funnel (awareness → MQL → SQL → close) is outdated. Modern buyers conduct most research independently and engage only when informed. Brand Gravity focuses on creating digital mass — where consistent presence and credibility attract attention throughout that research phase. (CMSWire.com)
- According to thought leadership around Brand Gravity, building content, credibility, and community attracts self‑directed buyers — creating a magnetic pull rather than relying on push‑based lead capture. (CMSWire.com)
2. Influence and Trust Are Becoming Core Metrics
Recent industry surveys show B2B marketers prioritizing deeper relationships and value creation over traditional volume metrics. In some cases, nearly two‑thirds of B2B teams are evolving their lead gen priorities to incorporate more thought leadership and social media engagement. (Marketing Week)
Why:
- Buyers trust what they find independently — peer insights, credible content, analyst reports — more than early outbound touchpoints. (Demand Gen Report)
- Early influence increases brand recall and pre‑qualification before any formal lead capture ever occurs. (Demand Gen Report)
What “Brand Gravity” Looks Like in Action
Focus Areas
Content & Thought Leadership
High‑quality educational content, research, and executive voices position a company as a trusted advisor, not just a vendor — creating gravitational pull early in the buyer’s journey. (Demand Gen Report)
Credibility & Social Proof
Analyst reports, testimonials, user communities and influencer endorsements help buyers validate trust independently, often before they fill out forms. (CMSWire.com)
Community & Engagement
Virtual roundtables, communities, forums and events nurture ongoing engagement and networks of influence around a brand, which later feed into demand and pipeline. (pineappleview.com)
Outcomes & Measurable Shifts
| Traditional Lead‑Gen Focus | Brand Gravity / Influence Shift |
|---|---|
| Clicks, form fills, MQL counts | Depth of engagement, trust indicators |
| Short cycle conversion tactics | Long‑term brand recall and pull |
| Performance metrics only | Cohort retention, content consumption patterns |
| Outbound / push channels | Thought leadership + community presence |
| Funnel milestone reporting | Brand influence and mind‑share indicators |
Practitioner Commentary
Reddit insights from practitioners note that brand influence makes lead gen easier when conversion time comes — strong brand presence increases response rates and trust, effectively warming markets long before formal contact. (Reddit)
Marketers also observe (informally) that brand awareness and trust lead to cheaper, more qualified conversions later because buyers have already developed familiarity and positive associations before engagement. (Reddit)
Bottom Line
B2B marketing is moving beyond traditional lead gen and funnel‑centric tactics toward “brand gravity.” This shift reflects modern buying behavior where research, trust and credibility take place long before a form fill — and where magnetic pull, not outbound push, helps brands enter buyers’ consideration sets early and stay there. Successful strategies combine content engagement, thought leadership, community, and credibility to build influence that drives better, higher‑quality demand over the long term. (Marketing Week)