By Lori Jones, President and CEO, Avocet Communications
Key Takeaways
- Unsexy doesn’t mean unimportant. If your product solves a critical problem, your story is already compelling; you just need the right lens to tell it.
- Trust > Flash. In high-stakes B2B industries like compliance, insurance, and infrastructure, trust is your brand currency.
- Design, tone, and values matter more than features. You’re selling confidence, security, and alignment, not specs.
- Analogies and simplicity win. If your customer can’t understand it, they can’t buy it.
The In-Between Challenge
We all know the brands that market themselves with sleek lifestyle videos, celeb endorsements, or viral TikToks. But what happens when your product lives in the in-between spaces? You’re not selling sneakers or skincare. You’re selling infrastructure software, regulatory compliance platforms, or insurance underwriting solutions.
Might not be sexy, but they are absolutely essential.
And that’s what makes this space both challenging and full of opportunity.
Over the years, Avocet has worked with brands that operate behind the scenes; companies whose services power cities, protect data, streamline compliance, and enable innovation. These are the kinds of businesses that make the world work but aren’t often top of mind for the average buyer… until something goes wrong.
So how do you market a solution your customer doesn’t want to think about?
Storytelling That Works in the “Meh” Space
1. Find the Human Stakes
Let’s be real: no one wakes up excited about third-party risk management.
But… what if that same solution helped a healthcare client protect the identities of 2.3 million patients? Suddenly, your product isn’t about risk. It’s about safeguarding trust in life-or-death scenarios.
Every B2B product, even the driest ones, solves a human problem. Tell that story.
Think of a company offering back-end software for supply chain management. Far from glamorous, right? But instead of focusing on system integrations and dashboards, that company could reframed its message around what its product actually delivers: fewer 2 a.m. crisis calls, less time firefighting, and more space for strategic thinking. The brand story suddenly becomes one of sanity, simplicity, and empowerment, not logistics.
2. Use Analogies to Build Understanding
When your audience isn’t familiar with the technical complexity of your product, analogies bridge the gap.
- A data lineage platform? It’s the Google Maps of your internal systems.
- A cybersecurity risk tool? It’s like hiring a digital bodyguard.
- A compliance automation platform? Think of it as TurboTax for regulatory filings.
These aren’t just metaphors; they’re conversion tools.
According to recent research, decision-makers in complex B2B environments often feel overwhelmed by excessive technical detail. In these situations, clear, simple messaging can play a pivotal role in reducing friction and prompting action. And, not surprisingly, B2B buyers frequently struggle with information overload, which can lead to delays or stalled decisions.
3. Simplicity and Trust Over Cleverness
A clever tagline might turn heads, but clarity earns trust and trust wins business.
For industries where miscommunication equals liability (think insurance, compliance, aerospace) your brand needs to exude confidence and credibility.
Tone, design, and copy should be:
- Straightforward
- Value-based
- Reassuring
That doesn’t mean boring, it means strategic. The voice of your brand should mirror the trust your customer is placing in you.
4. Leverage Design and Visual Systems to Create Energy
Even the most complex platform can be beautiful. Just because you’re in B2B doesn’t mean you’re bound to grayscale diagrams and data grids.
Great design signals care, clarity, and modernity.
- Use visuals to bring simplicity to complexity.
- Use movement and whitespace to create breathability.
- Use color to reinforce emotional states such as confidence, security, and partnership.
A McKinsey study found that B2B companies with strong design outperformed industry benchmarks by over 2x in revenue growth.
5. Lead With Values, Not Features
In the absence of flash, values become your differentiator.
Are you the platform that prioritizes ethical data use?
Are you the vendor who builds with sustainability in mind?
Are you the partner who empowers mid-market players instead of chasing enterprise logos?
These values may never show up in an RFP, but they’ll always show up in the buyer’s heart.
Questions to Consider
- Are we communicating the real-world impact of our solution, or just the technical specs?
- Where can we use analogies to increase clarity and resonance?
- Does our brand voice project the trustworthiness our audience needs?
- How can we make our visual and verbal storytelling more emotionally engaging?
- Are we clearly expressing our values and are they a strategic differentiator?
Let’s Win in the In-Between
If you’re leading a brand in the “unsexy” space, I have news for you: you’re not boring. You’re just misunderstood.
At Avocet, we help brands like yours uncover the emotional core of your offering, build messaging that resonates with real humans, and craft marketing strategies that convert, even when your product isn’t sexy.
Let’s make your story impossible to ignore.
Ready to turn your overlooked solution into a standout brand? Let’s talk.
