Introduction
Welcome to B2B’s Brightest Brands – the only brand index that is solely focused on business-to-business brands.
Gone are the days where brand is only perceived to be essential for organisations that have consumer products. From a quick glance at some of the most highly valued brands in the world – GE, Cisco, Boeing, Adobe – it is clear that brand does matter in the B2B world.
From our perspective, measuring B2B to B2C brands (as many other indexes do) is not comparing apples to apples. There are different audiences, decision-making processes, stakeholder relationships, market trends and even societal expectations.
And B2B brands have fresh challenges to meet. Now more than ever, there is an intense spotlight shining on corporate brands and how they present themselves to the outside world. This has moved the dial on what these brands need to do to succeed and the questions businesses need to address through their brand in the new normal.
Does the business have a clear purpose beyond profit? Is it a force for good? Does it tell a credible story? How is the organisation integrating sustainability into its brand experience? How is it creating value across stakeholders?
The brightest B2B brands address these questions and more. They know who they are as an organisation and what they stand for. They have a clear sense of self, forward trajectory and distinction. They consistently express their story across all touchpoints, resonating far and wide across stakeholders by always coming back to their central purpose. And they look great as well.
We have benchmarked the B2B brand landscape through this broader prism, adopting a range of criteria that look at the brand experience from different perspectives. We have highlighted key success criteria, common pitfalls and opportunities.
Clearly the quality of the creative agency makes a difference, but the key to being a brighter brand lies in the ambition of businesses to push boundaries and dare to be different, while remaining relevant. Getting that balance right remains the key to success.
Sheila MorrisonBrand & Culture Director
Meet the panel
Sheila Morrison, Brand & Culture Director
Sheila Morrison, Brand & Culture Director
Sheila graduated with a BBA in Marketing and an MA in Advertising and Brand Planning from the University of Texas at Austin. She has over 13 years’ experience working at UK and US brand agencies, including SuperUnion, FutureBrand and Ogilvy & Mather NYC, and now leads our Brand & Culture strategy team. Sheila’s expertise lies in helping corporate organisations define who they are and what they stand for. She has extensive experience in defining and articulating brand platforms, brand architecture frameworks, brand positioning and personality as well as corporate purpose and values.
Julie Sim, Brand Strategist
Julie Sim, Brand Strategist
Julie graduated with a 2:1 in BSc (Hons) Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London. After a spell at FutureBrand, she joined our brand strategy team in 2019. Julie uses her strong analytical skills to develop and guide brand positioning, corporate narratives and employee engagement campaigns. She works across a wide range of sectors, from technology and professional services to financial services and commercial real estate.
Mark Litchfield, Executive Creative Director
Mark Litchfield, Executive Creative Director
Mark graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and a BA (Hons) in Art History. He has over 15 years’ experience working for leading London agencies across a broad range of brand communications. Mark brings a wealth of expertise in how to create best-in-class brand experiences. He oversees our team of creative talents, inspiring them in delivering effective and relevant solutions.
Jon Towell, Creative Partner
Jon Towell, Creative Partner
As co-founder of Luminous, Jon has driven our best-in-class reputation for creative effectiveness in the corporate space. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Graphic Communications and brings vast experience in brand communications to the table. His work has received widespread recognition, with awards from industry bodies including D&AD, Design Week and CorpComms. Jon specialises in helping clients articulate brand stories that connect with key influencers, working with the creative team to ensure they bring those ideas to life in inspiring ways.
Michal Kendereski, Digital Director
Michal Kendereski, Digital Director
Michal is a member of the Industry Capacity Board for the European Commission ARETE project, addressing innovation with interactive technologies, undertaken by University College Dublin (UCD). He has extensive agency experience, having founded Republik Media and served as the Director of Innovation at Volume. Michal is responsible for developing our distinctive digital offering. His rich skill-set enables us to approach digital from a holistic perspective, combining the best of B2C and B2B with new immersive technologies.
Stephen Butler, Investor Engagement & ESG Director
Stephen Butler, Investor Engagement & ESG Director
Stephen holds a BA (Hons) from Central Saint Martins and a Certificate in Investor Relations (CIR) from the IR Society. He also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Corporate Governance and Business Ethics from the University of London. He leads a team of strategists specialising in helping corporate businesses engage effectively with the investor community.
About Luminous
Luminous is a strategic communications partner. We deliver effective Brand & Culture solutions that create impact, inspire change and drive value. Our expertise includes defining brand purpose, articulating brand narratives, building ownable brand platforms, developing credible ESG strategies and creating award-winning multi-channel creative experiences.