B2B Buyers Are Human And Emotion Wins (By a Lot): How Gong Copied Beer Commercials to Humanize B2B

Why It Matters

Emotional, human‑focused branding dramatically boosts B2B retention, allowing firms to out‑perform competitors without massive ad spend.

Key Takeaways

• B2B buyers prioritize emotions over pure rational analysis.
• Emotional messaging yields seven times greater long-term impact.
• Gong’s CMO modeled branding after beer commercials, not competitors.
• Real employees and goofy tone replace stock photos and feature lists.
• Creativity, not budget, drives memorable B2B marketing campaigns.

Summary

The video argues that B2B purchasing decisions are fundamentally human, driven by stress and limited time, making emotional resonance far more effective than pure rational arguments. It highlights LinkedIn research showing that emotional B2B strategies generate seven times more long‑term business effects than rational messaging, underscoring a paradigm shift for marketers.

Key insights include the observation that buyers cannot deep‑dive into every vendor’s feature set, so brands must cut through the noise with authentic, human‑centric storytelling. Gong’s chief marketing officer, Udy Lettergore, deliberately ignored traditional sales‑tech branding and instead studied beer commercials, asking why B2B couldn’t feel as playful and relatable. The company swapped stock photography for real employee footage and adopted a conversational voice in a market saturated with stiff corporate copy.

The most vivid example is Gong’s 2022 Super Bowl‑style ad, where a host rattles off a laundry list of features only to be drowned out by the sound of sales gongs. This tongue‑in‑cheek parody mocks the industry’s obsession with feature lists while showcasing a goofy, human tone. Lettergore’s comment—"Why can’t B2B feel like this?"—captures the brand’s mission to inject humor and authenticity into a traditionally dry space.

The implication for B2B marketers is clear: creativity and humanity trump big‑budget production values. Companies can achieve memorable impact by featuring real people, embracing humor, and focusing on emotional storytelling, thereby driving stronger customer loyalty and long‑term revenue growth.

Original Description

B2B buying decisions aren’t made by logic alone.

They’re made by stressed humans who are terrified of choosing wrong and don’t have time to deeply analyze every vendor.

That’s why LinkedIn found that: Emotional B2B strategies drive 7× more long-term business impact than rational messaging.

Seven times.

That’s not marginal, that’s a completely different game.

A standout example is Gong.

Their CMO, Udi Ledergor, didn’t study other sales-tech brands when building Gong’s identity.

He studied beer commercials.

The question he asked:

Why does B2C get to feel fun, human, and memorable while B2B feels stiff and soulless?

So Gong:

Ditched stock photography

Put real employees front and center

Built a brand voice that actually sounds human

In their 2022 Super Bowl ad, they cranked the absurdity to 11, listing features and benefits until the speaker is drowned out by nonstop sales gongs.

It was a perfect parody of B2B SaaS’s obsession with feature lists.

And yes, it was genuinely funny.

No, most of us don’t have Super Bowl budgets.

But that’s not an excuse to be boring.

Creativity isn’t about spend.

It’s about standing out in a sea of sameness