Many B2B tech startups and scaleups get caught chasing leads and peddling products to anyone who will listen.
It’s natural. But it’s also a means to an end—including burnout.
Chasing leads might provide a quick hit, but it doesn’t build brand reputation and it doesn’t scale.
Here’s how to escape the Lead-Gen hamster wheel and build something that lasts.
Lead Generation and Demand Generation? They’re the same thing. Sorry (yep, I’m Canadian).
Here’s why:
“Demand-Gen and Lead-Gen are the same… even if Demand-Gen marketers want to pretend otherwise. How are they both actually measured? MQLs and Pipeline!”
Dale W. Harrison
Demand-Gen used to mean creating demand for our products and services; now it means generating leads, which Lead-Gen already does. However, the demand we think we are generating for leads rarely equates to buyers who buy our stuff in the timeframe we expect.
When they do eventually buy (usually not our stuff), it’s because they already have 2-3 credible and trusted solutions on their list on Day 1. They’re not interested in our stuff no matter how many unsolicited emails we send or Google Ads we buy.
The 2024 B2B Buying Disconnect Report from TrustPilot and Pavillion is a good wakeup call:
Here’s the brutal truth: Lead-Gen doesn’t create demand. It captures what’s already out there. So when the demand isn’t there (hello, slow quarter), we double down on more aggressive—and let’s be honest—desperate “stalker” tactics.
“The reality is that Demand-Gen motions NEED to be supported by an intentional brand effort to be in the consideration set.”
Liam Moroney
In their seminal report, The Long and the Short of It, Les Binet and Peter Field identify two types of marketing:
Sales Activation is a sugar rush.
It’s short-term and difficult to maintain and scale.
Just add water. In our case, water is Brand Building. Water is life.
And just like how water grows a seed into a forest, brand building kind of works the same way.
Think of any brand you’re loyal to. They aren’t big because they “got lucky” and it certainly didn’t happen for them overnight. And I bet you didn’t love them the day they were born.
Of course, short-term activation is necessary, especially for startups. But if that’s all we do, we’re going to keep coming off that sugar high and crashing.
Why? Because unlike sales, marketing is a non-linear multiplier of business performance.
And non-linear multipliers are not ROI-friendly.
“The marketing budgets you’re about to spend in Q4 will not have any measurable impact on Sales for at least two quarters. That gap is both innate to how the function works and is significantly influenced by external marketplace forces, i.e. headwinds and tailwinds.”
Mark Stouse
So no, don’t stop generating demand and leads. But augment that effort by investing in your brand reputation at the same time.
Brand Building is long-term growth. It doesn’t decay over time like Sales Activation does.
It’s a steady, reliable increase in awareness, confidence, and trust in the stuff we make.
It will also give the sales team the aircover they need when future buyers start knocking on our door.
In 2017, Drift removed all content gates from their site—a bold step in B2B marketing at the time. It was a significant pivot away from traditional lead generation tactics to a focus on brand building and conversational marketing.
The changes paid off as Drift became widely recognized for pioneering a new approach to customer engagement. By 2023 they were valued at $1B, and by February 2024, they were acquired by Salesloft.
No, Brand is not that symbol burnt into the side of a cow (that’s different—although it does have its roots there).
Warren Buffet sums it up perfectly:
Think about that for a second.
Your brand is your economic moat.
When you are consistent, authentic, and honest, you build awareness, confidence, and trust in everything you do.
That applies to your employees as much as it does to your customers.
When you consistently show up, people notice and remember you when the time comes to upgrade, renew, or switch.
And unlike Sales Activation, Brand Building gives your business the best shot regardless of the mood of the market. It sticks.
Even better, reputable brands reduce price sensitivity. When people know and trust your brand, they’ll pay more for your stuff.
You think Apple competes on price? Hell no.
People pay more because they trust the brand (amazing considering Apple was near bankruptcy 25 years ago).
Trust isn’t built by spamming people with Lead Gen campaigns; it’s built by investing in a brand that stands for something.
Tech companies have a ton of advantages. You’re innovators. You create products that solve real problems, and you move industries forward.
But—and this is a big but (no pun intended)—too many tech firms are obsessed with product-led and sales-led tactics.
Too many treat marketing like an afterthought or an arts and crafts shop. Most don’t have a marketing leader on their exec team.
That’s where they screw up.
Products aren’t the problem. It’s the mindset.
And those who continue down this path are doomed to be stuck on the innovation hamster wheel.
The ones who make marketing a real business function and become customer-obsessed will win every time.
They build trust and relevance. And most importantly, they build a brand that makes customers think of them first when they’re ready to buy.
For startups and scaleups, it’s even more important.
You might think you need to hit a certain revenue milestone before investing in brand building, but that’s BS. Start now. The sooner you start investing in your brand, the faster you’ll stand out from your competition—remember most are stuck on their hamster wheel.
Watch the masses and do the opposite.
Notion launched in 2016 when Evernote, Google Docs, and Microsoft OneNote dominated the productivity and collaboration space. Instead of competing purely on product features, Notion focused on brand storytelling and building a loyal community from day one.
By 2020, Notion was values at $2B and became a favorite among startups, designers, and creatives. Its brand identity attracted a loyal user base that continued to grow through word of mouth and community advocacy. By the time they started scaling up, they had already built a solid reputation that differentiated them from competitors.
Yes, you still need leads. No one’s saying you should ditch sales activation and just meditate on branding. This isn’t all-or-nothing.
You want to do very well in the short-term AND the long-term.
Keep generating leads and demand while building a brand that lasts:
So, what’s stopping you?
You don’t need a massive budget to start. Start small, be consistent, and focus on building relationships.
Folks, the product-led growth trap is just a paper wall. You can jump off the hamster wheel anytime.
Sales activation is like junk food—it fills you up fast, but it won’t keep you going. And it’s not healthy (pun intended).
Brand building, on the other hand, gives you sustainable growth, demand that sticks, and customers who come back.
Don’t be that company that’s left scratching its head because they only invest in innovation and sales activation.
Invest in your brand too.
Ready to make the shift? Reallocate your marketing budget and start building a brand that lasts. Your future self will thank you.
If you like this content, here are some more ways I can help:
Cheers!
This article is AC-A and also published and discussed on LinkedIn. Join the conversation!
Hero image source: Amonrat Rungreangfangsai
