Consumer marketing is exciting.  It drives the economy, is omnipresent, and sexy.  Steve Jobs and Apple turned marketing of relatively inexpensive consumer electronics into the world’s largest company, now surpassing Exxon-Mobil.  The artful design of their products and the masterful marketing and retailing of everything Apple have generated massive returns that are nothing short of miraculous.

There have been hundreds consumer marketing success stories that gloriously litter our marketplace and culture.  In fact, an article recently written by Karlene Lukovitz for MarketingDaily (1/18/12) points out that ‘ideal-driven’ companies are more likely to succeed beyond those that are not.  Companies like Coca-Cola, Heineken, Red Bull, HP and Pampers are mentioned as brands that rise above.  Others like BMW, Budweiser and Titleist have also left their imprint on their loyal consumers and the market at-large have turned each of these brands into marketing icons and allows them to enjoy volume and margin privileges others do not.

B2B, on the other hand, is dirty, dull, and behind-the-scenes.  While some B2B firms have a consumer presence (Siemens, IBM), they are the exception.  Generally, there are no TV ads for B2B companies, their products are not sold at retail so packaging and shelf space is irrelevant, and there is no real emotional pull to the marketing.  You’ll never see RockTenn sponsor the Superbowl halftime show.

But the importance of B2B bubbles up all the time and yet another example is happening Down Under.  There is a critical shortage of carbonation going on right now (BusinessWeek, January 16, 2012, page 22). Australia consumes $3.3 Billion (USD) of soda every year and many stores are out-of-stock by 9:30 am!  This means bottlers of tonic water, club soda, Pepsi, Coke, ginger ale cannot make nearly enough fizzy bottled beverages during the height of their summer – a summer that is generally warmer and longer than it is in the United States.

This is why B2B matters.  Something as dull as carbon dioxide supplies may force downstream companies to restate revenues.  Industrial companies that set themselves apart, rise above the din, declare and support their relevance to the category are rewarded in the same manner as their consumer counter-parts.

The best B2B companies know the importance of their purpose to the market and do their business accordingly.  They know how the market thrives and their role within it.  They take part in the conversation far beyond sales and customer support.  Whether the company is industrial, service, distribution, mining,… they all matter to the success of the category.

Those that understand and leverage that reality bubble to the top.  Those that don’t are out-of-stock by 9:30 am, and could be out of business shortly after that.