B2B brand growth in 2026: 3 lessons from Kantar data

By Ellie Jackson, Chief Client Strategy Officer, Aspectus Group 

Don’t just chase quick sales – build for longevity. This post outlines why B2B marketers must prioritise brand-first planning, lean into creativity, and maintain consistency to fuel demand sustainably into 2026. 

As I’m sure it’s no surprise to anybody who’s worked with us, there are lots of geeks and nerds at Aspectus.  

Whether it’s our energy experts sending round snaps from a power plant tour on their holidays (not a joke – they really do this!), our tech team toying with the latest devices as soon as they launch or our brand, insight and strategy crew cribbing from just about anything they can get their hands on, we love to learn. 

We love a good graph. And when it teaches us something about what we do? Even better. So of course we were delighted to read Kantar’s excellent “10 charts to make you a more effective marketer”.  

I won’t bore you by recounting the deck in full, but below are the three most important points worth bearing in mind as you turn your attention to planning for 2026. 

Build the brand. Then start selling. 

The first chart says it all. Brand building powers long-term commercial success and resilience, with Kantar showing that the strongest and most powerful brands have continually outgrown the S&P 500 over the past 20 years. Invest in a strong brand and it will pay dividends over the long term. 

The reverse is true, too. In an uncertain economy, budgets squeeze and it’s an understandable instinct to focus spend on “jam today”. But it’s a killer. 

If a farmer continually cut the seed budget to invest in more efficient harvesting, they may see stellar yields in the first year. But what would grow in year two? 

The same principle applies to marketing. Focus too much on demand capture and you run the risk of neglecting to generate the demand you’re looking to capture in the first place. That’s not a case of delaying the inevitable in challenging times – it’s actively exacerbating it. 

When deciding what success looks like in the coming 12 months, don’t just think in terms of immediate gains. Consider whether success is sustainably feeding the funnel for years to come. 

Consider creativity 

What’s the most important thing you can do to drive ROI on your campaigns? Brand size. Bigger brands get more bang for their buck. 

There’s not much you can do about that (in the short term, at least – but long-term brand building will move the needle over time). But the second-most important factor in campaign profitability is absolutely within your control: creativity. 

In B2B, we often make the mistake of playing it safe and keeping our heads down. But time and time again, we discover that dull communications carry a cost and that the only way to avoid standing still is to stand up and stand out. Creativity might feel scary but it actually de-risks marketing spend, with meaningful difference driving 94% of a brand’s pricing power. 

Of course, getting this through approvers can be a challenge all of its own. That’s why we developed “considered creativity”: our no-nonsense approach to creative that balances the concerns of stakeholders with the imperative to inspire audiences into action.  

Consistency, consistency, consistency 

Finally, once you’ve nailed that stand out, meaningfully different idea it’s imperative that you apply it consistently over time. Kantar shows that running consistent campaigns improves the chances of growing brand value. 

On the other side of the coin, time and again we see brands move away from their iconic campaign lines only to return a year or two later after a drop-off in sales. The same goes for big rebrands and the abandonment of assets built up over years or even decades of investment.  

Once you’re famous for something, don’t throw it away. Bring that equity to bear to grow the brand further and generate demand you can capture over the decades to come.  

While the temptation planning for a challenging year ahead might be to make drastic changes for a big impact, most often greater growth lies in iteration – building something better that fits on the foundations you’ve already laid. 

If you’re thinking ahead to 2026 planning, why not get in touch? We’d love to help. 

Further reading 

• “The art of creating ads that last” – Kantar on campaign consistency 
• “The future of B2B branding in 2026 and beyond” – The B2B Marketer 
• “Meaningful Difference: the strategic growth driver behind iconic brands” – Kantar  

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About the author 

Ellie Jackson, based in our London office, is our Chief Client Strategy Officer. For nearly two decades she’s been advising B2B firms about brand building and growth.

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Key takeaways 

Why invest in brand building when sales matter now? 

Because strong brands outperform in the long run, offering resilience and scalable growth beyond short-term demand capture. 

How does creativity affect marketing performance? 

It’s critical. Creativity helps you stand out, reduces risk, and underpins value that drives pricing power. 

What role does consistency play in brand success? 

Consistency lets you accumulate equity over time. Flicking between styles or campaigns weakens the signals your audience remembers.