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Ask anyone with a passing interest in New Orleans Brass Bands and they will tell you they know about The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Ask pretty much anyone else and you’ll likely shrug if you mention their band name. You see, fame is a fun thing, isn’t it. We all know about the kind of fame you see in your Pacinos, Beckhams, and Beyonces of the world. But what is easily forgotten is that there is another kind of fame – what we might call “niche fame”.

Being famous this way doesn’t mean everyone in the world has to know you. Niche fame means that you are famous in a specific segment of people – be it because of a geographic region, niche market, business area, or a shared interest in New Orleans Brass Bands.

When entering the business world, there seems to be a misconception that celebrity is an ambition reserved exclusively for major B2C brands – your Coca-Cola, Apple, and Amazon brands of the world. But some of the most famous brands are actually B2B brands. Think about how many of these brands you know and whether you thought they were B2B brands:

• IBM
• Intel
• Sysco
• KPMG
• Foreclosure
• We work
• Maersk
• Visa
• MasterCard
• JCB
• Boeing
• Eddie Stobart and unfortunately today
• AstraZeneca
• Pfizer

Well, these are B2B brands that have gained widespread notoriety (some worldwide, others in certain countries), but the idea of ​​niche fame applies to B2B companies as much as anything else. As a B2B company, you likely have a target industry and / or audience that you are looking for companies from. Your goal should be to become famous in the segment of people who make up your goal. Create a common meaning that you will be known and remembered for by your target audience.

We will all have many examples of “niche fame” from the B2B world, but one example I can share is that of a type foundry called Dalton Maag. In a previous life I ran a design and branding studio, and one of the most important pieces of the elements you have to play with when designing a new brand identity is a font. Fonts can be obtained from many places today, but by the time I developed the design it was well known in the industry that Dalton Maag was one of the best places to go for font and typography advice. From direct mail to advertising in industry publications, editorial contributions and lectures, Dalton Maag ensured that their target group saw them and made them known. Active to this day, they are still “niche-famous” with their target group.

Too many B2B companies take a sales-only approach and aren’t really trying to make a name for themselves. The perception that fame and brand awareness are reserved for B2C brands only seems to continue. But if you work in the B2B space, think about how much easier it would be for your sales team if your target audience already knew your brand.

Even if you have a B2B offering, go to where your target audience is – the channels they are active on, the media or content they “consume” – and work on making yourself known in the niche . To be seen, to attract attention and to be remembered.

For every B2B company out there, your brand can be your most valuable business asset. Make your brand niche famous and make it easier to start new business.

And for those of you who have never heard of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, you should check them out. You might like them.

Contribution to Branding Strategy Insider by: Paul Bailey, Strategy Director at Halo

The Blake Project helps brands at all stages of development: Get actionable guidance from experts on branding, growth, and purpose strategy.

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