B2B marketers are also adopting and adapting consumer-facing formats to drive deeper engagement, from immersive experiences to shoppable and behind-the-scenes content. 19 The use of proven B2C tactics by business-facing marketers is set to increase faster than the sample’s average by more than 20 percentage points in 2025 and 2026 (Exhibit 7). For example, Slack actively promotes humor as part of its workplace culture, and mirrors this in its marketing strategy. 20 Its social content uses sincere takes on meetings and collaboration to convey authenticity and make the brand feel approachable, something not typically expected from a B2B brand. 19 “How B2B companies can create a more consumer-like business experience,” Forbes, October 3, 2024. 20 “How we work with humor,” Slack; “Social media in B2B marketing: Lessons from Slack social media strategy,” Yaabot Media, September 28, 2024. Exhibit 7 1 Question: Which of the following strategies and formats did you employ in 2023 and 2024 and which do you plan to use in 2025 and 2026? Source: State of Marketing Europe Report 2026, McKinsey, n = 500 senior marketing leaders across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom B2B brands are adopting and adapting B2C formats to drive deeper engagement. McKinsey & Company Branding formats usage by B2B companies Used in last 2 years,¹ % of respondents Plan to use in next 2 years,¹ % of respondents Change, next 2 years vs last 2 years, percentage point Events, webinars, roundtables, and live content Conversational marketing: Real-time, one-to-one conversations with customers User-generated content and community- building events Low-fi campaigns that are raw, unpolished, and authentic Behind-the-scenes content offering insights into brand operations and development Shoppable content: Content that allows customers to purchase products directly from the content Anti-advertising content (using reverse psychology or comedic self-deprecation) Gamification to increase user engagement Immersive experiences (virtual reality, augmented reality, multisensory marketing) 75 65 57 45 37 23 24 11 20 66 57 65 55 64 48 47 33 50 –9 –8 8 27 25 23 21 30 100 100 Average = 23 Rising focus Stable or decreasing focus 10 Note: Figures do not sum, due to "Others" category not being shown. 20 Past forward: The modern rethinking of marketing’s core