The Emotion Equation: Why B2B Marketing Needs a Human Reboot

By Lena Knight, SVP, Agnostic

For decades, we've been telling ourselves a comforting lie: B2B purchasing decisions are made by the logical head and not by the heart. Made by those wielding spreadsheets in sterile boardrooms, while B2C decisions are driven by emotion, excitement and impulse.

It's time we faced the truth.

The person signing off on that six-figure enterprise software purchase just spent their morning arguing with their teenager, worrying about their aging parent, and yes, being moved by something they saw on social media.

Recent research conducted by Agnostic revealed an eye opening reality: in fact, 60% of business decision makers admit that emotions influence their purchasing decisions. One quarter say emotions have "a great deal of influence."

This isn't an anomaly. This is human nature asserting itself in the boardroom.

The Emotional Equation

When we asked Canadian business leaders what factors matter most in their purchasing decisions, trust tied with logic at 96%, showing that the emotional and rational are inseparable in B2B decision-making.

What's more, alignment with company values (81%) and sense of partnership (79%) ranked among the top factors influencing these decisions. These aren't cold, clinical considerations. They're deeply human.

Yet only 23% of decision makers can recall a B2B marketing campaign that created a strong emotional connection. That's not just a gap—it's seismic potential for work that is performance based and led by human truth.

The Stealth Influence Network

Our research mapped the complex web of influences that actually drive business purchasing decisions. The formal decision maker is just one node in a much larger network. We found that 54% of business decision makers are influenced by colleagues, 44% by business experts and thought leaders, and 34% by friends. 

Additionally, one-third of B2B decision makers have made purchasing decisions influenced by a social media campaign. The boundaries between professional and personal digital spaces have blurred beyond recognition.

While LinkedIn and Facebook tie at 17% each for influence on B2B decisions, decision makers are consuming content across platforms that traditional B2B marketing often ignores. People don't wake up in the morning and say "I'm a B2B buyer today." People simply consume content wherever they find it relevant.

Enter B2P Marketing

This is why at Agnostic, we've developed a new framework we call Business-to-People (B2P) marketing. B2P recognizes that regardless of whether you're selling enterprise software or sandwich cookies, you're ultimately selling to humans with complex emotional lives.

The data confirms what we've long suspected: Nearly half (43%) of decision makers balance data and intuition equally when making purchasing choices, while only a tiny fraction—just 3%—rely entirely on data. Think about that. Despite all our emphasis on data-driven decision making, the vast majority of business decisions incorporate emotional factors.

B2P isn't about abandoning logic—it's about recognizing the full humanity of your buyers. It acknowledges that every business decision is ultimately a human decision, influenced by both rational and emotional factors.

The Way Forward

We stand at an inflection point. The companies that recognize and adapt to the emotional reality of B2B decisions will capture disproportionate market share in the coming years.

So ask yourself: When was the last time your B2B campaign made someone feel something? When did it last create trust, inspiration, or curiosity?

The B2P approach isn't just more effective, it's more authentic. It acknowledges the full humanity of your buyers and treats them with the respect they deserve.

Because in the end, you're not selling to businesses. You're selling to people. And people make decisions with both their heads and their hearts.

Lena Knight is SVP at Agnostic, a strategic communications agency pioneering the B2P (Business-to-People) approach to marketing. For more insights from Agnostic's research on emotional factors in B2B decision-making, contact hello@thinkagnostic.com.