In B2B marketing, generating new customers is often a difficult task. Imagine knowing exactly when potential customers are looking for solutions like those offered by your company. That is exactly where Category Entry Points (CEPs) come in – a powerful way to improve demand generation.
What are Category Entry Points (CEPs)?
Category Entry Points are the signals buyers use to search their memory when they are in a purchasing situation. These can include both internal signals (such as motives and emotions) and external signals (such as location, time or activity) that influence the purchasing process.
CEPs influence which brands are initially mentally available in the decision-maker’s memory – and form the list of initial ‘go-to’ options.
A striking example of a well-placed Category Entry Point within B2C is Snickers, which has strategically positioned itself with the claim “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”. This is a classic example of how a brand connects to a specific moment in the daily life of the consumer. The moment the consumer is hungry, Snickers emerges as the ideal solution.
Other B2C examples are:
- Obey your thirst by Sprite
- Have a break by KitKat
Why are CEPs essential for demand generation?
CEPs are the starting point of the purchasing decision: brands that are easily remembered are more often considered when making a purchase.
They influence customer retention and acquisition: the more CEPs a customer associates with a brand, the lower the chance that they will switch to a competitor.
They distinguish market leaders from smaller players: larger B2B brands not only have more customers, but these customers also associate more CEPs with the brand.
The place of CEPs in the buying process
CEPs play a crucial role at the beginning of the customer journey. They act as the starting point for potential customers – the moment they start thinking about a solution to their problem. When your brand comes up as the first option at the right moment, it makes it very difficult for competitors to displace this position later in the process.
B2B SaaS example: Slack
Slack has effectively positioned itself as the platform for teams that want to work together more efficiently. The moment companies consider collaboration tools – for example, when they notice that internal communication is difficult – acts as a CEP.
Slack has taken full advantage of this by using their communications to show how easily and productively teams can work together with their platform at specific moments (such as the start of a new project or a team expansion). Simply associating Slack with “efficient collaboration” makes it easy for customers to consider Slack as soon as the need for a collaboration tool arises.
B2B SaaS example: HubSpot
HubSpot is another good example of the use of CEPs in B2B SaaS marketing. Imagine a marketing team struggling to keep track of opportunities and customer relationships. The moment they realize they need to automate more, forms a CEP.
HubSpot capitalizes on this by constantly providing content and advertisements that emphasize the benefits of their CRM system at a time when companies are struggling with attracting new customers and customer loyalty. This makes HubSpot top-of-mind for companies looking for a solution to their marketing and sales needs.
When should you work on your CEPs?
There are various reasons why you would start working with CEPs:
- You want to give your brand a boost, but you don’t know exactly how.
- You want to increase sales and turnover.
- You are going to reposition your brand, and your CEPs need to align with this.
- As a brand, you want to keep up with new generations and their preferences.
These “hooks” can often be easily translated into concrete communications that directly respond to the needs of the consumer. That is why it is essential to develop your CEPs well and use them strategically.
Pitfalls when using CEPs
The pitfall is that companies take a superficial approach to CEPs, without integrating them into a broader, strategic communication approach. If you want to achieve real success, it is important that you develop CEPs carefully and use them effectively through consistent messaging and a well-coordinated content strategy.
The difference between CEPs, Buying Triggers and Symptoms
It is important not to confuse CEPs with Buying Triggers and Symptoms. CEPs are triggers; specific situations or moments that are recognizable to your target group, in which your product or category comes to mind. They play a crucial role in the early phase of the buying process, where the focus is on brand recall.
Buying triggers are the specific reasons for buying a product that come into play much later in the process. By that time, the prospect has already begun actively considering the purchase, focusing on the functional benefits or specifications of the product.
Symptoms are the observable effects of a problem, while triggers are the emotional responses that spark decision-making. It is essential to address the emotional trigger instead of just responding to the symptom. This creates more persuasive marketing messages and helps to effectively influence the purchasing decision.
A step-by-step plan for implementing CEPs in your demand generation strategy
Step 1: Identify the relevant CEPs in your category
Use the ‘W’s framework to get a complete picture of all possible purchasing situations:
- When: At what moments are people looking for solutions?
- Where: Where is the decision maker located?
- During: What other activities take place around the purchasing decision?
- With what: What other products or services are used in combination with your category?
- Why: What are the underlying motivations?
- How does one feel: What emotions play a role?
- With/for whom: Who are the stakeholders?
Step 2: Prioritize the CEPs for your brand
Filter the identified CEPs based on the ‘3Cs’:
- Credibility: Can your brand credibly meet this need?
- Competitiveness: How busy is this mental space already?
- Commonality/Currency: How common is this purchase situation and what is its commercial value?
Create a long-short list of 5-8 CEPs that offer the greatest opportunities for your brand messaging.
Step 3: Incorporate CEPs into your marketing communications
Incorporate one CEP per marketing message to make the message clear and memorable.
- Vary the CEPs over time to build a broader mental network.
- Ensure sufficient reach to reach as many decision-makers as possible.
- Pay attention to consistent branding.
Step 4: Measure effectiveness
Measure the development of your mental availability based on three KPIs:
- Mental market share: Your share of all CEP brand associations in the category.
- Mental penetration: The percentage of the target group that associates your brand with at least one CEP.
- Network size: The average number of CEP links per person who is familiar with your brand.
Examples of CEPs for B2B SaaS
- When:
- At the start of a new fiscal year when budgets are revised
- After a merger or acquisition where systems need to be integrated
- When hiring a new CTO/CIO who wants to implement change
- When a current SaaS license is about to expire
- When developing a digital transformation strategy
- Where:
- At industry events where decision-makers discover new solutions
- In online forums where IT professionals exchange advice
- During webinars about specific business challenges
- In LinkedIn groups focused on specific business functions
- At networking meetings of industry associations
- During:
- During quarterly planning sessions when teams discuss pain points
- During annual IT security audits that expose gaps
- During the scaling up of teams when manual processes are unsustainable
- During compliance evaluations when current systems are found to be inadequate
- With what:
- When implementing complementary software that requires integration
- When purchasing new hardware that offers new software possibilities
- When introducing hybrid/remote work models that require new collaboration tools
- Together with the implementation of data governance guidelines
- Why:
- To reduce operational costs
- To increase team productivity
- To gain better insight into business performance through analytics
- To comply with new regulations or compliance requirements
- To gain a competitive advantage through digitization
- How people feel:
- Overwhelmed by the complexity of existing systems
- Frustrated by inefficient workflows that slow down teams
- Concerned about data security risks
- Enthusiastic about new opportunities to accelerate innovation
- Under pressure to achieve more with fewer resources
These CEPs offer concrete starting points for your demand generation strategy. You can tailor content, advertisements and outreach activities to these specific moments and circumstances in which potential customers are receptive to your B2B SaaS solution.
Practical application for demand generation
- Segmentation based on CEPs: Segment your target group based on specific purchasing situations.
- Customer journey mapping: Identify when and where potential customers encounter specific problems.
- Targeting of content: Make sure that each piece of content matches a specific CEP.
- Consistency across channels: Reinforce the same CEP-brand links across different channels.
- Campaign timing: Plan campaigns around moments when specific CEPs are current.
Conclusion
B2B demand generation is not only about finding the right prospects, but also about being present in their memory at the right time. By understanding and strategically utilizing Category Entry Points, you can ensure that your brand is considered when a potential customer is in a relevant purchasing situation.
The brand you remember is the brand you buy. By investing in building a broad, fresh network of Category Entry Points, you lay a solid foundation for long-term growth and a stronger competitive position within your B2B market.