How B2B SaaS brands are copying B2C’s playbook—and winning

Once upon a time, B2B SaaS was the awkward cousin of the brand world. Dry. “Innovative”. Desperate to explain what an “end-to-end solution” even means. Meanwhile, B2C was off being cool, creative, and charming the socks off consumers on TikTok.

But something shifted.

Scroll through LinkedIn or land on a modern SaaS homepage and you’ll notice it. B2B brands are no longer just selling software—they’re selling experiences. Emotions. Aesthetics. They’re not just talking to decision-makers. They’re talking like humans.

In short: B2B SaaS has nicked the B2C playbook. And it’s working.

Boring no more: The rise of personality-driven SaaS

I’ve personally been banging on about this shift for years. We’ve been moving towards human-to-human (H2H) communication for over a decade, whether the acronyms have caught up or not.

I remember an ex-boss telling me to swear in my comms ten years ago—because real people talk like that. And they do. B2B has finally caught on. The brands doing it well don’t sound like faceless corporations anymore—they sound like confident, clever people who know their stuff (and aren’t going to send you to sleep if you strike up a conversation with them).

Gone are the days of corporate blue websites with stock photos of handshakes. Today’s winning SaaS brands have tone of voice guidelines that would make Direct to Consumer (DTC) copywriters weep with envy.

Take Notion, for example. Their clean, intuitive design has the visual calm of a wellness brand, not a productivity platform. Their community-building strategy? Like it’s straight out of Glossier’s rulebook. Concentrating on how using Notion “can make you feel”, they run emotional campaigns and talk like they’re pitching a lifestyle, not a tool. Their tone of voice oozes confidence without condescension. They’re not here to sell a product; they’re here to empower teams.

And Figma? Well, they just released this:

Why this works: Logic + emotion = conversions

The B2C world figured out a long time ago that people don’t just buy with logic. They buy with feeling. That same rule applies to B2B—because, shocking news, the people making those business decisions? They’re still people.

And yet for years, B2B marketing leaned too heavily on feature lists, funnels, and fear of missing out. Now, we’re seeing SaaS brands winning loyalty by making people feel something. Maybe it’s confidence. Maybe it’s community. Maybe it’s a little FOMO—but wrapped in beautifully crafted storytelling and design that doesn’t scream “buy now.”

Slack made workplace chat aspirational. Airtable made spreadsheets feel like a creative tool. ClickUp took task management and turned it into an energetic, colourful journey toward “getting sh*t done.”

These brands aren’t just offering features—they’re offering a vision.

Taking a cue from DTC design, tone, and storytelling

It’s not just voice. It’s visuals too. B2C has always understood the power of design, and now SaaS brands are embracing that same ethos—slick typography, buttery transitions, brand colours that actually spark joy. No more “safe” branding. No more navy blues and Helvetica by default.

Framer is another standout. Their site feels like a luxury tech product, not a CMS. Animations glide. Fonts sing. Every page screams premium. You don’t even need to read the copy—you just feel like you’re using the future.

This approach trickles into their content too. Long gone are the PDF whitepapers. Now it’s interactive tutorials, punchy product videos, and newsletters that don’t feel like email punishment.

What B2B can learn from B2C—without losing substance

Now, let’s be clear: this isn’t about style over substance. It’s about wrapping your substance in style people actually want to engage with. You still need the hard sell. The case studies. The ROI stats. But you don’t have to lead with them. Let your brand story pull people in, then let the data back it up.

Here’s the cheat sheet B2B brands are now following:

• Build a brand, not just a product
  B2C thrives on lifestyle. Why can’t SaaS? You’re not just solving a problem—you’re changing the way your customers work, think, feel. Sell that vision.
• Make people feel something
  Whether it’s delight, confidence, or just relief that your UI isn’t horrific—emotions are what drive decisions. Even in the boardroom.
• Design like you mean it
  Looks matter. Invest in beautiful design, cinematic launches, and UX that doesn’t make users want to scream. (Looking at you, 2008 dashboards.)
• Speak like a human
  Kill the jargon. Burn the acronyms. Talk like someone you’d actually enjoy grabbing a drink with.

B2B is finally having its main character moment

B2B used to live in the shadows of B2C creativity. Now? It’s owning the spotlight. And the brands that are stealing B2C’s tactics—without losing their product-first edge—are the ones coming out on top.

So if you’re still writing LinkedIn posts like it’s 2011 or designing landing pages that look like someone fell asleep on a spreadsheet—take this as your wake-up call.

Your brand deserves better. Your audience expects more.

And honestly? It’s a lot more fun this way.