Why taste matters: your new secret weapon

Ever notice how some B2B brands just feel different? They're not just more polished or more expensive-looking. There's something else. Something that makes you pause mid-scroll, that makes you actually want to read their guide, that makes you think "these people get it."

That something is taste.

In B2B, taste isn't about following design trends or winning awards. It's about knowing when your product demo feels right. It's about recognizing when your pitch deck tells a compelling story, not just when it has the right numbers. It's about understanding why one landing page instantly builds trust while another, with all the same elements, falls flat.

Think of taste as your brand's internal compass. While everyone else is chasing best practices and copying competitors headfirst into the sea of sameness, taste guides you toward what's genuinely worth doing.

But it’s professional

Most B2B marketing today is professional. It's competent. And yet it's completely forgettable.

Open your LinkedIn feed right now. Count how many posts you can actually remember from yesterday. Better yet, count how many B2B brands you could identify if their logo was removed. I'm guessing it's not many.

That's not because these companies don't have anything worth saying. It's because they're all saying it the same way. They're all professional, but none of them are memorable. They’re operating in the sea of sameness I’ve talked about before.

"But we're a B2B and need to look professional and trustworthy,” you might think.

Your prospects aren't choosing between professional and unprofessional. They're drowning in professional. What they're actually looking for is someone who stands out. Someone who makes them feel understood. Someone who shows them a new way of thinking about their problems. Someone that simply ‘gets’ them.

This is where taste comes in.

In a world where anyone can generate infinite variations of content and designs using AI, it can't tell you which version will actually move your audience. It can't tell you what will make your brand matter to people. AI loves vanilla.

Only taste can do that.

But how?

Start with a taste audit.

Look at everything you're putting out into the world. Not just your website or your pitch deck, but everything. Your contract templates. Your onboarding emails. Your support documentation. Does it feel distinct? Does it feel like you? Does it make people want to lean in and learn more?

Identify your taste gaps.

Where are you falling back on industry clichés? Maybe you need those three abstract shapes on your homepage. But do you know why? What if you tried something different? Where are you playing it safe when you could be pushing boundaries?

Finally, think about how you make decisions.

Are you choosing things because they're safe, or because they're right? Are you measuring success by what your competitors are doing, or by what actually resonates with your audience?

Create space for iteration. Great taste rarely emerges fully formed. It needs room to evolve, to be refined, to surprise you.

Good taste helps you leap ahead. Every thoughtful decision builds on the last one. Every distinct choice helps separate you further from the pack. Over time, these small differences add up to something huge: a brand that people actually remember. That they trust. That they choose even when they have cheaper options.

The world doesn't need another professional-looking B2B brand. It needs brands with real perspective. With genuine taste. With the courage to be distinctive.

Ready to build something worth remembering? Let's talk about how strategic design can help you stand out in ways that actually drive business results.