Why Normalcy Reinforces Assumptions About B2B Target Markets
In storytelling, normalcy isn’t just a starting point—it’s a strategic tool. It sets the stage for a narrative, inviting your audience to accept a baseline truth. In the world of B2B marketing, normalcy is more than scene-setting; it shapes how potential buyers perceive their challenges and solutions.
This subtle but powerful dynamic can transform your storytelling into a vehicle for market influence.
What Is Normalcy in Storytelling?
Normalcy is the baseline state—the world as it exists before the “disturbance” that propels the story forward. In filmmaking, this might look like the protagonist’s daily grind before an inciting event flips their world upside down. In B2B storytelling, normalcy describes the current state of your audience’s industry or business landscape.
For instance:
“A family-owned car repair shop, struggling to manage outdated systems, sought a solution.”
That single sentence doesn’t just set the scene. It embeds an assumption: outdated systems are a common challenge in this market. Without stating it outright, the story tells your prospects, “This is your reality too.”
Why Normalcy Works in B2B Storytelling
A carefully constructed normalcy creates resonance. If your audience agrees with the premise, they’ll naturally align with the rest of the story. Here’s how it reinforces assumptions and builds trust:
1. It Defines the Problem—On Your Terms
By framing the “normal” state of your target market, you’re quietly establishing the key challenges your product addresses. The audience doesn’t just hear about the problem; they feel like it’s already part of their reality. This makes the solution you’re offering feel not only relevant but inevitable.
2. It Builds a Shared Understanding
Stories work because they make complex ideas simple. When you define normalcy in a relatable, industry-specific way, your audience connects with it. It’s not just a company telling a story—it’s their story being told.
3. It Positions Your Brand as the Guide
The protagonist never solves the problem alone. They need a guide. When you introduce normalcy and follow it with a disturbance and a surprise (your product), you place your brand in the guide’s role. You’re not selling; you’re offering clarity.
How to Use Normalcy in B2B Marketing
To make normalcy work for your brand, you need to carefully craft customer stories that resonate with your audience’s reality. Here’s how:
1. Start With What They Know
Describe the baseline state of your target market. For example:
“Manufacturers often rely on spreadsheets to manage their operations, creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies.”
This establishes a shared understanding of the problem without overwhelming your audience with data.
2. Introduce a Relatable Disturbance
Highlight a challenge that breaks the status quo:
“As customer demand increased, those spreadsheets couldn’t keep up, leading to missed deadlines and unhappy clients.”
3. Show the Transformation
Paint a picture of life after the solution:
“With our automation platform, manufacturers reduced errors by 30%, freeing up their teams to focus on strategic growth.”
Normalcy Shapes Market Perception
Normalcy isn’t just about telling a story; it’s about defining the assumptions your audience believes. When B2B brands master this technique, they go beyond showcasing features. They shape how their market thinks about problems—and the solutions they trust to solve them.
In the end, storytelling isn’t just a content strategy. It’s a trust-building framework that positions your brand as an essential part of your customer’s journey.
By embedding assumptions about your market into your storytelling, you can redefine your audience’s expectations—and make your product the natural answer to their challenges. It’s a subtle art, but when done well, it’s one of the most effective ways to connect, inspire, and grow.
