How do we reach board-level buyers with our brand?

Define the role you want to earn with executives, rather than simply taking existing technical messaging to a more senior audience. For Dassault Systèmes, the required shift was from recognised leader in 3D software for designers and engineers to strategic experience design partner for board-level decision-makers. The campaign needed to communicate that broader contribution while preserving the company's credibility as an innovation leader. Use that distinction to frame the brief: identify the reputation the business already holds, the strategic role it wants to earn, and the credibility it must retain. A 2025 report by Edelman found that, among hidden influencers in B2B buying groups, 85% prioritised a vendor's understanding of their business challenges, while 74% prioritised domain expertise and 68% strategic fit.

Build a narrative around shared business ambition so technical capabilities become part of a conversation about what customers could achieve. For Dassault Systèmes, collaboration and the ability to imagine future scenarios together provided the foundation. The resulting "IF WE" platform paired conditional possibility with collective action, giving complex ideas an accessible, repeatable structure. Open-ended statements invited senior decision-makers to imagine future possibilities enabled by the company's technology. Photographic storytelling placed speculative scenarios in iconic and unexpected settings. The practical approach is to connect the company's capabilities to a shared ambition, then give that ambition a language and visual approach that can sustain multiple stories. The narrative should make the strategic contribution understandable without reducing the brand to a list of software functions.

Put the campaign in executive-facing environments, with coordinated creative delivery and specialist support for adaptation and placement. For Dassault Systèmes, the global "IF WE" campaign extended across television, print, digital and out-of-home advertising. Placements included the business press, a first-of-its-kind FT homepage takeover, airports and lounges in major business hubs worldwide, and LinkedIn. The delivery model separated responsibility for the concept and advertising masters, including high-end photography and production, from the adaptations and placement handled by specialist partner agencies. Use that division of responsibilities to plan how a consistent executive proposition will appear across different formats and locations. Campaign planning needs to cover both the central creative idea and the work required to put it in front of senior buyers.