How do we reach board-level buyers through advertising?

Define the executive-level perception to change. Specify whose understanding needs to shift, what the organisation is known for now and what strategic role executives should recognise instead. Dassault Systèmes had spent more than 30 years winning over designers and engineers through its software capabilities. Its expanded experience design proposition required recognition among senior business leaders as a strategic experience design partner, while preserving its credibility as an innovation leader. The advertising objective was therefore broader than awareness: it was to change the role buyers associated with the business. A 2025 Edelman report 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 creative idea around business possibilities. Translate technical strengths into an accessible account of what customers could imagine, design or achieve together. For Dassault Systèmes, collaboration and shared possibility provided the foundation: its value lay not only in technology, but also in helping people explore future scenarios collectively. The resulting "IF WE" platform paired conditional possibility with collective action. Provocative, open-ended statements invited senior decision-makers to imagine futures enabled by the company's technology, while photographic storytelling placed speculative scenarios in iconic and unexpected settings. The practical approach is to build an emotionally engaging narrative from a genuine capability, rather than rely on functional messaging alone. A repeatable verbal structure can make complex ideas accessible while keeping the strategic proposition coherent.

Put the idea in front of senior buyers. Maintain a coherent campaign across relevant business media and executive environments, with clear responsibilities for creative production, adaptation and placement. The Dassault Systèmes rollout combined 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 advertising. Advertising masters used high-end photography and production; specialist partner agencies handled adaptations and placement. Separating the central concept and master assets from specialist delivery provided a way to carry the idea across channels at global scale. Over a sustained period, the campaign significantly increased unaided brand awareness and expanded Dassault Systèmes' executive community.