Building a SaaS brand that B2B customers love with Angeley Mullins

saas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love, brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies.

In episode #15 of season 5 of saas.unbound, Anna Nadeina sits down with Angeley Mullins, an experienced Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and former CCO of Resourcify, to explore the true power of brand in SaaS and why it matters more than ever before.

Together, they dive deep into what brand really means, why it’s becoming essential for B2B SaaS companies, common branding pitfalls, and the role of storytelling and authenticity in marketing. They also touch on the challenges women face in leadership roles within tech and share valuable lessons and hacks for founders and leaders looking to build brands that resonate.

Why Branding Matters in B2B SaaS

Brand is often misunderstood as just logos, colors, and fonts, but as Angeley explains, brand is the feeling people have when they think about your company. It’s the emotional reaction, the association, and the story behind your business that sticks with customers long-term.

In B2C and D2C markets, brand has long been a priority because of the transactional nature of customer relationships. However, in B2B SaaS, the focus has often been on product features, pricing, and performance marketing tactics. This approach can lead to volatile revenue cycles and short-term wins but doesn’t build lasting loyalty.

“Brand is the original revenue driver,” Angeley emphasizes. It creates movements, fosters emotional connections, and drives value-based buying decisions that go beyond just features and price. As B2B buyers are also consumers, their expectations for authentic and value-driven brands are shifting the landscape.

Starting Your Brand: The “What Do You Believe?” Statement

For founders wondering how to begin building a brand, Angeley recommends starting with a simple but powerful question: What do you believe? This belief statement forms the foundation of your brand story and differentiates you from competitors who only focus on product specs.

She references motivational speaker Tony Robbins’ insight: “People don’t just buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Companies that clearly communicate their values and vision create stronger connections with their customers and stand out in crowded markets.

Brand vs. Features: What B2B Buyers Really Care About

When purchasing expensive software, especially in large corporations, buyers often face a dilemma: Should they opt for a well-established brand like IBM or Microsoft, or take a chance on a newer company with a compelling brand but less market validation?

Angeley illustrates this with the example of the Apple MacBook versus the Microsoft Surface. Despite the Surface having more features and technical advantages, many customers still prefer Apple due to the brand’s emotional resonance and cultural movement. The brand experience matters deeply—even in B2B.

Recent research by LinkedIn and Ipsos shows that in B2B SaaS marketing budgets, lead generation ranks first, but brand awareness comes in second—outperforming even account-based marketing (ABM). This highlights the growing recognition that investing in brand pays off in customer lifetime value and revenue stability over time.

The Role of Authenticity and Storytelling in SaaS Marketing

In today’s saturated digital landscape, buyers crave authenticity. They want to see real people behind companies and connect with genuine stories rather than generic, cliched marketing messages.

Angeley shares examples of successful campaigns that brought boring or complex products to life by injecting humor or aligning with authentic social issues like women’s rights or men’s health. These narratives break through the noise and build trust.

Storytelling is not just a buzzword—even in B2B, it’s essential. It helps engage stakeholders who may not directly use the product but are involved in buying decisions. Instead of overwhelming buyers with technical jargon, telling a compelling story about your company’s beliefs and mission captures attention and builds lasting connections.

Common Branding Mistakes Founders Make

• Ignoring Brand Completely: Many startups skip brand building early on, focusing solely on product features and price. This short-term approach often leads to hitting growth walls later.
• Reducing Brand to Visuals: Thinking brand is just colors, fonts, and logos misses the bigger emotional and strategic role brand plays.
• One-Off Campaigns: Launching a single video or campaign without a consistent brand story won’t build meaningful connections.

Branding is a long-term investment that pays dividends by increasing customer loyalty, enabling premium pricing, and stabilizing revenue growth.

Women in Leadership: Challenges and Progress in SaaS

As a female leader in the male-dominated SaaS industry, Angeley shares her journey and observations on gender dynamics in tech leadership. She highlights ongoing challenges like:

• Women being promoted based on results versus men are being promoted based on potential.
• The double bind where women are viewed as either too aggressive or too passive.
• Lack of support for women to stay and thrive in leadership roles.
• The need for collective effort from both men and women to create inclusive environments.

Angeley stresses the importance of mentorship, safe spaces, and initiatives like Women of SaaS that provide support and amplify female voices. She also points out the disparity in female founders and investors, calling for more awareness and proactive outreach to close these gaps.

Creating Opportunities and Retaining Female Leaders

Efforts to increase diversity must go beyond just finding female candidates or speakers. It requires intentionality and ongoing support to retain women in leadership roles. Angeley recounts experiences of events where female representation was scarce, underscoring the need to “go the extra step” to invite and include women.

Biggest Wins, Failures, and Hacks from Angeley

Biggest Win: Helping a content leader overcome self-doubt and become a confident, powerful voice within her company, demonstrating the transformative impact of mentorship and empowerment.

Biggest Failure: Early in her career at Amazon, Angeley crashed an international shopping page multiple times due to lack of SQL knowledge, costing millions. The experience taught her resilience and the importance of learning on the job.

Top Hack: Inner Strength

For founders and leaders, Angeley’s most valuable advice is cultivating quiet resilience. It’s not about being the loudest or smartest in the room but about persisting through challenges and setbacks. This inner strength, she says, is the hardest skill to master but the key to long-term success.

Her favorite book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, reflects this philosophy of self-discovery and perseverance—an inspiring mindset for anyone building a SaaS brand or leading a company.