Somewhere along the way, B2B branding got... repetitive. You know the look: minimal fonts, gradients, calming blues, maybe a SaaS mascot or two.
Everyone wants to be bold, but most end up blending in. It's safe. It's inoffensive. And it’s exactly why no one remembers you.
But Eli Rubel, CEO of No Boring Design and MatterMade, is not here for that.
Whether he’s slapping giant stickers outside SaaStr or dreaming up hyper-personalized billboards for key accounts, his whole approach to Account-Based Marketing is rooted in standing out; not playing it safe.
In this episode of ABM Answered, we talked about one of B2B’s biggest blind spots: branding.
How brand and ABM intersect, why most rebrands miss the mark, what it really takes to build something people actually notice (and talk about), and how to keep things spicy when your competitors start copying your homework.
Where Should You Start with Brand in ABM?
Eli didn’t hold back here: “It all starts with a bold stance and a strong point of view.”
And not just visually. He means across the board: messaging, tone, even leadership buy-in.
“You can't differentiate if you're not willing to take risks,” Eli told us.
And that’s the problem with most brands. Everyone says they want to be bold, but then they show up looking like Stripe clones. (No hate to Stripe, but… do we need another 50 startups mimicking their aesthetic?)
ABM takeaway: If you want your campaigns to cut through the noise, especially in one-to-one account-based marketing, your brand needs to actually stand for something. And that can’t happen if you’re too scared to offend or stand out.
Balancing Personalization and Brand Consistency
One of the more nuanced challenges in ABM is how to tailor messaging to different accounts without losing your brand’s essence.
Eli painted the picture perfectly: imagine Nike targeting an unmotivated audience and shifting their tone to “Just chill.”
That’d be off-brand, right?
“If they did that for every audience, it’d be a confused mess,” he said.
Instead, you can be relevant without shapeshifting into someone else entirely. Stick to your brand voice even if you're tailoring messaging or creating microsites for key accounts.
How Many Values Are Too Many?
It’s a fair question. When building a brand, how do you avoid the classic “muddled brown mush” that comes from trying to please every stakeholder?
Eli’s solution: fewer cooks in the kitchen.
“I’d rather be known for something and leave out a few values than try to be everything to everyone.”
This applies directly to ABM, where clarity and distinctiveness can be the difference between a deleted email and a booked meeting.
When Is It Time to Rebrand?
There are two scenarios, Eli explained:
You took a bold brand stance and it bombed. (Spoiler: this rarely happens for startups because… no one’s watching that closely yet.)
You nailed it and now everyone's copying you.
In both cases, refreshing your brand might be necessary.
But more often than not, startups wait until they “look old” next to shinier competitors.
“Visuals influence decisions,” Eli said.
If your website looks outdated or generic, potential buyers won’t even make it to the demo stage; they'll just close the tab.
How AI Fits into the Brand Process
While many marketers are using AI for content or outreach, Eli’s team is using it earlier in the process; at the briefing stage.
Here’s the idea: better briefs = better creative.
And AI can help prompt clients to clarify fuzzy requests.
“You said you want it to look ‘cool.’ What does ‘cool’ mean to you? Can you share three links?”
This speeds up the creative process and reduces the back-and-forth that kills momentum.
Eli’s Riskiest Marketing Move? Sidewalk Stickers at SaaStr
This one’s gold.
Eli once snuck around SaaStr with a backpack full of giant sidewalk stickers, semi-permanent, not exactly legal, pasting them everywhere until security caught him.
Why? Because “no one cares about you unless you make them care.” That stunt got people talking, which means it worked. Classic Eli.
Best Event of the Year? Exit Five, Hands Down
No surprise here, Eli helped rebrand Exit Five, and the first event in Burlington, Vermont made a lasting impression. It was intimate, curated, and packed with real relationships.
“It was amazing to meet people I’ve followed for years on LinkedIn,” he said.
The takeaway for ABMers? Event experiences don’t need to be huge. They need to be intentional.
What Would Eli Do with an Unlimited Budget to Win a Target Account?
You’re going to love this: he’d buy billboards near every stakeholder’s home. Personalized ones. Think first names and inside references that only the exec would understand; like a public proposal, but for B2B buyers.
Why?
Because it’s unexpected. It’s memorable. And, let’s be honest, it’s hilarious.
If you’re doing true 1:1 ABM, this is the level of creativity that cuts through.
Final Question: What Keeps the Fire Lit?
We ask all our guests to leave a question for the next one. Eli’s? “What keeps your fire lit?”
Because in both branding and ABM, coasting is easy but pushing limits is where the magic happens.
Whether you're just starting with account-based marketing or trying to level up with bold brand moves, Eli’s advice is simple: be brave, be weird, and definitely don’t be boring.
Big thanks to Eli Rubel for bringing such a creative and unique perspective to ABM Answered. If you loved his bold take on branding, connect with him on LinkedIn, he’s always up to something unexpected.
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