What is B2P and why it’s replacing B2B

I believe there’s no such thing as a ‘business audience’ anymore. Just people with emotions, expectations, and no time for dull, robotic comms.

We’re living in an age of radical personalisation. I swear my Spotify knows my mood before I do. Netflix serves up eerily accurate suggestions for what my daughter watches on my account! This morning I thought – even our toothbrushes talk to us – as my daughter’s toothbrush flashed and mine did intermittent buzzing in some strange disco sync as our three-minute timer was up!

So why, in this world of hyper-human interaction, are brands still communicating like they’re talking to departments, not individuals?

You see, B2B is outdated. At Nalla, we believe in this so much we even wrote a book about it! Welcome to the era of B2P – Business-to-People.

Why B2B feels outdated

The terms “B2B” and “B2C” were coined in the 1950s, a time when work and life were neatly separated. You wore a suit to the office, clocked out at five, and read the newspaper over breakfast the next morning. Business conversations were transactional, formal, and faceless.

But the world has changed. We don’t separate our “work self” and “home self” anymore. The same person scrolling TikTok on the sofa is the one signing off a six-figure SaaS contract the next morning – perhaps even from the same phone. Technology has blurred the lines, and with it, expectations. People don’t want to deal with “corporations.” They want to deal with people.

Your buyer isn’t a job title. They’re a person. With values. With fears. With ambitions. And yes, with emotions that drive decision-making more than most brands dare to admit.

Think about it, would you rather:

• Read a 30-page whitepaper full of acronyms?
• Or watch a 60-second film that makes you feel something, and explains the value in plain, human terms?

We know which one sticks – I think you probably do too.

The rise of Business-to-People

B2P is about human connection. It’s about recognising that decision-makers aren’t spreadsheets or job titles, they’re individuals with motivations, pressures and emotions. At the heart of it is an age-old mantra – People buy from people.

When London Tech Week repositioned itself, it wasn’t about logos or event schedules. It was about creating an identity that spoke to the ambitions and curiosity of innovators who see tech as a force for change – it was about creating a new identity for the people, not the event.

That’s B2P in action: treating your audience not as “delegates” but as people seeking belonging, inspiration and connection.

The shifts that prove it

Employer branding

Informa ‘s approach to internal brand engagement wasn’t just about process. It was about uniting people globally, giving them a story and principles they wanted to buy into, making them feel part of something bigger.

Consumer-influenced expectations

The interesting thing about audience expectations is that today we judge every experience, be that in our personal or working lives on the last best experience we had. Services like Octopus Energy , products like Apple , and communities like Gymshark set the bar for emotional connection, even in “serious” industries.

Today’s CEOs admire those brands not just for growth, but because they feel human, bold, and distinctive.

Events and experiences

I’ve witnessed firsthand how a whole sector has evolved from conferences to a festival mindset. Success depends on creating moments that resonate personally, rather than just delivering information. The measure isn’t attendance, it’s connection.

Why this matters now

I’ve seen lots of B2B businesses slowly waking up to this. Businesses are starting to realise that ignoring the importance of an emotional connection with their audience is brand suicide. In a world saturated with choice, logic alone just doesn’t win. Emotion beats logic every time.

That’s why adopting a B2P mindset isn’t a “nice to have.”

It’s the difference between being seen as just another supplier or being the brand people remember, trust and advocate for.