Lessons Learned from Wilko, The Body Shop, and Royal Mail: Why B2B Brands Need to Evolve and Deliver Real Value

The recent struggles of UK brands like Wilko and The Body Shop highlight the risks of rigid strategies and the dangers of losing touch with customer priorities. Both brands faced challenges adapting to change, which weakened their customer connections and slowed growth.

For B2B brands, these examples reinforce the importance of evolving with market demands.

Let’stake a look at lessons learned and then if we contrast them with Royal Mail’s recent success, we can see what it takes to drive meaningful growth through adaptable, value-focused marketing.

Key Takeaways for B2B Brands, what we can learn from Wilko and The Body Shop

Adaptability Over Stagnation

Wilko’s reliance on traditional channels, while competitors adapted to digital, highlights the risks of staying static.

B2B brands can benefit from regularly reviewing their approach, keeping in step with evolving customer needs and shifting to omnichannel strategies.

Staying True to Core Values

The Body Shop’s struggle to uphold its original values of sustainability and ethics demonstrates the importance of a clear, purpose-driven identity. For B2B brands, transparency and alignment with client values foster trust and can set a business apart.

Customer-Centric Innovation

Wilko’s failure to stand out against lower-cost competitors underscores the need to innovate and add genuine value. B2B brands can avoid this by offering unique, client-focused solutions that meet specific needs and add a differentiating factor. To do this it is critical you understand your value proposition and key USPs. (tip: these can’t be generic).

Avoid Branding Missteps

Other recent branding issues from 2024 highlight the importance of understanding customer expectations. Kellogg’s, for instance, faced backlash after suggesting cereal as a “budget-friendly dinner” amid rising food costs—a message that disconnected from what customers were experiencing. Brands need to stay in touch with their audience and deliver messages that feel relevant and authentic, especially in challenging times.

Moving Beyond Generic Solutions

These examples show that B2B growth relies on more than just pre-packaged tactics. Adapting to the needs of your audience, staying true to brand values, and creating customer-centered solutions are essential to long-term growth

And a success example? Royal Mail’s “Lighter Deliveries” Campaign

Royal Mail’s “Lighter Deliveries” campaign is a case study in how B2B marketing can achieve real impact by aligning with client values.

Faced with engaging large, environmentally-conscious retailers, Royal Mail focused its account-based marketing on sustainability, emphasising its carbon reduction efforts in a way that resonated directly with its target brands.

This personalised, values-driven approach didn’t just capture attention; it led to engagement with nine out of ten targeted companies and generated new high-level meetings.

This campaign demonstrates that in B2B, marketing built on genuine alignment with client priorities—in this case, sustainability—can create deeper relationships and drive growth. Tailored, meaningful messaging helps brands stand out in competitive landscapes and makes an impact that goes beyond traditional outreach methods.