Why LinkedIn says building "owned prominence" beats rented ads in B2B marketing

LinkedIn published research on December 2, 2025, arguing that B2B brands must shift investment from "rented prominence" through paid advertising toward "owned prominence" built through brand memory and distinctive assets. The research, authored by Kate Newstead, Marketing Science Lead at LinkedIn's B2B Institute, forms part of a broader report titled "Easy to Find: Being Where B2B Buying Happens."

The central thesis challenges conventional B2B marketing wisdom. According to the research, rented prominence—defined as sponsored search ads and paid placements—provides immediate visibility but creates dependency on continuous spending. Owned prominence encompasses thought leadership, community engagement, strong brand associations, and distinctive visual assets that occupy mental space without ongoing media costs.

"Rented prominence is a quick fix, or a short-term lease, on brand visibility," according to the document. "But, without a plan to transition toward owned prominence (e.g., thought leadership, community engagement, strong brand associations), brands risk being evicted from prime real estate the moment budgets tighten, or competitors outbid them."

The research arrives as generative AI transforms search behavior, with large language models increasingly mediating brand discovery. This shift intensifies pressure on B2B marketers to establish mental availability before buyers begin active research.

The branded search performance gap

Dreamdata's analysis of B2B search investments, cited in the LinkedIn research, reveals stark performance differences between branded and non-branded search terms. Non-branded searches returned just 68% ROAS—meaning advertisers lost $0.32 for every dollar spent. Branded searches generated $12.99 ROAS for every dollar invested, representing nearly 19 times higher efficiency.

This disparity exists because branded searches capture demand from buyers who already know the company. Generic searches target broader audiences earlier in consideration, requiring more investment to convert prospects lacking prior brand exposure.

The research challenges assumptions about B2B search behavior through collaboration with Dr. Grace Kite at Magic Numbers. In B2C telecommunications, 87% of searches included brand names. B2B telecommunications searches mentioned brands just 46% of the time. Cybersecurity, a purely B2B category, showed only 14% of searches containing brand references.

"Most B2B searches are generic, making it harder for smaller brands to stand out unless they've invested in building strong brand assets," according to the document. The 86% of cybersecurity searches using generic terms represent opportunities for brands that establish mental associations before buyers formulate search queries.

LinkedIn's research into B2B buyer behavior previously demonstrated that most buyers maintain shortlists of approximately three brands before entering active purchasing processes. According to Google and Bain research cited in the document, these shortlists form on "day one of the purchase journey," well before buyers consult search engines or AI assistants.

Generative Engine Optimization emerges

The research introduces Generative Engine Optimization as the successor to traditional SEO, responding to how AI-powered tools surface brand recommendations. According to OpenAI research cited in the document, brand suggestions increasingly emerge from "complex algorithms and third-party analysis, with little direct influence from paid efforts from brands."

GEO rewards different signals than traditional search optimization. Beyond technical elements like metadata and crawler permissions, generative AI tools prioritize "organic signals like thought leadership, authentic reviews, and earned mentions," according to research from Search Engine Journal, Forbes, and Foundation Marketing cited in the document.

This shift disadvantages B2B brands dependent on paid search. When buyers ask AI assistants for vendor recommendations, algorithms synthesize information from multiple sources rather than displaying paid advertisements. Brands absent from training data or lacking strong third-party validation become invisible regardless of advertising budgets.

The research argues this transformation makes brand building "more critical than ever" because "brand recommendations are increasingly generated through complex algorithms and third-party analysis." Companies cannot purchase placement in AI-generated recommendations the way they buy sponsored search positions.

LinkedIn's emphasis on AI-driven discovery aligns with Google's integration of AI Overviews into search results, which prioritizes synthesized answers over traditional link lists. As search engines incorporate generative capabilities, the distinction between paid and organic results blurs, potentially diminishing sponsored search effectiveness.

Building brand assets beyond logos

The document specifies four categories of brand assets that create owned prominence. Visual identity includes logos, color palettes, and typography that make brands recognizable across touchpoints. Message signals encompass CEO-led content and proprietary frameworks that establish distinctive positioning.

Thought leadership consists of "consistent POVs, authorities reviews, and insightful industry analysis." Community signals comprise partnerships, events, employee advocacy, and social proof demonstrating market engagement.

"These assets should be woven into your marketing strategy, not just as decorative pieces, but as foundational elements to build mental availability," according to the research. Mental availability—a concept from Byron Sharp's marketing science work—refers to the probability a brand comes to mind in buying situations.

The research emphasizes Category Entry Points, purchase-triggering contexts where buyers activate brand memories. Strong brands create associations between their names and specific buying situations: needing customer relationship management software, addressing cybersecurity threats, or implementing marketing automation.

Premium paid placements deliver identical reach regardless of which advertiser purchases them. A platinum event sponsorship or first-in-feed ad unit costs the same whether the buyer has invested in distinctive branding or not. However, "the value a brand can extract from these placements significantly increases when the placement is paired with strong, distinctive branding that resonates with the contexts buyers encounter during purchase occasions," according to the document.

The research criticizes B2B marketers for underutilizing this opportunity: "In our view, far too few B2B advertisers capitalize on this opportunity. Leveraging distinctive assets and Category Entry Point-first messaging represents low-hanging opportunities for significantly boosting the return on marketing investments."

Why B2B lags consumer brands

The research attributes lower B2B brand awareness to investment patterns. Consumer brands have made "often significant and long-term investment" in distinctive branding and mental links between brands and purchasing cues. B2B brands "tend to have smaller physical availability in the human brain" due to comparatively limited brand-building activity.

This manifests in search behavior data. The 87% branded search rate in B2C telecommunications versus 46% in B2B telecommunications demonstrates how consumer-facing companies occupy more mental space. The 14% branded search rate in cybersecurity shows categories without consumer presence face steeper challenges.

Committee-driven B2B purchasing amplifies the importance of broad awareness. When multiple stakeholders influence vendor selection, brands must achieve recognition across diverse job functions and seniority levels. Distinctive assets help different committee members remember and advocate for the same vendors.

The research links GEO to this dynamic: "GEO favors brands with strong, consistent, and recognizable signals; those who have invested in building a clear identity across channels." AI tools trained on internet content privilege brands mentioned frequently across publications, reviews, social media, and industry analyses.

LinkedIn's previous research on B2B advertising effectiveness emphasized emotional resonance and distinctive creative execution. The current research extends those principles into owned media and organic brand-building activities beyond paid campaigns.

Practical implications for marketers

The document acknowledges that "balancing rented and owned investment isn't easy" but characterizes it as "a necessary strategic move that reaps rewards over the long-term." The research does not advocate eliminating paid advertising but rather rebalancing portfolios toward longer-term brand investments.

Short-term performance metrics often favor direct-response tactics over brand building. The 68% ROAS on non-branded search appears unfavorable in isolation, but the research suggests this spending may build awareness that later manifests in branded searches delivering $12.99 ROAS.

The comparison to real estate investment runs throughout the document. Renting provides "immediate access to a prime location but with little long-term security." Buying requires "a lot of time and money to pay down, but month by month this discipline builds a valuable financial asset."

"Owned prominence is the brand equivalent of buying the land, designing the home, and becoming part of someone's mental neighborhood," according to the research. "It is not just about visibility; it's about living in your customers' heads, rent-free."

The research emphasizes cybersecurity's 86% generic search rate as "white space" where brands can "shape the narrative and capture mindshare." Categories with low branded search represent opportunities for companies willing to invest in awareness before competitors establish mental dominance.

The document positions this work as the second in a series exploring B2B brand discovery. Previous coverage examined presence—getting brands "in the room" during buyer research. This installment addresses prominence—ensuring brands get "seen" when buyers evaluate options. Forthcoming research will explore portfolio management as "the key to getting your brand chosen."

LinkedIn's research methodology drew on multiple sources including Magic Numbers analysis of search data, Google and Bain B2B buyer studies, Dreamdata search investment analysis, and LinkedIn's own Hidden Buyers research. The synthesis combines quantitative performance data with qualitative insights about buyer psychology and brand recall.

The timing of this research reflects broader industry discussions about AI's impact on advertising effectiveness. As machine learning algorithms increasingly mediate brand discovery, traditional paid advertising models face potential disruption. Companies that established strong organic presence before AI-driven search became dominant may benefit from algorithmic amplification of their existing market positions.

Timeline

• 2022: Magic Numbers conducted research for LinkedIn's B2B Institute analyzing cybersecurity and telecommunications search data in the US market, revealing that only 14% of B2B cybersecurity searches and 46% of B2B telecommunications searches included brand names
• November 19, 2025: LinkedIn published research on the value of B2B events as part of building owned prominence
• December 2, 2025: LinkedIn's B2B Institute released "Moving from Rented to Owned Prominence" authored by Kate Newstead
• December 9, 2025: LinkedIn released follow-up research on portfolio management strategies for B2B brands
• Ongoing: LinkedIn's B2B Institute conducting research series "Easy to Find: Being Where B2B Buying Happens"

Related PPC Land coverage includes LinkedIn's analysis of B2B buyer behavior, Google's integration of AI Overviews with advertisements, and performance benchmarks for B2B advertising campaigns.

Summary

Who: LinkedIn's B2B Institute, led by Marketing Science Lead Kate Newstead, published research targeting B2B marketing professionals managing brand strategy and paid advertising budgets.

What: The research argues B2B brands should shift investment from "rented prominence" (paid advertising) toward "owned prominence" (brand assets and mental availability), citing data showing branded searches deliver $12.99 ROAS versus $0.68 for generic terms, while only 14-46% of B2B searches include brand names compared to 87% in B2C categories.

When: LinkedIn published the research on December 2, 2025, as the second installment in a multi-part series titled "Easy to Find: Being Where B2B Buying Happens."

Where: The research applies primarily to B2B marketing contexts, with specific analysis of cybersecurity and telecommunications sectors, and addresses implications for AI-driven search through platforms like Google and generative AI tools.

Why: As generative AI transforms search behavior and large language models increasingly mediate brand discovery without displaying paid advertisements, B2B marketers face pressure to establish mental availability and organic presence before buyers begin active research, particularly since most buyers form shortlists of approximately three brands before entering purchasing processes.