Was Santa always dressed in red? Or was pink always for girls? Think again. If you want to sell sunscreen in the Sahara, test-run the CBKD Framework. Hint: your B2B lead generation strategy could start a new culture.
We often take things for granted—like Santa. Can you ever remember a time when you didn’t picture him in a red suit sporting a fluffy white beard and rosy cheeks? We hate to tarnish Santa’s good name, but he wasn’t always the jolly sleigh-riding gift-dispenser we’ve come to love—and his suit wasn’t always red. If you delve into his history, you’ll discover he was originally tall, thin and dressed in brown, depending on which folklore you’re reading. His wardrobe iteration before red was green.
And then Coca-Cola came along, sensing an opportunity to transform Santa from wise and worthy into hale and hearty. They gave him a makeover to match their brand—red, fizzy and fun, injecting energy into the cold, bleak North American December, a reminder that Coke wasn’t only a summer drink but one to be enjoyed all year round. Coke and Santa were branded together, forging a whole new culture.
Santa’s not the only example of marketing-driven cultural reform. For as long as mass media has been around, pink was ‘for girls’ and blue was ‘for boys’. But here’s a twist: up until the 1940s, pink was considered more appropriate for boys—it was seen as bold and assertive.
Advertisers then reshaped societal views, making pink for girls and blue for boys, quickly becoming the accepted standard.
This historical flip shows how questioning assumptions can create powerful shifts. And that’s precisely the aim of the CBKD Framework.
Developed by Rich Mulholland and his team at Missing Link, CBKD—Care, Build Trust, Key Information, Drive Action—was originally designed for presentations but works seamlessly across various types of B2B marketing, sales, and lead generation content.
Let’s break down how Coca-Cola’s Santa, LinkedIn’s career coaching, and gendered colour history illustrate CBKD, and how our team at Growth Experts apply it to everything from building landing pages to optimising LinkedIn profiles.
1. Why Should They Care? Tapping into Needs in B2B Content
It all begins with giving your audience a reason to care. Coca-Cola, when rebranding Santa, didn’t just promote a drink—they tapped into holiday cheer, family values, and warmth. This emotional connection made Coca-Cola feel like an essential part of the season.
With LinkedIn’s premium career coaching services, it’s about resonating with professionals’ goals of advancement. The messaging focuses on the audience’s need for growth, stability, and career fulfilment.
In Growth Experts’ B2B landing pages or credentials documents, this is the “hook”. It’s about understanding and addressing the audience’s pain points directly so they feel immediately connected and eager to learn more.
Takeaway: Challenge assumptions about what matters to your audience. It’s often less about the product itself and more about how it serves a deeper need.
2. Building Trust: Using Familiarity and Authority in B2B Marketing
Trust comes next. Coca-Cola didn’t invent Santa, but they reinvented him in a way that aligned with their brand. By associating Coca-Cola with a beloved figure, they built immediate credibility, much like changing colour associations created new societal norms.
For LinkedIn, trust is established through client testimonials and success stories, showing potential customers that their coaching services yield real results.
You can mirror this in B2B lead generation efforts. For example, testimonials and case studies should be incorporated into LinkedIn profiles or presentations to give potential clients confidence. It’s about showing results that build authority without the need to shout about them.
Takeaway: Use familiar symbols, customer success stories, and proven results to create a natural bridge of trust, whether in B2B lead gen or brand storytelling.
3. Deliver Key Information: The Essentials Only
Coca-Cola’s Santa ad was simple yet memorable—Santa, joy, and Coca-Cola. The message was straightforward and didn’t overwhelm viewers with excessive details.
For LinkedIn’s coaching, the key information is a breakdown of services—resume reviews, interview coaching, and more. By presenting this clearly, LinkedIn removes uncertainty and makes the benefits easy to understand.
At Growth Experts, we follow this principle in sales presentations or LinkedIn bios by clarifying the message and focusing on relevant details. This way, potential clients can quickly grasp the value without getting lost in excessive information.
Takeaway: Keep your messaging concise and impactful, focusing on what the audience really needs to know to make a decision.
4. Drive Action: Clear Next Steps for Conversions
Coca-Cola’s ads encouraged people to “Bring home the happiness of Coca-Cola”. It wasn’t just about selling a product; it made Coca-Cola feel essential to holiday celebrations.
LinkedIn takes a similar approach with clear calls to action like “Book a free consultation” or “Get started with LinkedIn Premium”, making it easy for prospects to engage with minimal commitment.
At Growth Experts, we apply this in credentials decks, landing pages, or email campaigns by creating straightforward calls to action. Whether it’s “Schedule a consultation” or “Download our guide”, the goal is to make the next step feel natural.
Takeaway: Finish with a clear call to action that simplifies the next step, whether in a sales pitch or a B2B marketing email.
Why the CBKD Framework Works Across B2B Marketing and Lead Generation
From brand storytelling to B2B lead gen, CBKD gives us a structure that resonates with audiences by moving them from curiosity to conversion.
Studies show content structured around audience pain points can boost engagement by up to 80%. If you use trusted symbols or testimonials, you strengthen this connection.
From landing pages and sales presentations to LinkedIn bios and credentials decks, we use CBKD to transform ordinary messaging into memorable, action-driving content.
Just as Coca-Cola’s Santa became an enduring holiday icon and LinkedIn’s coaching became synonymous with professional growth, CBKD turns your content into a trusted guide that resonates and converts.
Where Santa wasn’t always red, CBKD proves you can sell anything if you make your audience care enough…
Here’s to selling sunscreen in the Sahara!
We’d love you to share it with your friends, colleagues or your marketing team.
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