Dentsu B2B, dentsu’s specialist business-to-business marketing services organisation, today announced the launch of The Superpowers Index 2025, the largest and most systematic global study of B2B buying behaviour.
Now in its fifth edition, the Superpowers Index draws on over 16,000 interviews since 2021, including 6,107 B2B decision-maker interviews this year alone, spanning 21 markets and four major industries: Financial Services, Technology, Professional Services, and Manufacturing. It also ranks over 170 B2B brands, showing how they are performing against a wide range of buyer criteria.
The report identifies three defining trends for 2025:
- Getting Back to Business: Buyers are balancing personal and professional decision drivers, with trust and dependability at the forefront.
- The Changing Face of Brand: Marketers are investing more in brand building, with reputation, reach, and advocacy driving buyer confidence.
- Ease is the New Edge: Winning brands are those that make the buying process easier and faster, leveraging AI and human touchpoints to reduce friction.
As the era of the AI-powered buyer takes hold, the 2025 Superpowers Index reveals that B2B brands must be fast, simple, and trusted to win. This year’s findings highlight a shift: while buyers remain risk-averse and pragmatic due to economic uncertainty, AI is rapidly simplifying and accelerating the buying process. Trust remains the single most important factor in winning business, but the way brands build trust is evolving: word of mouth, influencer engagement, and brand reputation are more critical than ever in the B2B world.
How it works
The Superpowers Index score is a single metric that captures overall brand experience. The Index is measured from 0-100 and weighted according to how buyers rank brands performance against 30 decision drivers – these include Trust, Quality, Values Alignment, Integration, Transparency, Support, and Expertise. The Index also takes account of cultural factors to ensure the score is comparable between countries, industries and company profiles.
Key Statistics from The Superpowers Index 2025
- AI adoption surges: 77% of all buying processes now use AI, with 40% of buyers being heavy users.
- Deal value impact: A 10-point improvement in The Superpowers Index Score correlates with a 14% uplift in opportunity value.
- Sales cycle acceleration: Brands with excellent buyer experiences close deals up to 31% faster – up to four months quicker than average performers.
- Top decision drivers: “I feel safe signing a contract with them” remains the #1 differentiating driver for the third consecutive year. Integration with buyer processes and meeting minimum quality needs have surged in importance.
- Influencer marketing: Nearly two-thirds of buyers referenced influencers in their most recent purchase, but only 42% of marketers feel they use this channel effectively.
- 6,107 B2B decision-maker interviews in 2025; over 16,000 since 2021.
- 73% year-on-year increase in sample size; 11 new markets added.
The Top 10 Ranked Global B2B Brands
The full Superpowers Index ranks over 170 B2B brands from around the world. In 2025 the top 10 ranked global B2B brands demonstrated above-average performance across the buyer journey, from first impressions to long-term trust, setting the gold standard.
“The Superpowers Index 2025 makes it clear: in today’s B2B landscape, trust, speed, and simplicity are the keys that unlock the door to growth,” commented Rob Gold, Global President, dentsu B2B.
“As AI reshapes the buying journey, brands that blend digital innovation with genuine human connection will be setting the most competitive pace. In a market where standing still is falling behind, The Superpowers Index is the strategic compass that helps clients navigate change and seize new opportunities with confidence.”
Dentsu B2B is a fully integrated marketing partner spanning insight, creative, media and CXM. It was recently crowned the world’s #1 B2B Marketing Agency by B2B Marketing, and works with some of the world leading B2B brands.
About dentsu
Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organisations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in approximately 120 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.
Find out more: www.dentsu.com / www.group.dentsu.com