• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Ann Handley

Writer. Speaker. Marketer.

  • About
  • Speaking
  • Books
  • Blog
  • WORK WITH ANN
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Newsletter

Humor and B2B Marketing: A Love Story

Business-to-business companies often can’t find a way to fold humor and storytelling into their marketing, because what they sell isn’t… well, funny. Or they think it’s not much of a story. Here’s how one company challenges that assumption.

If I were Cisco Systems trying to show how the role of information technology (IT) is changing, I could commission a research-based whitepaper detailing new consumption models brought about by cloud, security, mobility, and programmable networks. I might talk about how that is creating new markets and business models, transforming communication and knowledge sharing, and significantly changing the role of IT.

Or…

I could tell you a story featuring a real chief information officer sharing in clear, simple language about how she’s using technology to sell more beer to the people who want to buy it. And toss in a few bits of humor and playful improv to give it warmth and a little personality.

Which would you find more compelling? Here’s my vote:

I suppose my setup wasn’t entirely a fair comparison. There’s obviously room for both in business — complex whitepapers that give a comprehensive look at the changing world of IT, and lighter, story-based videos that add a heartbeat and pulse to an idea. But the video—shared with me by my friend Tim Washer, who helped produce it and co-stars as the overly friendly waiter—works for three reasons:

1. It’s a lively approach for customer videos and testimonials—as opposed to the canned customer testimonials more generally seen.

2. This is an enticing piece of marketing for a information-rich, meaty microsite published by Cisco.

3. It tells a true story well. The video features an actual CIO — Marina Bellini, who works for Grupo Modelo in Mexico. (Grupo exports Corona.)

Cisco’s Voice of the Customer team—featuring Tim along with Andy Capener and Chris Huston—produced the video, one of a series of three featuring real CIOs having real conversations about jobs they pretty much love. This YouTube playlist links to all three videos, and here’s what any company can take away from this series as a model for an effective approach:

Ban Frankenspeak. In a lot of customer videos, you see folks who are speaking in corporate lingo, using buzzwords and talking points. But CIOs are real people with real personality, and I like the innovative approach to show true personality in corporate IT.

How did Cisco pull it off? “A key to getting people into a relaxed, conversational state of mind is getting the right environment,” Tim said. “We knew we did NOT want to shoot this is a conference room, but instead wanted to show these folks in some non-business-related setting and interrupt that” typical idea.

Tell a simple story really well, aligned with a bigger idea and broader strategy. We’re all familiar with the classic voice-of-the-customer talking head video. Cisco sought to create a different model for the typical corporate approach.

“We wanted to add an entertainment element, which I think is critical for a video to find an audience on YouTube,” Tim said. Secondarily, it wanted to humanize the companies—both Cisco and the client company—by letting the audience see a personable, conversational side.

(Notice how I said personable and not personal there? The CIOs aren’t talking about their home life or children or pets; the video isn’t personal. But they do talk about business with plenty of personality—that’s personable, and in my mind a sweet spot for business-to-business companies.)

As for the bigger strategy? That was to highlight how modern CIOs think more strategically, transforming IT from a cost center and into a source of revenue — by connecting to new customers and new markets.

Keep it tight. These videos are all a mere two-ish minutes, which was also a strategic move.

“Our hope is that by making these fun and keeping them short, we’ll be able to reach a new audience on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and so on… and if the topic is relevant to them, they’ll visit our blog for more info on the Fast Innovation topic,” Tim said.

Take a risk. The Cisco team worked with some constraints (filming at an executive conference with only 15-20 minutes with each CIO during the session breaks) and with an element of fear: Tim worried that the CIOs might be reticent or hesitant.

(They weren’t, by the way. Turns out that CIOs can be total hams.)

But this last point is critical. Great content very often means taking a risk: No matter what your data shows about your audience, you still might miss the mark.

But when it hits? It’s magic.

Filed Under: Annarchy, Business, Content, Media, Technology, Video Tagged With: B2B

SUBSCRIBE TO ANN’S NEWSLETTER,
TOTAL ANNARCHY:

Get the letter 21,000+ people love to get. New writing, useful ideas, high-spirited shenanigans. Straight to your inbox. Every 2 weeks.

Previous Post: « Marketing Needs a Built-in, Shockproof, Sh*t Detector
Next Post: The Funniest Mobile App Update: From Boring to Breakthrough Content »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leigh Durst says

    December 4, 2013 at 7:10 pm

    Nice Ann. This is exactly what I’m trying to get a client to do in describing the transformative effects of their efforts. 🙂 It’s a great example to bring to them.

    Plus Tim Washer is so funny. 😀

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      December 5, 2013 at 8:49 am

      Glad to hear it, Leigh! I think the idea of focusing on “story” is often overwhelming to companies, especially in the B2B space. But I like this as a simple model to follow.

      And yes – Tim is!

      Reply
  2. DJ Waldow says

    December 5, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    ANN!!! Can you blog every day? I would pay you to blog every day. #SSS.

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      December 5, 2013 at 2:32 pm

      Wait. I thought you could barely keep up…? 🙂

      Reply
      • DJ Waldow says

        December 5, 2013 at 11:38 pm

        I’ve … RE-prioritized.

        Reply
        • Tim Scott says

          June 1, 2014 at 3:22 am

          Or re-polarized

          Reply
  3. Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) says

    December 6, 2013 at 11:29 am

    Great video. Nice job Tim! You continue to inspire me.

    Note: This article needs more Churchkey. I need Churchkey!

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      December 6, 2013 at 4:05 pm

      I love Churchkey, Steve! Especially the can. 🙂

      Wish it was available in Boston, but I’ve never been able to find it.

      Reply
      • Tim Washer says

        December 6, 2013 at 6:39 pm

        I thought that was a can of motor oil.

        Reply
  4. Siva says

    December 6, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Ann, Great….content. I am in India working with young students helping them finding their Life Purpose and Dream Career. I believe, stories are wonderful ways to connect with people, especially when marketing, even when you market yourself to a perspective employer. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
  5. Tony Faustino says

    December 8, 2013 at 7:25 am

    Ann, I love your final point about the value of risk taking. Jonathan Fields and Seth Godin describe this point better than I can in their conversation: Seth Godin On Books, Business, Choices and Life.

    To paraphrase your good friend, Seth: “If you care (but you’re scared), nothing happens. If you care (but you aren’t scared), magic happens.

    As always my friend, thank you for sharing the magic …

    Reply
    • Ann Handley says

      December 8, 2013 at 7:46 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Tony. My take on taking risks/doing things that scare you: https://www.annhandley.com/2013/09/08/follow-the-fear-doing-things-that-scare-you/

      Excellent Seth add, too. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Tony Faustino says

        December 8, 2013 at 10:27 am

        #PureGold. Thank you for sharing these slides!

        Reply
      • Tony Faustino says

        December 9, 2013 at 12:12 pm

        Actually, I should have said #FollowTheFear 🙂 but it’s still #PureGold!

        Reply
  6. Paul Gillin says

    December 9, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    Tim is a treasure, and Cisco is lucky to have him. As you point out, Ann, this interview is mostly unscripted and the humor doesn’t get in the way of the message. Tim’s talent with one-liners is what makes it funny. You never know what he’s going to say next. Cisco is breaking new ground in using humor in a B2B context.

    Reply
    • Tim Washer says

      December 10, 2013 at 9:22 am

      Thanks for the encouragement Paul. There were a few times during this production process that I thought I might be granted the career opportunity to go back to waiting tables. But I’m please with how this series turned out, and that we were supported to take the risk.

      Reply
  7. Josh Light says

    December 9, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    Ann,

    Nice article. Cisco did a great job with this video. Non-evasive, filmed in a place people can relate to, and such a genius idea to get real CIOs to participate.

    How many turned your friend down?

    Reply
  8. B2B Marketing says

    December 9, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    Thanks to share this information. i am impressive to this blog..

    Reply
  9. Kathy Klotz-Guest says

    December 9, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Nice piece, Ann. Tim is awesome; his one-liners and facial expressions are priceless. Humor need not be so scary; this is a great example of ‘simple.’

    Reply
  10. Corina Kennedy says

    January 7, 2014 at 5:26 pm

    Thanks for sharing Ann. I love the approach Cisco has adopted in sharing customer testimonials. It’s not always easy to simplify complex concepts but Cisco nailed it in an entertaining way. The waiter played his part to perfection.

    Reply
  11. 99Story says

    August 13, 2015 at 6:06 am

    Appreciate it lots to get sharing this kind of with all individuals you truly recognise what you are talking over! Bookmarked. Be sure to on top of that stop by my website Equals).. 99Story We could possess a exchanging links agreement among us

    Reply
  12. Masha says

    August 3, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Hi Ann,

    It’s your articles that are magic for me, really!:) The topic is burning for us now as we’re struggling with our CEO for making our content more vivid. I’m going to show him this article so you’ll be my irrefutable proof in this case;)

    Thanks for a pure enjoyment of reading your writing, it’s very open-hearted and deep to the point!

    P.S. And I’m subscribed to you too;)

    Kindest,
    Masha.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How IT Is Changing: A Story About Beer | Social... says:
    December 5, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    […] If I were Cisco Systems trying to show how the role of information technology (IT) is changing, I could commission a research-based whitepaper.  […]

    Reply
  2. 9 Top Content Marketing Trends in 2014 You Need To Know - contenttriggers blog says:
    December 6, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    […] this video in a blog post “How I.T. Is Changing: A Story About Beer” written by Ann Handley. It was produced by Cisco Systems.  In this video, Cisco is trying to […]

    Reply
  3. WestJet Christmas Not a Miracle, But a Mindset to Adopt in 2014 #BMTPPT [New Video Series] says:
    December 14, 2013 at 2:29 pm

    […] recently produced a series of videos Cisco made at its CIO conference in Orange County, and here he shares the back story of how he […]

    Reply
  4. Why Jimmy Fallon Should be Your Content Marketing Idol | Vidyard says:
    March 9, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    […] a real life example of this method in action on Ann Handley’s blog where she covers a clever campaign by Cisco and Tim Washer. Tim was able to bring humor to B2B in a […]

    Reply
  5. Analogy: Content Marketing:B2B::Humor:B2C | Plannerben | Marketing Strategist says:
    November 6, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    […] job with content marketing.  Moreover, many B2B marketers have achieved surprising success by making their audiences laugh.  However, as a way to get your head around content marketing, you could do a lot worse than […]

    Reply
  6. 6 Things You Can Learn from an Unfunny Marketer's Funny Redemption says:
    December 10, 2014 at 12:32 pm

    […] But, more recently, Doug started to rethink things. Because what’s working in B2B marketing is (quite often) the offbeat story and the funny vignette. […]

    Reply
  7. Humor and B2B Marketing: A Love Story | B2B OP ... says:
    December 21, 2014 at 4:58 am

    […] Business-to-business (B2B) companies often can't find a way to fold humor and storytelling into their marketing, because what they sell isn't… well, funny. Or they think it's not much of a story. Here's how Cisco challenges that assumption.  […]

    Reply
  8. Breathe Life into your B2B Marketing using Humor. | RickSand Blog says:
    January 20, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    […] these business buyers are humans too, and humans respond to humor. Content Marketer Ann Handley says, “In a lot of customer videos, you see folks who are speaking in corporate lingo, using […]

    Reply
  9. Humour in B2B Marketing - Really? | Strategy D says:
    March 25, 2015 at 9:12 am

    […] Admittedly, Taulia’s approach takes a bold approach to B2B marketing memorability. It will NOT work for every B2B brand persona. In that respect, I was pleasantly surprised to see humour injected into a Cisco video. This humour is a little more subdued… but a great example of the ability to use humour in B2B to a traditionally serious market – with a traditionally facts based, rational marketing approach. Thanks to Ann Handley’s blog for pointing this one out in Humor and B2B Marketing: A Love Story. […]

    Reply
  10. How to Write B2B Content People Will Take Seriously says:
    April 14, 2015 at 7:06 am

    […] you have a boring brand? Can’t think past sell sheets and white papers? Read Humor and B2B Marketing: A Love Story by Ann […]

    Reply
  11. This Business Storytelling Tool Helps You Tell Better Stories says:
    August 3, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    […] it’s done well, it’s magic. (Check out these successful examples from Cisco, Salesforce UK, Airbnb, a local animal shelter, and a political […]

    Reply
  12. Four Powerful Tips for a Highly Effective B2B Social Media Strategy | GPD Consulting says:
    August 11, 2015 at 4:18 am

    […] Cisco, and IBM are great examples for B2B corporations that create fun, engaging and useful social media and blog […]

    Reply
  13. Four Powerful Tips for a Highly Effective B2B Social Media Strategy | GreggsDomains says:
    August 11, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    […] Cisco, and IBM are great examples for B2B corporations that create fun, engaging and useful social media and blog […]

    Reply
  14. B2B Y REDES SOCIALES (2) | Gamering S.A. says:
    August 13, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    […] y con los que toman las decisiones. Usa regularmente el yo, tu, mío… en tus posts, añade algo de humor, muestra empatía y disfruta de los eventos y celebraciones de la […]

    Reply
  15. Four Powerful Tips for a Highly Effective B2B Social Media StrategyGreggsDomains | GreggsDomains says:
    August 21, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    […] Cisco, and IBM are great examples for B2B corporations that create fun, engaging and useful social media and blog […]

    Reply
  16. Four Powerful Tips for a Highly Effective B2B Social Media Strategy says:
    August 31, 2015 at 12:47 am

    […] Cisco, and IBM are great examples for B2B corporations that create fun, engaging and useful social media and blog […]

    Reply
  17. 20+ Amazing Examples Of Content I Wish We Created | Marketing Insider Group says:
    December 23, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    […] Humor and B2B Marketing: A Love Story – The future of customer videos! This is an article by Ann Handley covering a video by the amazing and talented Tim Washer. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Total ANNARCHY

Get new writing, useful ideas, fresh links, and high-spirited shenanigans delivered to your inbox every two weeks.
SUBSCRIBE

Footer

COPYRIGHT 2021 ANN HANDLEY

SITE BY MINIMA

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About

  • Bio
  • In the Media
  • Newsletter

Speaking

  • Speaking
  • For Meeting Planners

The Books

  • Everybody Writes
  • Content Rules