Is there a B2B storytelling paradox? Why your Case Studies need both a soul and a style guide
In the high-stakes world of enterprise tech, 78% of B2B buyers rank case studies as the most influential content in their purchasing decisions.
Yet walk through the resource library of the average B2B brand, and you’ll find a graveyard of the same content: predictable, rigid challenge-solution-result narratives that lack both a human pulse and a professional polish.
We’ve spent nearly two decades working with global organisations and seen first-hand that the most successful brands don't choose between being human and being professional; they master the intersection of the two.
The Human Voice vs. The AP Style Guide
The best companies understand that B2B buyers are still people. They use storytelling to create emotional connections through real-life scenarios, replacing cold technical jargon like ‘geo-redundant infrastructure’ with the simple, high-stakes promise that 'your platform stays up, even if a data centre goes down’
However, human does not mean messy.
Leading brands maintain technical credibility by adhering to a detailed AP style guide or industry-specific standards. This ensures that while the voice is authentic and relatable, the delivery is precise, consistent, and authoritative.
Without this professional safety rail, your brand risks looking amateurish at the exact moment a buyer is looking for a reason to trust you with their budget.
Too many B2B companies treat case studies as standalone assets rather than part of a purpose-driven system. This leads to stories without soul. Without purpose. Without strategy.
When case studies are soulless, they fail to deliver the technical proof that sales teams need to close deals.
Why guidelines matter for storytelling
Brand guidelines are not meant to stifle creativity; they are designed to provide a strategic framework that enhances storytelling effectiveness.
Yes, we can all use a language model to help with this. But it takes a keen eye for detail to ensure stories adhere to guidelines and resonate with humans. To ensure they have ‘heart’. After all, clients pay for expertise and guidance, not just churn.
How Two AM fixes the narrative
We’re two senior B2B operators who act as your boots on the ground. We don’t just think about your brand guidelines; we implement them.
We plug directly into your workflows to capture authentic, no-fluff stories and turn them into compelling case studies, whitepapers, and videos that actually move the pipeline forward.
Ready to stop making the same mistakes and start telling stories that convert?
We can start Monday
