Denouncing cliché in B2B has become cliché in B2B

Pieces denouncing cliché in B2B copy have become cliché in B2B copy, it has been discovered.

Thought pieces criticising the use of buzzwords and jargon in the business-to-business space have become precisely what they stand against due to topic saturation and lack of originality, according to a newly published report.

The research found that a blog entitled ‘Cut the Crap: Why B2B Needs to Talk Straight’ by Justin Branford on 31 December 2015 was the last ever piece of anti-cliché content that can be taken at face value. 

After this tipping point, any content on the topic is officially self-satirising and clichéd.

“The methodology was simple,” explains head of research, Hannah Blackwell. “The amount of times so-called clichéd terms were used authentically in the work environment was compared with the amount of times they were used in anti-cliché blogs as examples. The latter outweighed the former 2-fold.”

“I am utterly distraught and out of pocket,” says Jeff Howard content marketing manager and author of My Copy Bugbears part 1 and 2. “I really felt part of a stylistic movement striving for originality: everyone was at it!” 

Blackwell suggests alternative means of addressing the issue: “Try reacting to meaningless words and phrases at work as a parent would an embarrassed child during potty training: pretend it’s not happening and hope they finish soon.”

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