In the world of B2B brands, trust and reliability have long been the gold standard. Yet over the last five years or so, beginning with GE’s EcoImagination, forward-thinking companies have been focusing more and more on demonstrating sensitivity towards the needs and aspirations of people and society at large. Empathy has become the new reliability.

Beyond GE, big players like Dow (Human Element), Cisco (Human Network), and Chevron (Human Energy)—to name a few—have done a great job of using elegant, emotional, substantive storytelling to build their brands and a positive, empathetic corporate image.

Indeed, the prevalence of such communications programs is raising the bar for us branding pros and forcing us to think about exactly how our clients’ brands can create a human connection with people and make the world a better place.

Among the leaders, though, Cisco deserves special mention. Cisco has not only done a great job of defining an interesting, relevant brand positioning and creating inspiring storytelling, it has taken steps to humanize the buying experience.

If you know Cisco, you know that they sell products that only an IT geek could love. Routers used to be there specialty, but they now offer a range of complex technology solutions and services. But don’t fear—check out their web site. They’ve created a set of fresh, "out-of-the-box" interactive tools that both inform buyers and make the buying process interesting, engaging, and believe it or not, fun.

Cisco's creative use of dynamic media includes some quirky online games that let you drill down to get the right amount of relevant product information. They allow you to customize and share information, and the prominent placement on the home page is not only a smart use of web real estate but a great proof point for how they’re delivering on the "human network."

Here's to Cisco. They've made people actually want to investigate an otherwise painfully dull portfolio of products. And, in the process, they've shown us how humanity and empathy can be built into the customer experience, not just storytelling.

Matthew Huss is a strategy director for the Siegel+Gale New York office.