Case studies are a crucial step in the marketing process. They outline how a customer can use a firm’s product or service to overcome a problem or satisfy their wants, needs, and aspirations. They provide a competitive edge and create direction for the marketing department to follow.
There are five key steps in creating a case study.
Step One: Familiarize Yourself with the Company and Their Goal
Before getting started, you’ll need a good understanding of the company. Knowing the target market in particular is essential for any marketing situation. Especially when working externally, you’ll need to do thorough research on the company’s mission, offerings, and background. What makes them special?
You’ll also need to know what your case study is trying to accomplish. Are they looking to expand into new markets, prepare for a new launch, or recover from a decline in sales? Know the root of the problem and how it’s affecting different areas of the company.
One great way to explore the company is through interviews. Speaking to current and former customers and employees can create an understanding of new perspectives that online research or internal resources may not provide.
Step Two: Identify Your Audience and Begin Solving the Problem
While it’s often top executives that make the final call on marketing direction, others may see your presentation as well. Be aware of who you’ll be addressing and the key points they’ll need to know. Consider not only their roles within the company, but their backgrounds and values as well.
Once you know who you need to influence, you can begin working towards a solution. The first step in doing so is to take notes on all the relevant background information. What would a stranger need to know in order to understand the problem?
Step Three: Begin Your Research and Collect Data
This step is the most important part of any case study. Start by gathering everything you already know about the situation. Once you understand the problem and have developed potential solutions, you can start looking for information to support your ideas.
Using the company’s internal data is a great approach to supporting your solution, but it isn’t the only way. You can also look for case studies and research completed by other companies. What have competitors done in similar situations? Did it work?
Compile all of your research into charts and graphs that help illustrate your key points. These will be useful visual aids for your own understanding and the eventual presentation of your case study.
Step Four: Determine Your Most Important Points
While you’ve likely uncovered mountains of interesting information, executives don’t have time to read through every single stat. Go through all of your research and determine the most important points for your case study. Remember to keep your audience in mind.
Some of the most important stats about your solution include ramp up time, expected sales results, total return on investment (ROI), and productivity increases. This information will tell executives if your solution is effective and practical for their situation.
Step Five: Draft the Case Study
Now that you have all of your key points ready, it’s time to formally compose your analysis. Like many other written reports, there is a specified structure to follow. This one has four parts.
Introduction
Begin your case study with a thesis statement. This should indicate the problem you’ve been analyzing and why it’s relevant. Your introduction is also a good place to provide some context for any audience members that aren’t familiar with the situation.
Background Information
In this section, explain the pertinent facts and noted issues that led to your research. You should also include some existing research from other sources.
Findings
This is the main section of your case study. It will include the observations and data of your own research. Be sure to include all of your key points determined in Step 4, as well as charts and graphs from Step 3. This section can be broken into subheadings to help the reader understand exactly what is being addressed.
Conclusion
This section should wrap up all of the information previously presented. You may also want to include a call to action, especially if you’ve been hired externally.
While there’s always more to learn, this overview provides all the basics you need to create a case study of your own. This knowledge will give you a competitive edge in your future marketing career.
Happy case studying!
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