Story Technique — Transform the Ho-Hum Case Study

The humble, hard-working case study is one of the most persuasive pieces of marketing collateral, if done well. It’s a lock bolt of every marketing strongbox. The problem is, most case studies out there are dull, bordering on the soporific. That’s a great shame, because case studies are stories about solving problems and overcoming obstacles, meaning they come ready-made with all the essential ingredients of good brand storytelling.

Your company gets to be the catalyst for positive change — the audience expects a story about you rescuing the client-in-distress.

And yet, the standard case study is a fact sheet in long form. It gives us nothing to identify with, no sense of shared pain or feeling of urgency. We aren’t told what’s at stake for the people we’re reading about, so why should we care about them? What are we told? That company X is wonderful in every way and, did you know, can “benchmark robust supply-chains” and “evolve leading-edge methodologies.” Riveting stuff.

Point by point, the differences between the standard case study and a good brand-story case study are:

The story-based case study draws in the reader with shared pain and the adventure of solving difficult problems. It highlights insights gleaned along the way. It speaks like a human being with the distinct voice of the brand’s personality.

I know, I know. Many clients (including some of ours) aren’t keen to lay bare publicly the issues that led to your company being hired. Some laundry is better left un-aired. But many can be persuaded if the relationship is strong and the writing sufficiently good. And if you can’t include the full drama of the story, even a few of the essential story elements will spice up your case study considerably. At the very least, apply voice liberally.

For an example, check out Clarity, a service that connects business people of all stripes with experts in their industry for affordable advice. Clarity backs up the value of its service with convincing — and smartly laid out — customer stories. Each one clearly traces the arc of the customer’s story, which is mainly told in customer quotes, an approach that’s nicely in line with the straight-talking tone of the rest of the website.

Originally published at getrebelmind.com on April 9, 2014.