KaemmererGroup Powerful Case Studies
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The document discusses the process for developing an effective case study. It notes that case studies can be a powerful marketing tool but that their development requires careful planning and execution to avoid potential issues. It then outlines a five-step approach for creating case studies, emphasizing understanding the client's goals, thorough preparation, submitting questions for review, establishing rapport during interviews, and obtaining necessary approvals before publishing. The key is understanding the desired marketing messages and preparing extensively to elicit the right information from interviews to tell a compelling story for the client.
KaemmererGroup Powerful Case Studies
- 1. Kaemmerer Group, LLC ? www.kaemmerergroup.com ? info@kaemmerergroup.com ? 612.293.5448 ? www.linkedin.com/in/carolkaemmerer Pai nl e ss Inter views, Power ful Case Studies Carol J. Kaemmerer,* Principal, Kaemmerer Group, LLC A case study can be one of the most powerful tools in a marketer¡¯s bag of tricks. It puts a face on a problem and identifies your product as the winning solution. It tells a memorable story. It can highlight aspects of your product¡¯s use that are not clearly detailed in technical, scientific or product literature, and can provide a solid rationale for product adoption. But case study development is not as simple transcribing your key customer¡¯s recorded words. Without careful planning and execution, case studies can backfire: 1) by irritating your key customer or subject matter expert who is interviewed or 2) by failing to deliver the key marketing messages the case study is intended to carry. The first adverse outcome alienates a once-key ally and tarnishes the company¡¯s reputation. The second results in a waste of time and money with the piece falling short of its potential. Writing a case study is not a project to assign to a novice. I¡¯ve developed and refined an approach that ensures that my case studies tell the story powerfully, pleasing both my corporate clients and their subject matter experts. Whether the person to be interviewed is timid or loquacious, thorough preparation and the ability to establish rapport by phone or in person are key to achieving excellent results. Here¡¯s how I deliver a powerful story: 1. Understand client motivation and expectations: Dig deeply into the client¡¯s reason for producing a case study now. What marketing message(s) should it convey? What are the gaps it needs to fill? Why was this particular key customer (or other subject matter expert) chosen for the interview? What is the target audience for this study? Identify marketing messages that are to be reinforced by the case study so that the questions asked of the interviewee will yield the desired information. While case studies generally follow a similar story arc (statement of the problem, intervention, result), client expectations regarding length and tone vary by assignment. Thoroughly understand client expectations before proceeding. 2. Prepare, prepare, prepare: The key customer or subject matter expert to be interviewed is one of the client¡¯s most important assets and should be treated as such. Excellent interviewer preparation shows respect for the interviewee¡¯s time and allows them to tell their story without interruptions. Preparation may include reading product literature and pertinent journal articles, talking with the client and others within the company, and learning the technical words, concepts and acronyms likely to be used by the interviewee. At the conclusion of this preparation, a list of questions to be posed to the interviewee should be written and the measures of success should be identified. 3. Submit questions for review: Client review of the questions to be asked in the interview assures that the information elicited will be sufficient to address all the marketing messages the case study is to convey. Measures of success can be verified. When client suggestions have been incorporated, the questions should be forwarded to the subject matter expert so they can also prepare. Suggest that the interviewee have the questions and their notes at hand at the time of the interview. 4. Establish rapport and conduct interview: At the outset of the interview, tell the interviewee that he or she will have the opportunity to approve the write up before publication. Elicit the spelling of their name and credentials, their title and institution, etc. before turning to the interview questions they have previously received. End the interview with an open-ended question: ¡°Is there anything else we haven¡¯t discussed that is important to the telling of your story?¡± 5. Write ¨C and seek approval: Using the information gained in the previous steps, the case study should be written and the graphic element that will accompany the case study should be developed (for subsequent refinement by a graphic artist). The case study should be submitted first to the client, noting that the interviewee has not yet approved. When client-recommended revisions have been made, the writer should send the draft to the interviewee with a standard corporate sign-off form and follow-up as necessary to assure the client receives permission to publish. Wishing you powerful communications! * Carol J. Kaemmerer writes compelling marketing communications for medical device companies and other high-tech corporations. With a knack for making the complex understandable, she helps clients tell their stories through white papers, case studies, and marketing collateral, especially for new product launches. ¡°Understanding the key marketing messages to be conveyed and thorough preparation prior to the interview are essential to the development of a powerful case study.¡±