Welcome to our newest public service post on how to write a PR case study.
You may think, "Isn't this breaking an unwritten public relations code by revealing the case study source code?" Or, "Thanks. Now I can go and write a case study myself and save budget!"
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to tell their story because a well written case study can be a powerful tool for any business. We know budgets are tight and that's why we want to make it easy for you to share your story.
Of course, we hope you will come and find us when the time is right so we can write your case studies and we've included some subtle promotion within this post to encourage you to reach out. Saying that, we're happy to use this opportunity to help you get started.
Background
Sometimes referred to as 'customer success story', we've come across other terms for case studies such as a business narrative, client chronicle, customer case studies, impact tale, project profile, outcome report, performance story, achievement account, triumph documentation and even a debrief or post-event report.
Case Study Nuts And Bolts
A comprehensive case study typically includes the following elements:
1. Executive Summary: A brief overview that summarises the case study's main points.
2. Introduction: Sets the stage with background information and context.
3. Problem Statement: Clearly defines the issue or challenge being addressed.
4. Analysis: Presents a detailed examination of the problem, including data and relevant factors.
5. Solution: Describes the solution implemented to address the problem.
6. Results: Details the outcomes and impact of the solution.
7. Discussion: Interprets the results, discussing implications, limitations, and significance.
8. Summary: Round up the findings and add any future actions.
Actual Case Study Example
---Start of subtle promotion---
Background:
Eight Public Relations is a dynamic PR agency based in Hong Kong with an Asia Pacific reach, known for its strategic approach to public relations, media relations, and content creation.
With a diverse client portfolio ranging from startups to established market leaders, Eight PR has carved out a niche in the competitive PR landscape since 2021.
Challenge:
In a rapidly evolving digital world, Eight PR faced the challenge of maintaining its clients' reputations and visibility across various media platforms. By adapting to rapidly changing markets and trends, Eight PR must also deliver consistent results.
Solution:
Eight PR implemented a multi-faceted PR strategy that included:
- Executive to Executive: At Eight PR, you'll always work with a senior level executive who has a deep understanding of your business and industry. This means you'll always know who's working on your account without having to re-explain your goals and objectives to a new team member.
- Tailored Campaigns: Developing customized PR campaigns that aligned with each client's unique brand identity and business goals.
- Media Engagement: Leveraging strong media relationships to secure coverage in reputable publications. No angle spray-and-pray, shotgunning, mismatching, etc.
- Content Excellence: Producing high-quality, authoritative content to enhance online presence and thought leadership.
- Innovative Programme: 'Eight Leads' fosters strategic B2B partnerships for clients.
Results:
The agency's efforts led to significant achievements, including:
- Enhanced Visibility: Client's experience increased media exposure and improved brand recognition. [See our PR blog on www.eightpr.com and our page on LinkedIn for case studies.]
- Business Growth: The 'Eight Leads' programme successfully helped clients outside the traditional confines of public relations by opening doors to new business opportunities.
- Recognition: Eight PR's innovative strategies are showcased across social media platforms that count and gets us in front of our target audiences.
Elevate With Eight
Eight Public Relations' success shows the power of strategic communication and adaptability in the PR industry.
By focusing on tailored solutions and quality content, the agency continues to deliver exceptional value to its clients and solidify its position as a leader in public relations with a focus on tech, law and corporate PR.
---Here ends the subtle promotion---
Case Study Benefits
Our case study effectively conveys the key aspects of Eight PR's approach. Although it may seem boastful to use our own experience in this how-to post, that was never our intention.
Our intention was to show the basic case study layer remains the same, with subsequent layers adding more depth and insight.
There are significant advantages to using case studies:
1. Showcase Success: Feature your company's successes and show how you solve problems.
2. Build Credibility: A well-documented case study establishes credibility and trust with potential clients and partners.
3. Marketing Tool: A case study illustrates the value and impact of your services or products.
4. Subtle Promotion: Case studies educates your audience about your products, how good they are, and why they should buy them too without sounding like an advert.
5. Evidence of Expertise: Provide tangible evidence of your expertise and experience.
6. Content Generation: Valuable to your content marketing efforts, providing material for the media, website, social media, and other platforms.
7. Client Engagement: Featuring a client in a case study can strengthen your relationship with them.
8. Competitive Advantage: Sharing your unique solutions sets you apart from competitors in the industry.
9. Media: They love to see products being used by customers rather than just as a concept. Their readers do too.
Case Study Take Aways (And More Tips)
- A case study tells a story that conveys your business's effectiveness and can lead to new opportunities and growth.
- In essence, a case study is a storytelling tool that conveys your business' effectiveness and can lead to new opportunities and growth.
- It should be a narrative that the reader can see themselves in, where the challenges faced are familiar, and the solutions provided inspire them to imagine the possibilities for their own context.
- Keep the jargon volume turned down (hard to turn off in tech case studies) and sentences free of fluff.
- The heading and sub-heading naming are critical to spark interest and keep engagement.
- Make the reader comfortable by breaking up walls of text with a photo, illustration, dropped quote, chart, call to action, H1s, H2s, and H3s, left justified text and fonts easy on the eye like Calibri.
- A case study is a great springboard for media outreach and social media engagement and opens the door to content repackaging for wider distribution.
- And, include a...
Call To Action
Need a hand?
Contact us for expert guidance on crafting case studies that resonate with your audience and drive results.
Email: eight@eightpr.com or Tel/WhatsApp: +852 9186 2984. Find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, X and YouTube.
Eight Public Relations is a PR agency in Hong Kong, helping clients to stand out from the competition.
From media relations to content development, corporate reputation management to thought leadership programmes, and digital communications, we’ve got you covered. Our goal is simple: to empower your business with all things PR and help you achieve your goals.