How to Leverage Case Studies to Build Corporate Brand Identity

Branding, advertising and marketing communication strategies have long been integral to the success of the numerous American products. Gadgets, software applications that have been invented or the services and solutions have been developed by entrepreneurs, inventors and enterprises. Blanket advertising and promotion on every possible medium or media vehicle has been the preferred method of building long-term corporate brand identity by most of the giant, legacy and well-established corporations of America Inc. However, case studies as generally pioneered by technology, IT and science-oriented enterprises have emerged as another laser-focused and seriously practiced marketing communication approach to build corporate brand identity.

Things You'll Need

• PR team (in-house or outside PR agency) Technical writer or marketing communication copywriter Graphics and images creation specialists and illustrators

Instructions

1. Establish the premise for case studies. Technology solutions, software products, hardware systems, applications suites produced and marketed can be quite difficult to fathom for prospective customers and other interested audiences. Case studies provide language that demystifies the activities and challenges and the impact of usage or implementation of products and solutions in a company and the value-based benefits derived. These case studies showcase the capabilities and business-value benefits in an organization's business of a particular approach or methodology and the benefits encompassing business growth, process efficiencies, economies of scale, employee productivity, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or Return on Investment (ROI) to a market segment or audience in the same domain or sector or a mass-based audience for greater market visibility and exposure.

2. Define the structure for case studies so that is easily comprehensible for the audience. Technology companies have perfected a set style, format and structure for these customer-focused case studies. However, a benchmarked case study format should encompass the business or technical challenges faced by an organization, the solution or product of a vendor or service provider being evaluated, the process of adoption or implementation of the chosen solution and the benefits or results realized. Other optional sections can include lesson learned, pain points of implementation and future plans. The formats for case studies pioneered by technology companies are being used with the necessary customizations by power management vendors and solutions-based companies, management consulting firms, advertising agencies, market research and business analysis firms and many other companies offering non-tech products and services.

3. Create the content of case studies. This is the key to the success of case studies as corporate brand identity building vehicles. To ensure the effectiveness of the case study, the writer should ensure that the content usually includes quotes, inputs from the company spokesperson, CIO, CTO, branch or divisional head and occasionally the CEO or CFO, important figures and other statistics and related corporate literature provided by the client company or the business being featured. The writer should frame or ask the right kind of questions--usually very structured for IT-based case studies--to glean critical information and to capture the essence of the case study as well as highlight success factors and benefits of a particular product, solution or service. Nowadays, most case studies have accompanying illustrations, graphics, images and photos of factories, plants, offices, divisions and main respondents to account for a more holistic and aesthetically appealing package meshed with compelling content.

4. Leverage the PR vehicle.Companies can share or email these PDF format case studies or flyer-based hard copy formats through direct mail to prospective customers. Further, leverage these case study compendiums as business development collateral and distribute them in customer interaction stalls or booths in trade fairs, events or symposia. Alternatively, most case studies can be uploaded on the corporate websites of the companies translating into global exposure. PR or marketing professionals can also extend the reach of these case studies to mainstream publications in the form of ensuring quotes of the client customer's CIO/CTO or business head or CEO in relevant hook stories or features. Many trade and specialized publications also carry detailed versions of these case studies. All these well-orchestrated activities and PR programs result in subtle brand-building and corporate identity development.

Tips & Warnings

• The co-operation of the client companies being featured or highlighted in case studies is vital to the very success of these corporate brand identity programs. Tech, IT, management consulting or other companies developing such case studies should highlight the win-win approach for client customers too about the exposure and market visibility of the best practice implementation of a particular product, solution or service to a larger audience. Many tech and IT companies also sweeten the future business/tech contracts or IT outsourcing deals with their clients in return for client testimonials or participation in case studies. Non-tech enterprises can sweeten the deal for using such client testimonials in different ways.

• Get permission or approval of the client company being featured in case studies in writing for using such marketing communication collateral or testimonials in public fora or for uploading on websites.