What Hollywood can teach you about writing client case studies

Whether it’s Batman, Spiderman, Bourne or Bond, you know how it goes. First, there’s the scene setting. You get some background about the characters – you understand them, like them, empathize with them. Then the baddy is introduced. The evil that must be overcome. The plot thickens, maybe a few complications thrown in. There’s a struggle, some explosions… And then victory, with everything working out in the end.

If a blockbuster deviates from this, I’m tearing up my ticket.

This tried & tested formula is also the perfect structure for your client case studies. Background > Challenges > Solution > Results. If I read a case study that doesn’t follow this plotline, it jars. It just isn’t taking me where I want to go.

Getting a star performance from your client

Now that you have your plot, the all-important next step is to ask your client the right questions to populate this storyboard. Here’s a generic client case study interview framework I stole from a journalist and have been using variations of for years:

1) Background
a) Thanks for your time. Can you tell me a bit about your company? (Actually this is just an ice-breaker, you’ll get most of this from the comms-approved website blurb)
b) Can you tell me about your role and key responsibilities?
c) What does a typical working day look like? (At this point, I guarantee they’ll say “There’s no such thing”. Smile and nod understandingly).
d) Can you tell me about the project/task at hand? Size, scope, key stakeholders, objectives.

2) Challenges
a) How were you previously doing things? What were the limitations/problems associated with this?
b) What were the main business drivers behind your company’s decision to use my firm’s product/service? What specific challenges did you face? e.g. time, cost, risk.
c) What were the implications of these challenges? What would be the potential outcome if these were left unaddressed?
d) Why did you select my company? What was the decision-making process? Who was involved?

3) Solution & Implementation
a) What product/service did you select? (You should know this)
b) What was the implementation process?

4) Results & Returns
a) In your role, how do you use my firm’s product/services day-to-day?
b) Who else in your firm derives the most benefit and how?
c) What are the benefits you’ve obtained from my firm’s product/services? How does it help you do your job? (At this point, you may want to have a few suggestions to hand in case they need prompting to say the right thing).
d) Compared to how you previously operated, what measurable returns have you seen? (What you’re looking for here is the moneyshot. A killer line about ROI like, “What used to take 5 days, now it takes 5 minutes. Thanks to your company, we increased our margins by 10%.”)
e) Think that covers everything. Anything else you’d like to add? (The Columbo. Never fails.)

Now you’ve captured the vital info, all you need is some Sorkin-esque prose, Spielberg-esque production and Warner-esque promotion. Voila. A Statue-worthy case study.