marketing case study campaign

Marketing case study 101 (plus tips, examples, and templates)

Summary/Overview

If you’re familiar with content lines like, “See how our fancy new app saved Sarah 10 hours a week doing payroll,” you’ve encountered a marketing case study. That’s because case studies are one of the most powerful marketing tools, showcasing real-world applications and customer success stories that help build trust with potential customers.

More than 42% of marketers use case studies in their marketing strategy. Let’s face it — we love testimonials and reviews. People love hearing customer stories and experiences firsthand. In fact, 88% of consumers view reviews before making a purchase decision. Case studies work similarly by providing prospective customers with real-life stories demonstrating the brand’s success.

Case studies provide a more in-depth view of how your product solves an existing problem — something potential buyers can relate to and learn from.

In this article, we take a closer look at what marketing case studies are, why they’re important, and how you can use them to improve your content marketing efforts. You’ll also learn the key elements of a successful case study and how to turn a good case study into a great case study.

What is a marketing case study?

A case study is a narrative that documents a real-world situation or example. A marketing case study is a detailed examination and analysis of a specific strategy, initiative, or marketing campaign that a business has implemented. It’s intended to serve as an all-inclusive narrative that documents a real-world business situation and its outcome.

Marketing case studies are tools businesses use to showcase the effectiveness of a particular tool, technique, or service by using a real-world example. Companies often use case studies as sales collateral on websites, email marketing, social media , and other marketing materials. They provide readers with a firsthand look into how your product or service has helped someone else and demonstrate the value of your offering while building trust with potential customers.

Some common key components of a marketing case study include:

• Context: A case study begins by describing the business’s situation or problem. This often includes challenges, opportunities, or objectives.
• Strategy: An outline of the tactics or strategy utilized to address the business’s situation. This includes details such as the target audience, messaging, channels used, and other unique aspects of the approach.
• Implementation: Provide information about how the strategy was implemented, including timeline, resources, and budget.
• Results: This is arguably the most crucial part of a marketing case study. Present the results through data, metrics, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate the impact of the strategy. The results section should highlight both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Challenges and Solutions: A great case study not only focuses on the successes but addresses any obstacles faced during the campaign. Make sure to address any challenges and how they were overcome or mitigated.
• Customer Feedback: Including testimonials or quotes from satisfied clients is a great way to add credibility and authenticity to a case study. Choose customer feedback that reinforces the positive outcomes of the strategy taken.
• Visuals: Compelling case studies include visuals such as graphs, charts, images, videos, and infographics to make the information presented more engaging and easier to understand.
• Analysis: An optional way to conclude a case study includes discussing key takeaways, insights, and lessons learned from a campaign.

Case studies can help you connect your product to the customer’s needs by providing a real world examples of success and encouraging conversions.

Benefits of marketing case studies

Some of the key benefits of using case studies in your marketing efforts include the following:

• Building trust and credibility. You build trust and credibility with potential clients or customers by demonstrating real world success stories. In-depth looks at how your products or services have helped other businesses or people achieve success can increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.
• Learn best practices. Learn from strategies employed in successful case studies and apply similar approaches to future campaigns.
• Enhancing sales and conversions. By highlighting the real world results your products or services have delivered, case studies can be a powerful tool for boosting sales. They can help demonstrate the value of your offering and persuade your target audience to make a purchase.
• Explain how your business generates results. Case studies are a compelling way to share key takeaways with your target audience and showcase your brand.
• Use them as content marketing material. Use case studies as content for marketing purposes on websites, social media, and beyond.

Case studies can help your business stand out and achieve success. By highlighting the real world results you’ve delivered, you can use case studies to boost sales, build customer loyalty, and compellingly showcase your business.

Tips on how to write an effective marketing case study

Are you ready to write a compelling case study? Get started with these tips.

Develop a clear and compelling headline

You have about 10 seconds to communicate your value proposition to keep customer attention. Whether you’re designing a new landing page or making a long-term plan for your brand’s content marketing strategy , the headline is the most crucial part.

A compelling title should capture readers’ attention and make them want to read more. To craft a compelling headline:

• Understand your audience: Before crafting a headline, ensure you know your target audience — what are their pain points, interests, and needs?
• Highlight the most significant result: Focus on the most impactful result achieved in the case study. What was the primary outcome of the strategy implemented?
• Keep it brief: Keep your headline concise and to the point. Try to keep your headline under 12 words.
• Use action words: Incorporate action verbs such as “achieved,” “transformed,” or “boosted” to convey a sense of accomplishment.
• Include data: Numbers make your headline more credible. For example, if the case study achieved a 75% increase in sales, include that in the headline.
• Emphasize benefits: Focus on the positive changes or advantages the implemented strategy brought to the client or business. Use these as selling points in your headline.
• Make it unique and memorable: Avoid generic phrases to make your headline stand out from the competition.
• Use keywords wisely: Incorporate relevant keywords that align with the case study and your target audience’s search interest to improve search engine visibility through search engine optimization (SEO).
• Consider subheadings: If you cannot fit all the necessary information in a headline, consider adding a subheading to provide additional context or details.

Here are some examples of clear and convincing case study headlines:

• “Achieving a 150% ROI: How [XYZ] Strategy Transformed a Startup”
• “How Optimized SEO Tactics Skyrocketed Sales by 80%”
• “Mastering Social Media: How [ABC] Brand Increased Engagement by 50%”
• “The Power of Personalization: How Tailored Content Quadrupled Conversions”

Write relatable content

Almost 90% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers prefer influencers who they consider relatable. Relatability is part of building trust and connection with your target audience.

When writing your case study, make content that resonates with readers and speaks to their pain points. The best marketing doesn’t just increase conversion rates — it also serves your customers’ needs. To write content that really resonates with your target audience, make sure to:

• Understand your audience: To successfully write relatable content, you first need to understand your target audience — their interests, pain points, and challenges. The more you know about your target audience, the better you can tailor your content to their needs.
• Identify pain points: As mentioned above, identify challenges your target audience may face. Make sure to highlight how the product or service in the case study can effectively address these pain points.
• Tell a story: Create a narrative that follows a standard story arc. Start with a relatable struggle that the customer or business faced and describe its associated emotions.
• Use real customer feedback: Incorporate quotes or testimonials from actual customers or clients. Including authentic voices makes the content more relatable to readers because they can see real people expressing their experiences.
• Use relatable language: Write in a tone to which your audience can relate. Only include overly technical terms if your target audience solely consists of experts who would understand them.
• Use social proof: Mention any recognitions, awards, or industry acknowledgments that may have been received by the customer or business in the case study.
• Encourage engagement: Urge readers to share their own challenges or experiences related to the subject matter of the case study. This is a great way to foster a sense of community.

Outline your strategies with corresponding statistics

Whether you’re showing off the results your marketing team achieved with a new strategy or explaining how your product has helped customers, data and research make it easier to back up claims.

Include relevant statistics in your case study to provide evidence of the effectiveness of your strategies, such as:

• Quantitative data: Use numerical data to quantify results.
• Qualitative data: Use qualitative data, such as customer testimonials, to back up numerical results.
• Comparisons: Compare the post-campaign results with the pre-campaign benchmarks to provide context for the data.
• Case study metrics: Include specific metrics relevant to your industry or campaign if applicable. For example, in e-commerce, common metrics could include customer acquisition cost, average order value, or cart abandonment rate.

By incorporating relatable outcomes — such as cost savings from new automation or customer responsiveness from your new social media marketing campaign — you can provide concrete evidence of how your product or service has helped others in similar situations.

Use multiple formats of representation

People love visuals . It doesn’t matter if it’s an infographic for digital marketing or a graph chart in print materials — we love to see our data and results represented in visuals that are easy to understand. Additionally, including multiple representation formats is a great way to increase accessibility and enhance clarity.

When making a case study, consider including various forms of representation, such as:

• Infographics: Use infographics to condense critical information into a visually appealing, easy-to-understand graphic. Infographics are highly sharable and can be used across marketing channels.
• Charts: Use charts (bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, etc.) to illustrate statistical information such as data trends or comparisons. Make sure to include clear labels and titles for each chart.
• Images: Include relevant photos to enhance the storytelling aspect of your case study. Consider including “before and after” pictures if relevant to your case study.
• Videos: Short videos summarizing a case study’s main points are great for sharing across social media or embedding into your case study.
• Tables: Use tables to help organize data and make it easier for readers to digest.
• Data visualizations: Include data visualizations such as flowcharts or heatmaps to illustrate user journeys or specific processes.
• Screenshots: If your case study involves digital products, include screenshots to provide a visual walkthrough of how the product or service works.
• Diagrams: Use diagrams, such as a flowchart, to explain complex processes, decision trees, or workflows to simplify complicated information.
• Timelines: If your case study involves a timeline of specific events, present it using a timeline graphic.

Use a consistent design style and color scheme to maintain cohesion when incorporating multiple formats. Remember that each format you use should serve a specific purpose in engaging the reader and conveying information.

Get your case study in front of your intended audience

What good is a compelling case study and a killer call to action (CTA) if no one sees it? Once you’ve completed your case study, share it across the appropriate channels and networks your target audience frequents and incorporate it into your content strategy to increase visibility and reach. To get your case study noticed:

• Take advantage of your website. Create a dedicated section or landing page on your website for your case study. If your website has a blog section, consider including it here. Optimize the page for search engines (SEO) by including relevant keywords and optimizing the meta description and headers. Make sure to feature your case study on your homepage and relevant product or service pages.
• Launch email marketing campaigns. Send out the case study to your email subscriber list. Be specific and target groups that would most likely be interested in the case study.
• Launch social media campaigns. Share your case study on your social media platforms. Use eye-catching graphics and engaging captions to draw in potential readers. Consider creating teaser videos or graphics to generate interest.
• Utilize paid promotions. Use targeted social media and search engine ads to reach specific demographics or interests. Consider retargeting ads to re-engage visitors who have previously interacted with your website.
• Issue a press release. If your case study results in a significant industry impact, consider issuing a press release to share the exciting news with relevant media outlets or publications.
• Utilize influencer outreach. Collaborate with influencers who can share your case study with their followers to increase credibility and expand your reach.
• Host webinars and presentations. Discuss the case study findings and insights through webinars or presentations. Promote these events through your various marketing channels and make sure to encourage participation.
• Utilize networking events and conferences. Present your case study at industry-related conferences, trade shows, or networking events. Consider distributing printed or digital copies of the case study to attendees.
• Utilize online communities. Share the case study in relevant online forums and discussion groups where your target audience congregates.
• Practice search engine optimization (SEO). Optimize the SEO elements of your case study to improve organic search ranking and visibility.

Remember, the key to successfully promoting your case study is to tailor your approach to your specific target audience and their preferences. Consistently promoting your case study across multiple channels increases your chances of it reaching your intended audience.

Marketing case study examples

Let’s look at some successful marketing case studies for inspiration.

“How Handled Scaled from Zero to 121 Locations with HubSpot”

Right away, they lead with compelling metrics — the numbers don’t lie. They use two different formats: a well-made video accompanied by well-written text.

The study also addresses customer pain points, like meeting a higher demand during the pandemic.

“How AppSumo grew organic traffic 843% and revenue from organic traffic 340%”

This case study from Omniscient Digital leads with motivating stats, a glowing review sharing a real user experience, and a video review from the AppSumo Head of Content.

The case study information is broken down into clearly marked sections, explaining the benefits to their target audience (startups) and providing plenty of visuals, charts, and metrics to back it up.

“How One Ecommerce Business Solved the Omnichannel Challenge with Bitly Campaigns”

Download this Bitly case study from their site to see the details of how this company made an impact.

Not only is it well designed, but it also tackles customer challenges right away. The most compelling types of case studies serve their audience by showing how the product or service solves their problems.

Bitly nails it by listing obstacles and jumping right into how the brand can help.

Marketing case study template

Use this basic template to better understand the typical structure of a business case study and use it as a starting place to create your own:

Case Study Title

Date: [Date]

Client or Company Profile:

• Client/Company Name: [Client/Company Name]
• Industry: [Industry]
• Location: [Location]
• Client/Company Background: [Brief client or company background information.]

Introduction:

• Briefly introduce the client or company and any necessary context for the campaign or initiative.
• Problem statement: Describe the specific challenge or problem faced by the client or company before implementing the campaign or initiative.
• Strategy: Explain the strategy that was implemented to address the challenge. Include details such as target audience, objectives, goals, and tactics.
• Implementation: Provide a timeline of the strategy’s implementation, including key milestones and other notable considerations taken during execution.
• Outcomes: Present the qualitative and quantitative results achieved through the implemented strategy. Include relevant metrics, statistics, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Comparative data: Compare the post-campaign results to pre-campaign benchmarks or industry standards.

Analysis and Insights:

• Key insights: Summarize insights and lessons learned from the campaign and discuss the campaign's impact on the client or company’s goals.
• Challenges faced: Address any obstacles encountered during the campaign and how they were mitigated or overcome.

Conclusion:

• Conclusion: Summarize the campaign’s overall impact on the client or company. Highlight the value that was delivered by the implemented strategy and the success it achieved.
• Next Steps: Discuss potential follow-up actions, recommendations, or future strategies.

Testimonials:

• Include quotes or testimonials from the clients or customers who benefitted from the campaign.
• Incorporate relevant visuals to illustrate key points, findings, and results.

The above template is a great way to get started gathering your ideas and findings for a marketing case study. Feel free to add additional sections or customize the template to match your requirements.

Craft a compelling marketing case study for your business

Are you ready to make your marketing case study shine? With Adobe Express, you can make high-quality infographics and presentations that take your case studies to the next level.

Choose from our library of designed templates, or make it yourself with powerful tools and a library of ready-to-use graphic elements.

Get started with Adobe Express today to make compelling marketing case studies that engage your audience and drive conversions.

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33+ Best Digital Marketing Case Studies [2021 Update]

• June 16, 2020

Looking for some inspiration for your digital marketing?

The best thing you can do is read up some real-life, practical digital marketing case studies.

But see, good case studies are few and far in-between…

...Which is why we compiled this mega-list of the BEST digital marketing case studies in 2021.

Whether you’re looking for SEO, Content Marketing, PPC, or whatever else, we included it in this guide.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Ready, set, go!

33+ Digital Marketing Case Studies [All Channels]

Looking for a specific digital marketing channel you want to read up on?

Feel free to skip ahead:

SEO Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, facebook ads case studies, google ads case studies, influencer marketing case studies, other digital marketing case studies, 1. apollo digital - 0 to 200k monthly organic traffic.

• 0 to 200,000 monthly organic traffic in 2 years.
• Ranked #1-3 for extremely high CPC keywords (20$ CPC+).

Case Study Summary:

Apollo Digital helped set up an SEO strategy for a client (business process management software) that brought in 200K+ monthly organic traffic in just 2 years.

• Apollo Digital (that’s us!) completely revamped a SaaS company’s content strategy.
• We pin-pointed issues with existing blog posts (mainly, keyword cannibalization ), and proposed improvements
• Did keyword research to identify and prioritize top keywords for the company.
• Implemented content outlines to make sure the content that writers were writing was on-point for SEO.
• Used superior content UX to make the blog extremely easy to read.

You can find the full SEO case study here.

2. Backlinko - 652% Organic Traffic Increase in 7 days

• Increased organic traffic to one of their webpages by 652% in 7 days.
• Ranking went from the middle of the second page on Google to #5.

Backlinko implemented the Skyscraper Technique 2.0. Here’s what they did...

• Created a mobile SEO checklist blog post which cracked the top 10 results for the target keyword, got a huge spike in traffic in its first week, but soon dropped to the middle of the second page.
• Realized the post was getting buried because it didn’t satisfy user intent for that keyword.
• Analyzed first page results to figure out user search intent for extremely competitive keywords (“mobile SEO”).
• Changed blog post format from case study to an actual checklist to satisfy the intent, and optimized for user experience by making the text easier to read.

Check out the detailed steps for the Skyscraper Technique 2.0 here.

3. Ahrefs - Using the Skyscraper Technique to Obtain 15 Links With a 6.5% Success Rate

• Sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 backlinks, at a 6.5% success rate.

Dale Cudmore tested the SEO skyscraper technique for his brand new site (an online cv builder).

• Picked a topic that was very relevant to his niche. Since he was trying to build a resume builder, the topic was “how to write a resume.”
• Followed the skyscraper technique and created even better content than what was ranking at the time.
• Then, he reached out to people who had already linked to the specific content he was improving upon. Since they had already linked to a similar article, they were more likely to link to content that’s better.
• Dale sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 links to his article. Though his rankings didn’t change significantly (extremely competitive niche), the technique proved to be a success for generating backlinks.

Want to learn more about the technique Dale used? Check out Backlinko’s write-up on the skyscraper technique here.

Looking to read the complete case study? Go here .

4. GotchSEO - Squeeze Page That Converts at 74.5%

• Set up a squeeze page that converted at 74.5%.

Natchan Gotch set up a high-converting squeeze page that used a lot of trust signals to get the visitors to opt-in for the content.

• Created a well-structured landing page & ran retargeting ads to it.
• Presented his offer through a benefit-driven headline.
• He used distinct trust signals (a recognizable logo, GDPR compliance, copyright notice) to mitigate any trust risks and maximize the chances of the prospect taking action.

You can check out the complete case study here .

5. Online Ownership - Winning in Local SEO for a Competitive Industry

• Ranked #1 for competitive taxi-related keywords ($1.38 CPC+) with local SEO .

Online Ownership, an SEO agency, helped a taxi company dominate local search rankings.

• Created in-city location guide on how to get to/from the local airports which has been viewed over 170,000 times by now. ..
• Mentioned info on long-term airport parking companies, got them to share the content once it was live.
• The company was at the end of one county, and the beginning of another, which hurt their location-based search queries when the county was specified. So he changed the local NAP (name, address, phone number), and corrected the PIN marker to correctly account for the business location.
• The business started appearing within the local pack for almost all main search queries within the city.

Check out the full case study here.

6. Kaiserthesage - The Definitive Guide to Enterprise Link Building

• Drove almost 5 million organic visits in 2 years through authority content. Focused 80% of the campaign promotion on acquiring high-quality backlinks.

Jason of Kaiserthesage wanted to create a process for generating high-quality backlinks. In this case study, he details his process outreach process:

• Identified tactics they could effectively use for link acquisition campaigns (broken/resource link building and link reclamation).
• Compiled list of high-authority brands that were likely to link back to them.
• Conducted large-scale outreach campaigns, and followed up at least 3 times per prospect.
• Tried out different content types for link building, including practical guides/tutorials, original research studies, case studies, infographics, and more.
• Tracked results every step of the way, optimized relevant site pages (write for us, recommended list pages, etc.), and tested more outreach tactics.

You can find the full enterprise link building case study here.

7. Growth Machine - 0 to 150,000 Monthly Organic Visitors in 8 Months

• Generated 150,000 monthly organic visitors in 8 months for a brand new blog project.
• The site grew from a tiny blog to one of the most popular tea blogs on the internet.

Nat Eliason (founder of Growth Machine), grew a tea blog to 150,000 monthly searches in order to use it as a case study for his agency.

• Nat chose a topic area he knew a lot about (tea) and knew there was an audience for.
• Researched keywords with the perfect mix of low difficulty and high volume and arranged everything in a spreadsheet.
• Started publishing high quality content surrounding the topic at a rate of four blog posts per week, every week, for 8 months.
• Used Reddit, Facebook groups, and Pinterest to promote the content and drive traffic. inked back to the new content from owned websites, and mentioned it in interviews and guest posts.

You can find the full case study here.

8. Robbie Richards - 6-Step SEO Process That Generated 150,732 Visits

• Increased organic traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months and generated 20,314 organic pageviews with a single post.
• Captured 2,335 emails.

Robbie Richards details the 6-step SEO process he used to grow his client’s drone site:

• Found a topic (drones) with solid monthly search volume and a lot of secondary keyword targets.
• Created the best online guide on how to fly a quadcopter - more in-depth and high-quality than other articles at the time.
• Optimized the blog post for on-page SEO, included plenty of external/internal links, improved page speed, and made the content more UX friendly.
• Inserted a pop-up and lead-box to start generating subscribers from the blog post.
• Promoted content on Quora and relevant online forums.
• Set up social automation to share content automatically
• Submitted content on to relevant scoop.it pages.
• Used 4 different outreach strategies to build high-quality backlinks.

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9. Apollo Digital - $25,000+ From A Single Blog Post

• Content piece went viral, generating $25,000 revenue in business from a single blog post.
• 20+ leads, and over 11,000+ in page views over the first month.

Apollo Digital created and promoted epic content, which went viral and brought in over $25K in revenue (and growing).

• Researched a topic that dealt with major pain points for SaaS founders.
• Created a super in-depth 14,000+ words blog post full of actionable tips and tactics on SaaS marketing , all based on their unique perspective and experience.
• Provided better content UX, used a ton of on-page visual elements, and a Smart Content Filter plugin to make the guide easier to digest.
• Promoted on 12 different marketing channels, including Reddit, Hacker News, and Facebook groups
• Ran ads on Quora, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.

Check out the full content marketing case study here.

10. Content Mavericks - This Content Distribution Strategy Got 87,591 Visits To One Blog Post

• Used a content distribution strategy to get 87,591 visits to one blog post in 60 days.

Chris Von Wilpert of Content Mavericks created a giant article that completely breaks down HubSpot’s marketing strategy. In this case study, he talks about the content promotion strategy he used to get the article to go viral.

• Created keystone content on HubSpot’s growth strategy.
• Promoted it to his fans: inner circle, social circle, and outer circle.
• Used free traffic multipliers: email, push notification, Facebook messenger, and outreach lists to distribute content.
• Used paid traffic multipliers to manufacture virality. Reached thousands of new fans by running retargeting ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Outbrain

Check out the full content distribution strategy case study here.

11. OptiMonk - How iSpionage Increased Blog Referral Traffic by 58% in 1 Month Using Onsite Retargeting

• Increased blog referral traffic by 58.09%.
• Achieved a 5.47% CTR for blog redirect popup.

iSpionage was publishing new blog posts regularly, but their blog wasn’t redirecting a whole lot of referral traffic to their product page. Here’s what they did to fix that....

• They used an OptiMonk exit-intent popup to entice users to check out their main homepage.
• To redirect only interested visitors,the popup would only appear for readers who had spent a minimum of 10 seconds on the blog. And for better visitor experience, they set up the popup to appear a maximum number of 5 times per visitor, with at least 1 day between appearances.

Check out the full iSpionage case study by OptiMonk here.

12. SEO Travel UK - 11K Website Views in 2 Weeks From Infographic Marketing

• 11,304 website visits in 2 weeks.
• 245% increased in referral traffic compared to the same period of last year.
• More than 100 new high-quality domains linking to the site.

During the peak Game of Thrones popularity, SEO Travel UK went viral by creating infographic based on the popular show.

• Researched the best/most popular Game of Thrones content on the web to make sure that their project was worth pursuing.
• Created an infographic of all the real-life locations where the TV show was filmed.
• Reached out to people who had shared similar content in the past and asked if they’d like to feature the infographic as an exclusive.
• Promoted infographic on GoT fandom and other ‘geek’ sites and forums.

Check out the full content marketing strategy used and the case study here.

13. YesOptimist - Scaled a Startup From 0 to 100K Visitors/Mo In About One Year

• Scaled College Raptor from 0 to 100K organic sessions per month in about one year.
• Generated 1M+ visitors to the website.

YesOptimist used a content marketing strategy that combined evergreen, social/viral and link-earning content.

• Used public data and visualcontent (infographics, maps, rankings, etc.) to score early wins and backlinks from high-quality domain websites.
• Created a giant resource with rankings for overlooked colleges. Then, they reached out to the said colleges, and asked for a share. Overall, just this netted them around 250,000+ visitors in just one week.
• Published 200+ articles over a few months to achieve explosive growth.

14. CanIRank - How Fieldwire Scaled Marketing Without Losing Their Focus on Product

• Achieved top 3 rankings for nearly all of their primary keywords in 6 months.
• The traffic (if they’d advertised on the keywords) would cost them more than $10,000 a year.

CanIRank helped Fieldwire (web and mobile collaboration platform) boost their rankings for all primary keywords in their domain, beating out larger and more established companies.

• Used CanIRank’s “Improve My Ranking” tool to identify high potential pages with keywords that were ranking, but too low to get much traffic.
• Used data-driven on-page optimization for high potential pages.
• Revised content strategy and identified additional content topics that offered a good balance of value and ranking difficulty.
• Reached out to relevant media outlets and pitched founder interviews and other relevant stories.

You can see the full Fieldwire content marketing case study here.

15. BuzzSumo - How BuzzSumo Achieved $2.5m Annual Revenue in its First Year: Case Study in SaaS Growth

• Gained over 160K freemium subscribers and more than 2K paying customers in their first year.
• Gained 2.5M annual revenue total.

In 2014, as the use of AdBlock was growing, businesses were starting to rely on content more than ever. Here’s how BuzzSumo capitalized on the content marketing frenzy.

• Spent most of their budget on their content marketing tool, which generated more awareness, sharing, and advocacy than any marketing expenditures.
• Gained the support of important influencers (Larry Kim, Rand Fishkin, Neil Patel, etc.).
• Focused on making the product sticky and reducing churn rate.
• Created unique content based on data, gave away everything they knew, and started growing steadily over the year.

See the full case study of how BuzzSumo achieved 2.5M in annual revenue here.

16. GrooveHQ - Behind the Scenes: How We’ve Built a $5M/Year Business in 3 Years With Content Marketing

• Achieved $5M/Year in annual recurring revenue and gained over 250,000 readers each month in over 3 years.

GrooveHQ wanted to rebuild their content marketing strategy with a focus on their target market's challenges and goals. Here’s how they accomplished that:.

• Redesigned their content marketing strategy to be more transparent and focus on their own business challenges and goals.
• Asked new email subscribers about their business struggles, and answered those questions in the form of blog posts.
• Reached out to influencers, and asked for their thoughts and feedback on blog posts (Instead of begging them for shares).
• Ran A/B tests on narrative-based storytelling blog posts to see which ones performed better.

Find the full GrooveHQ $5M content marketing case study here.

17. Zest - Generate MQLs for 15x less? Yes, please. How Whatagraph crushed it

• Lowered Whatagraph’s cost per marketing qualified lead (MQL) by 15x - from $60 to just $4.
• Of all the users who signed up for a free trial as a result of the campaign, 9% were sales qualified leads (SQLs) that converted at a cost 4x less than Whatagraph’s usual paid advertising per-lead cost.

Whatagraph wanted to promote their annual marketing report template to the right audience without breaking their budget. Here’s how they did this:

• Whatagraph partnered with Zest to extend their web presence and promote their marketing annual report template.
• Paid $400 for a content boost strategy to promote their template on the Zest Content Stream and in their newsletter.
• The campaign started just before Christmas and continued through January 23, 2020, which lowered Whatagraph’s cost per MQL by 15x.

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18. AdEspresso - Facebook Ads Case Study: The Million Dollar Indiegogo Campaign

• Secured pre-orders from over 76 countries, with over 2,000 backers on Indiegogo.
• Achieved over $900K in funding.

BionicGym wanted to promote their Indiegogo page for an increase in sales and site visits. Here’s how they did this:

• Set up one campaign per country ads and set the objective to ‘Conversions’.
• Split-tested up to 252 ads and used the auto-optimization feature to relocate funding across the different ads, depending on how they performed.
• Set up retargeting campaigns and split test to everyone who visited the Indiegogo page and watched the Facebook video ad.
• Created lookalike audiences for the best-performing audiences.
• Reached a 9x ROI for some of the campaigns.

Check out the full Facebook Ads million-dollar Indiegogo campaign case study here.

19. Andrew Hubbard - $36,449 In Revenue From a $4,159 Ad Spend

• Generated $36,449 in revenue from $4,159 ad spend,
• Gained 769 new email subscribers and 128 new Facebook page likes.

Andrew Hubbard helped the client (Navid Moazzez) advertise his flagship course through Facebook ads.

• Ran ads a week before the course opened to get email newsletter opt-ins.
• Targeted warm traffic (Facebook fans, email list) first to an opt-in page.
• Ran ads for cold traffic, directing them to an un-gated (no-opt in) blog post. Once people had read the blog post, they were retargeted with ads promoting a relevant lead magnet.
• Created ads focusing on urgency and scarcity when bonus packages were starting to expire.

You can see the full Facebook Ads case study here.

19. Sugatan - Step-by-step Ecommerce Scaling from 50k/Mo to 520k/Mo with Facebook Ads

• $520K+ in monthly sales with 3.79x ROAS through the funnel.
• 2.35x ROAS at top-of-funnel, spending $100k+/monthly.

Sugatan (eCommerce growth-hacking agency) scaled their client using Facebook Ads and by testing different kinds of creatives. Here’s what, exactly, they did:

• Installed HotJar on the client’s eCommerce site to get insights on how customers behaved. Tested different video creative types, different ad ratio sizes, copy, thumbnails, and buttons to see what converted best.
• Killed off smaller ad-sets with the same audiences to prepare for scaling. Increased budget 20-30% twice per day for 2-3 days.
• Increased budget 1 month before Christmas and Black Friday sales, and launched a Facebook Messenger & email collection campaign 1 week before the sale started. Created VIP discounts for people who gave them their email addresses or subscribed to their messenger list.
• Starting running ads for the whole week before Black Friday - giving 10% off to everyone tracked via Facebook Pixel and 20% for VIP sales which were on for 24h.

Check out the full agency eCommerce business Facebook ad case study here.

20. Mark Brinker - How I Improved My Facebook Advertising By 400% In Just 4 Weeks

• Decreased cost per subscriber from $11.43 to $2.40 (79% reduction) in 4 weeks.
• Increased number of weekly subscribers from 10 to 51 (400% increase).

Mark Brinker (consultant) increased his weekly subscribers at a cheaper cost through Facebook Ads by promoting his e-book.

• Tested 6 different ad headlines and 3 ad images.
• Let all the 18 variations of the ads run for 1 week, and then eliminated the ones that were performing poorly.
• Deleted 3 more ads with headlines that were not resonating with the audience after that week.
• Found the winning combination by end of week 4 and continued running that ad.

You can see the full Facebook advertising case study here.

21. Leadpages - From 4% to 40% conversion

• Conversion rate shot up from 4% to 40% - a 10x increase from similar campaigns in the past.

Jenny Berk used Leadpage’s ad builder to promote her coaching services and optimize her micro funnel.

• Queued up $50 budget, created a custom audience from her email database (.CSV file), and layered a lookalike audience on top of that.
• Sent traffic to a targeted landing page, and created consistent ad copy and images throughout the whole funnel.
• Ran Facebook Ads for her warm leads and lookalike audiences, based on her email subscribers.

Check out Jenny’s full Facebook ads case study here.

22. Brian Downard - $194 in Facebook Ads into $100K in Sales

• Generated $106,496 in patio furniture sales from $194 in Facebook ads.

Brian Downard helped high-end patio furniture store client drive more sales and bring in more people into their local store;

• Built a warm audience using the content the furniture store had been previously sharing (blog posts, eBooks, infographics, guides, and more).
• Incentivized people to go visit the showroom in person by offering a 50% discount in the ads.
• Redirected people to a landing page from the ad, which showed a variety of products to appeal to different target audiences.
• Included a clear CTA for them to get in touch with the sales team.

You can find the full Facebook ad case study here.

23. Reinis Fischer - Spending $4 Per Day On Facebook Ads - Case Study

• Top ads gathered 1,000+ likes and shares for a budget of $8.
• Gained 50-200+ clicks per day back to the website and acquired 600+ new followers on Facebook.

Reinis Fischer grew his Facebook page about his tourism services through Facebook Ad campaigns promoting his article:

• Targeted other countries for his blog articles about tourism activities in Georgia to build brand recognition and grow his Facebook page.
• Spent $4 per day on Facebook ads and promoted only the best possible articles related to his audience.
• Promoted 1 article for 2 days with an 8$ budget for 30 days.
• Once each campaign was over, manually invited everyone who liked the posts to follow the Facebook page as well.

Check out the full spending $4 per day on Facebook ads case study here.

22. Paid Insights - AdWords Case Study: How $520 Turned Into $6,120

• Spent $520 and acquired 6 new clients for local mental health counselors.
• Gained $6,120 in revenue over 3 months.

Ross Kaplan of Paid Insights helped mental health counselor client gain new clients by running a local AdWords campaign:

• Built a new website for the client & optimized it for conversions.
• Used modified broad match keywords so that people would still get the ad even if they searched for it in a different order.
• Targeted only local zip codes surrounding the client’s office so the drive time for her customers would be under 10 minutes

Check out the full AdWords case study here.

23. Daisy-ree Quaker - PPC Case Study: How We Cut AdWords Costs by 67% With a Simple Tweak

• Costs dropped by $10,000 while conversions remained the same.
• The cost per conversion dropped from $87 to $16.
• Impressions dropped by 72% while CTR went up 103%.
• The conversion rate rose from 6% to 18%.

Daisy (online marketer) helped her SaaS client rethink their ad bidding strategy.

• SaaS company client wanted to cut back on ad spend because constantly bidding for first place was becoming too expensive.
• Realized most web users are trained to scroll past ads and decided to start bidding on 3rd position on Google as a test.
• Saw campaign results start increasing over the course of 3 months. Lowering AdWords rank helped get more views on their ads, and widened the pool of people that could see the ads because of a closer association with natural listings.

You can find the full PPC case study here.

24. Exposure Ninja - How We Increased PPC Leads by 325% in 60 Days for a Dental Clinic

• Increased conversions by 252.94% (from 17 to 60).
• Decreased cost per conversion from £154.28 to just £34.37.

Exposure Ninja helped a dental clinic, based in a competitive area for PPC ads, generate more customers.

• Installed Hotjar to understand where users were dropping off on the landing page and which areas were acting as conversion blockers. Found that visitors weren’t able to find the information they needed about the client's top service.
• Created a new landing page focusing on their priority, high-profit services.
• Because the client was running a Google Ads campaign before, they could use historical data to experiment with advanced bidding strategies.
• Introduced the new landing pages and tweaked the campaigns to maximize the client’s budget.

You can find the full increased dental PPC leads case study here.

25. ColaDigital - How We Increased Sales by 30% in 30-days Using Optimized Google Ads For a Local Business

• Increased year over year sales for local business by 30% in 30-days

ColaDigital helped a client set up their Google Ads account campaign from the ground up after they had an unpleasant experience with another agency.

• Created unique ad groups and ads for the client's most profitable keywords.
• Set up a hyper-targeted campaign using 1 unique ad group and 3 different match types for each ad group keyword.
• Set up negative keywords and turned on audience demographics in Google Analytics

You can find the full google ads local business case study here.

26. BoxCrush - AdWords Success Story

Helped an industrial client who had a lot of impressions but very little clicks:

• Increase CTR from 2.41% to 3.89%
• Decrease CPC from $2.24 to $2.17 in 1 month.

BoxCrush helped an industrial client improve their AdWords campaign when their click-through rate had fallen.

• Rebuilt customer’s AdWords account from the ground up, splitting it into meaningful campaigns that targeted specific demographics.
• Built Ad Groups within each campaign and created ads targeting audiences with each group.
• Once they saw an increase in performance, they expanded the client’s campaign from three Ad groups to six.
• Made the ads relate more to specific keywords, which caused the clickthrough rate to increase.
• Refined and re-optimized the process over time, causing the results to grow even further after the 1st month.

27. Sumo - How Noah Kagan Grew A Website To 10K Visitors In A Month

• Grew website from 0 to 10K visitors in a month.
• Grew email list from 173 to 2,322 in 3 days.

Noah Kagan took on an apprentice (Julien Marion) and helped him grow his brand new blog about sleep from scratch, with no prior connections or budget.

• Created a simple landing page to capture emails before the site was live.
• Set realistic and SMART traffic goals of 10,000 visitors in 30 days.
• Created a quant-based marketing approach strategy to build the plan, thus working backward from the 10K visitors goal.
• Reached out to relevant companies to participate in a viral giveaway that he would then promote to the site’s audience through their newsletter.
• Reached out to niche influencers for interviews to drive referral traffic.
• Tracked daily results and goals to stay accountable.

See the full marketing plan and the whole growing website case study here.

28. HubSpot - How PureVPN Increased Website Traffic by 289% Through Storytelling

• Gained a 289% increase in new visitors’ traffic site year over year.
• Helped raise awareness on cyberstalking and attracted people who wanted to add to the conversation.

PureVPN wanted to tell the stories of cyberstalking victims and raise awareness on the subject. Here's how they did it:

• Designed a buyer’s journey centered around raising awareness on cyberstalking and its effects on society.
• Researched reading habits of their buyer persona, used keyword research tools for idea generation, and searched for topics on Quora based on questions real people were asking.Gathered statistical data of past and recent cyberstalking incidents. Identified and reached out to influencers who were associated with cyberstalking awareness campaigns and victims or people who could tell their stories.
• Interviewed influencers and turned the interviews into blog posts. Experienced a significant spike in website traffic through influencers sharing the content.

See how PureVPN increased website traffic through storytelling and influencer marketing tactics here.

29. Beeketing - How Gymshark Grew by 200%+ Year On Year and Hit £41M in Sales

• Grew by 200% year on year and hit £41M in sales in nearly 7 years.
• Achieved a cult-like following.

Ben Francis (founder of GymShark) disrupted the gym apparels market using social media and influencer marketing.

• Only selected specific influencers with strong Instagram engagement and following to gain credibility.
• Sponsored various fitness Instagrammers, YouTubers, and bloggers and organized meet-ups.
• Partnered with fitness and lifestyle influencers on TikTok.
• Announced the "66 Days" fitness challenge on their site and other social media platforms to drive user-generated content.
• Built long-lasting relationships with fans on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Spotify, and other social media channels.

Check out the full Gymshark influencer growth story here.

30. Leadfeeder - How ConvertKit Grew from $98k to $625k MRR by Doing 150 Webinars in 1 Year

• Grew monthly revenue from $98K to $625K in 12 months.
• Hosted more than 150 webinars in the first year, saw a 637% growth in monthly revenue.

Founders of ConvertKit (email marketing platform) wanted to grow their brand and generate revenue with a low budget. They decided to focus on webinars.

• Focused on one marketing strategy (webinars) that didn’t require a lot of money and they could use to build a community around a relatively new product.
• Maintained a wide-open affiliate program and started doing webinars with any affiliate partner, no matter how small their audience was.
• Gave away tons of free information in 20-30 webinars per month, while asking for nothing in return.
• Maintained a narrow target audience (blogging community), and kept the technology simple (minimal tech issues).

You can find the full webinar marketing case study by ConvertKit here.

31. Buffer - The Simple Facebook Posting Strategy That Helped us 3x Our Reach and Engagement

• Tripled reach from 44,000 to 150,000+ people per week on Facebook.
• Increased average daily engagement from ~500 to 1,000+.
• Posts started reaching between 5,000-20,000 people

Buffer noticed their Facebook reach and engagement were decreasing for their posts over time. Here's what they did:

• Noticed that the more they posted on Facebook, the less reach they received with each post.
• Started posting only entertaining and educational content.
• Posted only once or twice on Facebook and curated content to increase engagement.
• Created a few brand awareness and engagement-focused posts to build an active Facebook audience.
• Boosted posts that were already performing well to amplify the reach.

You can find Buffer’s complete Facebook posting strategy here.

32. SEMRush - Raise Your Game: A Step-By-Step Guide To Gamification Marketing

• More than 9,300 users took part in their game.
• Received 8+ million impressions on Twitter.

SEMRush wanted to educate their users on their different product features and stand out while doing so. For this, they used gamification marketing..

• Customers were finding it hard to stay up to date with all the novelties the SEMRush tool offered. SEMRush wanted to increase their awareness of their platform’s wide functionality and increase the number of tools people used.
• Aligned campaign with a global event (Easter).
• Made it so that the Egg Hunt game looked good and felt satisfying from a gamification perspective. Those who found all 15 eggs were awarded a list of the 10,000 most searched keywords for 10 countries.
• Created a special hashtag for Twitter (#semrushegghunt), which picked up and went viral, and made sure the customer support and social media teams were ready in case users needed any help.

Check out the full step-by-step guide to gamification marketing case study here.

33. Hootsuite - How the British Museum Increased Social Media Engagement by 126%

• Gained 2M+ new followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Gained 126% more tweet responses, increasing customer engagement.
• Over 1,300 tweets tagged and analyzed to uncover actionable insights.

The British Museum turned to Hootsuite to set up a better social media campaign strategy and engage more frequently and more effectively with its audience.

• Set a three key goal strategy to increase online reach and engagement, deliver digital-first customer service, and identify opportunities for income and revenue generation.
• Identified opportunities to develop channel-specific content to make the best of each social media channel.
• Used Hootsuite to adapt to the new social media strategy and to track and analyze results.

See the full British Museum social media case study here.

34. Saashacker - 19 SaaS Marketing Strategies That Bootstrapped Ahrefs To $40m ARR

• Grew from 15 to 50 employees and over $40M in annual recurring revenue while being 100% bootstrapped.

Ahrefs used a mix of different SaaS marketing strategies to grow their brand.

• Rejected conventional SaaS marketing wisdom, focused on product quality driving word of mouth marketing and boosted their exposure at the world’s biggest SEO event. Went semi-viral on Twitter by adding nerdy SEO data to the coffee cups at the conference and giving them away to attendees..
• Produced a lot of content on how their SEO tool solved specific problems and used blog posts as ads.
• Created and gave away courses on blogging for businesses for free, used word of mouth marketing to promote it, and pushed employee images to the front to gain readers’ trust.
• Did 20 podcasts in 4 months, posted content a lot on Reddit, YouTube, their own blog, and other channels.
• ...And a LOT more.

See the full case study here.

And that’s a wrap!

Ready to 10x your business through digital marketing now?

We hope the above case studies were helpful and you can use them as inspiration to drive amazing results.

For more industry-leading digital marketing content and tips, be sure to check out our blog .

Did we miss a case study? Have YOU done something interesting that deserves a mention in this list?

Let us know down in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

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Brand Marketing Case Studies

This collection features brands and content creators that used video and other digital tactics to drive innovation, connect with their consumers, and drive brand and business metrics. Learn about best practices, creative executions, and how brands achieved success through digital.

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Comedy central’s innovative search/youtube strategy sends fans on an internet-wide easter egg hunt, fiat's 500x crossover ad drives audience engagement on youtube, how orkin's youtube content strategy exterminated the 'ew'-factor and boosted brand awareness, gillette wins with a digital-first approach for gillette body, how maybelline new york's eye-catching youtube campaign dared consumers to 'go nude', driving sales for retailers with youtube's trueview for shopping, l'oréal canada finds beauty in programmatic buying, rosetta stone embraces mobile video to generate 10x increase in site traffic, new balance races past pre-order goal with youtube trueview and google lightbox ads, how budweiser won the big game with "puppy love", jcpenney optical boosts in-store traffic and brand exposure with google advertising, how activision reached over 2m subscribers on youtube, aéropostale partners with youtube star bethany mota to drive leads, sales and fans, mondelēz international improves campaign effectiveness with google’s brand lift solution, visit california lifts intent to travel to california with a unique experience on youtube, toyota drives engagement with first +post ads campaign, brand usa boosts travel intent 22% with 'discover america' campaign, kraft serves up a fresh take on food with a side of google, hyatt brings its brand experience to life with google solutions, ehealth boosts brand awareness with google display ads, sunrun uses google's brand lift solution to measure campaign recall, topshop reinvents its london fashion week show on google+ and engagement triples, chevrolet drives brand awareness for its new traverse, unilever's 'project sunlight' shines with 77 million youtube views, mercedes-benz france's immersive youtube experience fuels shift in brand perception, youtube and broadway: a cinderella story, chef jamie oliver's food tube: a recipe for youtube success, the record breaking love affair between evian® and youtube, nextiva attracts new customers with youtube trueview ads, vice's youtube success: growing sustained viewership through breakout videos, land rover finds success with engagement ads.

Persuasive Marketing Case Study Examples & Templates

Get examples of marketing case study mastery. Learn by example how to engage and convert more prospects and launch your effort with battle-tested templates.

Dominika Krukowska

9 minute read

Short answer

What makes a great marketing case study.

A great marketing case study is a compelling narrative, showcasing real-world success, complete with quantifiable results. It weaves strategy, execution, and outcome into a captivating story that inspires and convinces the reader to take the desired action.

Are your marketing case studies falling flat?

Marketing case studies are an essential step for many prospects to see if they can trust you, if you meet their particular needs, and if tying their business with yours feels right.

Marketing case studies provide prospects a sense of security without which they’ll never convert.

But when done poorly, case studies can become little more than digital white noise. They’ll fail to build trust and confidence, but worse yet, they might just drive prospects to go with your competition.

Too many companies invest time, thought, and money into creating “white noise” case studies without knowing that they may cause more harm than good.

But there’s a way forward. This post will serve as your compass, guiding you to the promised land of persuasive, profit-driving success stories.

Let’s get started!

What is a marketing case study?

A marketing case study is a narrative showcasing a company's successful marketing strategy . It outlines the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the achieved results. This tool effectively demonstrates value, builds credibility, and convinces potential customers to take action.

What is the purpose of a marketing case study?

The purpose of a marketing case study is to build trust and authority and inspire action from potential clients. It's intended to present a narrative of success through a transformational business story with measurable outcomes. Its goal is to encourage potential customers to envision their own success with the help of your solution.

1) To present a narrative of success

Think of your case study as a rags-to-riches success story starring your client. They struggle with problems, they stumble on your product or service which guides them back to safety. But here the 'happily ever after' is a measurable outcome.

2) To build trust

A case study shows how you brought tangible indisputable results. It shows the positive transformation you helped bring about for your client. It's like having a credible friend vouch for you—it has an authentic persuasive effect that nothing you say yourself could ever achieve.

3) To inspire action

A good marketing case study nudges the reader to think: 'If it worked wonders for them, why not for me?' It subtly encourages potential customers to envision their own success with your product or service, though they came doubtful.

4) To show relevance

A marketing case study doesn’t just show a specific problem. By highlighting challenges similar to those faced by your potential customers, a case study makes your solution look more than “a good fit” it makes you look like “the best fit”, or even “the only fit”.

Our Head of Marketing has this piece of advice for you:

"When we write a marketing case study we treat it like a personal story we’d share with friends over lunch.

This makes our case studies feel familiar and gives them the credibility of personal experience, which tends to inspire others to act the same way."

—Amotz Harari, Head of Marketing at Storydoc

What should a marketing case study include?

Looking to craft a marketing case study that grips, convinces, and converts? Here's your blueprint.

A compelling marketing case study should include:

A captivating title: Much like a great book, your case study needs an intriguing title. One that grabs attention and promises an interesting story - a story of a problem solved, a challenge overcome, a victory achieved.

The protagonist: Every good story needs a hero. In your case study, it's the client or customer. Start by introducing them - who are they? What do they do? What unique challenge were they facing?

The problem: Detail the problem your customer faced. This is the villain of your story - the hurdle that stood in your customer's way. Make it relatable, so potential customers facing the same issue can see themselves in your protagonist's shoes.

The solution: Now introduce your product or service - the knight in shining armor. Explain how you swooped in to tackle the problem. Highlight what makes your solution unique and effective.

The implementation process: Give a brief account of how the solution was implemented. This is the journey part of your story - the struggle, the strategy, and the steps taken to overcome the challenge.

The results: The happily-ever-after of your tale. Showcase the positive results achieved using your product or service. Be specific and use hard numbers - they provide tangible proof of your success.

The testimonial: Finally, include words of praise from your satisfied customer. A happy client is the best endorsement. This validates the story you've told and adds an emotional, human touch.

A clear next step: Conclude with a clear call to action. What should the reader do next? Contact you for a consultation? Sign up for a demo? Download a guide? Make sure the next step is relevant, clear, and compelling.

Here’s an example of a marketing case study designed according to this structure:

What are the main types of marketing case studies?

Selecting the right format for your case study depends on your goal, the specifics of your customer's story, and the message you wish to convey.

4 case study types to consider:

1) Problem-solution case study:

This is the classic 'hero’s journey'. Your customer (the hero) is faced with a challenge (the problem), and aided by a trusted guide (your solution) goes through a transformation overcoming their hurdles and fulfilling their full potential.

This format focuses on the details of the journey with its ups and downs.

2) Before-and-after case study

The Cinderella tale of the business world. You show the situation 'before' your product or service came into play, and the improved situation 'after'.

This format focuses on contrasting the transformation , highlighting the dramatic changes from before your solution came in and after.

3) Success story case study

Think of this as the 'rags to riches' narrative. Rather than focusing solely on a single problem and solution, this case study celebrates an overarching success.

It provides the details of how the change was achieved but focuses mainly on the outcomes and their business impact.

4) Interview style case study

This type is more personal and candid, providing direct quotes and insights from the customer’s perspective.

This format lends authenticity and focuses on building an emotional connection with the reader.

The ACORN method - 5 steps for writing story-led case studies:

Best marketing case study examples to inspire you

I've curated for you a selection of brilliant marketing case study examples from some of the biggest names in business.

These case studies represent a variety of industries, challenges, solutions, and outcomes, providing a wealth of insights and inspiration for your own case study creation.

Let's dive in:

1. How Nestlé empowered the sales team with high-quality leads

Tenlo, a marketing agency, worked with the Nestlé Professional Dispensed Beverage Sales Team to improve their lead generation efforts.

Through a targeted content strategy and optimized lead nurturing campaigns, they successfully empowered the client's sales team with high-quality leads, resulting in increased conversion rates and revenue growth.

2. Dove's Real Beauty Sketches

Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign aimed to challenge societal beauty standards.

Through an emotional and thought-provoking video campaign, Dove sparked conversations and empowered women to redefine their perception of beauty, resulting in widespread awareness and positive brand sentiment.

3. How AppSumo grew organic traffic 843% and revenue from organic traffic 340%

AppSumo, a digital marketplace for software deals, employed clever marketing tactics to drive organic growth.

Through the strategic implementation of SEO, engaging product-focused content, and effective link building , they successfully increased their blog's organic traffic and saw a significant boost in revenue from organic sources.

4. How Start-Up Nation Central created innovative reports for an innovative industry

Start-Up Nation Central is an NGO with a clear mission—to fuel the growth of high-tech companies. They produce and send out a lot of business analysis reports, and they were looking for a way to modernize the way they present data.

By working with Storydoc to switch from static PDFs to interactive next-gen decks, they gained access to full reader analytics and A/B testing options to see which versions of their reports were getting the most traction.

5. How Forbes grew their subscriber base by 20% using PPC advertising

Adventure PPC collaborated with Forbes Magazine to enhance their subscriber base. Through targeted paid advertising campaigns , video production, and remarketing, they achieved a significant 20% increase in subscribers. Adventure PPC's strategy included closely monitoring ad budget to optimize campaigns and ensure effective resource allocation.

6. L’Oreal Paris and Google

L’Oreal cooperated with Google ahead of their new product launch to identify relevant audience segments based on hard data.

They targeted potential customers across all stages of the marketing funnel, which resulted in increasing ad recall, market share, and e-commerce sales.

You can watch the case study below:

7. How Bitly solved the omnichannel challenge

Vissla, an e-commerce shop, was looking for a more effective way to keep an account of data across all of their marketing channels.

They partnered with Bitly Campaigns to create a dashboard containing all marketing activities, track results in real-time, and optimize their content based on hard data.

8. Gannett marketing operations grows digital subscriber base with Asana

When Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the US, brought their marketing campaign production in-house, they had to find a way to scale up the number of projects.

They collaborated with Asana to increase campaign volume and streamline campaign management.

9. How Stripe leverages GPT-4 to streamline user experience and combat fraud

Stripe, the innovative payment platform, gathered 100 brilliant minds from within its own ranks to revolutionize features and workflows with GPT-4. Their mission? Take Stripe to new heights!

The result? 15 groundbreaking prototypes emerged, promising personalized support, expert answers to tough questions, and the power to nail fraud on community platforms.

10. How Ryanair uses Hotjar Surveys to measure satisfaction and report on trends

Ryanair, a leading Irish discount airline, needed to find a way to report product performance to its main stakeholders.

They turned to Hotjar Surveys to measure user satisfaction, identify main pain points and barriers to purchase, and report the larger trends.

11. Accelo gives software company the insights and efficiency to double revenue

The leadership team at Tambla, an HR technology company in Australia, was struggling to pinpoint resource leaks.

By consolidating client work management tools using Accelo, they gained unprecedented visibility. In just two years of using the platform, Tambla doubled revenue, quadrupled project turnover and increased recurring work by 15%!

Marketing case study design examples you can use as your template

Your marketing case study design can significantly influence its effectiveness. But design is a serious business.

Imagine starting a marketing case study from zero—it's like carving a statue from a solid block of marble. But, what if you had a mold?

These interactive case study templates provide a structured narrative, coupled with the flexibility to add your own data, images, and other interactive elements designed to engage, impress, and persuade.

Why you shouldn’t make case studies as PDFs

Considered the go-to format for case studies, PDFs offer accessibility and versatility. Share them around, download at will, or print for a keepsake.

But just because PDFs are easy for you to use, it doesn’t mean they’re easy for your audience to consume. They’re not.

PDFs are a hassle. They're tough to read, scan, and navigate. They're not mobile-friendly, they lack interactivity, and they can be downright dull.

On top of that, they take your audience offline, disconnecting them from your online assets, like your website or app.

What you can do instead

Instead of PDFs that tank engagement, it’s better to go with the webpage option.

Webpage-designed case studies offer multimedia, interactivity, and mobile-friendly navigation that lead to renewed engagement.

They give your readers a rich content experience with videos, animations, and clickable elements like tabs, sliders, and buttons, all wrapped in a story.

However, webpage case studies are not so easy to produce . They require the involvement of designers, developers, website managers, brand managers, and so on.

With all these people involved, even adding the tiniest update to the page can become a headache.

But there’s a way to bypass all this needless complexity . Creating a case study with Storydoc combines the interactivity of a webpage and the simplicity of producing a PDF.

When using Storydoc you’re stepping into a safe walled garden where everything is already taken care of , from coding to design to branding. And making changes takes just a few seconds.

Here’s how PDF and Storydoc case studies compare:

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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Lessons from the Field: Analyzing Successful Marketing Case Studies

Discover valuable insights and strategies from real-life marketing case studies in this informative article.

In the ever-evolving world of marketing, success stories serve as valuable lessons. Case studies, in particular, provide real-world examples and insights that can shape marketing strategies, campaigns, and tactics. They offer a window into the strategies employed by successful brands, allowing marketers to extract valuable insights and apply them to their own endeavors. In this article, we will delve into the importance of case studies in marketing, identify key elements of successful case studies, explore how to extract valuable insights from them, and discuss the application of those insights to improve marketing strategies.

Understanding the Importance of Case Studies in Marketing

Case studies play a vital role in the development of marketing strategy. They provide marketers with evidence of what works in real-world scenarios, allowing them to learn from others' successes and avoid their mistakes. Additionally, case studies offer an opportunity to understand the challenges faced by various organizations and how they overcame them.

The role of case studies in marketing strategy development

Case studies serve as a foundation for marketing strategy development. By analyzing successful marketing case studies, marketers can gain a deeper understanding of the tactics and approaches that have proven effective in the past. This knowledge enables them to make informed decisions and craft strategies that are more likely to succeed.

For example, let's consider a case study on a popular clothing brand that successfully launched a new product line. By examining the marketing strategies employed, such as influencer collaborations and targeted social media campaigns, marketers can draw valuable insights. They can learn about the importance of creating a buzz around the launch, leveraging the power of social media influencers, and engaging with their target audience in a meaningful way.

Furthermore, case studies provide marketers with a comprehensive view of the marketing landscape. They showcase different industries, markets, and target audiences, allowing marketers to broaden their perspective. This exposure to diverse case studies helps marketers identify innovative strategies and adapt them to their specific business needs.

How case studies provide real-world examples and insights

Case studies bring marketing theories and concepts to life by showcasing their application in real-world scenarios. They provide concrete examples of marketing strategies, tactics, and campaigns that have achieved measurable success. Whether it's a social media campaign that went viral or a targeted content marketing strategy, case studies offer a wealth of insights into what works and how it can be replicated.

Let's delve into a case study on a startup that successfully disrupted the market with a unique marketing approach. This case study highlights the importance of thinking outside the box and taking calculated risks. By analyzing the strategies employed by the startup, marketers can gain valuable insights into unconventional marketing methods that can create a buzz and differentiate their brand from competitors.

Furthermore, case studies provide an opportunity to learn from failures as well. By examining unsuccessful marketing campaigns, marketers can identify pitfalls to avoid and gain a deeper understanding of what does not work in certain contexts. This knowledge is invaluable in refining marketing strategies and avoiding costly mistakes.

Moreover, case studies offer a glimpse into the ever-evolving digital landscape. With the rapid advancement of technology, marketers need to stay updated on the latest trends and tools. By studying case studies that showcase successful digital marketing campaigns, marketers can gain insights into emerging platforms, innovative techniques, and effective ways to engage with digitally-savvy consumers.

In conclusion, case studies are an essential tool for marketers to enhance their understanding of successful marketing strategies and gain insights into real-world examples. By analyzing case studies, marketers can make informed decisions, craft effective marketing strategies, and stay ahead in the dynamic and competitive marketing landscape.

Identifying Key Elements of Successful Marketing Case Studies

To truly benefit from analyzing case studies, it is essential to identify their key elements. By understanding what makes a case study successful, marketers can find valuable lessons and apply them to their own marketing initiatives.

Case studies are a powerful tool for marketers to gain insights and learn from the successes of others. They provide a real-life example of how a marketing strategy was implemented and the results that were achieved. However, not all case studies are created equal. Some are more effective than others in conveying the key lessons and inspiring marketers to take action.

Defining the objectives and target audience of the case study

Successful case studies clearly define their objectives and target audience. These two factors shape the entire narrative of the case study, ensuring that it aligns with the intended lessons and resonates with the readers who can benefit from it.

When defining the objectives of a case study, marketers should consider what specific insights they want to gain and what actions they hope to inspire. This clarity of purpose will guide the selection of case study subjects and the analysis of their strategies.

Similarly, identifying the target audience is crucial for crafting a case study that speaks directly to the right people. Marketers should consider who will benefit the most from the lessons shared in the case study and tailor the language, examples, and recommendations accordingly.

Selecting the right case study subjects for analysis

The choice of case study subjects is crucial. Marketers should select case studies that closely align with their industry, target market, or specific marketing challenges they face. By analyzing case studies that are relevant and relatable, marketers can extract insights that are directly applicable to their own marketing strategies.

When selecting case study subjects, marketers should consider not only the industry or market segment but also the specific challenges or goals they are facing. For example, if a marketer is struggling with social media engagement, analyzing a case study of a successful social media campaign can provide valuable insights and inspiration.

Furthermore, it is important to consider the credibility and reliability of the case study subjects. Marketers should look for case studies that have been well-documented and have credible sources of information. This ensures that the insights gained from the analysis are based on accurate and trustworthy data.

Analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies

Case studies have a distinct structure and format. Successful case studies often follow a storytelling approach, clearly outlining the problem, the strategy employed, the tactics used, and the results achieved. Analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies can help marketers present their own strategies in a compelling and engaging manner.

When analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies, marketers should pay attention to the flow of the narrative. Is the story easy to follow? Does it build tension and create anticipation? Is the resolution satisfying? These elements contribute to the overall impact of the case study and can make it more memorable and persuasive.

In addition, marketers should consider the use of visuals and supporting data in successful case studies. Visuals such as charts, graphs, and images can help illustrate key points and make the case study more visually appealing. Supporting data, such as statistics and metrics, can add credibility and provide evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies employed.

By analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies, marketers can gain insights into how to present their own strategies in a way that captures the attention of their audience and effectively communicates the key lessons.

Extracting Valuable Insights from Marketing Case Studies

Once marketers have identified successful case studies, the next step is to extract valuable insights that can inform their own marketing initiatives. This involves examining the strategies employed, understanding the impact of market research and data analysis, and learning from innovative and creative marketing campaigns.

Identifying successful marketing strategies and tactics

Case studies provide an opportunity to identify successful marketing strategies and tactics that have proven effective in specific scenarios. By analyzing these strategies, marketers can gain inspiration and adapt them to their own campaigns to achieve similar results.

Understanding the impact of market research and data analysis

Market research and data analysis play a crucial role in successful marketing case studies. These studies often highlight the importance of gathering and analyzing relevant data to inform marketing decisions. By understanding how market research and data analysis contribute to successful marketing, marketers can leverage these tools to enhance their own strategies.

Learning from innovative and creative marketing campaigns

Successful case studies often showcase innovative and creative marketing campaigns that have captured audience attention. By analyzing these campaigns, marketers can learn valuable lessons about creativity, resourcefulness, and out-of-the-box thinking. These insights can then be applied to their own marketing initiatives to create impact and differentiate their brands.

Applying Lessons Learned to Improve Marketing Strategies

Deriving insights from case studies is only valuable if they can be effectively applied to improve marketing strategies. This involves implementing successful case study findings into marketing plans, adapting strategies to fit different industries and target markets, and measuring the effectiveness of marketing strategies based on case study insights.

Implementing successful case study findings into marketing plans

Successful case study findings should not remain mere insights but should be transformed into actionable plans. Marketers should incorporate these findings into their marketing strategies and campaigns, adapting them to suit their own unique circumstances. By implementing successful case study findings, marketers can increase the likelihood of achieving desirable outcomes.

Adapting strategies to fit different industries and target markets

While case studies provide valuable insights, it's crucial to adapt them to fit different industries and target markets. What works for one brand may not necessarily work for another. Marketers should carefully consider the nuances of their own industry and target market and tailor strategies accordingly. By intelligently integrating case study learnings with industry context, marketers can maximize effectiveness.

Measuring the effectiveness of marketing strategies based on case study insights

An effective marketing strategy is one that can be measured and evaluated. Once marketers have applied case study insights to their own strategies, they should establish clear metrics to assess their effectiveness. By measuring the impact of their strategies, marketers can continuously refine and optimize their marketing efforts based on the lessons learned from the case studies they have analyzed.

Storing Templates in the HIVO Platform

In addition to analyzing case studies for insights, marketers can also streamline their marketing processes by utilizing digital asset management platforms like HIVO. One valuable feature of HIVO is the ability to store templates.

Templates provide marketers with a consistent and efficient way to execute marketing campaigns. With HIVO, marketing teams can easily access and use pre-designed templates for various marketing materials, such as landing pages, social media ads, email campaigns, and more.

By storing templates in the HIVO platform, marketers can ensure brand consistency, save time on design iterations, and maintain quality control over the marketing materials. The ability to store templates simplifies the marketing workflow, enhances collaboration among team members, and allows for better scalability in marketing campaigns.

In conclusion, analyzing successful marketing case studies is a valuable practice for marketers seeking to improve their strategies. By understanding the importance of case studies, identifying key elements of successful case studies, extracting valuable insights, and applying those lessons learned, marketers can enhance their marketing outcomes and drive success in their campaigns. Additionally, leveraging digital asset management platforms like HIVO, with features such as template storage, can further streamline marketing processes and improve efficiency.

How to Write a Marketing Case Study (With Examples)

Learn exactly what a marketing case study is, how to write one that stands out, and review some examples of existing, successful studies.

As any big brand like MailChimp, Spotify and IMB will tell you, case studies are a huge part of solidifying your brand as thought leaders.

A case study is a win: you share the success of a customer as a result of your company’s actions. At SimpleTexting we call them our Success Stories , but no matter the name, the structure is the same — how company A worked with B to achieve XYZ. 

In this article we’ll cover everything from the basics to real-life examples.What exactly is a marketing case study, what constitutes a good one, and most importantly, how do you build one?

Let’s get started.

What is a Marketing Case Study?

According to Curata , “a case study in the context of marketing is an analysis of a project, campaign or company that identifies a situation, recommended solutions, implementation actions, and identification of those factors that contributed to failure or success.”

Sure, it’s a bit wordy, but at its core marketing case studies share information with prospective customers or clients about how your product offered a solution.

It doesn’t need to be dry reading. It doesn’t even need to be a report (although it can be). The key with a case study is that it should read like a story—only the beginning, middle, and end are all replicable business takeaways.

Case studies are for businesses of all sizes. They can be just as effective for small and medium-sized businesses as they are for enterprise businesses. Here’s why you should be investing time in building case studies.

Why Write a Marketing Case Study?

Before we dive into the instructions, let’s take a second to explore why a business would invest the time and effort into writing a case study. After all, why share your big marketing secrets with the world, what do you get out of the deal?

Simply put, you get the chance to share your story. Case studies, after all, are just stories showcasing your products and methods. They make for pretty spectacular advertising because, to a reader, it doesn’t feel like they’re being marketed to.

92% of customers prefer that media messages sound like a story. By using case studies you’re appealing to the logical, casual consumer who wants to know the “who, what, where, when, and why” that drives them to buy without any of the extra fuss. Case studies are the perfect medium to package it all.

How to Write a Marketing Case Study

As mentioned, every good case study maintains one singular focus: how one company used another to achieve its goal(s). This means most marketing case studies tend to take on an easily understandable problem-solution structure.

Let’s take a look at what you need to create a successful case study.

Components of a Marketing Case Study

Using the ingredients above, assemble them in this order to create a basic marketing case study:

• Write a title : Don’t worry about spoiling the ending. With case studies you want your title to let readers know right away how a campaign ended.  A case study title should include the name of the company or brand being examined, if their campaign went well or poorly for them and a solid metric that demonstrates exactly how well or how poorly they performed. For example: “ SimpleTexting Cut Down Product Onboarding Process by 30% Through Video Instruction. “
• Introduce the subject: Every marketing case study should open with a brief historical overview of the company. What have they struggled with in the past that led to them developing this campaign? Who is their target audience, what do they sell?  Even if your subject is obscure, you want to build a sense of relatability to your readers: so be sure to structure from general to specific. After all, you want readers outside just your industry to take away value.
• Identify your subject’s problems : Avoid leaving your readers feeling underwhelmed by presenting your subject’s problems early on in your case study. What are they trying to build, fix, or change? These problems are what will ultimately establish the subject’s goal, a one or two-sentence overview of the outcomes they’d like to see.
• Spell out your strategies and tactics : The real meat to your case study occurs here. This portion of your study is where you describe what actions you specifically took to try and reach your goals: What did you expect to happen when you tried “X, Y, and Z”?  Your case study can write this all out in paragraph form if you want it to read with some fluidity, or you can simply bullet out your strategies below each goal. Examples of good strategies for a common marketing pain point, such as building a social media following, include: connecting with influencers, developing original creative content, and developing paid advertising parameters.
• Share your results with visuals : At this point, you’ll want to follow up with the preview you set in your title and share with readers how things went. If you saw success, how much and where? If you didn’t were you able to pinpoint where things went wrong? Spare no detail as you write out what worked and what didn’t, and be sure to provide replicable detail (it may be what inspires your reader to become a customer!). Some common metrics commonly found in case studies include: web analytics and traffic, backlinks generated, keyword rankings, shares or other social interactions. Graphics like charts, bolded quotes, and graphs are good opportunities to visually demonstrate your data.
• Wrap it up with a conclusion : Know the difference between reemphasizing and repeating. When writing a conclusion you shouldn’t sound like an echo, repeating exactly what you said in your introduction. Instead, you want to draw emphasis back to your key points and call your readers to action. Let them know what they can do right now to get connected and see this same success (or avoid its failure).  If you’re writing a case study for marketing purposes, this is where you sell yourself and your product.

Marketing Case Study Examples

You’ve certainly heard enough from us to this point. Now it’s time to see what all of these tips and tricks look like in action. `

A plethora of marketing case study examples are out there, each one with a different objective: educational, sales-driven, industry leadership, and more.

To give you a well-rounded picture, we’ll share some of our favorite marketing case studies with you so you can see it all in action for yourself.

1. Surf Live Saving Foundation

The Surf Life Saving Foundation rolled out an innovative new framework for their brand known as the surf lottery. Despite the size of the initiative they were able to break down their process on a share of voice campaign with a great deal of clarity. Why we like this case study : It provides actionable and replicable examples of how their objectives were received.

2. StyleHaul & Asana

Organizational application Asana also finds itself in a competition-heavy environment. They are one of many SaaS productivity programs available. They needed to give their brand more of a voice to edge out against competitors offering near-identical products. The problem that needed solving in this success story is relatable to businesses all around the world, and ASANA’s use of it is a showcase of why they’re leaders in what they do.

Why we like this case study : It’s storytelling at its finest and perfectly demonstrates the subtle advertising concept.

3. Red Sox and CTP

This is a great example of a marketing agency showcasing its history of work with a high-profile client (the Boston Red Sox). It explores their entire body of work on a dynamic landing page. Why we like this case study : It demonstrates what a multi-media approach to a digital case study should strive to be.

4. SimpleTexting & U.S. Hunger

We couldn’t talk the talk without walking the walk. We have a range of varied case studies on our Success Stories page, but one of our absolute favorites is the results from U.S. Hunger.

U.S. Hunger was looking for a way to reach those who need them most – including those without internet access.

Why we like this case study: Not only does it highlight the incredible work of U.S. Hunger, it also shows how much can be accomplished through SMS. It spins a new light on SMS marketing and shows the wider impact of accessible communication. 

Marketing Case Studies are Key to Brand Trust

As a business looking to grow, you need to prove to prospective customers and clients why they should invest in you. Whether it’s a service or a product, case studies are viable ways of showing that what you do works and discussing how you achieved it.

The most impactful case studies aren’t always the ones with big names attached to them. They’re the best stories, the best solutions, and the ones that the most people can relate to.

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Meghan Tocci

Meghan Tocci is a content strategist at SimpleTexting. When she’s not writing about SaaS, she’s trying to teach her puppy Lou how to code. So far, not so good.

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5 keys to crafting a killer marketing case study

Count me among the content creators who entered this line of work out of a strong affinity for storytelling. While it’s not exactly the same thing as plotting out a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas or editing dialogue for a heady psychological thriller, writing a marketing case study still entails plenty of drama and suspense. Even better, it can be a highly effective component of your overall marketing plan.

What is a marketing case study and why is it important?

Simply put, a marketing case study is a story that helps your prospective clients understand, from the beginning to the end and in a tangible way, how you helped a current or previous client accomplish their goals. It’s a crucial tool for helping sales reps demonstrate to their leads how your company can produce real results.

As part of your larger content marketing strategy, it helps middle-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel leads to connect your products and services with real-world outcomes. If you’re able to highlight some of your better-known customers in the process, a marketing case study can also bolster your brand.

What separates a good case study from a great case study?

A good case study gets its point across, but a great case study does so with style.

Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean it always has to be flashy or highly visual, though aesthetically pleasing design can be a big bonus.

Here, by style, we mean that the case study:

• Features specific details and inspiring outcomes that enhance a strong narrative.
• Communicates in a way that is relevant to its intended audience.
• Presents the potential customer with a clear opportunity for further engagement.

As part of a holistic marketing strategy, a great case study is also an instrumental asset for ongoing, targeted campaigns.

How do you create a compelling case study?

The principal ingredients for a compelling case study aren’t that different from other forms of content marketing.

Great case studies require you to:

• Conduct thoughtful research.
• Sculpt raw intel into a captivating story.
• Frame the content in a way that’s certain to generate interest.

For further detail, we can break this process down into the five key steps necessary for producing a first-rate marketing case study.

1. Know the product or service and its place in the market

Here’s a typical scenario. You get an email from the Vice President of Sales. She’s overjoyed about a recent customer success story, and she wants to know if you can create a case study based on it.

What’s the first thing you do?

Our recommendation is to make sure you have a firm grasp of everything about the product or service that the case study will highlight. Well, technically, the first thing you should probably do is respond to that email. And when you do, don’t forget to ask for clarification if it isn’t clear what product will be central to your marketing case study.

To brush up on the product, service or offering, take a closer look at materials like:

• Existing sales sheets and landing pages.
• Related social media posts or email campaigns.
• Internal product documents.

Keep in mind how this case study will play into ongoing marketing campaigns and efforts. Also, take a moment to examine how the type of customer you’re about to profile will map up with strategies for targeting specific personas.

2. Line up an interview with the client’s resident brand champion

A strong case study often involves the enthusiastic participation of individuals from the client company who are responsible for managing the vendor partnership. If you can schedule some time to talk to this person, you’ll benefit for two reasons:

• You’ll hear the story from their angle, which can add color, texture and truly valuable proof points.
• You’ll benefit from their infectious gratitude for the product. Too often, content creators have to rely on a set of well-crafted pitches instead of seeing the real-world impact of their products.

That said, sometimes this step is easier said than done. Why?

First of all, your clients may be busy. See if you can reach them at off-peak times or when they have some more flexibility in their schedule

Secondly, nondisclosure agreements are the norm in some industries. Customer contacts can be wary about answering questions, even if they know the company’s name and logo won’t be used. Try to reassure these clients from the beginning by showing them examples of other case studies you’ve done.

No matter what difficulties you encounter, there are always strategies you can follow to ask for reviews, testimonials and other support for your marketing case study. Some of our tried-and-true techniques include:

• Automating as much of the process as possible: Work with the sales or products teams to build feedback into the customer acquisition and retention processes.
• Focus on top customers: Emphasize high-profile clients that will bring greater brand awareness to your company or highly engaged partners who are eager to sing your praises.
• Emphasize the cross-promotional aspect of marketing case studies: Some companies need a reminder that this could be further exposure for their brand and additional content they could share in their own campaigns.

3. Gather details and comb through the data

Interviewing client contacts for a marketing case study is an art unto itself. Even the most excited and energetic sources will need some prompting and guidance in order to give you the material you need.

As such, we find that it’s helpful to start the conversation with a basic structure for your case study content in mind. A rough outline should look something like this:

• Background information about the client.
• A problem that the client experienced. Keep in mind, some people will need reassurance that the case study won’t paint the organization in a negative light.
• An exploration of how your product or service helped address the problem.
• Results from the implementation of this new solution.
• A description of how the client will proceed forward with this new experience under their belts.

Remember to listen carefully and remain flexible, but focused, during the interview. Put your reporter’s hat on to ask leading questions based on new information. At the same time, if your subject is particularly chatty, you may occasionally need to pull the interview back to its intended purpose.

While you’re taking notes, be sure to highlight any particularly noteworthy or emotional lines as they come up. This can be a real timesaver when you’re looking for pull quotes later.

In addition to the interview, ask for project documentation that can help you understand the scope of the client’s problem and the impact of the support provided by your company. Oftentimes, clients will have metrics that they’re eager to share. After all, they’ve probably already reported these results to internal stakeholders. Even if that’s not the case, ask for any relevant recent reports or raw data you could explore for some brag-worthy numbers.

4. Find the story

Not everybody is an expert storyteller. Some people are prone to add in irrelevant details, deliver information out of order or even to leave out important context. There’s a good chance that you’ll have to rearrange some of the information you learned during your client call. You may also have to conduct additional research or excise some out-of-place meanderings.

Internal subject matter experts can also help you refine the narrative arc for your marketing case study. They’ll clue you into the strategies they use for selling this service and supporting its implementation. Plus, they’ll be able to share their insights about questions that prospective clients might ask.

Make sure that the client is at the center of the story, but don’t be shy about highlighting the contributions of your own organization.

5. Highlight proof points

The story comes first, but proof points can transform your marketing case study from a possible puff piece into an exhilarating example for your target audience.

Whatever claims you make in the text, you should be able to back them up with evidence. At the same time, the proof points you do use should align with the bigger picture.

Obviously, facts, figures and statistics make for some of the most compelling kinds of evidence. However, sometimes the data isn’t in yet. In other scenarios, the qualitative advantages that have been gained are more important than percentages or points on a line graph.

In these situations, quotations and brief customer testimonials can provide additional support for the claims you’ve made.

But how do you handle quotes? Here are a few guidelines to follow:

• Where possible, use a direct quote that is original, interesting and engaging. Think about claims that would only be credible if they came straight from the speaker.
• You may have leeway to finesse the speaker’s language. Resist the temptation to wordsmith their speech except in cases that are truly confusing. Informal expressions can add a touch of authenticity.
• Some situations may require you to write the quote and then have it approved by the person to whom it will be attributed. Try to capture the nuances of their perspective as best you can, and never run the quote without getting a final confirmation.

What are some great case study examples to model after?

B2B and B2C marketing case studies come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few recent examples that embody all of the strategies we’ve outlined above. If you’re looking for a compelling case study to model your own content after, check out these models.

‘How PayPal empowers people and businesses in a global marketplace’

This PayPal case study profiles how the company uses services from Google Cloud to support more than 300 million customers who use 100 different currencies.

It’s structured as a landing page that’s well designed and easy to navigate based on the storyline. It also highlights some impressive and relevant proof points right off the bat.

The text and graphical elements are also augmented by a video in which the customer’s voice takes center stage.

At the heart of this story is the notion that finding a reliable digital partner can help your company scale. As such, PayPal is a great aspirational client example, and its story speaks to the hopes that many prospective customers will have about their own business.

We also appreciate how easy Google makes it for potential clients to find additional examples and to take the next step by reaching out to a sales rep.

‘Disney+ Brand Launch’

It’s hard to think of a recent product launch that received more hype than the highly influential debut of streaming service Disney+. Behind the hype were companies like Midnight Oil, a California-based creative agency.

In this marketing case study for Disney+ , the firm pairs succinct text with high-quality pictures that display Midnight Oil branding collateral in action.

In this instance, the company was able to leverage the sky-high visibility of its brand partner to help tell the story. Everybody already knows that the launch of Disney+ was a rousing success, so the creative agency gets to focus a little more on highlighting its own contributions.

And showing is always better than telling. Still, the company makes sure that you don’t forget the 10 million subscribers the client achieved on its first day.

If you want to grow revenue by expanding your potential subscriber base using targeted branding efforts, Midnight Oil makes a compelling case that the agency can help.

‘Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Messages Their Way To Success’

Who says that digital marketing case studies can’t shred?

For our last case study example, we’re going to shine the spotlight on HubSpot’s righteous work with a venerable Cleveland institution.

This in-depth landing page frontloads a quick summary of the premise and some eye-catching stats.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame used HubSpot’s integration with Facebook Messenger to develop a strategy that allowed the museum to connect better with its fans.

A slickly produced video with lots of custom footage sheds light on how the Rock Hall’s content leader found a way to bring out the best from both automation and one-to-one connections.

This case study succeeds because it has an exciting hook, an interesting story and some real results.

How do you distribute case studies? Where do they work best?

How to distribute your case study depends on the audience you’re trying to reach, the story you need to share and the role that this case study plays in your overall marketing strategy.

Take a lesson from the marketing case study examples above. You need to be where your fans are. If your potential customer is on social media, make sure your content is shareable, and consider using a Facebook ad to promote your brand.

But let’s back up one more step.

As our examples illustrate, your marketing case study doesn’t just have to exist as one kind of asset. A custom landing page is a great place to start, but you can spin out content for video and other channels, too. Case studies can be delivered to prospects individually, distributed over social media or shared as part of an email drip campaign. Optimizing your case study landing page for search will help organic traffic find your content, too.

Where marketing efforts meet solid storytelling

It should be clear by now that marketing case studies are more than just a mishmash of numbers, quotes and splashy illustrations. They can take many different forms, but regardless of the media in which they’re found, they’re about creating a story around customer relationships. At the end of the day, aren’t stories what we live for?

Michael O'Neill

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Mike O'Neill is a writer, editor and content manager in Chicago. When he's not keeping a close eye on Brafton's editorial content, he's auditioning to narrate the next Ken Burns documentary. All buzzwords are his own.

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Marketing Results

22 Marketing Case Study Examples (With Template)

February 17, 2016 by Will Swayne

Prospects who aren’t ready to buy – or who are “sitting on the fence” – tend to be resistant to even well-crafted marketing messages.  But a bunch of well aimed marketing case studies can often tip the scales in your favour.

“Sell benefits, not features” is good advice, but benefit-rich copy can actually deter prospects who haven’t reached the decision stage yet.

And too many benefits in the absence of marketing proof elements  can ring hollow in today’s increasingly sceptical marketplace.

We published our first marketing case study back in 2005 and I quickly realised the power of case studies as a versatile and effective marketing tactic.

Why are marketing case studies so effective?

Here are three reasons:

• Case studies show, they don’t tell. Telling you I can get you more qualified leads is one thing. Showing you how a similar company to yours got 145% more leads with 24% lower marketing costs is another.
• Prospects are typically curious to understand how others have achieved the results they desire. They will eagerly devour a well-constructed case study.
• Case studies are also a great tool for closing fence-sitting prospects. For many years I’ve asked prospects why they chose to work with us, and the most common response seems to be, “I was impressed by your case studies” , or “I saw you helped someone in my industry so I figure you can help us too” .

Now let’s look at how to structure and effectively promote a case study, and then some marketing case study examples for you to replicate.

Our Recommended Case Study Template

Here’s the case study structure we’ve adopted which has proven effective:

• Start with a major headline that summarises the key result achieved: e.g. “Investment Property Strategist Triples Leads In 6 Months” . This gets the prospect excited about reading on.
• Then introduce the background . In other words, the “Before” scenario.Don’t bore the reader with too many details about the history of the client. But DO provide an insight into the “trigger” that led to them seeking your assistance. e.g. “The client noticed smaller competitors starting to appear ahead of them on Google”. And,   DO talk about the negative effects of the “Before” state. E.g. “New customer acquisition that had previously been growing by 10% every quarter had flatlined for the last 12 months.”
• Now talk about the solution . Here’s where you explain what you did to achieve the outcomes. I like to list different services or solutions in the form of bullet points. Also, include significant details and facts and figures to add “richness” to the story. Where possible, demonstrate with images, screenshots or other proof elements. Emphasise anything you did differently to the standard approach, or anything that highlights your point-of-difference benefits.
• Now talk about your results . Results are the crux of any good case study.I like to go with a number of punchy bullet points, populated with specific numbers. E.g . “Lead volume up 75%… New customer volume from online sources up 145%… 1,540 more organic search engine visitors per month.”
• Include a testimonial from the client. What was their reaction to your work? The “Before-During-After” approach is a good structure for testimonials. A strong testimonial adds texture and credibility to the data in your core case study.
• End with a call-to-action . This can be relatively low-key. For example, “Contact us to explore how you can enjoy similar breakthrough results.”

You can see more examples of different implementations of this concept on our online marketing case studies page.

How To Promote Your Case Study

A case study that never gets read won’t help you.

Here are some of our favourite promotional methods:

• Optimise each case study for search engines . A good start is using a <title> tag on your case study pages in the format: “<INDUSTRY> <SERVICE> case study”. For example, “Accountant online marketing case study” or “Car sales lead generation case study” .   This will tend to rank you well for anyone searching for case studies about your industry.
• Send case studies to your email subscribers . These emails achieve high engagement both as broadcasts, and as “drip emails” within an automation sequence .
• Create a print booklet of case studies to send to prospects and clients via snail mail or distribute at trade shows.
• Case studies make great social media updates and can be recycled every few months using different headlines.

22 Marketing Case Study Examples

1. fuji xerox australia business equipment, tripled leads for 60% less marketing spend.

In 90 days, we doubled web lead flow with lower marketing costs.

Read the full case study here.

Paul Strahl , National e-Business Manager

2. Surf Live Saving Foundation

Surf lottery grows online revenue 47%.

Marketing Results delivered tangible business improvements, including 47% higher revenue from digital, year-on-year.

Yin Tang , Surf Live Saving Foundation

3. ABC Reading Eggs

Integrated search and conversion management for abc reading eggs.

Marketing Results have been instrumental in profitably expanding our ad spend, while removing waste.

Matthew Sandblom , Managing Director ABC Reading Eggs

4. MAP Home Loans

From 70 hour weeks to 40 hour weeks with 100% annual growth.

I now make twice as much money, have less stress and fewer hours.

Craig Vaunghan , Principal MAP Home Loans

5. Inkjet Wholesale

Online advertising roi doubles – in just three months.

We couldn’t be happier – conversion rates are up, costs are down, ROI has doubled.

Glenn Taylor , National Marketing Manager Inkjet Wholesale

6. Breaking Into Wall Street

Info-marketing business achieves 300% revenue growth with 7-figure profits.

Marketing Results provided the marketing support to grow my annual revenue 300%+. They don’t just advise – they implement.

Brian DeChesare , Founder Breaking Into Wall Street

7. LatestBuy

Brw fast 100 online retailer latestbuy.com.au boosts sales by 45.3%.

Revenue had flatlined… Now it is up by 45%, with over 80% of that due to conversion rate optimisation.

Shaun Campbell , Co-Owner LatestBuy.com.au

8. directSMS

More traffic, less cost, lead volume doubles.

More than doubled the number of qualified enquiries via our website for the same ad spend.

Ramez Zaki , Co-Founder directSMS

9. Business Coach and Author, Pure Bookkeeping

Successful marketing automation and 100.95% year on year growth.

50%+ of business comes directly through online channels and none of this would have happened without Marketing Results.

Peter Cook , Business Coach & Author Pure Bookkeeping

10. Positive Training Solutions

Higher rankings plus more, higher-quality leads.

Marketing Results excels in strategic and online marketing.

James Grima , Managing Director Positive Training Solutions

11. Geelong’s Gym

From 5-6 leads a month to 60-70. 10x increase.

We’ve gone from 5 – 6 leads per month to 60 – 70!

Gerard Spriet , Owner Geelong’s Gym

12. Super Finance – SMSF Property

A new pipeline delivering a steady flow of web leads.

Outstanding quality of web generated leads!

Yannick Ieko , Director Super Finance

13. College For Adult Learning – Training Organisation

300%+ more sales with 60% lower cost per sale.

I expect at least another 60% more leads and 80-90% more revenue by continuing to work with Marketing Results.

Rob Golding , Director College For Adult Learning

14. The Gourmet Guardian – Food Safety Programs

4 times more leads and a 269% revenue increase.

Your AdWords strategies have quadrupled leads, almost tripled revenue and reduced my dependence on contract work to zero.

Gavin Buckett , Managing Director The Gourmet Guardian

15. Quick Coach – Life Coaching Courses

More qualified sales plus a facebook roi of 1285%.

The results have been fantastic… I have had over 500 potential students opt in via Google wanting to change their lives and those of their clients.

Glen Murdoch , Founder & CEO Quick Coach

16. Investment House – Property Development

Clients lined up for everything we can find.

We have clients lined up for everything we can find.

Colin Ferguson , Managing Director Investment House

17. Cosmetic Surgery Lead Generation

257% increase in qualified lead volume.

In less than a year, our enquiry volume increased by over 257% while increasing the quality and conversion rate of those leads.

Dee Tozer , Managing Director Medici Clinics

18. All Suburbs Catering

61% roi gain in less than 5 months….

20% more enquiries for 34% less cost – a compounded gain of 61% in only 5 months.

Jeff Veale , Managing Director All Suburbs Catering

19. Trilogy Funding

549 qualified sales leads in 3 months.

549 qualified sales leads in 3 months.

Ed Nixon , Principal Trilogy Funding

20. Customized Stickers

Online revenue rockets by 800%.

With Marketing Result on our side, our website revenue has increased by over 800% in only 18 months.

Anthony Khoury , Managing Director Customized Stickers

21. Technoledge

Engaging ceos of ideal target companies.

We’re routinely seeing CEOs of Australian hi techs with turnover of $5 million to $50 million (our target audience) opting in and proceeding to self-qualify before they contact us for a meeting. This is what digital marketing is supposed to do.

Tracey James , Director Technoledge

22. First Aid Training

Specialist first aid training company doubles revenue in 6 months.

We’ve streamlined customer acquisition, increased customer lifetime value, and doubled our revenue in 6 months!

Dave Hundt , Director Kids First Aid

I encourage you to put these tips into action and see how they work for you.

What other ways have you used case studies effectively in your business?

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[Updated] 8 Best marketing case study examples

Social listening and consumer intelligence will knock your marketing campaigns out of the park. No question.

Don’t believe me?

The following types of case studies speak for themselves about why you should… listen. Show me the success stories!

Table of content

• Grubhub | Consumer insights feed the soul
• UNICEF | Fighting misleading information with conversational insights
• University of Sydney | Proves the value of social media
• Bella&Brava | Image recognition sees all 
• HelloFresh | Social listening is the secret ingredient 
• Hong Kong Airlines | How to turn a crisis into a soaring success
• Bonduelle | Breaking down data silos to make critical business decisions
• Lion & Lion and Rimmel | Changing the face of Malaysian makeup

Grubhub marketing case study | Consumer insights feed the soul

When the world went into lockdown, food delivery services became an essential part of all our lives. But how to do it safely?

Based in the US, Grubhub is a food ordering and delivery platform that connects consumers with local restaurants and takeaways. To understand what people wanted and meet their new demands, the brand turned to consumer insights.

COVID-19 brought the world to its knees. People feared for their health and for their income. The challenge for Grubhub was how to address consumer concerns with regard to a restricted household budget, disinfection protocols, the mechanics of safe food delivery, and more.

Using our consumer intelligence platform, the Grubhub team monitored for diners' negative experiences, and countered with positive experiences.

When Grubhub's Belly Dance ad first aired on TV, it fell below expectations, receiving low engagement. Suddenly, in January 2021, the commercial became a viral meme, receiving over 40K mentions on social media in one month.

Working with Talkwalker, the brand created a strategy as to how to join this growing conversation .

Think you can make a commercial better than us? Prove it. Add your own music to it or suggest a song, then tweet it with #DeliverTheRemix . You could have your song featured in our commercial and win a YEAR of free food. Ends 1/19. No purch nec. 50 US/DC, 18+. Rules in bio. pic.twitter.com/cRxIFKAji9 — Grubhub (@Grubhub) January 16, 2021

As the campaign became more successful, the team launched the #DeliverTheRemix contest, asking followers to help choose the next song in the “Belly Dance” ad. Consumers loved it, creating a ton of fun and creative pieces of content.

To understand how Grubhub was able to turn negative community sentiment and drive a brand-amplifying strategy , read the Grubhub marketing case study.

Download the Grubhub marketing case study

UNICEF marketing case study | Fighting misleading information with conversational insights

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we've been bombarded with misinformation about the virus and the various vaccines. As this case study shows, we look at how UNICEF MENARO developed a communication strategy to battle the fake news that threatened to undermine the vaccine program in the Middle East and North Africa.

The pandemic caught us by surprise, and we lacked a reliable source of truth. This issue was exacerbated with the release of the vaccine, when we suffered a further deluge of fake news that fed the rising anti-vaccine mood.

It became critical for organizations promoting the vaccine to understand the concerns of the public , enabling them to put peoples' fears to rest. And build trust in vaccines.

For UNICEF MENARO this meant using Talkwalker's consumer intelligence platform to track misinformation keywords , along with mentions of COVID-19 in online conversations in the MENA region to see just how serious the situation was.

Sentiment analysis was used to find the overall sentiment around vaccines, with results showing that net sentiment was low, proving vaccine hesitancy.

The net sentiment around vaccines from December 2020 - April 2021 demonstrated the overall negative view of vaccines.

To shift the sentiment, UNICEF in MENA activated the voices of community members to engage with people and allay their vaccine fears.

UNICEF'S communication strategy delivered a data-driven narrative using strategic partnerships, influencer marketing, and real-life testimonies. Short-form videos that were a strong part of the strategy, with the video for the #MaskUp campaign receiving over 136K mentions between April 2020 and May 2021.

Number of mentions of #MaskUp in the MENA region during the past 13 months.

UNICEF continues to play a key role in monitoring conversation around the pandemic, whether it's positive or negative. 

To understand more about how UNICEF used consumer intelligence to battle fake news , and the successful campaigns it launched, check out our UNICEF marketing case study.

Download the UNICEF marketing case study

University of Sydney marketing case study | Proves the value of social media

The secret to a successful social media strategy is ensuring it's aligned with your business goals.

This marketing case study explores how the University of Sydney used a combination of Hootsuite and Talkwalker and increased sentiment, engagement, and video views.

The university was looking to boost its reputation for research, entice a more diverse range of top-level students, and build a brand that would stand out in a crowd. A forward thinking university, social media would inevitably play a big part, so much so, it already had a Social Squad using Hootsuite, Talkwalker, and Adobe.

What did the squad do? Bringing the various faculty teams together, it created a social media strategy that aligned content, goals, and reporting across it's 36 official social channels.

Sentiment analysis and social media listening enabled the university to measure and manage its brand reputation . Collecting insights that informed the campaign strategy and boosted sentiment through social media communication.

When sentiment turned negative during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Stay Strong India campaign brought about a 30% increase in net sentiment score.

“The insights that Talkwalker provides us have been incredible and have really informed our campaign strategy. Providing these insights to our stakeholders demonstrates what social media can do for our brand and helps us secure investment to increase our budgets and grow our team.” Liz Grey | Social Media | University of Sydney

In the past, when content was shared across multiple channels without a plan, reporting results was hard. The introduction of Hootsuite Impact meant that the team could efficiently report on engagement, campaign performance, and ROI.

A year into its successful social media strategy, the university continues to collect student insights, and is looking to recruit influencers to meet new goals.

For more details on how the university used social media to improve its reputation, download our University of Sydney marketing case study.

Download the University of Sydney marketing case study

Bella&Brava marketing case study | Image recognition sees all

I love pizza, you love pizza. 

With a whopping 106.2K mentions on July 9th, 2019 on Twitter alone, it’s clear that everyone loves posting about pizza.

Data found using Talkwalker’s QuickSearch .

The most popular emojis used when it comes to discussing pizza.

When Venice-based pizzeria Bella&Brava wanted to open restaurants in new locations, it partnered with digital consultancy company OpenKnowledge to harness the power of social media.

Using Talkwalker’s proprietary image recognition technology , OpenKnowledge analyzed data from user-generated content - UGC - created by the consumers Bella&Brava were looking to feed. Their hip, young target audience.

Using image recognition, photos of pizzas posted on social media platforms - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter - were identified, along with background scenes and objects. 

The consumer insights collected from social networks helped Bella&Brava make critical business decisions . Which cities to open in? Which brand partnerships to explore? How will cultural differences influence the design of each new menu?

Read Bella&Brava’s marketing case study to see how social listening and consumer insights will put your brand ahead of your competitors, purely by listening to consumers and meeting their demands .

Download the Bella&Brava marketing case study

“In the digital age, there are two types of organisations: those that collect data and those that transform it into opportunities” Ilaria Baietti, Director - Brand Interaction, OpenKnowledge

Speed up the growth of your business by closing the gap between your brand and consumers. Boom!

HelloFresh marketing case study | When social listening is the secret ingredient 

When HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit company, was struggling with social media data, it was time to call Talkwalker. .

Previously, the brand had been manually collecting social media data. This was not only  time consuming, but vital information was being missed .

Humans are great, but when you consider the amount of social data out there…

It was time to freshen up HelloFresh’s marketing strategy with social listening.

“At HelloFresh, data is at the center of everything we do. It was only natural for us to turn to social listening to improve the performance and efficiency of our marketing and communications teams. Talkwalker has allowed us to unlock access to a much larger conversation around our brand than ever before.” Jordan Schultz, Social Media Manager, HelloFresh

Talkwalker’s consumer intelligence platform was able to identify consumer insights , then translate into meaningful data. Moving forward, HelloFresh identified more than 400% more mentions per month.

With all these new insights to hand, HelloFresh began to develop a crisis management plan.

Take a look at our HelloFresh marketing case study, for more details

Download the HelloFresh marketing case study

Hong Kong Airlines marketing case study | How to turn a crisis into a soaring success

This is a case study from a few years back, so pre pandemic. But it remains a landing page that converts, bigly.

What’s every traveler’s dream and every airline’s nightmare?

When a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was mispriced at $561, consumers rushed to make the most of this mistake, with the Hong Kong Airline marketing team scrabbling for their oxygen masks.

The buzz from the mispriced tickets caused a huge increase in mentions, engagement and reach.

What were their options in the face of this PR crisis ? Search for the nearest exit? Or, buckle up and go along for what was sure to be a bumpy ride? 

Hong Kong Airlines decided to take another route. They chose to breeze right through it.

Luckily, they were prepared because of social listening and consumer intelligence. By using the insights from Talkwalker’s social media data and sentiment analysis , they were able to plan accordingly and protect their brand reputation .

“When we see what is happening in “real time” on social media we are better prepared to make timely and informed decisions and communicate those decisions well. Social listening and analytics tools are critical to success. In this case, we managed to turn what could have been a damaging issue, into a fantastic PR opportunity. With 4,900% more engagements created in a one week period.” Dennis Owen, General Manager of Branding and Social Media, Hong Kong Airlines

Read the Hong Kong Airlines case study to learn how they used social media data from competitors, and sentiment analysis to inform their strategic decisions. All while keeping long term customers and potential customers happy.

Download the Hong Kong Airlines marketing case study

Bonduelle marketing case study | Breaking down data silos to make critical business decisions

Bonduelle, a major French brand in the FMCG/CPG industry, was in the grips of optimizing its online brand strategy. The company that specializes in providing frozen and canned vegetables daily to over 100 countries, wanted to ensure that all its consumer data was readily available across its entire company.

The problem?

Data silos in Bonduelle.

Each department was collecting its own data and interpreting it, without a platform from which to share the information with other teams. This is a common issue. The State of Social Intelligence Report points out that 31% of organizations offer their teams limited access to social data.

The crucial information was hidden away in the dark depths of the team’s computer folder – unable to be used across departments to identify added benefits.

Social listening held the key to knocking down these data walls. It brought together information from online, social media, and traditional press all on one platform . Allowing Bonduelle to find the topics that were being discussed alongside their products or services, images associated with the brand, their high-performing influencers, and how to protect their brand reputation from negative comments.

Talkwalker offered the perfect solution, giving the brand the opportunity to build their own dashboard and choose who would have access to the data.

Read Bonduelle’s marketing case study to learn more about how it...

• Determined positioning based on data maturity scale in report
• Identified its progress in terms of data maturity
• Created necessary systems and teams for scalable processing of data
• Introduced the chief data officer role to maximize the value of data as it progresses

Download the Bonduelle marketing case study

Lion & Lion and Rimmel marketing case study ­| Changing the face of Malaysian makeup

When faced with the relaunch of the British cosmetics brand Rimmel in Malaysia, the brand’s digital marketing agency, Lion & Lion, turned to social media.

With the increasing demand for authenticity and inclusivity, the beauty industry has been opting for social media and specifically, influencer marketing instead of traditional advertising methods. 

Makes sense!

It’s a trend that resonates with Gen Z . Econsultancy states that 65% of this group rely on social media to find and choose beauty products. 

Rather than listening to marketers telling you what to buy, social media, blog posts and influencers become the cool friend with the inside scoop on the latest makeup trend. So, it’s no surprise that cosmetics brands are turning to social media marketing and social listening for consumer insights into what people really want.

In a country where the k-beauty brands dominate the shelves, the first step was to make Rimmel stand out in the crowd. 

The data showed that consumers trust that beauty is more than skin deep. It’s all about being confident. It’s all about being confident. They want bold, experimental makeup to create distinctive looks.

Rimmel then launched the #MakeUpYourOwnRules marketing campaign which championed self-expression and all-inclusive beauty that radiates confidence.

“As a result, we saw an increase in branded search and share-of-voice, and gained around 3x of our initial market share target within the first year of launch” Cheska Teresa, Managing Director, Lion & Lion in Malaysia  

For more details on how Lion & Lion took full advantage of social listening and consumer intelligence for Rimmel, read Lion & Lion’s marketing case study.

Download the Lion & Lion and Rimmel marketing case study

Drive your marketing with consumer intelligence

There you have it. 8 of our best marketing case study examples. Download them all to discover how some of the world's biggest brands use our consumer intelligence platform to drive their marketing strategies to success . Our industry-leading platform turns social and owned data into powerful and easy to action consumer insights. Don’t get left behind…

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Digital Marketing Case Studies: 35 Examples for Online Success

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How would you like to read the best digital marketing case studies ever published?

More importantly, how would you like to copy the best practices for online marketing that are based on real-world examples and not just theory.

If that sounds, good then you’ll get a lot of value out of this post.

Below, you’ll find a list of the top 35 online marketing case studies along with the results and key findings from each example. There are 5 sections in total covering the different aspects of digital marketing, including content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, email, video, and affiliate. Within each section is also a link to find even more expert insights and data examples on that particular topic.

By studying these Internet marketing case study examples and applying the lessons learned in your own digital campaigns, you can hopefully achieve similar results to speed up your online success.

Table of Contents

Digital Marketing Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, appsumo grew organic traffic 843% & revenue 340%  – omniscient digital marketing case study.

In this digital marketing case study, you’ll find out how Omniscient Digital used a four-part approach to grow AppSumo’s organic website traffic by 843% and the revenue from that traffic by 340$. Includes details on the research process, strategy development, content production, and building links to those web pages.

From 0 to 100,000 Visitors Per Month  – Optimist Digital Marketing Case Study

This online marketing case study example shows you how Optimist took a startup called College Raptor from 0 to 100,000 organic sessions per month. It focuses on the big-picture strategy that was used to achieve that result and explains why it worked. This is a good case study example that demonstrates what successful content creation and promotion look like for startup businesses.

American Kennel Club Increased Online Traffic by 30%  – Contently Digital Marketing Case Study

If you’re in the animal niche and looking for good Internet marketing case studies that can help you grow your website with content creation, then this article by Contently can help. Inside, you’ll learn how the company used a digital content strategy to increase website traffic by 30% for the American Kennel Club. This method attracted both new puppy owners and seasoned dog lovers and resulted in $26.6 million in content value.

3,532 New Beta Users for alwaysAI  – Beacons Point Digital Marketing Case Study

Beacons Point is a digital marketing agency that partners with B2B companies in software and technology to execute results-driven online campaigns. In this case study example, you’ll learn how Beacons Point discerned the right market for alwaysAI, a software company, to target prospects with the content they wanted, and transform the audience into an avid user base using a well-researched Internet strategy and content planning process. As a result, alwaysAI gained 3,532 new beta users, 20,000 monthly website sessions, and a 2,021% increase in traffic within just 10 months.

Online Marketing Strategy Drives 452% Increase In Organic Traffic  – Top Rank Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how Top Rank Marketing used a combination of several digital marketing resources (e.g., content, SEO, social media, and influencers) to help Introhive get more organic traffic to its site to create a higher demand for its SaaS product and improve the brand’s overall digital visibility. This online marketing campaign increased organic search traffic by 452% and raised the average session duration by 155%.

Check out the full list of 15+ Content Marketing Case Studies here .

SEO Marketing Case Studies

How i increased my organic traffic 652% in 7 days  – backlinko digital marketing case study.

Learn how Brian Dean from Backlinko used the “Skyscraper Technique 2.0” to increase his organic SEO traffic to one of his web pages by 652%. It’s also the same approach that helped a brand new post hit the #1 spot on Google within a few weeks. This online marketing case study example is full of screenshots, key findings, and guided steps for you to follow.

From 126 to 121,883 Unique Visitors In Under 6 Months  – Ahrefs Digital Marketing Case Study

This digital marketing case study example focuses on Northmill, a Fintech company founded in Stockholm. It reveals how you can analyze your top business competitors to develop higher-quality SEO content that can gain a large amount of traffic and convert those readers into customers. Read this case study to find out exactly what Northmill did during the search engine optimization campaign to go from 126 unique visitors to 121,883 in under 6 months.

From 0 to 75,000 Visits A Year  – Ryan Darani Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll get complete details on the challenges, limits, budgets, and timeframes for a client in the property industry that went from 0 clicks per day to 300-400 on average with only 60 pieces of content on the website. This is a good SEO marketing case study for any business that’s on a tight budget.

How We 4x’d Traffic and Doubled Revenue in E-Commerce  – Diggity Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies for e-commerce using SEO. Inside, you’ll learn how an e-commerce client grew its traffic by 417% in 8 months. You’ll get the exact SEO strategies deployed, content improvements, and backlink marketing tactics. The results speak for themselves: an extra $48,000 in additional monthly revenue was achieved for a total of 112% increase in overall revenue using a strategic online marketing strategy.

6-Step Process That Generated 150,732 Visits  – Robbie Richards Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn a repeatable 6-step process that one digital marketer used to get his client to #1 in Google using SEO. This strategy helped him outrank major digital media brands like Mashable, and increase organic website traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months.

Check out the full list of 25+ SEO Case Studies here .

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing Case Studies

32% increase in return on internet marketing ad spend  – adshark case study.

Learn how Adshark helped dogIDS, an e-commerce manufacturer and retailer of personalized dog collars and tags, achieve a high return on investment (ROI) for their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns by analyzing historical search terms, categories, and product performance. This case study example demonstrates how Adshark segmented dogIDs Google Shopping campaigns in a way that allowed for better online bid and budget management.

49% Decrease In CPA  – Captivate Search Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Captivate Search, an Internet marketing agency, helped the Women’s Institute for Health (WIFH) in Atlanta, Georgia, decrease their cost per acquisition (CPA) from $98 to $50 with a strategic PPC optimization in Google Adwords.

20% Increase In Subscribers for Forbes  – Adventure Media Digital Marketing Case Study

Forbes Magazine has been in circulation for over 100 years; however, with print subscriptions on the decline, the company had to get strategic about bringing in new digital customers. The top goals for this online marketing case study were to increase the number of paid subscriptions. In addition to PPC optimization to attract a broad range of ages, income levels, and genders, Adventure Media also used a strategic video marketing campaign to bring in a new wave of college graduates.

139% ROI for a UK Clothing Brand  – Click Consult Digital Marketing Case Study

Boohoo is a British online fashion retailer that has been recognized by top consumer titles like Reveal, Heat, and Cosmopolitan magazines. When Boohoo came to Click Consult, the retailer had been running its own paid digital marketing campaigns for 18 months and seeing poor results (PPC revenue had fallen by 26% YOY). In this example case study, you’ll learn how Click Consult achieved a 139% ROI on online ad spend and a 431% increase in UK non-branded PPC revenue.

ROAS Up 3,197% for Natural Nutrients  – PPC Geeks Digital Marketing Case Study

Discover how PPC Geeks improved the Google Ads campaigns for Natural Nutrients and achieved a dramatic increase in revenue (5,789%) and ROAS (3,197%) year over year. Example paid marketing strategies include granular campaign extension, single keyword ad groups, ad copy A/B testing, KPI-focused ROAS, conversion rate optimization, and more.

Check out the full list of 20+ PPC Case Studies here .

Social Media Marketing Case Studies

793,500+ impressions for semrush on twitter – walker sands digital marketing case study.

Semrush is a global leader in digital marketing software; however, the company needed a strategic partner to help distinguish its brand from competitors, drive a higher engagement rate among its target audience, and build brand loyalty. In this case study, you’ll find out how Walker Sands implemented a premium Twitter microcontent program for Semrush that focused on three things: using humor, embedding the brand in trending conversations, and focusing on the audience’s interests over marketing messages. The result was an increase of more than 793,500 impressions, 34,800 engagements, and a 4.4% average engagement rate.

Viral Oreo Super Bowl Tweet – Digiday Digital Marketing Case Study

During Super Bowl XLVII, the lights went out in the stadium and the Oreo brand went viral with a single tweet that said “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” Read the historical account of that famous digital marketing moment from the people who lived through it so you can gather insights on how to be better prepared for your future online marketing campaigns that you can take advantage of in real-time.

Facebook Posting Strategy That Lead to 3X Reach & Engagement – Buffer Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Buffer cut its Facebook posting frequency by 50% but increased the average weekly reach and engagement by 3X. Hint: The strategy had to do with creating fewer, better-quality posts, that were aimed at gaining higher engagement.

Achieving a 9 Million Audience by Automating Pinterest SEO – Digital Marketing Case Study

This is a good digital marketing case study example for marketers who use Pinterest. Discover how Chillital went from 0 to 9 million engaged audience members and 268 million impressions. You’ll learn about the step-by-step research process of finding where your audience lives and breathes content, get a detailed analysis of how the author used Pinterest to generate brand awareness, and learn about using community-driven content promotion to scale online results.

5X Increase In App Installs – Bumble Digital Marketing Case Study

Find out how Bumble, a dating app, used TikTok more effectively for social media marketing by following the mantra, “Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks”. This case study in digital marketing resulted in a 5X increase in app installs and a 64% decrease in cost-per-registration.

Check out the full list of 20+ Social Media Case Studies here .

Email Marketing Case Studies

Collecting 100,000 emails in one week  – tim ferris show digital marketing case study.

This digital marketing case study on email has it all: tips, templates, and code to create a successful email campaign. Discover how Harry’s, a men’s grooming brand, launched its brand online and how it collected nearly 100,000 email addresses in one week. You’ll learn everything they did using the marketing power of the Internet and email so you can try to replicate the results.

The Science Behind Obama’s Campaign Emails  – Bloomberg Digital Marketing Case Study

President Obama’s election has been cited as one of the best digital marketing campaigns in history. And a big part of that success was from strategic email campaigns. Most of the $690 million dollars Obama raised online came from fundraising emails. In this case study example, you’ll learn about the rigorous experimentation conducted by a large team of analysts and the strategies that made this Internet campaign so successful.

Increasing Open Rates from 20% to 29%  – Pipedrive Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies on email that any business can learn from no matter the size of the email list. Inside, you’ll find out how Pipedrive used one simple tactic to increase open rates from 20% to 29% that can work with any email software.

25% Reduction In Churn for Peacock  – Braze Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the top online marketing case studies that prove why you shouldn’t send out a one-size-fits-all message to your mailing list. It’s a great case study to read about using a year-in-review email campaign to increase user consumption. As a result, Peacock experienced a 25% reduction in customer churn over 30 days, 6% free-to-paid upgrade rates, and a two-point lift in return rate when it came to returning to the service to view content.

The Amazon Email Experience  – Vero Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study example by Vero, you’ll get a complete analysis of Amazon’s email experience for the user. It takes you from the initial subscriber welcome message to email receipts, shipping updates, thank you content, invites, Black Friday deals, the review email, and more. There are loads of data in this case study and useful tips you can gain and use for your own email campaigns to have better success.

Check out the full list of 15+ Email Marketing Case Studies here .

Video Marketing Case Studies

8,000 video views on linkedin – biteable digital marketing case study.

During the rise of #OpenToWork movement that hit the world during the COVID layoff, one digital marketer named Katie got creative to make herself stand out from the crowd for potential employers. Find out how Katie approached video in digital marketing to amass 800 video views, 54 comments, and 100 new connections. This case study includes simple tips you can also use to get noticed on LinkedIn with the power of video.

163 Million Views On YouTube – Dove Digital Marketing Case Study

Dove launched an online marketing campaign called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”, which was a three-minute YouTube film about how women view themselves. The goal was to ignite a global conversation about the definition of beauty, and this case study proves how video in Internet marketing helped Dove reach their goal. During its launch, the video received 163 million global views, topped the Cannes YouTube Ads Leaderboard, and won the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Find out how a combination of great content, YouTube Brand Channels, YouTube Ads, and Google Ads led to this beautiful success.

Dollar Shave Club Viral Video – Making a Video Marketer Case Study

The ultra-famous Dollar Shave Club was a club that no one had heard about before the release of a single video. And within 72 hours, the brand went insanely viral and had more than 12,000 orders for its product. In this case study, you’ll get a complete analysis of the video that made the Dollar Shave Club one of the most talked about companies in Internet marketing that profits from selling $1 razors.

How Artists and Songs Go Viral – EDMProd Digital Marketing Case Study

Although it’s impossible to guarantee that a musical artist or song will go viral, there is a lot to be learned from examples that have gone viral. In this case study, you’ll discover the common threads in every viral music marketing campaign so you can try to use the same strategies for your own music or apply them to an online business.

10X Increase In Video Views – Vireo Video Digital Marketing Case Study

In this example, you’ll find out how Vireo Video helped the “We Are The Davises” YouTube channel 10X its video views. The digital marketing strategy and execution succeeded in driving over 1.2 million subscribers and over 60 million monthly views within 4 months. Inside, you’ll learn about the initial challenges, strategy solutions, and results.

Affiliate Marketing Case Studies

Going from zero to $10k in monthly revenue  – contentellect digital marketing case study.

Follow the steps Contentellect has taken to grow an affiliate marketing website from $0 to $10k a month in under 24 months. Includes a breakdown of the monthly costs, income, and traffic.

Zero to $20k/month In a Year  – Side Hustle Nation Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how the owners of Finvsfin.com scaled their affiliate website from $0 to $20,0000 per month in one year. Includes strategies on keyword research, how to structure content, ways to attract backlinks, optimization tactics to grow traffic, and more.

How I Made $16,433 With One Product  – BloggersPassion Digital Marketing Case Study

This case study example explains how the site owner made $16,433 from a single affiliate product. The information and steps revealed in this digital marketing case study can be applied to any niche.

Amazon Site Earns $2,000/Month with 100 Articles  – Fat Stacks Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best online marketing case studies for affiliate marketers. Dom Wells from Human Proof Designs posted complete details on the Fat Stacks Blog with example content types, content timelines, link types, and link timelines to help other affiliates improve their sites to make more money on the Internet.

Amazon Site Grows from $0 to $4500+ In 4 Months  – NichePie Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how NichePie took a famous affiliate marketing website called 10Beasts to $4,500 in monthly earnings in just 4 months. The site then went on to make $40,000 by month 8 and kept growing. Luqman Khan, the owner, eventually sold the affiliate site for over half-a-million dollars. Inside this Internet marketing case study example, you’ll get important insights into the keyword research process, site structure, content setup, SEO, and link building process. This article also includes a lot of screenshots to help you follow along with the online journey to success.

Check out the full list of 10+ Affiliate Marketing Case Studies here .

What Is a Digital Marketing Case Study?

A digital marketing case study is an in-depth study of digital marketing in a real-world context. It can focus on one digital marketing tactic or a group of strategies to find out what works in online marketing to provide quantifiable results on the Internet.

Are Case Studies Good for Digital Marketing?

Case studies are good for digital marketing because you can learn about how to do digital marketing in an effective way. Instead of just studying the theory of digital marketing, you can learn from real examples that applied online methods to achieve success.

Digital Marketing Case Study Examples Summary

I hope you enjoyed this list of the best digital marketing case studies that are based on real-world results and not just theory.

As you discovered, the digital marketing case study examples above demonstrated many different ways to implement an effective online strategy. By studying the key findings from these Internet marketing examples, and applying the methods learned to your own business, you can hopefully achieve the same positive outcome.

New online marketing case studies are being published every month and I’ll continue to update this list as they become available. So keep checking back to read the current sources of information on digital marketing.

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• App Marketing Case Studies

App Marketing Case Studies (2024)

Artem Dogtiev | May 2, 2024

The best way to plan and execute your app marketing campaign is to start with mobile app marketing case studies, examples of how apps from the same category were promoted previously. In other words, to learn what app marketing strategies did work and were fruitful. In this article, we will highlight 10 examples of app marketing campaigns for mobile apps from 5 categories – Shopping, Games, Finance, Photo & Video, and Health & Fitness. Each case study consists of an objective, solution, and results, keep in mind all case studies are taken from open sources which don’t provide too much detail about each case but we want to give you a general understanding of what marketing techniques were effective.

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Let’s start with case studies for mobile apps for shopping. For a number of years, eCommerce has been one of the fastest-growing verticals for mobile. Multiple factors such as the big screen, advanced hardware of smartphones in hands of billions of people around the globe, and robust mobile payment systems enabled mobile to become a platform for people to shop. The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously accelerated the growth of mobile shopping apps when people had to shop from home worldwide. As of this article writing, we’re still living under the influence of the pandemic, it turned out many people found shopping from home to be convenient even when they don’t necessarily have to stay home under lockdowns.

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Shopping app marketing case studies

Let’s take a look at two marketing case studies for shopping apps and how various app marketing techniques are allowed these app brands to achieve specific marketing objectives.

Case Study #1 “Shopkick: Cash Back Rewards” app

The leading shopping rewards app that allows shoppers to earn rewards along shopping, both online and offline. Using the app, shoppers can earn rewards for the items they buy via scanning receipts. Shopkick is supported by all major retail chains and brands, including Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, eBay, Groupon, Nike, Best Buy, and more.

Shopkick: Cash Back Rewards app screenshot

Source: Moburst digital marketing agency

App marketing campaign objective

In 2020, because of lockdowns, people couldn’t visit stores and so in-store shopping was really low. For an app like Shopkick to grow it required people to do shopping in person and as a consequence, the app’s CPI, aka Cost Per Install, went high.

To reduce the Shopkick CPI it was decided to plan and execute a TikTok app user acquisition campaign. The first attempt failed but, after additional tuning of the videos to match TikTok’s visual style, a new campaign succeeded.

During the two months since the TikTok ad campaign was launched, the agency managed to decrease CPI by 87%, on top of that the Cost Per Registration decreased by 89%, and the Cost Per Acquisition dropped by 86%. Aside from achieving the primary objective – to decrease expenses and acquire users for the Shopkick app for less money, the company got access to a young generation of shoppers who use TikTok to discover new products.

Switching to the second case study featuring a British app that was launched during the inception of the e-Commerce aggregator apps for online shopping in the United Kingdom.

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Download our   app marketing companies guide to learn how app marketing works, what mobile app marketers do, the best app marketing strategies, how much it costs, and, of course, the top mobile app marketing companies to hire for your app’s promotion.

Case Study #2 “Mallzee” shopping app

Mallzee is a UK non-retail shopping app that pioneered a non-retailer fashion shopping app concept back in 2013. Available on both iOS And Android, the app helps users to buy clothing with more than 100s high-street brands.

Mallzee app screenshot

Source: SplitMetrics mobile app growth agency

By the time an app marketing intervention was needed, the app had already enjoyed strong visibility on the app stores, as well as a very robust paid user acquisition campaign. The key component that required optimization was the Conversion Rate . That is to say that despite the fact that the app had a steady supply of traffic to its page on app stores, the number of people who actually downloaded the app was less than a desirable number.

To improve the Conversion Rate for the app, a number of A / B tests were conducted to test multiple changes for the app’s icon, title, subtitle, description, and screenshots. The Decision to apply A/B testing in conjunction with a standard App Store Optimization was made to avoid possible negative effects and actually further decrease the existing Conversion Rate.

As a result of multiple carefully executed App Store Optimization A/B tests, the Conversion Rate was increased by 10%.

From shopping apps to mobile games that command the bulk of revenue generated on both the iOS App Store and Google Play store.

Game app marketing case studies

As hard as the marketing of non-gaming apps is, mobile game marketing is always harder and more complicated. Let’s shed some light on two specific case studies for mobile games.

Case Study #1 “Kingdom Rush – Tower Defence TD” mobile game app

Kingdom Rush is one of the most popular Tower Deference, aka TD, games, which was published back in 2011 by Armor Games. TD is a sub-category of a strategy game and its gameplay is based on the deference of territories and possessions.

Kingdom Rush – Tower Defence TD app screenshot

Source: App Radar  App Store Optimization Tools & Services

Armor Games had been looking for app marketing support to help with the game’s growth, which after the game’s many years on the market began to wane.

The App Store Optimization was chosen as a marketing tool to reinvigorate the Kingdom Rush’s growth.  The ASO updates were conducted on a monthly basis and consisted of keyword research, title, subtitle, icon, and screenshots optimization. Every update of the visuals was performed in conjunction with A/B testing to avoid any negative impact on the app’s native traffic.

As a result of applying ASO to the game, the team of marketers managed to achieve a 300% increase in organic installs and a 1,000% increase in ROI.

Case Study #2 “World of Warships Blitz” mobile game app

World of Warships Blitz is an online multiplayer naval war simulator and action game. It immerses players into the world of visually authentic WWII warships and lets them be in the seat of their captain.

World of Warships Blitz 3D War app screenshot

Two major goals were set for the app marketing campaign for the game – grow exposure and raise brand awareness in multiple countries on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. A big part of the project was doing ASO for the game on 12 markets – French, Italian, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain), Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), German, Japanese, and English (US). Running a successful App Store Optimization campaign on a single market is not an easy feat but to do it on multiple markets is extremely hard.

To meet the challenge of doing ASO for the game on a such big scale, the app marketing team applied a combination of AI-powered ASO tools and in-house expert knowledge. The team identified untapped opportunities to drive more traffic for the game with keywords it wasn’t ranked for at the moment across all 12 local versions of the iOS app store.

As the result, a 35% average increase in app store impressions across all 12 markets was achieved. Among the most competitive markets this result was achieved for were South Korea, Russia, and Japan, in some locations the increase reached 90%, in Spain in particular, the average growth was 73% and in Turkey, the increase was the highest – 91%.

Moving on from mobile games to Finance apps. Today mobile apps that help people to do their finance on the go are booming. The market has passed the moment when people didn’t trust enough mobile apps to be their tool to do finance, hundreds of millions of people buy products and services, pay their mortgages, and send money to their relatives and friends every second 24/7 worldwide.

Finance app marketing case studies

Among other app categories, finance apps face a unique challenge – many people don’t realize how versatile they can be and how many benefits it’s actually possible to cram into a single app.

Case Study #1 “Providers” mobile app

The Providers app is the ultimate safe and secure app to manage all family finances, including banking, savings, benefits, EBT balance & spending, as well as a job search.

Providers: EBT, debit, & more app screenshot

Source: Bamboo app marketing agency

In this case, the most challenging part of the app marketing campaign was finding a new way to grab people’s attention and show the app’s value on a quite crowdy social media landscape.

It was decided to use a combination of user-generated video testimonials on top of other app marketing channels. The marketing team launched a user-generated content campaign on Meta to capture the attention of more qualified users within the pool of the existing Android user acquisition campaigns. To ensure the success of the campaign the following activities were performed:

• 2-week A/B test through Meta’s experiments function
• Evergreen Android campaign that was our top performant at the time
• Demographic audience targeting that attempted to reach our core persona

Thanks to the launch of UGC, aka user-generated content, the app’s Cost-Per-Registration was decreased by 68%, and also 15% increase was achieved for the ad campaign Click Through Rate.

Case Study #2 “iCash” mobile app

The app provides an easy way for Canadians to apply for a loan right from their smartphone. It features an easy application form that doesn’t require any documents, as well as provides access to a wide range of financial rewards and membership advantages.

iCASH.ca app screenshot

Source: Start.io mobile marketing platform

In this case, the major marketing goal was to regain the attention of the app’s users who didn’t complete their loan purchase process or invite people who previously purchased the loan to return and therefore become loyal customers. The important financial KPI for the campaign was to keep the campaign’s Cost of Acquisition per user within the $20 – $30 range.

To achieve the goal, a re-targeting mobile app user acquisition campaign was launched.

As a result, 300 new loans were sold per month and the Cost of Acquisition of new users was held at the $17 / per user level, which was below the agreed threshold.

From Financial apps to Photo & Video apps, yet another popular app category is filled with apps people use to capture photos and videos and apply sophisticated filters to enhance them.

Photo & Video app marketing case studies

The Photo & Video apps category is one of the both iOS and Android app categories that directly benefit from the smartphone camera’s advance to deliver more features and help people with being more creative. Because Apple, Samsung, HUAWEI, and other OEMs all provide native apps for photography and video capturing, app developers are in fierce competition to beat these default apps and win consumers’ hearts and wallets.

Case Study #1 “PhotoSi” mobile app

The PhotoSi app is one of the leading apps in Europe to print photos, and compose photobooks, as well as other photographic products.

PhotoSi app screenshot

Source: Replug mobile marketing consulting agency

The app marketing campaign was launched to resolve quite common roadblocks app brands are facing when they decide to go outside of the  Google and Meta’s ad platforms duopoly.  Specifically, the issues to address were:

• What acquisition channels should the PhotoSi brand be using to reach the existing audiences beyond what the Google + Meta duopoly offered?
• How could their marketing team keep the cost of acquisitions under control without eroding the bottom line?
• How long would it take for the PhotoSi marketing team to effectively scale those new channels?
• Was there a hidden opportunity in promoting their services to a whole new target audience?

After multiple discussions, the TikTok Ads advertising platform was chosen as the means to more app users outside of the exposure that Google and Meta provided. The stages of the marketing campaign were:

• testing multiple channels to choose the most efficient channel
• a search for the right micro-influencers to reach and work together on the app’s promotion
• A/B test creative messages and types
• campaign performance optimization
• audience identification.

Compared with Facebook Ads CPI, Cost Per Install was lowered on average by 75% meanwhile an average eCPA was decreased by 54%. Video ads impressions increased by 363.2%, the number of the app’s installs went up by 676.2%, while CPI decreased by 17.%

Case Study #2 “ProCamera” mobile app

ProCamera is a photography app that allows professional photographers to work with photos in .RAW format, retaining the high quality of images intact and achieving results not feasible with regular photo apps.

ProCamera app screenshot

Because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, people were traveling less, and hence the demand for the ProCamera app went down as well. The app development team required help to compensate for that drop in demand.

The hired app marketing agency team decided to implement a combination of a full-scale App Store Optimization along with Apple’s Search Ads paid advertising campaign.

Upon the ASO campaign implementation, the number of downloads raised by 4%, as well as a 200% increase in the number of keywords the app was ranked in the Top 10 search results on the iOS App Store. Also after the first couple of months as the ASO & ASA campaign was launched, the marketing agency team managed to achieve a 28% increase in the app’s Conversion Rate and a 36% increase in the number of organic installs.

And finally, the last app category that hosts apps that help people around the globe to steady fit and healthy – the Health & Fitness.

Health & Fitness app marketing case studies

With the advent of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other hardware to monitor people’s health condition, Health & Fitness apps’ popularity skyrocketed. In the following section, we want to review a couple of apps that help people with their mental help, which is – no doubt – a vital part of a human’s health.

Case Study #1 “Headspace” mobile app

Source: Phiture award-winning mobile growth consultancy

Several years ago the Headspace marketing team approached a mobile growth consultancy with the problem of building a strategy to grow over existing back then 6 million app users. The ultimate goal was pretty ambitious – to become the best and most recognized meditation and mindfulness app in the world.

The App Store Optimization campaign, launched by the hired app marketing agency, consisted of the audit stage to assess the app’s current ranking back then which was already strong but still allowed plenty of room for growth. The ASO-managed execution phase lasted for 6 months and included a series of experiments to pin out the best strategy to follow. The agency’s internal ASO tools and in-depth analysis were deployed to allow the app to continue to grow rapidly.

As a result of the performed ASO campaign, the Headspace app received a 40% increase in visibility and an 18% increase in installs acquired via search.

Case Study #2 “ThinkUp” mobile app

ThinkUp is one of the leading daily affirmations apps to help people with the right mindset to be happy.

Source: App Growth Network app marketing agency

The goal of the app marketing campaign was to achieve higher efficiency with how much money was spent to acquire more users for the app.

The provided solution consisted of an in-depth analysis to understand user sentiment and values within the meditation/affirmation space by performing market and competitor research, as well as ASA campaign testing, weekly optimization, setting up automation, campaign-level optimizations, and more.

The major result achieved during the course of a four-month app marketing campaign was increasing the Return On Advertising Spend by 83%.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you will find these app marketing case studies helpful to market your own app. The success of every app marketing campaign hinges on a choice of specific marketing channels to use, the effectiveness of messaging, seasonal effects, the market fit, and more. Every app marketing project requires a custom approach but we can identify a few app marketing channels / techniques that have a high potential to help the app to succeed on the market. These are paid advertising platforms such as Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Influencer marketing campaigns and App Store Optimization.

There is one more thing to mention at the end, these app marketing case studies mention only major contributors that allowed app marketing teams to succeed but there are always other marketing channels that are involved but those impact is hard to measure and hence present in these case studies.

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5 Unique Digital Marketing Case Studies that Every Business Professional Should See

Published on: July 15, 2021

Businesses often rely on digital marketing to increase their brand awareness and bring in new customers. However, if the marketing efforts aren't effective, they can turn into a waste of time and money. In many ways, effective digital marketing is a process of trial and error. For this reason, a digital marketing case study can be a valuable source of guidance for today's business students and professionals, enabling them to learn from the results of others rather than having to start their own trial-and-error process from the beginning. As a business administration degree student, understanding and evaluating real-world marketing tactics is key to developing a solid foundation for your business career. With that in mind, let's take a look at five unique digital marketing case studies that you can use to inspire new ideas and hone your own future digital advertising strategy.

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Case Study #1: Fanatics Boosts Traffic Through Content Marketing

When Fanatics—an e-commerce store focused on selling sports apparel and other sports-related products—decided that it needed to provide customers with more reasons to engage with the company website,  it turned to content marketing as a solution . Fanatics chose a three-pronged approach for their content marketing campaign, one that included timely sports articles meant to coincide with current sporting events, evergreen content related to various events throughout sports history, and articles that capitalize on new trends and developments in the world of sports as they happen.

This strategy of producing both evergreen and trending content enabled Fanatics to establish itself as a desirable news and entertainment resource for sports fans all over the country. Thanks almost entirely to their content marketing campaign, Fanatics saw a 1,100% increase in organic search engine traffic along with a 230% increase in the number of ranking keywords on their website. The company's content marketing efforts also enabled it to publish high-profile features on popular sites such as Yahoo Sports, The Score, and USA Today.

Case Study #2: Wholesaler Drives Visibility and Conversions with Social Media Marketing

Case study #3: amazon leverages crm to become e-commerce giant.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is the process of managing interactions with customers to facilitate beneficial outcomes. Much more than simple customer management, CRM uses data processing to divide customer lists into a wide range of segments and formulate various interactions designed to speak to the needs and desires of each specific segment. If you would like a case study of a company that has leveraged innovative CRM with outstanding results, you need not look any further than the e-commerce giant Amazon.

As one of the first companies to really leverage CRM to its full potential, Amazon developed a CRM strategy that takes into consideration every possible interaction that the company has with its customers—from the user interface of the Amazon website to customer service interactions to data mining used for targeted marketing emails. Through this emphasis on CRM, Amazon has managed to create one of the most customer-friendly experiences you will find in the e-commerce sphere—and the results of these efforts are obvious. In 2020 alone, Amazon was able to boast a staggering $386 billion in revenue.

Case Study #4: The American Egg Board Boosts Organic Traffic Through SEO

Case study #5: revecent increases conversion rate with holistic ppc campaign optimization.

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50+ Best Viral Marketing Campaign Examples & Case Studies To Get You Inspired (2024)

In this guide, I’ve curated some of the best viral marketing examples and campaigns that I’ve saved on my own personal swipe file over the years, and did some further research on others that are so good to learn from. Regardless of the growth stage of your business (large brand or small), you’re going to pick up some epic takeaways and learnings that you may be able to apply to your own campaigns for growth. Either way, they’re just fun to read, watch and go through! And you never know, you may have the next best viral campaign that gets millions of eyeballs (just let me know and I’ll add you to this guide ;).

If you’ve been on this site and read my articles before, you know I love a good case study (haha). I always enjoy coming across new ones as there’s always new things you can pick up that you can add to your marketing ideas bank or your own swipe file. 

Now for this particular guide, this was really fun to create and analyse/summarise.

I’m excited to introduce you to some of the top viral marketing examples and campaigns that truly went viral (some of the numbers these campaigns have achieved are insane). 

You would have seen many of these campaigns over the years play out in real-time, and whilst there’s always good analysis at the time of people sharing their thoughts/ideas (you know, over LinkedIn and the Twittersphere in particular), it’s actually awesome to look back and see what the end results were, and how it impacted the business in terms of awareness, acquisition, sales, and overall business growth. 

So, what makes these case studies and examples worth reading further into?

There are lots of ‘viral’ studies and examples out there, but I picked a good balance between those businesses who experienced insane viral numbers, to then those who achieved impressive results based on the budget/resources they had available at their disposal. 

What can you can learn from going through the summaries and reading the dedicated studies? Also, what makes these case studies good quality?

Here’s what I kept in mind when going through these case studies (and a small checklist of what to analyse/pick up as ‘golden nuggets’ that you can learn from and potentially incorporate into your marketing strategy):

• Strategies/tactics they used - Is there a good analysis and why campaigns were successful? (some do a really good job at this, whilst others brush over it a bit. However, they were still good to include). 

Note: In many of the summaries, I shared my own thoughts/takeaways.

• Data/stats performance - Do they share a good breakdown in terms of numbers? 
• Budgets - some of the studies share budgets, but most of the time, you can tell whether or not serious investment went into it due to the nature of the campaign.
• Uniqueness of campaign - what made the campaign stand out in their industry, and why were audiences drawn into engaging/sharing?
• What made the campaign perform? - what were the psychological/emotional triggers that sparked people to share?
• When it comes to the content, what’s the nature of it? Do you think it involve numerous resources to achieve the outcome? Was the content entertaining in nature? Or was is thought-provoking, problem-focused content that sparked further thoughts and actions from audiences?

Depending on your context and the industry/role you’re in, you’ll naturally have some other attributes and criteria that you’re looking to get out of those studies.

So, can you replicate similar success like these example viral campaigns? 

This is obviously down to the business you’re involved in, but this should be a criteria you should think about (I mean, that’s the primary reason you’re probably here, right?). 

Some of the video campaigns are hard to replicate due to the nature of the videos, and keeping in mind how big the brands are. Unless you’re someone from a bigger brand reading this with a big customer and subscriber base across your channels, it can be hard to replicate success if you’re a smaller startup or eCommerce brand on a lean budget. 

However, there are always (yes, always) key takeaways that you can cherry pick from and formulate into your own strategy.

Without further ado everyone, I hope you enjoy this guide I put together. 

Oh, and feel free to share with other marketing friends, founders, colleagues (or even family members) that you think will enjoy this. :) 

Related reading: In this guide, I talk about social media, UGC and viral competition campaigns that brands utilised to generate some epic results. Some of those platforms/tools that these brands have used (and that I have used as well) are in this pre-launch waitlist and viral competition platforms guide I put together. The good news is that there is a plethora of software solutions that are cost-effective and accessible to any brand, regardless of their size. So, it’s worth the read if you’re serious about viral growth.

Video Viral Campaigns

1. this video campaign reached the youtube top 100 charts in over a hundred countries.

Watch the video here (over 270+ million views).

• Created to inform the public about rail safety, Dumb Ways to Die has over 270 million views on Youtube.
• When ideating, the team emphasised the thought process of the audience .
• They produced a relevant video with a catchy song, appealing to a wide market.
• This turned into karaoke versions, posters, books, and more.
• After the campaign was released, there was a 21% decrease in railway accidents and near misses.

2. This campaign incited engagement, generating over 338,000 UGC photos in two weeks

Watch the video here (over 42k+ views). 

• TOMS’ One Day Without Shoes Campaign promised that for every photo without shoes posted on Instagram with their hashtag, they will sponsor a pair of shoes for a child in need.
• The premise is simple, easy to do, and builds towards a greater purpose.
• By participating in the campaign, people feel like they contributed to a good cause.
• This resulted in more brand exposure for TOMS’.
• The participation of big stars and brands also helped spread the word.

3. This challenge-based campaign took a viral trend and turned it into something better

Watch the video here of the Ice bucket challenge with Bill Gates - you’ll find plenty of others with a simple search on YouTube (over 37+ million views). 

• Good chance you won’t forget how big the ice bucket challenge was (and the amazing viral success and eyeballs it gained).
• The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the existing ice bucket challenge and made it into a fundraising tool .
• People who did the challenge were tasked to nominate others to help raise money for research towards ALS.
• The ice bucket challenge campaign was literally shared everywhere (like you couldn’t stop seeing it at the time), across different social media channels, gaining impressive traction.
• The campaign made waves in over 150 countries, raising $220 million.
• Hashtags and celebrity endorsements propelled the growth of the campaign.

4. Volvo launched a video that gained over 90 million views

Watch the video here (over 116+ million views).

• Volvo Trucks decided to make an ad that would appeal beyond their usual audience, and it worked.
• They used to focus primarily on physical marketing materials, and this was their way of making a name in the digital space.
• The video included a stunt done by a famous action star, sparking spoofs and challenges.
• Themes in the video were 100% relevant to their target market and were designed to be entertaining for others.

5. This Dove video ad hit over 100 million views a month after it was released

Watch the video here (over 70+ million views).

• Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” experienced insane view counts across multiple platforms and media outlets, and even became one of the most-watched video ads of all time .
• The video was made available in over 30 languages and sparked a series on Youtube.
• By appealing to the beauty pain points that women may experience, the campaign became an encouraging and empowering tool.
• Because of its messaging, women naturally shared it with other women, inciting virality.
• To maintain the distribution, Dove did a seeding strategy by launching in key markets before releasing the video worldwide.

6. The Range Rover video which has managed to gain over 100 million views

Watch the video here (over 100+ million views).

• The Range Rover Evoque's marketing campaign in London successfully tackled a notorious speed bump by showcasing the car's capabilities. 
• It went viral on social media platforms, resulting in millions of views, which increased brand awareness.
• The team behind the campaign addressed a common problem faced by drivers and connected with the audience emotionally, which made the campaign effective.

7. This campaign was the most popular ad in 2015

Watch the video here (credit: Droga5)

• Google’s Furever Friends campaign was shared over 6 million times across different social media channels.
• These numbers actually make it the most shared video ad of all time.
• The ad tapped into the affection and nostalgia people would generally feel for pets.
• This incited strong feelings of warmth and investment from the viewers, leading to them sharing the video.

8. The Old Spice deodorant commercial which drove an increase of over 100% in sales

Watch the video here (over 60+ million views)

• Ah yes, who could forget the infamous Old Spice ad which was seen all over the net back in 2010 - "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign. - it was designed to be multi-platform, incorporating TV ads, social media, and a dedicated website. Almost like I couldn't escape seeing it everywhere at one stage.
• The company established a unique brand voice by creating a humorous and irreverent character that connected with their market.
• They had a team respond to comments and create personalised videos during the campaign to increase user engagement.
• When the video went viral, followers were further encouraged to participate in user-generated content and social sharing.
• Overall, the strategies leaned into the importance of data-driven marketing.

9. The "Love Has No Labels" video focused on breaking biases and promoting gender acceptance

Watch the video here (over 60+ million views).

• The "Love Has No Labels" campaign celebrates diversity and inclusion, highlighting the beauty and uniqueness of all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, or sexuality.
• Upworthy leveraged social media to reach a wider audience, using hashtags and images to encourage user engagement and sharing.
• The video fostered an emotional connection with the audience, showing people and their loved ones embracing each other in public, which elicits feelings of love, acceptance, and unity.
• This drove millions of people to the campaign website, increasing the reach across all channels.
• Media support eventually resulted in over $6 million in coverage.

10. The "World's Toughest Job" campaign got over 6 million views within two days

Watch the video here (credit: Mullenlowe)

• The "World's Toughest Job" campaign featured a fake job interview for a position that requires standing for 135 hours straight, working on holidays, and having no breaks.
• There was then a revelation that this job perfectly fit mothers everywhere.
• They utilised a hashtag, #worldstoughestjob, encouraging people to share their stories and appreciation for their moms.
• Measuring the success of the campaign as two-fold: it positively impacted the brand's perception and sales, as well as the cultural conversation around Mother's Day and motherhood.
• In the end, the campaign generated over 25 million views, millions of social media engagements, and significant media coverage and awards.

11. This toilet deodorant campaign went viral with over 40 million views and counting

Watch the video here (over 44+ million views)

• Poo Pouri released a video advertisement titled "Girls Don't Poop", which quickly gained the attention of people on the internet.
• It features a woman in a fancy bathroom explaining the benefits of using Poo-Pourri - hilarious yet relatable.
• The campaign’s humour and real messaging helped it gain widespread popularity.
• Its approach departed from traditional advertising techniques and relied on social media for attention.

12. Budweiser promoted responsible drinking and went viral because of it

Watch the video here (over 2+ million views).

• The Budweiser "Don't Drink and Drive" ad featured an emotional storyline that resonated with viewers and encouraged them to make safer choices.
• It established the heartfelt relationship between pet and owner and used this relatability to convey their message effectively.
• The ad received widespread recognition and has won multiple awards with the fact is resonated with large audiences (and a super important message to push).
• Its messaging also helped Budweiser establish be seen in the market as a socially responsible brand, helping reinforce strong brand credibility.
• This shows us how effective marketing can be used to promote social responsibility and make a positive impact on society, all while scaling the brand name.

13. This Super Bowl ad helped boost a cat food brand

Watch the video here (over 4+ million views).

• "Dear Kitten" is a video ad campaign created by Friskies to promote their cat food products, which they released during the Super Bowl.
• It features a series of videos with an older cat giving advice to a new kitten in the house, using humour and relatable situations to engage its audience.
• Beyond the Super Bowl, the ad was promoted through social media and online advertising, making it accessible to a wide audience.
• This helped Friskies establish a strong brand identity and increase sales of their cat food products.
• The success of the campaign shows the importance of understanding the target market and using creative and innovative marketing techniques to connect with them.

14. Volkswagen's "The Force" ad banked on pop culture to gain traction

Watch the video in link below (credit: Time.com)

• Volkswagen's "The Force" ad, which also aired during the Super Bowl, is widely considered one of the most successful ads in Super Bowl history.
• With almost 100 million views, it’s also the most shared Super Bowl ad to this day.
• The ad's use of nostalgia and pop culture references helped it connect with its target audience on a deeper level.
• As released during a time when Volkswagen was facing controversy, the ad helped improve its image and restore positive marketing.

Social Media & Hashtag Campaigns - TikTok, Facebook & Instagram 

15. this campaign by coca-cola helped pull in millions of dollars over the past decade.

(image credit: Coca-Cola Company )

• One of my personal favourite campaigns from Coca-Cola, which anyone reading this would know quite well, is the "Share a coke" campaign .
• It was certainly one of the more highly successful marketing campaigns Coca-Cola has run (and they've done plenty of them over the years) that aimed to make the brand more relatable and shareable - which ultimately helped them to an increase in sales.
• It used personalisation to engage its audience at scale, which is great for audiences to feel connected more with Coca-Cola.
• The team behind the campaign had to run through thousands of ideas in order to come to their catchphrase, “Share a Coke with…”
• This happened during a time when most other brands were still banking on traditional marketing.
• The campaign encouraged user-generated content and social sharing, which helped it go viral and reach a wider audience.

16. The “Do Us a Flavor” campaign in just 10 months saw over 20 million page visits per week

( image credit )

• Frito-Lay Lay’s was an already popular brand, but they wanted to create buzz about their flavour line-up.
• They came up with a campaign, “Do Us a Flavor”, which is a contest primarily targeting millennials.
• The goal is to have contestants submit ideas for new Lay’s flavours.
• An app was created to increase access to interested participants, where they could also see mock-ups of their proposed flavour.
• In the end, almost 4 million flavours were submitted, and enthusiasm for the brand was reignited.

17. Purina, a pet food company, used a hashtag to reach almost 40 million people on Twitter

(Image credit: Shorty Awards )

• The Purina #PetsAtWork campaign won the Best in Pets Social Media Campaign at the 6th Shorty Awards.
• The program aims to encourage companies to allow pets in the workplace, based on the idea that pets in the workplace can improve employee well-being and productivity.
• Purina conducted research to support this claim and created a toolkit for companies to help them implement a pets-at-work policy.
• User-generated content ran this campaign, including photos and stories of pets in the workplace.
• As a result, the Purina Pets at Work program has been adopted by many companies worldwide, with over 5,000 companies participating.

18. An organic interaction inspired this hashtag campaign crafted by Audi

( Image credit )

• Audi's hashtag campaign on Twitter, called #WantAnR8, started when a user wouldn’t stop tweeting about wanting an R8.
• After a while, Audi decided to give her a chance to drive an R8 for one weekend, then went on to use the hashtag she started as an entire campaign.
• The hashtag quickly became popular on Twitter, with celebrities and influencers joining in on the conversation.
• It generated over 75,000 tweets and over 100 million impressions, and Audi's Twitter following grew by over 700% during the campaign.
• This ended up birthing a sequel campaign, #WantAnRS5

19. This UGC campaign by Red Bull is 100% organic and drew up thousands of posts - one of the first UGC successes

(Image credit: Redbull )

• The Red Bull #PutACanonOnIt campaign won the Best Use of Instagram at the 7th Shorty Awards.
• It encouraged users to share creative photos featuring their Red Bull on top of vehicles.
• This spiralled and drew users to put cans on top of places, people, and even pets.
• Overall, the #PutACanonOnIt campaign is an example of how a brand can use social media to engage with its audience and increase brand awareness through user-generated content.

20. This campaign by Chipotle was a huge hit among the Gen Z market

( Image credit & video ) 

• Chipotle’s "Lid Flip Challenge” encouraged users to upload videos of themselves flipping their Chipotle bowl lids onto their bowls.
• The challenge was started by a Chipotle employee, who was really good at assembling the bowls.
• This helped increase sales, as participants had to use an actual Chipotle bowl.
• TikTok saw over 100,000 videos use the hashtag within one week.
• Engagement with younger customers and positive brand recall were boosted after the campaign.

21. Peloton leaned on social impact to gain greater brand awareness

(image credit: Pelobuddy )

• Peloton’s marketing approach focuses on building a strong community of users who feel connected to each other and the company's values.
• They promote their products as a way to achieve fitness and health goals, while emphasising the social and emotional benefits of working out with others.
• The company has also launched various social impact initiatives, such as “The Comeback ,” where people can nominate someone they think deserves a free bike.
• Partnerships with charitable organisations and fundraising events also helped further these initiatives.
• This approach helped Peloton build a loyal customer base and establish a strong brand identity as a responsible and community-oriented company.

22. This hashtag campaign by Apple ended up on over 10,000 billboards across the world

(image credit: Adweek )

• The #ShotOniPhone campaign was released by Apple to showcase the iPhone's camera capabilities.
• Apple selected the best photos and videos from the hashtag and featured them on their website, billboards, and even in-store displays.
• This led to a huge success, with millions of people using the hashtag to showcase their photography skills.
• In the process, Apple was able to establish a reputation for producing high-quality cameras on their iPhones.
• The campaign also helped create a community of iPhone users, further building their brand loyalty.

23. The e.l.f Cosmetics hashtag challenge got over 9 billion views on videos in 6 days

(Image credit: TikTok)

• e.l.f. Cosmetics partnered with TikTok creators to create a successful marketing campaign, #TikTokGGT.
• It aimed to build brand awareness and reach a younger demographic, featuring music, dancing, and creative use of e.l.f. Cosmetics products.
• Their videos went viral, and the company gained millions of views and new followers on TikTok.
• It was a big success in terms of view counts due to the authenticity and creativity of the TikTok creators, who were able to showcase the products in a fun and engaging way.

Related reading: I talk about the effectiveness of creators as part of your TikTok growth strategy when it comes to accelerating growth.

24. ASUS saw over 80,000 UGC submissions through their TikTok hashtag

(Image source: TikTok)

• ASUS came out with a targeted TikTok campaign to reach gamers and promote their ROG gaming laptop, called #CreateWithASUS.
• The videos were created by TikTok creators who were gamers themselves and had large followings within the gaming community, amassing over 220 million views.
• Delivery was highly targeted, with the company using data analysis to identify potential customers and deliver the videos to them.
• The authenticity and expertise of the creators made this ASUS campaign a success, as they were able to showcase the features of the laptop in a way that resonated with gamers.
• This helped ASUS establish a reputation for producing high-quality gaming laptops.

25. Grammarly reached over 5 million people on Facebook and Youtube

Watch video here .

• Grammarly’s “Write the Future” campaign used a storytelling approach to generate brand awareness.
• The videos are designed to appeal to a large audience, showcasing customer archetypes and the impact Grammarly had on their lives.
• It was successful, reaching over 5 million people and achieving a lower CPM and higher engagement rate than direct response campaigns.
• Video-view rate increased by 33%, and cost-wise, they landed on $0.02 video views, and $0.59 video completes, with a reasonable CPC of $1.87.

26. This campaign saw over 4 billion image impressions within the first three months

(Image credit: Effie )

• Always came up with the #LikeAGirl campaign to challenge gender stereotypes and inspire girls to stay confident.
• It started with an ad that highlighted the negative stereotypes associated with doing something "like a girl" and how these stereotypes can affect a girl's self-esteem.
• This went viral, sparking a global conversation about gender stereotypes.
• The company expanded the campaign with the social media hashtag #LikeAGirl and encouraged people to share their stories and pictures using the hashtag.
• They also partnered with organisations like TED and Girls Scouts of the USA to amplify the message of the campaign.

27. Under Armour saw over 4 million views in 8 days

(Image credit: from article)

• Under Armour launched its #IWillWhatIWant campaign , which targeted women and aimed to challenge traditional notions of femininity and beauty in sports.
• The campaign showcased female athletes who had overcome obstacles to achieve success in their respective fields, such as Misty Copeland and Lindsey Vonn.
• They also had a digital component with a website that allowed users to create inspirational messages using the hashtag.
• Their sales increased by 28% in the quarter following the campaign's launch, leading to an increase in brand awareness and affinity.
• As a plus, its success led to the expansion of Under Armour's product line for women and the inclusion of more female athletes in its marketing campaigns.

28. KFC’s campaign was released across multiple channels, resulting in an almost 20% increase in sales

• The #UnboringMorning campaign of KFC came out in Singapore, aiming to promote its breakfast offerings and attract a younger audience.
• While the ad was released in traditional media like television, the brand leveraged social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach its target audience and encourage engagement with the campaign.
• The campaign also included interactive elements such as a social media contest that encouraged users to share their own "unboring" morning routines for a chance to win prizes.
• They partnered with local influencers to create buzz around the campaign and generate more attention.
• Search activity increased by 18% in the first month of the campaign, significantly increasing brand awareness and affinity.

29. Calvin Klein, the clothing giant, became even more iconic after it launched its social media campaign

• Calvin Klein had the #mycalvins campaign , featuring celebrities Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and other young stars, to target millennials.
• The ads featured the stars and other well-known internet personalities in their underwear, using their massive social media following to drive engagement and shares.
• This helped the company increase their followers by millions across all social media channels.
• The brand used the campaign to move away from its previous branding, which was seen as too conservative and not targeting younger consumers.
• Through this move, Calvin Klein became a brand perceived as current and cool.

30. Adidas, the footwear and sportswear clothing behemoth, made personalised videos for over 30,000 athletes 

• Adidas' "Here to Create Legend" campaign utilised cutting-edge technology to personalise content for each runner joining the Boston Marathon.
• It was based on the idea that young people want to create their own legacies rather than just follow in the footsteps of others.
• The company used data to understand the interests and preferences of its target audience and created content that resonated with them.
• This meant utilising a mix of content formats, including video, social media, and experiential activations.
• Personalised efforts made the athletes feel seen and important, which led to a sales spike of over 1,000% post-marathon season.

31. This Disney campaign raised millions of dollars for charity

(Image credit: Disney )

• The #ShareYourEars campaign was run by Disney and involved asking people to take photos of themselves wearing Mickey Mouse ears and sharing them on social media.
• Disney committed to donating $5 to Make-A-Wish Foundation for every photo shared, up to a total of $2 million.
• It was timed to coincide with the holiday season. Good timing for a campaign like this when audiences/people in general are in a ‘giving’/charitable state of mind.
• Use of user-generated content (UGC) also helped to build a sense of ‘momentum’, inclusiveness and community, which in turn helped encourage more every day people to get involved in some way.
• In the end, so many people joined in that Disney saw itself making a profit of $150,000 because of how many ears were sold during the campaign.

32. Zoom banked on community to build its audience (and paid off big time)

(image credit: from article)

• Zoom's success during the COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed to its leveraging user-generated content to build engagement and credibility with its audience.
• They used humour and light-hearted content to connect with their audience and show they understood the challenges of working from home.
• The company also responded to customer feedback and complaints on social media, demonstrating its commitment to customer service.
• This social media strategy helped to drive brand awareness and adoption.
• Zoom's success on social media shows the importance of staying agile and responsive during times of crisis and how providing value to customers can help build brand loyalty and trust.

Viral & UGC Competitions 

33. gopro, an established action camera brand, launched a contest with a million-dollar prize.

• GoPro came out with the Million Dollar Challenge , which asked users of the new HERO8 Black + MAX to come out with highlight reels of their shots.
• The contest was promoted primarily through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with the use of influencers helping to increase reach and engagement.
• There was a big focus on UGC, which in turn helped build a thriving and engaging community for GoPro.
• In total, the company got over 40,000 videos amounting to over 350 hours of reel time.
• As a plus, the contest provided valuable insights into consumer behaviour and preferences by analysing the data collected.

34. This viral contest leaderboard generated over 7,000 leads

(Image credit: Vyper)

• Vyper's viral leaderboard contest is an effective marketing tool for increasing engagement and driving user-generated content.
• It incentivised participants to share the contest with their friends and followers, which helped increase the reach and impact of the campaign.
• The company platform makes it easy to track and measure the results of the contest, which helped their marketers understand what was working and make adjustments as needed.
• The turnout also saw 8,000 new email sign-ups as new people became interested in the brand through their campaign.

35. IKEA used targeted UGC to increase conversion by 3x

Watch video here . 

• IKEA invited customers to submit photos of their homes , and the company selected some of the best ones to feature in a print advertisement. 
• As a result, the campaign captured IKEA's products in real-life situations and helped build a sense of community and connection with its customers.
• It also helped create a more diverse and inclusive representation of IKEA's customer base.
• The UGC element helped drive social media engagement, as people shared their photos and encouraged others to participate.
• Overall they got an epic result where they saw a 27% increase in reach and 3x increase in conversion.

36. FlySafair went from inception to a famous carrier in four years

(Image credit: Viral Sweep)

• FlySafair, a low-cost South African airline , used a social media contest to make a name for itself.
• They created a contest that asked people to submit photos of their pets, and the winner received a free flight for themselves and their pets. 
• Along the way, FlySafair was responsive to customer feedback and complaints on social media, which helped demonstrate its commitment to customer service.
• The prize was attractive and aligned with the airline's brand personality, which helped to strengthen its overall image.
• Further, the contest fostered a sense of community among participants who shared their photos and engaged with the airline on social media.

37. Adore Me, a lingerie company, ran a contest to gain market share

(Image credit: Gleam.io)

• Adore Me created a giveaway that asked people to follow them on social media and share the contest with their friends for a chance to win a year's worth of free lingerie. 
• Leaning into the sharing aspect of the contest helped increase the brand's reach and exposure.
• The prize promoted the brand's product offerings, which added to the contest's appeal - they’re offering things customers won’t get anywhere else.
• Propping up the brand’s items helped increase sales by driving traffic to the website and encouraging people to purchase.
• Their social media strategy also utilised Pinterest, with product images as the focal point.

38. 40,000+ followers were added to this eCommerce store’s audience after they ran a giveaway (one of my favs)

• The Instagram giveaway of Coconut Bowls was also used to collect over 40,000 email addresses and drive sales -  and guess what!? It only cost them $1,000 to run the campaign (wow!)
• They capitalised on FOMO messaging, partnering with influencers to get the word out.
• Because the campaign was set up to generate UGC, they saw over 15,000 posts come up promoting their brand within 4 weeks.

39. This music producer capitalised on his connections to run a viral campaign

(Image credit: Upviral)

• Gabe Schillinger is a hip-hop engineer who has worked with Snoop Dogg.
• By banking on this connection to promote his campaign, he was able to set up a collaboration with Snoop Dogg as a prize.
• He ran a referral program to incentivise customers with a chance to win this on top of other rewards.
• Gamifying the program, people understood that they could win more if they did more - so they did.
• Along the way, he was even able to sell out a product he had propped up within minutes, just from the traction he got through this contest.

40. Mailchimp used company swag to increase brand recognition

(Image credit: Viral Loops)

• Mailchimp launched a series of giveaways , each with a unique theme and a grand prize of company merch.
• They used a variety of promotional channels, including social media, email, and influencer partnerships, to reach a wider audience.
• The company created a sense of urgency by limiting the time frame for entering the giveaways and promoting them heavily in the days leading up to the deadline.
• Centering on swag helped to create a sense of community among Mailchimp's customers and incentivised them to engage with the brand on a deeper level.
• It came to the point where the merch became collectibles, driving up value.

Marketing Focused 

41. this bank used social media influencers to help them gain over 3,000 new twitter followers.

(Image credit: article below)

• Axis Bank's marketing strategy focuses on "The Thought Factory, " which is a platform for innovation and creative thinking.
• They launched an event to which influencers were invited, which had a huge pool in their local market.
• Further, the messaging is centred around the idea of "Progress," which resonates with its target audience.
• The company backed this up with visual branding.
• Making sure that their action follows the message, they leaned hard on customer service, which has helped to build trust and loyalty among users.

42. Netflix used a TikTok filter to promote a new show

(Image credit: Neo Reach)

• Netflix came out with its own creative filter and hashtag to promote Cobra Kai.
• They identified and partnered with influencers who had a significant following and who would resonate with the show's target market.
• Going with a mix of macro and micro-influencers helped them reach a wider audience and create more engagement.
• This was a massive success, with #CobraKaiChop gaining over 4 billion views.
• As a plus, they helped foster a sense of community among show fans, which helped build loyalty and excitement.

43. American Standard, a bathroom brand, created a renovation campaign to promote their products

(Image credit: The Shelf)

• American Standard collaborated with micro-influencers who had a strong following in the DIY and home improvement niche, as well as home design and lifestyle bloggers.
• The campaign was centred around #MyAmericanStandardJourney, which aimed to emphasise the role of the brand in their home living.
• Before and after images and videos helped drive the hype and interest of the general public.
• They were allowed to experiment with various content formats, including blog posts, Instagram stories, and YouTube videos.
• This resulted in positive sentiment towards the brand, with many consumers expressing interest in purchasing the product after seeing the influencers' content.

44. Bacardi, a mojito company, used UGC to improve sales by 14%

(Image credit: Tribe Group)

• Bacardi, the spirits brand, leveraged organic marketing to promote their drinks as the product of choice.
• First, they teamed up with several influencers to create content promoting the #MojitoMoment.
• Then, they took the content tagged with the hashtag and scattered them across digital panels, which were located 15 minutes away from bars where their products were sold.
• This allowed them to subconsciously incite desire among passers-by and old consumers alike to participate AND get the drink.
• Overall, they generated over 1.5 million social media impressions and over 25,000 engagements.

45. This computer company partnered with influencers across Twitch, Youtube, and Twitter

• Nvidia made sure they were visible on the platforms where their target market was present.
• The influencers were chosen for their expertise in PC gaming and their influence over their respective gaming communities.
• Content included product reviews, gameplay footage, and live streams showcasing the company’s new graphics cards in action - things that their audience would want to watch in their free time.
• This helped Nvidia increase brand awareness and reach new audiences, particularly among PC gamers.
• From just partnering with 11 creators, they saw over 40 million impressions.

Referral Marketing

Related reading: if you’re looking to replicate similar success to these studies below from some of these household names, then make sure to check out my ultimate guide to the best referral marketing platforms that you need to look into. 

46. Tesla hit $1 trillion in value without spending a dollar on advertising

(Image credit: Referral Factory)

• Tesla's referral program shows the importance of creating a straightforward yet rewarding program.
• It was designed to incentivise customers to spread the word about Tesla and help the company grow its customer base.
• They kept rewards attractive, like free $1,000 credits, limited edition merchandise, and even a free Tesla Roadster for those who referred the most number of new customers.
• Customers loved the rewards, which caused them to share their experiences with their followers, increasing brand affinity even more.
• Though it cost the company a bit, it helped them achieve significant growth without spending money on traditional advertising.

47. Harry’s had over 100,000 interested customers before it even launched

(Image credit: harrysprelaunchreferral.com )

• Harry's ran its referral program using a viral loop pre-launch to get the word out.
• They gave out a free shave kit for every 5 referrals to keep the program attractive to customers.
• A lot of teasers were involved in solidifying the interest in the product.
• The referral program resulted in a significant increase in customer acquisition and sales for Harry's.
• Overall, participants had a higher customer lifetime value than non-participants.

Related reading: if you’re in eCommerce, you will like these eCommerce referral marketing examples from top brands, where you can get inspiration on how they communicate and grow their referral strategy. 

48. Dropbox saw almost 4,000% in growth in just over a year

(Image credit: Growsurf)

• Dropbox's referral program offered users free extra storage space in exchange for inviting their friends to join.
• Both the referrer and the referred user were incentivised, which helped encourage participation.
• They made it easy for users to track their referrals and see how much storage space they earned.
• It was largely because of this campaign that the company reached 100 million users in just five years.
• The success of Dropbox's referral program shows the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

49. PayPal literally gave out money (one of the first ever successful referral campaigns)

(Image credit: Flyy)

• PayPal’s referral program is considered as the first ‘famous’ (well-known within the tech startup scene) viral growth marketing campaign.
• Dropbox’s campaign was actually inspired by the success of PayPal in this case.
• The premise was simple: Give $20, get $20 - and the rest is history (as we all know, so many SaaS and eCommerce companies have double-sided referral programs).
• Because of the nature of the company, they utilised social proof to encourage people to join by highlighting the success of others who had already referred friends.
• The company’s focus on creating a positive user experience helped to retain users and drive repeat referrals.

50. Robinhood used referrals to hit 1 million users before it even launched

• Robinhood offered a referral program where customers get others to join the platform and receive a free share of stock.
• This was integrated into the onboarding process, making it easy for new users to invite their friends.
• They also kept the signup process short and simple to fit the short attention span of its market.
• Unlike others, Robinhood set a limit on the number of free shares each user could receive, creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
• The referral program's success helped Robinhood establish itself as a disruptor in the financial industry.

51. Uber gave free rides and bonuses for successful referrals

(Image credit: Smile.io)

• Uber’s referral program gave riders free rides in exchange for referring friends to the service, and it also gave drivers bonuses for referring new drivers.
• It was easy to use and promoted heavily within the app , making it simple for everyone involved.
• To make it more fun and engaging, users were able to personalise their referral code.
• The company ​​also used social proof, displaying the number of successful referrals in the app to encourage others to participate.
• This allowed Uber to acquire new customers at a low cost, which helped them grow rapidly.

⚡Frequently Asked Questions ⚡

Which are your favourite viral marketing case studies that are really worth reading and sharing with colleagues.

Well, as you can see, there are so many epic case studies and examples of brands that have achieved incredible results with virality. Some of the numbers are truly staggering. Pretty much all of them are worth reading and watching (I mean, that’s why I included them in this guide), but if I had to pick seven (7) of my favourites, they would have to be - Old Spice, Volvo Trucks (so good), Red Bull #putacanonit, Go Pro “Million Dollar Challenge”, Coconut Bowls, Harry’s, and of course, one of my favourite platforms and tools I love, Dropbox’s referral program (one of the most famous in the tech startup scene). If you can, try read/watch all these studies and take notes because there are a lot of learnings you’ll be able to pick out.

What are some of the key attributes and elements that go into a viral marketing campaign?

There are lots of advice out there around key elements that goes into making a viral campaign, and it’s also just as important to define what ‘viral’ is (expectation management is important here). The reality is, going viral into the millions is really tough (chances are really low), but you can still spark a level of virality that generates a good ROI and reach for your brand. Having worked on a few campaigns which haven’t gone ‘super viral’ (like the videos you see on YouTube like Volvo Trucks and Old Spice), you can still give yourself the best chance when going into campaign creation. So, whatever channel you’re working on or type of campaign, these are some of the key elements I believe that matter to focus on - First, follow a particular trend that’s happening (i.e. TikTok trends is a great example). Second, use your existing audience and relationship with influencers to generate that initial spark (i.e. a UGC social media comp and they engage/share with others to get involved who may not already be following you). Third, related to the above, ensure you have distribution channels in place, whether it be PR or larger influencers ready to share (again, need to create some sort of groundswell at the start). Fourth, have a great hook (e.g. maybe be somewhat controversial or have a reason for people wanting to read/engage/join the conversation - anything that taps into the emotional triggers of your target audience), and finally, make it super easy to share whatever it is you’re working on (i.e. if you’re driving people to a landing page, social share buttons should be obvious). There are plenty of other elements/variables that go into campaigns like this, but the above strategies/tactics I’ve seen work really well through clients/projects I’ve worked on and what I’ve seen/analysed from top brands.

What’s one of the top strategies you recommend for startups and eCommerce brands to consider to ‘go viral’?

One of my favourite strategies and initiatives I’ve done a few times now is by running viral competitions. You’ll see some of the examples I’ve mentioned above and the results some of them have achieved. Yes, even on a tighter budget, you can achieve pretty epic results similar to the brands/companies that ran great comps. You’ll see what I mean when you take a read through the studies. Although when you do read them, you’ll see the importance of having a good prize (which requires a budget) and using a platform like Gleam Viral Loops or Vyper (there are a few others as well). Additionally, depending on where you live/are located, you also do need to check jurisdiction laws around competitions. I’ve seen brands myself generate thousands of leads and even a decent number of customers (revenue) through these viral competitions. Highly recommend you check the studies out (and others you can find across the net) to get some inspiration that you can consider for your business/team.

For brands on a budget, what do you recommend are ‘viral’ based marketing initiatives that can generate sales and referrals?

In the above question, I mentioned that viral competitions are a great strategy for building up a huge list, awareness and drive sales, but there are some other low-cost initiatives that you should incorporate into your overall marketing strategy. First, make sure you have a referral program in place. The number of brands that I come across with no referral program in place astounds me, as there are plenty of cost-effective tools/solutions on the market. Even if it’s not performing, there’s always room for making optimisations and improvements. Second, in relation to competitions, is UGC social comps (which I mention more below in the next question). Third, do partner/collab campaigns with other related brands (that aren’t direct competitors). For example, you can do email campaigns through both your audiences to get exposure to new subscribers, as well as do social media collabs. Fourth, this strategy can add up if not careful, but I personally believe micro-influencers are really good for smaller brands on a budget. However, it can only work if you effectively measure the ROI from the engagement (i.e. use coupon codes, tracking links, etc.). Working with numerous brands, I’ve seen first-hand it can still work incredibly well, especially at scale when you grow. Plus, the benefits of awareness and sales is one thing, but it’s the accelerated trust building and content that can really pay off dividends for your business. Fifth and final strategy suggestion is getting good at creating engaging content, and then focus on building relationships for distribution. If you get good at this (and stay consistent), in no time, you’ll get the awareness and viral exposure you’re looking for. I’ve suggested five strong strategies here that have worked time and time again for myself and various clients I’ve worked with over the years. However, there are naturally plenty of others you’ll get exposed to - it all comes down to testing and experimenting but ensuring you measure it effectively to track ROI.

Do UGC campaigns on social platforms still work effectively for brands on a leaner budget?

The short answer is yes, UGC social comps and posts are a great way to build awareness as well as followers and, ultimately, drive sales of new customers. However, it’s becoming more of a challenge as social media platforms reduce/tighten their organic reach. A great strategy actually I’ve started to see a lot of brands do is co-branded/collab UGC competitions with other related (non-direct competitor) brands. It’s a win-win by cross-promoting audiences and getting that initial ‘boost’ of organic reach. Naturally, though, you’re always going to need some sort of budget (not just for the prize) to really get the wheels turning when it comes to getting awesome engagement that can increase your chances of getting huge numbers of entries. So for those on a budget, definitely look into UGC comp collabs on Instagram.

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5 Case Studies of Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns

Hold onto your hats, marketers!

Did you know digital marketing spending is set to explode, reaching a mind-boggling $ 786 billion by 2026 ? And with social media ad spend hitting over $70 billion in the US alone , there’s no denying the power of a killer online campaign.

But here’s the thing: it’s not just about throwing money at ads. Successful campaigns in 2024 are a strategic dance – they blend social media with a whole symphony of channels for a knockout customer experience.

Think of it like this: Personalizing your message? That’s the move that turns casual shoppers into loyal fans.

Ready to see how top brands are doing a successful digital marketing campaign? I’m dissecting 5 real-world campaigns that nailed this formula and reaped the rewards. Get ready for digital marketing strategies – inspiration and a blueprint for your own marketing success await.

• Beyond the Love Fest: Slack's Winning Formula

Ideas to Adapt This Digital Advertising Strategy

Tips to steal for your business, ideas for your business, lessons for your business, case study #1. slack.

Slack’s meteoric rise in the competitive business communication space can be largely attributed to their genius understanding of a simple concept: customers love to talk about products they adore. Here’s how they turned this digital marketing campaign into marketing gold:

• The “Wall of Love” Campaign: This brilliant tactic involved a dedicated Twitter account (@SlackLoveTweets) that amplified positive user testimonials. This effortless social proof machine did wonders for brand reputation and encouraged even more glowing commentary.
• Easy Sharing = Participation: Using X (formerly Twitter), a platform already beloved by users, removed any participation hurdles.
• Feedback Loop: Praise wasn’t just for show – the team used those rave reviews to refine their product and deliver what users really needed.
• The Power of Visuals: Tweets with included images got more traction and showcased how Slack integrates into people’s work lives.

Beyond the Love Fest: Slack’s Winning Formula

Slack’s success goes beyond a single campaign. Here’s why they continue to compete with giants like Microsoft Teams:

• Relentless Focus on User Experience: From its inception, Slack was built with the user in mind. Easy setup, intuitive design…it removes the tech friction that bogs down other platforms.
• Real-Time = Real Connection: In a world demanding instant communication, Slack delivers. This keeps teams on the same page and fosters a sense of camaraderie.
• Customizable and Integrations-Friendly: Slack’s open approach lets it play nicely with countless other tools, creating a tailored work hub. This flexibility is invaluable to businesses.

The Bottom Line: Slack proved that listening to customers and showing that they matter is the recipe for building not just a loyal user base, but passionate brand advocates.

Want to implement aspects of this for your own business? Here are some ideas:

• Run a testimonial campaign: It doesn’t need to be as fancy as “The Wall of Love.” A simple social media hashtag or even a dedicated landing page can get people talking.
• Turn glowing testimonials into visuals: Tweets, infographics…make that praise eye-catching.
• Pay attention to even the smallest bits of feedback. That’s where your next big feature idea might be hiding.

Case Study #2. UNIQLO

UNIQLO knew that to get people excited about their HEATTECH line, they needed to go beyond standard ads. Hence, an ingenious omnichannel experience was born:

• The Hook: Eye-catching digital billboards across Australia, plus videos online, dared people to snap photos of unique codes. This gamified the promotion, making it fun.
• The Reward: Codes unlocked either free t-shirts (who doesn’t love free stuff?) or tempting e-commerce discounts. Plus, a gentle push toward signing up for the newsletter for future deals.
• The Viral Touch: The experience was shareable on social media, letting satisfied customers spread the word and get their friends involved.

Why This Was Marketing Magic

• The Power of “Free”: Giveaways always pique interest, and those t-shirts were a brilliant way to get people to try the product.
• Bridging Online and Offline: The billboards drove people to the digital campaign, and the campaign funneled real-world shoppers into their online ecosystem.
• Beyond Just a Sale: While the initial goal was sales, UNIQLO also used this to build their email list, ensuring those new customers could be nurtured later.

The Impressive Results: 1.3 million video views, 25K new email subscribers, and a whopping 35K new customers speak for themselves.

• Gamifying the experience: Can you add a code-finding element, or a contest, to your campaigns?
• Freebies are your friend: It doesn’t have to be t-shirts; a free sample or exclusive content could work just as well.
• Think about the share factor: How can you encourage participants to organically spread the word?

Case Study #3. Airbnb

Airbnb understood that to stand out, they couldn’t just offer rooms – they had to sell the feeling of travel. Here’s how they did it:

“Made Possible By Hosts” Campaign: This heartwarming video used real guest photos and a nostalgic soundtrack to evoke that “remember that epic trip?” sensation. It subtly showcased great properties while focusing on the emotional benefits of those getaways. ( Watch Here )

“Belong Anywhere” Campaign: This was about ditching the cookie-cutter hotel experience and immersing yourself in a destination. Airbnb positioned itself as the key to local adventures, belonging, and transformation through travel. ( Watch Here )

Key Takeaways

• Video is KING: They invested in both short, shareable how-to videos and longer, emotionally impactful ones.
• UGC is Your Goldmine: User photos and stories provided powerful, free content while also building that vital trust factor.
• Sentiment Sells: Airbnb didn’t bog down ads with facts; they used music, imagery, and storytelling to tap into that wanderlust in viewers.

The Success: These campaigns weren’t just pretty to look at; those 17M views for “Made Possible by Hosts” and the global reach of “Belong Anywhere” translated into real bookings.

Why It Matters: Airbnb disrupted an entire industry by understanding that:

• Experience Matters More Than Specs: They sell adventures, memories, and that feeling of connection, not just a place to crash.
• Authenticity Wins: User-generated content is relatable and trustworthy, which is key in the travel industry.
• Don’t just show the product, show the FEELING: How will your product or service transform a customer’s life?
• Run Contests for UGC: Get those customer photos rolling in. Offer a prize for the most “adventurous” or “heartwarming” shot.
• Showcase Your Brand Personality: Was Airbnb’s tone all serious? Nope. They were fun, sentimental, and a little cheeky, which fit their brand image.

Could You Partner with Airbnb? This case study also begs the question: for businesses in the travel or hospitality space, an Airbnb collaboration could be marketing magic.

Case Study #4. Lyft

Lyft realized they already had a killer product – their challenge was getting MORE people to try it. Enter the power of referrals:

• The Hook: Simple referral codes were sharable via the app, email, or even text. This made it a snap for riders to spread the word.
• The Reward: Free or discounted rides. This wasn’t a measly $5 off; it was significant enough to make riders really want to tell their friends.
• The Viral Loop: Refer a friend, get a discount. Friend uses Lyft, they get a discount…you see where this is going.

Why This Was Smart

• Low-Cost, High-Yield: Traditional advertising is pricey. Referrals are fueled by happy customers, which is way cheaper.
• The Trust Factor: People trust recommendations from people they know infinitely more than some billboard.
• Scalability: This successful digital marketing strategy grows with their user base – the more satisfied riders, the more potential advocates.

The Bottom Line: Lyft didn’t just make a clever campaign; they built a referral system into the core of their app, ensuring growth wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

• What’s Your Incentive?: Freebies, discounts, exclusive content – what will actually make your customers want to share?
• Make It EASY: Don’t make them jump through hoops. One-click sharing options are essential.
• Track and Reward: Who are your top referrers? They deserve some extra love (maybe even a tiered rewards program).

Case Study #5. Sephora

Sephora understood a key weakness of e-commerce: you can’t try on a lipstick through a screen. That’s why they went all-in on innovative tech:

• The App as a Virtual Dressing Room: AI and AR are game-changers. Their app lets customers try on makeup from anywhere, boosting confidence in online purchases.
• Closing the Loop: Smart, eh? The app connects right to their e-store; a few taps and that virtual lipstick is in your real-world cart.
• Personalized to the Max: Using shopper data, the app tailors the experience, offering tailored recommendations that increase the chance of buying.

Why This Isn’t Just Cool, It’s Genius

• Overcoming Obstacles: They addressed a key pain point of buying cosmetics online. Less hesitation = more sales.
• Omnichannel FTW: They don’t just exist online; there’s an in-store connection too. That app? It helps you there as well.
• It’s about the EXPERIENCE: Sephora knows beauty is fun, and their digital strategy reflects that with virtual try-ons, quizzes, etc.
• Solve a problem: Don’t just add tech for the sake of it. Find a pain point in your customer journey and see if there’s a tech solution.
• The “Experience” Factor: Can you add interactive elements, gamification, or a personalized touch to your digital presence?
• Data Is Your Friend: If you’re collecting it, USE it. Tailored offers, recommendations…these keep customers coming back for more.

Final Thought on These Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns

These case studies showcase the importance of being adaptable, customer-focused, and not afraid to try new things. The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but by understanding the core principles of what makes people tick, your business can craft truly impactful online marketing campaigns.

The Power of Emotion & Experience

• Best marketing campaigns aren’t just about features; they tap into feelings . Airbnb evokes the thrill of travel, Slack reminds us of the joy of smooth team communication, and Sephora makes buying makeup playful.
• Ask yourself: What does my product/service let customers feel and how can my content marketing capture that?

User-Generated Content is Marketing Gold

• The campaign featured like Slack’s “Wall of Love” and Airbnb’s focus on guest photos prove that real-world stories beat slick ads every time.
• This builds trust and provides endless free content.
• How to get started? Contests, easy-to-use “review” features on your site, and incentivizing social media platforms’ shares.

Omnichannel is the Future

• Both Sephora and UNIQLO masterfully blurred the lines between online and offline experiences.
• The target audience wants to engage with brands on their terms . Be present on social, have a mobile-friendly site, and if possible, find ways to integrate the in-store experience.

Word-of-Mouth Still Reigns Supreme

• Lyft’s referral program is a reminder that happy customers are your best salespeople.
• Don’t focus solely on gaining new customers; ensure your current ones feel so valued they can’t help but spread the word.
• Tips: Loyalty programs, excellent customer service that goes the extra mile, referral incentives

Tech is Your Tool, Not Your Master

• Sephora’s AI and AR try-ons are impressive, but the core goal is solving a problem for customers.
• Avoid using tech just to be trendy. Focus on how it can truly enhance your customer’s journey.

Related Content:

• Niche Website Builder: Your Profitable Niche Site From Scratch
• The Dark Side of Digital: 6 Worst Social Media Platforms In 2024 [Exposed]
• 10 Best Digital Marketing Niches in 2024 & 100 Profitable Sub-Niche Ideas
• How to Grow Your Business Online in 2024 (Entrepreneur Guide)
• 10 Best Facebook Niches: Goldmines for Unmatched ROI and Growth

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Marketing Campaign Case Studies: What They Taught Us

To market anything successfully, you must first understand the needs of your consumers and then create a strategy that can satisfy those needs. The problem is that marketing trends are always changing and it can be extremely difficult to keep pace with the developments. What was popular a few months back might seem outmoded today.

However, in recent times, one marketing strategy has remained on the right side of the trending chart for a pretty long time. It is a strategy that can hardly be ignored by any business in today’s times. And that is content marketing!

The primary goal of content marketing is to apprise clients and prospects and keep them engaged. It is a way of displaying your expertise and knowledge of the business and the industry to the people who matter to your business. It is an effective way of persuading the prospects to test and buy your products and services.

The ability to reuse content, and recycle it for your alternative marketing efforts, make content marketing a truly powerful marketing asset for any organization. For instance, your blog post or any other piece of content created for the brand or organization and posted on your website can be shared on social media channels to engage with a new set of potential customers.

You can also recycle old content in push notifications, emails, to create a whitepaper, or in presentations. Multiple marketing efforts can be initiated with a single piece of content. That’s how powerful content marketing is!

These three case studies show how three different companies utilized different content marketing strategies to achieve success and growth in under a year.

Case Study #1 : How HotPads increased their blog traffic by 4,000% using original content

The Challenge: With fewer than 400 views on their blog per month, HotPads needed to curate traffic that would convert visitors into an engaged, returning audience. HotPads decided to turn to original content and forego the use of any paid content or promotions in order to achieve their goals for growth.

The Strategy: HotPads turned to content creators to create and publish original story-based content to their website. They focused on hiring quality, vetted journalists and content writers to produce the content.

The Results:

• >4,000% traffic increase in 7 months
• 270 original articles produced in under a year

Never underestimate the power of original content. HotPads used storytelling to get their message to the right people and created an engaged audience that helped them grow into the popular rental site we know today.

This content marketing case study shows why companies must shift their focus from paid content and go for original content if they want to get a surge in traffic on their website. Paid content and promotion can be a strategy but the dominating factor in any marketing campaign must be original content.

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Case Study #2: “Perceptions of Perfection” goes viral

The Challenge:

Superdrug.com wanted to build a campaign that would bring more attention to the lasting problems surrounding body image issues, especially in women. The goal was to offer and raise awareness of resources available to anyone struggling with these problems. This was a sensitive topic that needed to be handled well in order to be effective.

The Strategy:

Graphic designers from 18 countries around the world were hired, all with the same simple task: photoshop the same image of a model and make her attractive in a way that fits their country’s beauty standards. The results were shared as part of the campaign to show the vast differences in beauty standards across the world.

• Almost 600 pickup placements, including on major sites such as Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post, as well as international coverage by multiple news outlets
• Nearly 1,000,000 social shares
• Multiple celebrity endorsements

Appealing to emotion in a way that is relatable to your audience is an effective way to connect and encourage engagement. Emotions are also a key factor in viral content.

Case Study #3 : Dell’s Lead Nurturing campaign achieved $40 million in incremental revenue

Dell’s marketing strategy didn’t account for following up on leads from partner campaigns, leading to ROI losses and a disconnect between Dell’s marketing efforts and their sales channels.

Dell began a lead nurturing solution that utilized thousands of pieces of unique content that would personalize the experience for every lead, guiding them through interactive content including emails, landing pages, and more that would enable viewers to explore and educate themselves about Dell’s products before ultimately making the decision to buy.

• Dell saw an average 35% sale value increase in nurtured leads vs. unnurtured
• 300% engagement rate improvement
• $40 million in incremental revenue from marketing partners

Always follow up on leads and never leave your customers with a dead end when they are viewing your content. Dell’s efforts in creating thousands of pieces of interwoven content allowed for a highly personalized campaign that appealed to a wide audience.

Different companies have different goals to achieve their idea of success, but the many sides of content marketing offer something for everyone when it comes to reaching those goals, whether it’s company growth, greater ROI, or greater brand recognition. Content marketing strategies are the most effective when marketers take the time and research to understand their target audience. The key takeaway from any content marketing case study is to craft a strategy that revolves around your company’s goals and the story you want to tell.

The above content marketing case studies show why success in digital marketing is directly proportional to the ability to create engaging content. To achieve this you must have a deep understanding of the buyer’s journey and know how to influence the next moves.

All Types of Digital Marketing Rolled Into One

Digital marketing are of different types and the decision to use the one that fits well within your current business demands and future goals is entirely your call.

Businesses looking to increase search traffic can rely upon SEO and PPC to increase their ranking on top search engines. Brand awareness and reach can be extended by leveraging the social media connects you have and making use of the platform that best suits your business model. You can drive sales and gain profits by using the influencer marketing approach which can take your customer engagement level to a new high.

All these diverse digital marketing strategies are ideal for achieving various marketing goals. However, content marketing is better of them all as it can help you pull all these methodologies on one platform and make them work in synergy.

What Makes Content Marketing So Versatile

Content marketing is, without doubt, the most versatile of all the digital marketing strategies. The results can be enjoyed for a longer term as the benefits can compound over a period of time. Any business can adapt content marketing strategy as content can be created and published easily as compared to other marketing procedures. It can also be reposted in a completely different medium to give your free marketing edge by using the same old content in a different manner.

Content marketing is also one of the best tools for lead generation. It will cost you significantly less than traditional marketing and can generate thrice as much leads.

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5 outstanding social media marketing case studies

Do you read social media marketing case studies for inspiration? It’s always a good idea to benchmark against your competitors or pinch ideas from them, but it’s also worth looking at success stories from the biggest brands out there. You might not have their budget, but you can always gain inspiration from their campaigns.

Here are five of the best brands on social and what I think you can learn from them:

1.Mercedes Benz – Repeated, successful social media marketing campaigns

Mercedes Benz seem to win every time with their social media campaigns.  The one that stands out to me was back in 2013 when they created what I still believe to be one of the best Instagram marketing campaigns to date. Mercedes wanted to reach out to the younger audience so they hired five top Instagram photographers to each take the wheel of a new Mercedes CLA. Whoever got the most likes got to keep the car – so they all really worked at it!

By the end of the campaign, Mercedes has received:

• 87,000,000 organic Instagram impressions
• 2,000,000 Instagram likes
• 150 new marketing assets (stunning photos)

What lessons can you learn from this? Could you put your followers up for a challenge and make it into a competition or campaign?

• Can you do a competition that gets people trying out your product first?
• Think about your target audience. What is a prize they would value?
• Like Mercedes you could recruit bloggers/influencers via social media and get them blogging about your service or product. Whoever receives the most engagement wins .

2. Dove – Connecting with their target audience

Is it just me or do all the Dove marketing campaigns make you cry? If you’ve seen their Real Beauty sketches campaign, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Dove’s goal is to make women feel good about themselves. They know their target market and create content that tells a story that women can relate to.

Today I am… pic.twitter.com/VoAf2wRdwa — Dove UK & Ireland (@DoveUK) February 19, 2016

Dove did some research and found that 80 percent of women came across negative chatter on social media. Dove’s goal was to change that and make social media a more positive experience. As a result, Dove teamed up with Twitter and built a tool to launch the #SpeakBeautiful Effect, that breaks down which body- related words people use the most and when negative chatter appears during the day.

According to Dove, women were inspired by their message.

• #SpeakBeautiful was used more than 168,000 times
• Drove 800 million social media impressions of the campaign

Dove know their audience. Knowing your audience is the only way you will engage with them. The best way for this is creating personas. Knowing what life stage they are in, if they’re employed, what their interests are etc. will certainly help you when creating content. Then think about linking your audience to your brand values in order to create something just as successful as Dove’s campaign.

3. Nutella – Incredible content that makes you salivate

Each post makes you want to eat Nutella. There are a lot of people (including me) who take photos of their food before they eat it. Nutella does the same and it works. Nutella isn’t afraid to be fun and creative with different ingredients. Nutella is just a chocolate spread yet they manage to have fun with it. Do you, or could you, have a bit more fun with your brand?

Here are some ideas for having fun with your brand:

• Are you on different social media channels? If you’re B2B you might not think that Instagram is for you, but it can be a great way to demonstrate your brand values by telling a story. Fedex is a great example of this, showing images of their trucks always on the move. This tells a story that they are always delivering and that is the key message we take away.
• Key influencers/bloggers can be a great way to  different types of content and to see how they have fun with your brand (if this is new to you, read our post on the rise of the social media influencer ).
• Instead of posting behind-the-scenes photos at your head office, can you encourage your followers to share their experiences with your brand? Maybe host an event or go out and meet them.

Take your #breakfast bread pudding to the next level with #Nutella ! 😉 pic.twitter.com/k0ko5Nm9iX — Nutella (@NutellaGlobal) May 5, 2016

4. Oreo – Smart content planning and timely delivery

Oreo is another brand that is known for their creative social media marketing. They must have a big design team to produce their content, but it works! They are consistent with their branding and manage to catch onto real time events. We all remember when the lights went out at the Super Bowl and during the half hour blackout Oreo tweeted out:

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC — OREO Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

This was retweeted over 15,000 times.  Are you thinking outside the box about your brand? Plan ahead for events coming up that you might be able to jump on to.

Do you plan your social media content out? If you’re in B2B and don’t currently create content read here for some B2B content marketing tips to help you get started, or check out our B2B marketing strategy tips ebook for 2021.

It’s always a good idea to prepare content ahead of time. If you can schedule content on a monthly basis – perfect, but if not bi-weekly is great. That way you can check what events are coming up and plan content around them. This gives you time for any ad hoc creative to be done, such as jumping on real-time events like the Oreo blackout example above.

5. Airbnb – Stunning imagery and UGC

What might look like a visual travel blog,  Airbnb ’ s content attracts fans with their visually compelling posts. On Instagram, they post user-generated photos from its hosts and guests. The content embraces their new campaign of ‘Don’t just go there, Live there’ which is captured through real photography. Each post receives high engagement, between 3,000 and 14,000 Instagram likes.

This is a great example of thinking slightly outside the box. Airbnb is all about accommodation. They don’t just post images of the inside of people’s homes. Seeing the culture and images of places all over the world comes with the experience of where you stay and that’s what connects with people. Think about your brand: are you just posting about the product/ service itself? Why not tell your followers a story instead?

Thanks for reading. I hope by reading these five social media marketing case studies it has spiked some inspiration! If you need any help with your social media advertising , influencer marketing , or other aspects of your social media strategy, feel free to contact us .

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11 Facebook Case Studies & Success Stories to Inspire You

Published: August 05, 2019

Although Facebook is one of the older social media networks, it's still a thriving platform for businesses who want to boost brand awareness.

With over 2.38 billion monthly active users , you can use the platform to spread the word about your business in a number of different ways -- from photos or videos to paid advertisements.

Because there are so many marketing options and opportunities on Facebook, It can be hard to tell which strategy is actually best for your brand.

If you're not sure where to start, you can read case studies to learn about strategies that marketing pros and similar businesses have tried in the past.

A case study will often go over a brand's marketing challenge, goals, a campaign's key details, and its results. This gives you a real-life glimpse at what led a marketing team to reach success on Facebook. Case studies also can help you avoid or navigate common challenges that other companies faced when implementing a new Facebook strategy.

To help you in choosing your next Facebook strategy, we've compiled a list of 11 great case studies that show how a number of different companies have succeeded on the platform.

Even if your company has a lower budget or sells a different product, we hope these case studies will inspire you and give you creative ideas for your own scalable Facebook strategy.

Facebook Brand Awareness Case Studies:

During the 2017 holiday season, the jewelry company Pandora wanted to boost brand awareness in the German market. They also wanted to see if video ads could have the same success as their other Facebook ad formats.

They began this experiment by working with Facebook to adapt a successful TV commercial for the platform. Here's a look at the original commercial:

The ad was cut down to a 15-second clip which shows a woman receiving a Pandora necklace from her partner. It was also cropped into a square size for mobile users. Pandora then ran the ad targeting German audiences between the ages of 18-50. It appeared in newsfeeds and as an in-stream video ad .

Results: According to the case study , the video campaign lifted brand sentiment during the holiday season, with a 10-point lift in favorability. While Pandora or the case study didn't disclose how they measured their favorability score, they note that the lift means that more consumers favored Pandora over other jewelers because of the ad.

Financially, the campaign also provided ROI with a 61% lift in purchases and a 42% increase in new buyers.

Video can be memorable, emotional, and persuasive. While the case study notes that Pandora always had success with ads and purchases, the jeweler saw that a video format could boost brand awareness even further.

In just 15 seconds, Pandora was able to tell a short story that their target audience could identify with while also showing off their product. The increase in favorability shows that audiences who saw the ad connected with it and preferred the jeweler over other companies because of the marketing technique.

Part of Pandora's success might also be due to the video's platform adaptation. Although they didn't create a specific video for the Facebook platform, they picked a commercial that had already resonated with TV audiences and tweaked it to grab attention of fast-paced Facebook users. This is a good example of how a company can be resourceful with the content it already has while still catering to their online audiences.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , a HubSpot customer, wanted to boost brand awareness and get more ticket purchases to their museum. Since they'd mainly used traditional customer outreach strategies in the past, they wanted to experiment with more ways of reaching audiences on social media.

Because the museum's social media team recognized how often they personally used Facebook Messenger, they decided to implement a messaging strategy on the Hall of Fame's official business page.

From the business page, users can click the Get Started button and open a chat with the Hall of Fame. Through the chat, social media managers were able to quickly reply to questions or comments from fans, followers, and prospective visitors. The reps would also send helpful links detailing venue pricing, events, other promotions, and activities in the surrounding area.

Since the Messenger launch, they claim to have raised their audience size by 81% and sales from prospects by 12%. The company claims that this feature was so successful that they even received 54 messages on an Easter Sunday.

Being available to connect with your audiences through Messenger can be beneficial to your business and your brand. While the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame boosted purchases, they also got to interact with their audiences on a personal level. Their availability might have made them look like a more trustworthy, friendly brand that was actually interested in their fanbase rather than just sales.

Facebook Reach Case Study:

In early 2016, Buffer started to see a decline in their brand reach and engagement on Facebook due to algorithm changes that favored individuals rather than brands. In an effort to prevent their engagement and reach numbers from dropping even further.

The brand decided to cut their posting frequency by 50%. With less time focused on many posts, they could focus more time on creating fewer, better-quality posts that purely aimed at gaining engagement. For example, instead of posting standard links and quick captions, they began to experiment with different formats such as posts with multi-paragraph captions and videos. After starting the strategy in 2016, they continued it through 2018.

Here's an example of one an interview that was produced and shared exclusively on Facebook.

The Results: By 2018, Buffer claimed that the average weekly reach nearly tripled from 44,000 at the beginning of the experiment to 120,000. The page's average daily engagements also doubled from roughly 500 per day to around 1,000.

In 2018, Buffer claimed that their posts reached between 5,000 to 20,000 people, while posts from before the experiment reached less than 2,000.

Although Buffer began the experiment before major Facebook algorithm changes , they updated this case study in 2018 claiming that this strategy has endured platform shifts and is still providing them with high reach and engagement.

It can be easy to overpost on a social network and just hope it works. But constant posts that get no reach or engagement could be wasted your time and money. They might even make your page look desperate.

What Buffer found was that less is more. Rather than spending your time posting whatever you can, you should take time to brainstorm and schedule out interesting posts that speak directly to your customer.

Facebook Video Views Case Studies:

Gearing up for Halloween in 2016, Tomcat, a rodent extermination company, wanted to experiment with a puppet-filled, horror-themed, live video event. The narrative, which was created in part by their marketing agency, told the story of a few oblivious teenage mice that were vacationing in a haunted cabin in the woods. At peak points of the story, audiences were asked to use the comments to choose which mouse puppet would die next or how they would die.

Prior to the video event, Tomcat also rolled out movie posters with the event date, an image of the scared mouse puppets, and a headline saying, "Spoiler: They all die!"

Results: It turns out that a lot of people enjoy killing rodents. The live video got over 2.3 million unique views , and 21% of them actively participated. As an added bonus, the video also boosted Tomcat's Facebook fanbase by 58% and earned them a Cyber Lion at the 2017 Cannes Lions awards.

Here's a hilarious sizzle reel that shows a few clips from the video and a few key stats:

This example shows how creative content marketing can help even the most logistical businesses gain engagement. While pest control can be a dry topic for a video, the brand highlighted it in a creative and funny way.

This study also highlights how interactivity can provide huge bonuses when it comes to views and engagement. Even though many of the viewers knew all the rats would die, many still participated just because it was fun.

Not only might this peak brand interest from people who hadn't thought that deeply about pest control, but interactivity can also help a video algorithmically. As more people comment, share, and react to a live video, there's more likelihood that it will get prioritized and displayed in the feeds of others.

In 2017, HubSpot's social media team embarked on an experiment where they pivoted their video goals from lead generation to audience engagement. Prior to this shift, HubSpot had regularly posted Facebook videos that were created to generate leads. As part of the new strategy, the team brainstormed a list of headlines and topics that they thought their social media audience would actually like, rather than just topics that would generate sales.

Along with this pivot, they also experimented with other video elements including video design, formatting, and size .

Results: After they started to launch the audience-friendly videos, they saw monthly video views jump from 50,000 to 1 million in mid-2017.

Creating content that caters to your fanbase's interests and the social platform it's posted on can be much more effective than content that seeks out leads.

While videos with the pure goal of selling a product can fall flat with views and engagement, creative videos that intrigue and inform your audiences about a topic they relate to can be a much more effective way to gain and keep your audience. Once the audience trusts you and consumes your content regularly, they might even trust and gain interest in your products.

Facebook App Installs Case Study:

Foxnext games.

FoxNext Games, a video game company owned by 20th Century Fox, wanted to improve the level of app installs for one of its newest releases, Marvel Strike Force. While FoxNext had previously advertised other games with Facebook video ads, they wanted to test out the swipe-able photo carousel post format. Each photo, designed like a playing card, highlighted a different element of the game.

The add offered a call-to-action button that said "Install Now" and lead to the app store where it could be downloaded. FoxNext launched it on both Facebook and Instagram. To see if the carousel was more efficient than video campaigns, they compared two ads that advertised the same game with each format.

Results: According to Facebook , the photo ads delivered a 6% higher return on ad spend, 14% more revenue, 61% more installs, and 33% lower cost per app install.

Takeaways If your product is visual, a carousel can be a great way to show off different elements of it. This case study also shows how designing ads around your audience's interest can help each post stand out to them. In this scenario, FoxNext needed to advertise a game about superheroes. They knew that their fanbase was interested in gaming, adventure, and comic books, so they created carousels that felt more like playing cards to expand on the game's visual narrative.

Facebook Lead Gen Case Study:

Major impact media.

In 2019, Major Impact Media released a case study about a real-estate client that wanted to generate more leads. Prior to working with Major Impact, the Minneapolis, Minnesota brokerage hired another firm to build out an online lead generation funnel that had garnered them no leads in the two months it was active. They turned to Major Impact looking for a process where they could regularly be generating online leads.

As part of the lead generation process, the marketing and brokerage firms made a series of Facebook ads with the lead generation objective set. Major Impact also helped the company build a CRM that could capture these leads as they came in.

Results: Within a day, they received eight leads for $2.45 each. In the next 90 days, the marketing firm claimed the ads generated over 370 local leads at the average cost of $6.77 each. Each lead gave the company their name, email, and phone number.

Although these results sound like a promising improvement, readers of this case study should keep in mind that no number of qualified leads or ROI was disclosed. While the study states that leads were gained, it's unclear which of them lead to actual sales -- if any.

This shows how Facebook ad targeting can be helpful when you're seeking out leads from a specific audience in a local area. The Minneapolis brokerage's original marketing and social media strategies weren't succeeding because they were looking for a very specific audience of prospective buyers in the immediate area.

Ad targeting allowed their posts to be placed on the news feeds of people in the area who might be searching for real estate or have interests related to buying a home. This, in turn, might have caused them more success in gaining leads.

Facebook Engagement Case Study:

When the eyewear brand Hawkers partnered up with Spanish clothing brand El Ganso for a joint line of sunglasses, Hawkers' marketing team wanted to see which Facebook ad format would garner the most engagement. Between March and April of 2017, they launched a combination of standard ads and collection ads on Facebook.

While their standard ads had a photo, a caption and a call-to-action linking to their site, the collection ads offered a header image or video, followed by smaller images of sunglasses from the line underneath.

Image from Digital Training Academy

To A/B test ad effectiveness of the different ad types, Hawkers showed half of its audience standard photo ads while the other half were presented with the collection format. The company also used Facebook's Audience Lookalike feature to target the ads their audiences and similar users in Spain.

Results: The collection ad boosted engagement by 86% . The collection ads also saw a 51% higher rate of return than the other ads.

This study shows how an ad that shows off different elements of your product or service could be more engaging to your audience. With collection ads, audiences can see a bunch of products as well as a main image or video about the sunglass line. With a standard single photo or video, the number of products you show might be limited. While some users might not respond well to one image or video, they might engage if they see a number of different products or styles they like.

Facebook Conversion Case Study:

Femibion from merck.

Femibion, a German family-planning brand owned by Merck Consumer Health, wanted to generate leads by offering audiences a free baby planning book called "Femibion BabyPlanung." The company worked with Facebook to launch a multistage campaign with a combination of traditional image and link ads with carousel ads.

The campaign began with a cheeky series of carousel ads that featured tasteful pictures of "baby-making places," or locations where women might conceive a child. The later ads were a more standard format that displayed an image of the book and a call-to-action.

When the first ads launched in December 2016, they were targeted to female audiences in Germany. In 2017, during the later stages of the campaign, the standard ads were retargeted to women who had previously interacted with the carousel ads. With this strategy, people who already showed interest would see more ads for the free product offer. This could cause them to remember the offer or click when they saw it a second time.

Results: By the time the promotion ended in April 2017, ads saw a 35% increase in conversion rate. The company had also generated 10,000 leads and decreased their sample distribution cost by two times.

This case study shows how a company successfully brought leads through the funnel. By targeting women in Germany for their first series of creative "baby-making" ads, they gained attention from a broad audience. Then, by focusing their next round of ads on women who'd already shown some type of interest in their product, they reminded those audiences of the offer which may have enabled those people to convert to leads.

Facebook Product Sales Case Study

In an effort to boost sales from its Latin American audiences, Samsung promoted the 2015 Argentina launch of the Galaxy S6 smartphone with a one-month Facebook campaign.

The campaign featured three videos that highlighted the phone's design, camera, and long battery life respectively.

One video was released each week and all of them were targeted to men and women in Argentina. In the fourth week of the campaign, Samsung launched more traditional video and photo ads about the product. These ads were specifically targeted to people who'd engaged with the videos and their lookalike audiences.

Results: Samsung received 500% ROI from the month-long campaign and a 7% increase in new customers.

Like Femibion, Samsung tested a multiple ad strategy where the targeting got more specific as the promotions continued. They too saw the benefit of targeting ads to users who already showed interest in the first rounds of advertisements. This strategy definitely seems like one that could be effective when trying to gain more qualified leads.

Facebook Store Visits Case Study:

Church's chicken.

The world's third-largest chicken restaurant, Church's Chicken, wanted to see if they could use Facebook to increase in-restaurant traffic. From February to October of 2017, the chain ran a series of ads with the "Store Traffic" ad objectives. Rather than giving customers a link to a purchasing or order page, these ads offer users a call-to-action that says "Get Directions." The dynamic store-traffic ad also gives users the store information for the restaurant closest to them.

Image from Facebook

The ads ran on desktop and mobile newsfeeds and were targeted at people living near a Church's Chicken who were also interested in "quick-serve restaurants." The study also noted that third-party data was used to target customers who were "big spenders" at these types of restaurants.

To measure the results, the team compared data from Facebook's store-reporting feature with data from all of its locations.

Results: The ads resulted in over 592,000 store visits with an 800% ROI. Each visit cost the company an average of $1.14. The ROI of the campaign was four times the team's return goal.

If you don't have an ecommerce business, Facebook ads can still be helpful for you if they're strategized properly. In this example, Church's ads targeted locals who like quick-serve restaurants and served them a dynamic ad with text that notified them of a restaurant in their direct area. This type of targeting and ad strategy could be helpful to small businesses or hyperlocal businesses that want to gain foot traffic or awareness from the prospective customers closest to them.

Navigating Case Studies

If you're a marketer that wants to execute proven Facebook strategies, case studies will be incredibly helpful for you. If the case studies on the list above didn't answer one of your burning Facebook questions, there are plenty of other resources and success stories online.

As you look for a great case study to model your next campaign strategy, look for stories that seem credible and don't feel too vague. The best case studies will clearly go over a company's mission, challenge or mission, process, and results.

Because many of the case studies you'll find are from big businesses, you might also want to look at strategies that you can implement on a smaller scale. For example, while you may not be able to create a full commercial at the production quality of Pandora, you might still be able to make a lower-budget video that still conveys a strong message to your audience.

If you're interested in starting a paid campaign, check out this helpful how-to post . If you just want to take advantage of free options, we also have some great information on Facebook Live and Facebook for Business .

Don't forget to share this post!

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The Campaigns Successfully Marketing to Millennials and Gen Z

By Joanna Fragopoulos     May 24, 2024    

Advertisers have long been invested in marketing to younger audiences; gen Z and millennials are no exception. For many companies, finding ways to engage with these two generations has become integral to their campaigns. Below are successful case studies that illustrate companies authentically connecting with gen Z and millennials through experiences, product launches, and content.

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