marketing management case study with solution

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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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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The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Case Studies

Everything you need to know about creating effective marketing case studies that will help you convert more leads.

FREE DOWNLOAD: CASE STUDY TEMPLATES

Showcase success using compelling case studies.

Updated: 12/02/21

Published: 02/16/16

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and imagine you were considering purchasing a new product.

Would you be more inclined to:

A) Chat with a salesperson — while trying to block out the tiny voice in your head reminding you that they’re working on commission?

B) Review a case study about a customer who used that product to solve a problem similar to yours?

Probably option B, right? That’s because we put more trust in word-of-mouth marketing than we do salespeople.

The way people consume information has changed, and buyers have all the resources they need to make decisions about what to purchase. Companies can either continue marketing the old, less effective way … or they can embrace these changes and let their customers do the work for them through testimonials, reviews, word-of-mouth marketing, and marketing case studies.

Customers trust other customers — the companies that recognize this will benefit in the long run and grow better.

Plenty of companies have already proven how beneficial marketing case studies can be. They are the most popular form of self-promotional marketing used by marketing agency executives in the U.S. Additionally, 88% of surveyed B2B marketers say that customer case studies are considered to be their most impactful content marketing tactic.  

While chatting with a salesperson can be helpful, and even preferable for some, it’s clear that having marketing case studies on your website can be beneficial. Case studies answer potential customers’ questions, demonstrate success, build company-wide credibility, increase conversions , and most importantly, eliminate bias so your customer can make a confident decision to buy your product.

What Is a Marketing Case Study?

Marketing case studies analyze the ways that a customer uses a product or service. They describe a challenge the customer faced, the solutions they considered, and the results they experienced after their purchase. Strong case studies can compel others to buy a product.

Benefits of Case Studies

Converting Leads with Case Studies

Choosing a Case Study Format

Conducting a Case Study Interview

Benefits of Marketing Case Studies

The use of marketing case studies is beneficial to companies of all sizes and customers of all backgrounds. Well-crafted marketing case studies provide potential customers with engaging content that excites them to buy your product.

They Tell a Relatable Story

Case studies often involve an interview with a customer that has had success using your product. Before choosing a customer for an interview, consider who you’re targeting. Your case studies should appeal to your buyer persona .

When your target customer feels connected to your case studies, they will feel more confident in their purchase.

Consider this: You’re buying a new software for your team. You have a few possible options in mind, so you head to their respective websites to do your own research. The first two options sound good on paper (or rather, on screen), but you want a solution you can really trust. Something that is preferably not written by the company itself.

The third site you go to has a landing page that includes a few case studies. One of the case studies features an interview with an employee at a company similar to yours. You listen to that person describe challenges that they faced prior to getting the software — challenges that sound a lot like the ones you and your team currently face. The interviewee then talks about the ways that their software purchase resolved their pain points.

Wouldn’t the case study you found on the third website make you feel confident that the software could help your team, too?  

The key to creating relatable case studies is considering your buyer personas. That means considering demographics, company size, industry, etc. and selecting a person that the majority of your potential customers will feel a connection.

They Demonstrate Success

Take a look at HubSpot’s case study landing page . Check out the wide range of case studies listed. Notice how these case studies cover all types of industries, a wide variety of locations, different company sizes, and more.

If there are so many companies using HubSpot — to solve a vast array of challenges — then wouldn’t you assume HubSpot has a solid product that you could trust, too?

Case studies demonstrate success by showing potential customers that current customers — who once had challenges similar to their own — solved their pain points by making a purchase.

They Help Build Credibility

Credibility is what gives the people around you a reason to trust you.

For example, let’s say you’re looking at a product on Amazon , and you scroll down to the customer review section. You find that almost everyone has given the product a five-star rating or has written a positive comment about their experience. These comments and ratings build credibility for that product and brand.

Marketing case studies help your company build credibility. They also convince prospects to give your product a try when they see how many people already trust you, love your products, and believe in your mission.

They Help You Convert Leads

Case studies are a bottom-of-funnel strategy that will help you convert more leads . If a prospect is on the fence about your product, case studies are the marketing technique that will push them closer to that purchase decision.

For example, if a potential customer visits your website and they watch (or read) multiple case studies explaining the ways that customers have had success with your product, then they too may feel excited to become a customer.  

If that same prospect just left your competitor’s website where there were no case studies, your solution then becomes an easy sell … and your competitor becomes obsolete.

Marketing case studies retain value over long periods of time — meaning the same study has the potential to convert leads for years . Unless you have a revamp or a complete update of the product being referred to in your case study, it can remain on your website as long as you see fit.

Marketing Case Study Template

Now that we’ve reviewed the reasons why you should have case studies on your site, you might be wondering how to actually create a marketing case study.

First, it’s no secret that video content is more effective than written content. So, if you can create a video case study, do it. If not, be sure to include images throughout your written case study to break up the text and provide visual stimulation for readers.

Second, remember one size does not fit all when it comes to creating case studies. They vary in length, format, content, and style based on what experience you want to provide for your potential customers.

Keep this in mind as we go through the following example … some of the content here might work perfectly in your case study, and some might need to be modified.

If you need some guidance, check out HubSpot’s Case Study Creation Kit .

1. Choose Your Case Study Format

To determine which format you want to use for your case study, think about what type of content would be most beneficial for your buyer personas. You should consider what challenges your buyer personas might face, what types of industries they work in, their locations, and their business demographics.

Two commonly used marketing case study formats to consider include an exposé and a transcription.

An exposé is an interview technique that covers specific details about a topic, event, or individual. If you look back at the case studies on the HubSpot landing page , you’ll see the exposé format in action. The director, or author, is conducting the interview, leading conversation, and asking the interview subject questions about their interactions with HubSpot.

Tip: When you’re recording a video interview for your case study, make sure the interview subject repeats your question before providing an answer.

For example, if you ask them, “What challenge did our product help you overcome?” you don’t want them to simply say “organizational challenges.” The editing process will cut your voice out of the interview, and their response won’t make sense. Instead, make sure they answer all questions as a complete statement such as, “This product helped us overcome several organizational challenges.”

Transcription

This is a simpler case study format. It’s a transcription of an interview with your customer , meaning there is typically a significant amount of text for potential customers to read through.

Be sure to include the interview questions throughout this type of case study so readers know exactly what the interview subject is referring to. Lastly, feel free to pair your transcription with a series of images or even video to break up the text.

2. Conduct the Interview

The interview is the most important part of the case study … and quality matters. Strong interviews and videos take time . It’s not unusual to conduct a one to two-hour interview just to get a solid two minutes of video to use in your case study.

During the interview, you should ask your customers about their lives prior to purchasing your product, what it was like to acquire your product, and how their company’s future has changed because of their purchase.

If possible, record the interview. If not, be sure to use a transcription or audio recording device to ensure accurate quotes and statements throughout your case study.

Here are some sample questions for you to consider:

Ask about the customer’s life prior to your product.

• Who are you? What is your title? What does your company do?
• What challenges were you experiencing that made you realize you needed a solution?
• Why was finding a solution to this challenge important?

Ask what it was like finding and purchasing your product.

Capture general commentary — information that anyone could understand — from your interview subject in this section so potential customers can relate no matter their background or experience.

• How did you find our product? What was your experience like while purchasing our product?
• Ask about your customer’s criteria during their search for a solution. What was crucial versus what was nice to have?
• What were the results that came from using our product? How did our product solve your challenge?
• Ask for numerical results and hard data. Get proof of these from your interview subject (or even your own company if you have records).
• What were you able to start doing as a result of our product working for you? What are the intangible results of our product?

Ask about the impact that the product has had on your customer’s life.

• How did our product change your view of your company’s future?
• What are you excited about moving forward?
• What would your future be like without our product?

After conducting your interview, it’s time to actually put your case study together.

Edit your interview down to the most important, relevant information for potential customers to learn about your product. Cut that hour-long video interview down to a minute or two of the best clips.

If your interview is going to become a written case study, include the very best quotes. Make it easy to read by separating your information with the help of headers, bulleted lists, images , and bold or italicized text.

3. Incorporate Your Case Study in Your Marketing and Sales Processes

Determine how to best use the case study in your marketing and sales processes. Here are a few ideas:

Create a case study library.

By creating a case study library on a landing page — similar to the HubSpot landing page or this page by Fractl — you provide your potential customers with an easy way to learn about your products and company as a whole.

Source : Fractl

A case study library or landing page will prevent potential customers and leads from having to dig around on your website for any product information they’re searching for. If this information is not easily accessible, they could lose interest, become frustrated, leave your website, or even find an alternative solution on a competitor’s site.

Case study landing pages and libraries also help build credibility, look official, and typically bring in a lot of traffic — both through people searching for your company’s website and organic search.

According to Fractl , their case study landing page is the second most-visited page on their entire website. Additionally, it is their fourth most-visited page through organic search. Lastly, they’ve seen a huge boost in converting visitors to leads since the creation of their case study landing page — half of Fractl’s leads view at least one of their case studies.  

Surround your case studies with social proof.

If so many people are saying it’s true, then it must be true — this is how companies use the theory of social proof to their advantage.

Social proof theories say that people let the actions, behaviors, and beliefs of those around them impact their own. For example, some theories say most people would answer “yes” to the question: “If all of your friends jumped off of a bridge, would you?”

Social proof — or in this case, your friends all jumping off of the bridge — influences people to make decisions based on the expectations and behaviors of the people around them, even if their decision would be different if they were alone.

Companies use social proof in the form of customer reviews, logo walls (that is, the logos of companies that have purchased their products), or long-form videos. Social proof acts as a supplement to the information in a case study.

By showing potential customers how your products have changed the lives of other individuals, teams, and companies, prospects are more likely to buy into your claims and believe your product could help them, too.

Add product overviews to the case study section on your site.

If you’re editing down your case study interview and realize your interviewee said something vague or made a comment that a potential customer may not necessarily understand, you can add a product overview or reference guide next to that case study.

For example, imagine HubSpot is conducting a case study interview and an interview subject goes into detail about the specific functions of Workflows . A potential customer may not know much about HubSpot’s Workflows, so a detailed discussion about their features may not be relatable and could even raise some questions.

By including an overview or description of Workflows next to the case study where the product was mentioned, HubSpot can provide clarity for the viewer. You will also avoid making potential customers feel confused or uninterested.

Keep your sales team in the loop.

Once your case study is complete, you should notify your sales team so they can use them when reaching out to potential customers. They will be able to incorporate this information into their sales enablement kits — which include the technologies, processes, and content that allows them to sell efficiently and effectively.

By learning about the ways that real customers are using and benefiting from the products they are selling, sales teams can share relatable stories with potential customers and leads. These will help build trust and, most importantly, increase sales.

To help your sales team narrow the vast amount of information that typically comes from an in-depth case study, provide them with key takeaways that they can share with potential customers and leads. These key takeaways should include information about the interviewee’s background, title, and experience level and details about their company’s size, industry, and potential annual revenue.

This data will allow the sales team to tailor the information they share with potential customers and leads, organize it for future conversations, and make more efficient and impactful sales.

4. Determine How Many More Case Studies You Need

As I mentioned, every company is different and every product they sell is unique. Not every company will need the same number of case studies on their website to have an impact. To determine the right number of case studies for your company, think about the following tips.

Cover all of your bases.

A good rule of thumb is to have at least one to three case studies for each of your buyer personas.

To do this, cover a range of industries and types of companies, and interview people of different backgrounds, titles, demographics, and experience levels. You should make sure there is something for everyone who visits your website.

If your company targets customers all over the world and has offices located around the globe, this is especially important to consider. Think about what works for your buyer personas, your company’s location, and your goals when deciding how many case studies you need.

Sometimes, less is more.

Having an extensive list of case studies sounds like something everyone should have … right?

Not always. Think about it this way — if your company is on the smaller side and is relatively new, there’s a chance you haven’t given your customers much time with your products yet. There is also a chance that you don’t yet have a wide range of customers.

If your company then takes the time to create dozens of case studies, potential customers may feel you are being inauthentic and even unconvincing. It may also be a waste of resources that you can’t quite afford as a new business.

To be effective, try to make every one of your case studies relatable and helpful for your personas. Cover multiple use cases in each of your case studies when possible. You’ll not only simplify your own life, but you also keep your case study library clean and impactful.

Case studies are powerful marketing tools. They tell your potential customers relatable stories, demonstrate your company’s success, and help you build credibility. Case studies will help you reach your audience in a way that no sales pitch, email, newsletter, or advertisement will.

Plus, if your company made such a positive impact on a customer that they want to share their experience with others, why not broadcast that story?

Now it’s time to start creating content that matters to your potential customers and converts more leads.

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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.

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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8 Mini Case Studies of Using Marketing as a Force for Positive Change in Our World While Getting Results for Your Company and Clients

(As seen in the MarketingSherpa newsletter. Click to get a free email subscription to the latest from MarketingSherpa .)

In this article, you’ll see a range of case studies. Some show altruistic campaigns that had significant positive impacts on people, families, companies, society or the world at large.

Some mini case studies simply show a campaign that was clearly focused on selling a product or getting a lift but did so in a positive way that benefited the customer.

This is intentional. There is probably a wide range of CMOs, marketing VPs, directors, managers and agency folk reading this article right now. You may have a vast portfolio with enormous budgets and power that can have a world-rattling positive impact while you get results for your brand. Or you may simply have the ability to create an email campaign that better serves your customer.

Either way, it’s your career. You choose how it impacts the world every hour of every day. Here are examples meant to show you how you can use the power of marketing as a force for positive change in our world while getting results for your company and growing your career.

I also wanted to note: While most of these examples have a COVID-19 element, this isn’t meant to be an article about reacting to COVID-19. We’ve already written plenty of those (like The Hidden Upside and Pivot your Value Prop ). The reason you’ll see the pandemic reflected in so many of these mini case studies is that the novel coronavirus affects everything these days. You just can’t get away from it. The article is meant to help you during these current times, of course, but inspire you to think beyond them, while building the legacy of your career every single day.

Mini Case Study #1: 638% more calls to multi-carrier insurance agency by helping customers understand value of the call

Some people think that marketers can only have a positive impact if they work for a charity or nonprofit.

However, most people reading this article live in a society where capitalism plays a significant role — which means, customers are making choices every week, every day, even every hour.

For those who work in marketing, you have an impact on customers and potential customers if you help them make a well-informed choice.

An example. I interviewed Denis Mrkva, General Manager, HealthSpire . He discussed the lengths he went to creating a call center filled with teleagents dedicated to helping seniors and their families make the best Medicare choice. In the United States, when a citizen turns 65-years-old, they are eligible to receive significant healthcare benefits subsidized by the federal government. However, the choices are complex and can vary greatly based on an individual’s specific situation — what health conditions they have, what medications they take, even how much they travel.

“We're trying to find the right solution for the customer. And if there is no right solution for the customer with us, we will not sell,” Mrkva told me.

“Actually, we'll recommend either stay with what you have, or maybe you should go and call other providers that have a product because we can help them find the better product. Even though we cannot sell to them, we can tell them there is … company X [that] has this product, so you may want to go to this site,” he said. “It's human nature. Our nature is to help somebody. So we need to enable people to be people in the workplace. If you have the right people and if you make them happy and content, our customers will be happy and content.”

However, the potential customer will not watch my interview with Mrkva. The potential customer’s family has no idea what value Mrkva has created with the teleagent team he has built, and what value the potential customer can receive from a phone call.

All they see is a webpage. And based on that webpage they make a choice — to call, or not to call.

Mrkva worked with MECLABS Research Services to determine the best way to communicate the call’s value on a landing page. (MECLABS Institute is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).

One of the treatments was long, to communicate the value of the call with a teleagent.

Creative Sample #1: Longer landing page treatment for insurance agency

But there was also concern that potential customers wouldn’t want to read a long landing page, so a shorter page was tested as well.

Creative Sample #2: Shorter landing page treatment for insurance agency

The longer landing page attracted 638% more potential customers to call and speak to teleagents than the shorter page. Why did a longer page work? It likely took a longer landing page to communicate the value of the call with the teleagent and reduce anxiety about the call.

In the MarketingExperiments session The Marketer as Philosopher: 3 ways to achieve excellence in yourself and in your marketing , Flint McGlaughlin, CEO and Managing Director, MECLABS Institute, goes deeper into Mrkva’s story and his passion for communicating the high-quality insurance available at affordable prices to seniors through this government program. McGlaughlin also discusses how the marketer can escape the negative connotation of the role and embrace the power of marketing as a force for positive change in our world.

Mini Case Study #2: Giving away the marketing budget generates 5.5 million impressions for cell phone carrier

When you get your marketing budget, you want to be prudent with how you invest the company’s resources, especially in these difficult times.

Not Visible . The pre-paid cell phone carrier just gave the marketing budget away — like Drake filming a music video.

I’m being a little sarcastic of course. Let me explain this unique campaign. In response to the devastation wrought by COVID-19, the all-digital wireless carrier launched its #VisibleActsOfKindess campaign on Twitter and Instagram. Visible surprised 1,000 people — not just their customers — by giving them $250 Amazon gift cards. Do the math, that adds up to $250,000.

Visible partnered with several known names in various industries, like Michael Voltaggio and P.K. Subban, to roll out the campaign.

“Partnering with some of the influential folks who participated in #VisibleActsofKindness — such as Dan Levy, Padma Lakshmi, Emeril Lagasse — helped us reach more of the people who wanted to tell their stories in an authentic, powerful and speedy way. Because of our premise of wanting to extend our help when and where it mattered the most and the desire to amplify and highlight these amazing stories, many of our partners were quick to say yes,” said Minjae Ormes, CMO, Visible.

Creative Sample #3: Twitter post by actor Dan Levy as part of cell phone carrier’s social media campaign

In addition to the $250 gift card, recipients received a letter that read, “In tough times, it’s important for us to step up for our community. Thanks for sharing your story with us, and let’s continue to spread kindness together.”

Beautiful campaign, eh? But I had to get to the bottom of it. We had just finished creating our free template to help you win approval for proposed projects, campaigns and ideas , and the most burning question I had was — how on Earth did you get approval for this?

“While it was a shift in our investment strategy, it was not a departure from how we aspire to show up as a brand throughout the year, no matter what,” Ormes told me. “So the conversation with Miguel (Miguel Quiroga, CEO, Visible) was not a difficult one. I’m very fortunate to have a strong relationship with my CEO based on trust and our alignment of vision. The opportunity as a brand to earn the right to be a part of the types of conversations and gestures happening around #VisibleActsofKindness is one that we could not pass up, and it helped us establish some new relationships in an authentic and meaningful way.”

A whole lot of new relationships in an authentic and meaningful way. So much, in fact, that Visible’s social team was briefly flagged for potentially fraudulent activities on Instagram because of the sheer volume of genuine engagement it had while monitoring its brand and influencer partner accounts.

The campaign generated more than 5.5 million impressions and nearly 2 million genuine, meaningful engagements in just a couple of weeks.

“Our goal was to simply show up as a brand that people would want to get to know more because of the way in which we help people and showcase positivity. We’ve even had people who reached out and said they switched their phone service to Visible because of this initiative,” Ormes said.

While this article is not intended to be about COVID-19 alone, the timing of this article is not coincidental. We are always affected and inspired by our times. Marketers have been challenged in this time by trying to understand exactly how hard of a sell to push.

Many have chosen a similar path as Visible — don’t sell, serve. Be a force for positive change in our world. The strategy goes like this: When the timing is right, either if they have the need now or when the customer is ready to spend again, they’ll remember your brand.

Creative Sample #4: Engagement by cell phone carrier as part of social media campaign

The point of this story isn’t to encourage you to give your marketing budget away. But right now, you likely have a CPA (cost per acquisition) number on a spreadsheet somewhere. Are you spending that money in a way that is a force for positive change in your customer’s world? Hopefully, this story helps spark your thinking for how you can do that.

“I am every single day humbled and reminded that the role of marketers is to earn the right to be in someone’s world. Since we are a new brand, we don’t get to assume that everyone knows who we are, we don’t get to assume that everyone has a relationship with us, and we don’t get to assume that they will automatically decide that we deserve their attention, which means that it comes down to every single place that we show up at and also more importantly how we show up, become proof points to the customer that they should have a relationship with us,” Ormes said.

“I think that we all as marketers can learn something from waking up every single day and feeling that today is another day for me to do something to earn my right to be in your world.  So how does that actually change the way for you to show up, for you to prioritize your day, above and beyond what you are trying to sell? I know we are all trying to sell something but at the end of the day, if you can prove that you have the right to be in that person’s world, that will go above and beyond your product, your brand and your company,” she advised.

Mini Case Study #3: Reading, writing and fanfiction site generates hundreds of hours of watch time on video series

What the heck is this thing called marketing anyway? If you ask Google to define it, you will be told, “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”

Promoting and selling, eh Google? And that is probably how most people in the world, especially customers would define it.

But here is how the American Marketing Association defines the term :

“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

Offerings that have value for customers. For society at large even.

I like that definition, and not just for altruistic reasons and to make us marketers feel all warm and fuzzy about what we do. Think of it this way. Sure, you could go around just promoting and selling. Let’s see how far that gets you in the world, okay? Yeah, it may work sometimes. But the jig is pretty much up, and customers mostly know when they’re just being promoted or sold to.

Offerings that have value. Now, that is what we all want in the world, isn’t it? And it’s a pretty expansive definition of the term marketing. So much so that when I offer to take my dog for a walk — that is an offering of value. (By the way, not trying to brag, but I have a perfect streak of a 100% conversion rate for 10 years on that one). If I offer to read a book with my kids, that is an offering of value to, but my conversion rate is far, far lower. Why? They don’t always perceive the value as much as I do.

And perception is the challenge. Marketing is a loaded word.

For example, Joanna Smith, Editor and Social Manager, Wired For Youth , wrote to me and said, “I was really impressed with Commaful’s Writing Advice campaign that they released recently. With everybody stuck at home due to COVID-19, Commaful put together a free writing tutorial series for anybody to use. You don't even need to be a user. I know a lot of people have shared the campaign and many teachers, parents and others have used it and shared it. All in all, a very useful resource that led to more exposure and reach for their site.”

Sounds interesting. So I reached out to the good folks at Commaful to get the story for you. But they were hesitant. “If possible, I do want to emphasize though that this wasn't intended as a marketing campaign,” Sydney Liu, Co-Founder, Commaful told me.

Fair enough. It certainly doesn’t fit the selling and promoting definition.

But they did create an offering of value. And it did bring them a result.

The team put together resources for young writers as well as the parents and teachers that use the site. “Many professional writers, published authors and screenwriters were very generous with their time and resources to help support our community of readers and writers who were hungry to learn. We had started working on it last year because it was something our community was asking for, but accelerated the release because we felt it was more needed than ever given the COVID-19 stay-at-home situation we are all in,” Liu said.

Creative Sample #5: Writing advice campaign from writing website

With very little promotion, the advice videos have totaled hundreds of hours of watch time already, and the team has heard very positive feedback from teachers, students and others, many who had never heard of Commaful before.

Mini Case Study #4: Lead attribution and online banner ads help radio stations donate more than 5 million meals to those in need

Listen folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. So when I started looking for stories for this article, I had my assumptions about which marketing tactics this article was going to cover:

Landing page optimization to better communicate value —that’s a given.

Content marketing — probably more than one mini case study.

Better ad targeting — of course.

But lead attribution?

Valuable tactic? Absolutely. But it’s boring, behind the scenes, and has little direct correlation to bring about positive change for people. At least, that was that my assumption.

If you’ve had similar assumptions, check out this next story.

In just three weeks, the radio industry pulled together for RadioCares , a day-long radiothon to raise money for Feeding America . 300 artists and celebrities did voice appeals, 3,400 radio stations participated, and the stations’ on-air talent broadcasted from their homes.

That was a major initiative. The small and independent radio stations had never come together like this on a national scale, and it’s rare to get two competitive radio stations together in the same city to support an initiative.

But Ron Stone, President & CEO, Adams Radio Group, was the Operations Chair for the radiothon and led the effort to pull stations together. He leveraged the stations’ competitive nature to amplify his already motivated radio industry colleagues.

He partnered with LeadsRX , which used its marketing attribution technology to create a nationwide heatmap showing where donations were coming from. This spurred a little friendly competition for stations and listeners to see which metro areas could generate the most donations.

Creative Sample #6: Lead attribution heatmap showing which metro areas were donating the most to radiothon

Creative Sample #7: Part of infographic from lead attribution company for radiothon

Stone’s all-volunteer team created a portal with radio assets that participating stations could use.

For example, the portal included artist liners with promotional messages from recording artists. One message said, “Hey, it’s Brian from Weezer. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues here at home, battling hunger has become harder than ever. We should all come together as a community to help our neighbors in need by donating now at radiocares.org.”

Dave “Chachi” Denes, President, Benztown, produced promotional voice spots stations could use. And Mike McVay, President, McVay Media Consulting, wrote a content guide of how to do a radiothon.

Creative Sample #8: Portal for radio stations participating in radiothon

Also included in the portal were online banners, branding and videos. Those online banner display ads, which are normally lower-performing mediums, out-performed all other marketing programs for this event, according to AJ Brown, CEO and co-founder, LeadsRx. Specifically, these ads were placed on the radio station websites and led to more conversions than social referrals and even organic search.

“The goal [of the banner ads] was simple, present a story that everyone could see themselves, their family, and/or friends in this tragic situation. It was a singular branding message ‘RadioCares Feeding America Emergency Radiothon,’ not just RadioCares. It was many brands — ‘RadioCares,’ ‘Feeding America,’ ‘Emergency Radiothon,’ and local radio station brands that had the deepest connections to the audience,” said Chris Peaslee, President and CEO, Vipology , who was in charge of website and digital for the radiothon.

The banner ads were animated and cycled through a message:

“12.3% of all Americans go hungry. An average person knows 600 people. Which means 74 people you know go hungry. Your kid’s schoolteacher, neighbor, teammate, barista, fellow Marine, hairstylist, friend, grandmother, uncle, sister, mother, brother, partner. It could be your child. Save them from hunger. Feeding America Emergency Radiothon. Donate Now.”

Creative Sample #9: Radiothon banner ad

“It didn’t click at the time, but on the day of the event, money starts trickling in. At 2 p.m. there was around $300,000 in donations … it was a surprise how much money was flowing in,” said Ron Stone, President & CEO, Adams Radio Group .

All told, the radiothon raised $500,000 for Feeding America, which the nonprofit is using to serve five million meals to those in need. Since everyone who participated donated and supported the effort pro bono, the only expense was $9.67 Stone used to purchase a domain — generating one heck of a good ROI.

Mini Case Study #5: Marketing and advertising company grew website traffic 300% by helping clients manage COVID-19

One way brands can serve customers with their marketing is to help them navigate change in their industry. I’ll show you a COVID-19 example of this in just a moment, but I also wanted to link to an older case study on MarketingSherpa to show how this concept transcends our current society’s current all-encompassing focus on the novel coronavirus. For example, when healthcare reform was being implemented in the United States, Optum launched a content marketing campaign to help hospitals and healthcare systems keep up with the transformation in their industry, a campaign that generated closed contract revenue of $52 for every dollar invested .

Of course, COVID-19 is forcing transformation in every industry right at this moment.

“When the COVID-19 situation hit, our core audience, property managers of apartment buildings, found themselves on the front lines of managing both a transition to working from home but also managing buildings undergoing potential outbreaks. The responsibility of managing an apartment tower during this time suddenly shot up in complexity,” said Andrew Williams, Product Marketing Manager, Vertical City .

The company doesn’t manage apartment buildings, it sells advertising in elevators. But it saw an opportunity to use its content marketing to help its core audience while getting out its brand message. Vertical City was 50% remote before the outbreak, so it was very comfortable sharing knowledge on how to manage a remote team. The team created a webpage called “The ultimate guide to property management during COVID-19” that included tips for getting the job done with minimal human contact, tips for keeping the building safe, along with mentions of how its product can help.

Creative Sample #10: Content marketing from marketing and advertising company

The team also created public health message designs for property managers to use in their buildings to promote healthy practices. The designs were made to be used on any screens, including the free lobby and elevator screens Vertical City gives to buildings in exchange for selling advertising on them.

Creative Sample #11: COVID-19 message for display on screens in buildings

The content marketing campaign led to a 300% increase in website traffic over the previous quarter.

“We wanted to step up and make their lives easier. When it comes down to it, that should be what every organization is focused on doing for their clients at this time,” Williams said. Mini Case Study #6: Business travel management company gains 200 subscribers by focusing content marketing campaign on human needs

When an industry goes through a transformation, it’s not just businesses going through the change, even in B2B.

It’s people.

Let’s not forget when we’re planning our B2B strategies that businesses are just a collection of people. And those people have greater concerns than just what business changes they need to make. These changes can affect them on a deeply personal level.

For example, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, the travel industry was hit hard. Yes, there is a dollars-and-cents balance sheet effect from this, but there is also a very human impact. The danger, rapid changes, and uncertainty of this far-reaching international pandemic have been especially stressful for travel managers at large multinational companies — the ideal customer for travel management company Travel and Transport .

So the company decided to launch Boost TV , a video series with a wellbeing psychologist featuring videos on breathing, positive thinking and stretching to brighten up people’s lives.

Creative Sample #12: Landing page for travel management company content marketing campaign

 “Faced with no travel demand and employees, customers and partners all struggling to adjust to lockdowns, social distancing and WFH (working from home), we partnered with Dr. Lucy Rattrie, a leading psychologist and traveler wellbeing expert, to create a video series specifically to help people survive and then begin to thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic. The video series is free for anyone to watch and doesn’t contain or reference any services or products we offer. It’s helped our customers, our own people, and feels good to be doing something positive right now,” said Josh Gunn, Head of Global Product and Digital Marketing, Travel and Transport.

After signing up for the video series on the landing page, subscribers receive a triggered email from Gunn with the subject line “You’re all set to join Boost TV by T&T!” The email reads …

Thanks so much for signing up.

Travel and Transport Boost TV is live and you can watch here!

While you're here, I have a quick favor to ask.

I know life is tough right now for most of us, but everyone's situation is different. That's why I'd truly love to know what personal and traveler wellbeing resources you're looking for right now.

Yes, this is an automated email, but I read absolutely every response and they get shared with Dr Rattrie as we create new videos and content to help you . Just hit reply and let me know.

If you're not sure what it is that you're looking for but would just like to share how you're feeling or grab a virtual coffee (black, two sugars, in case you're wondering) just say hello. I'm quite literally not going anywhere!

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay strong.

The triggered email has seen a response rate of eight percent which is high for the company’s subscription confirmations.

While there is clearly a positive impact on the world with this effort, I asked Gunn for the business justification. After all, most marketers reading this article don’t have the luxury of doing good for the sake of doing good with their marketing budgets — they still have a business to support.

“In the past 18 months, the growing focus on personal wellbeing has focused attention on this area for our customers and prospects — business travel managers. We’ve already been making product and service updates to support this so extending that to video with [a] well-known figure in the industry was a logical step. We’ve also seen from ad industry data [from Unruly, a News Corp. Company] that after content that informs customers, the next thing they are looking for from brands is warm or funny content,” Gunn said.

While Gunn can’t attribute revenue to the campaign yet since the company’s average sales cycle is six to 12 months, in the three weeks since launching, the team has added more than 200 subscribers. Most subscribers are in its core target audience — business travel managers responsible for their company’s travel budgets. So far, the team has received 14 newly qualified leads via the Boost TV campaign. They’ve also received positive feedback from the signup email like, “Thank you! This is an interesting approach to help your clients. I think it's possible we all may be dealing with some things we don't even realize!” and “This is a great thing you and the team and TandT are doing. I appreciate the commitment to focusing on things that matter and look forward to watching some of the content.”

Mini Case Study #7: Refining Google Ads match types helps addiction treatment centers advertise more ethically and profitably

In marketing, we use the word “lead.” I know it’s a convenient term I throw about without giving it much thought. I suppose the term originates from the fact that we hope a contact from this person leads to a sale.

But what is a “lead” really? Behind that form fill, behind that contact info in a database, is a person. A person who seeks to overcome a pain point or reach a goal.

In the addiction and mental health industry, a “lead” is a person who needs help, either for him- or herself or for a family member or other loved one.

“Because of the somewhat taboo nature of addiction and mental health treatment, the internet [is] the go-to source of information,” said John McGhee, Managing Partner, Webconsuls , who works with several companies in the industry.

When people searched for treatment or other answers, they also received Google Ads, of course. Some of these ads were deceptive — or at least, not as transparent as they could be.

“While some of this was intentional, a large portion of it wasn't. Many addiction and mental health treatment centers were using broad match keywords in Google Ads. As the name implies, a broad array of searches could trigger your ad if you use these types of keywords. For example, if your treatment center in Florida had a broad match keyword ‘rehab’ and someone searched ‘rehab in Michigan,’ your ad would show,” McGhee said.

To further fuel the issue, most centers didn't look at their search terms report and add negative keywords to prevent their ads from showing for irrelevant searches in the future.

In case you may be unknowingly doing the same thing with your ads, McGhee provided a few specific tips for how to use Google Ads. This applies to any industry.

Broad Match

• No special symbol — can trigger ad for keyword, misspellings of keywords, synonyms, or related searches.

For example, if your keyword is Drug Rehab, a search for Rehabs Near Me will trigger the ad, but a search for Plumbers Near Me will not trigger the ad.

Broad Match Modifier

• If you put a + sign in front of a keyword, Google Ads will only trigger your ad if all keywords with the + in front are included in a user’s search.

For example, if your keyword is +Drug +Rehab, a search for Drug Rehab in Texas will trigger your ad, but Alcohol Rehab in Texas will not.

Phrase Match

• When you put quotes around a keyword or keywords, your ad will only trigger if the user’s search matches the phrase (although there can be additional words before or after).

For example, if your keyword is “Drug Rehab,” a search for Drug Rehab Center will trigger your ad, but Rehab for Drugs will not trigger your ad.

Exact Match

• If you use brackets around a keyword or keywords, your ad will only be served up if a user searches for that exact term.

For example, if your keyword is [Drug Rehab], a search for Drug Rehab will trigger your ad, but a search for Texas Drug Rehab will not.

Negative Match

• Using the same special symbols as previously mentioned, adding a term in the Negative Keyword Lists field will prevent your ad from showing for a search containing that term.

For example, if your keyword is +Drug +Rehab but you added “free” as a negative keyword, Drug Rehab in Texas will trigger your ad, but Free Drug Rehab In Texas will not.

Here’s an example of what using these match types would look like in your Google Ads account.

Creative sample #13: Example of match types usage in Google Ads account

“The issue arose because most centers running Google Ads weren't aware of match types. Without knowledge of these, the logical thing to do in the keyword section is to just type in terms. Typing in the terms without symbols automatically enters them as broad match. Many centers entered a broad match keyword “drug rehab” — which meant a search for anything related to rehab could trigger their ad. This led to several instances of centers showing for searches for services they didn't provide, locations they weren't located, and even locations where no one is located,” McGhee said.

As an example, he showed the results for the following search on Google: drug rehab on mars

Creative sample #14: Example of irrelevant Google Ads because match types were not used correctly

This meant many treatment centers' advertising was accidentally inaccurate.

“Broad match terms can be used, assuming the correct maintenance is being performed. Correct maintenance involves going through previous search terms and adding negative keywords to prevent irrelevant searches in the future,” he said.

You can access search terms by going to the Keywords section in Google ads and selecting Search terms in the right-hand column.

Creative Sample #15: Example from an addiction center’s account, also showing where to find your search terms in Google Ads

The above example is from an addiction treatment center's account during the time period this issue was occurring. McGhee says the center should have added “rheumatoid arthritis” and “HIV” as negative keywords to prevent its ads from showing for these searches.

“The combination of lack of understanding of keyword match types and not adding negative keywords resulted in many centers accidentally misrepresenting themselves in their advertising. Shining light on this issue and how to remedy it helped those centers advertise more ethically and profitably, and helped get users more accurate information,” he said.

It helped the centers advertise more profitably because by using broad keywords each center was encroaching on the other’s territory. “Google Ads is an auction-based system, so accidentally advertising your Ohio center for ‘treatment in Florida’ drives up the price of a click for treatment centers that are actually in Florida,” McGhee said.

“We actually are getting better matches, therefore we [are] not wasting our ad dollars. We tend to advertise within driving distance to our campuses. If someone is looking for treatment in Oregon for example, we would not advertise there,” said Jay Crosson, CEO, Cumberland Heights Foundation .

And it was more ethical because it helped people find the treatment that they and their loved ones needed. “There was, and still is, a stigma associated with mental health or addiction. It's hard to seek help for something like that. If someone finally gets the courage to seek help, only to be confused by misinformation online, it's easy for them to back out of seeking help. [These efforts] make it easier for users to find the help they need, therefore making it more likely that they'll receive that help,” McGhee said.

“Recovery is based on principles of honesty. Misleading folks sets a bad example,” Crosson said.

Mini Case Study #8: Branded sushi roll gets 500 sales in eight months for restaurant, supports tree planting

People want to affect positive change in the world. You see it every day — through their volunteer work, their activism and their monetary choices.

At the same time, friction slows down and even stops our best intentions.

What if customers can do (at least some) good when purchasing products and services as they go through their day-to-day lives? Smart brands are tapping into this trend.

But you don’t have to work for a megabrand.

“As a sushi delivery service, we are damned to use a lot of plastic. I feel bad about it so I’m very open to compensate for that,” said is Karin Büttner, co-founder, I LOVE SUSHI .

“I read an article about the ETH Zürich Study about reforestation and the major impact we can have on climate change if we just plant enough trees,” Büttner said.

So the restaurant added a sushi roll called the TreeRoll to its menu. When a customer orders the TreeRoll, the complete profit goes to tree planting services that plant trees.

“With Treemer in Germany and with Click a Tree abroad, we have somebody very ambitious to plant lots of trees for our customers. Planting trees is a hard job and even if somebody realizes that it makes a real difference to plant a tree, it doesn’t mean this person will grab a shovel and start to plant trees. With the TreeRoll, we want to make planting trees super easy with no possible excuse not to plant trees,” she said.

So far the restaurant has sold 500 TreeRolls in eight months. “The majority of people want to change the world, but they are lazy. You always need to make it easy for them to change the world. Afterward, they will feel good about it. And isn’t that the main goal of marketing?” Büttner said.

And maybe that’s what the world needs more of — a little more marketing from people like you, seeking to be a positive force in the world.

“In my opinion, saving our planet is a marketing exercise in the end,” said Chris Kaiser, CEO & Founder, Click a Tree.

Related Resources

Customer-First Marketing Strategy: The highest of the five levels of marketing maturity

The Difference Between Marketing and Advertising (and Why It Matters)

The Marketer’s (Abbreviated) Guide to Love: How to overcome your own self-interest and become a better marketer

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Case Studies in Marketing Management: Examples and Analysis

by Prince Kumar

Last updated: 28 July 2023

Table of Contents

When it comes to learning about marketing, there’s no better teacher than real-world experience. Case studies provide an opportunity to see marketing strategies in action, giving students a chance to understand how businesses approach the many challenges of promoting their products and services.

In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of case studies from the hospitality industry, examining successful marketing campaigns and analyzing the strategies that made them effective. From large hotel chains to independent bed and breakfasts, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of hospitality marketing and discover the key principles that make for a winning campaign.

The Ritz-Carlton: A Focus on Service Quality

The Ritz-Carlton is known for its exceptional service quality, which is a key part of its brand identity. By focusing on service as a core value, the company has been able to attract and retain high-end customers who are willing to pay a premium for the Ritz-Carlton experience. We’ll explore how the Ritz-Carlton has been able to achieve such high levels of service quality and how other hospitality companies can learn from their example.

Taj Hotels: Using Unique Value Propositions to Stand Out

Taj Hotels is a luxury hotel chain that operates throughout India and abroad. One of the key reasons for the company’s success has been its ability to differentiate itself from competitors by offering unique value propositions. We’ll examine how Taj Hotels has used this strategy to become one of the most recognizable hotel brands in India and what other hospitality companies can learn from their example.

OYO Rooms: Disrupting the Traditional Hotel Industry

OYO Rooms is a budget hotel chain that has disrupted the traditional hotel industry in India by offering affordable, standardized rooms in a variety of locations. By using a tech-enabled business model, OYO has been able to rapidly expand its operations and attract a new segment of customers who were previously underserved by the hospitality industry. We’ll explore how OYO has been able to disrupt the industry and what other hospitality companies can learn from their approach.

Case studies are a valuable tool for understanding how marketing management principles can be applied in the hospitality industry. By examining real-world examples, you can gain insights into what works and what doesn’t in marketing strategy. Whether you’re running a small bed and breakfast or a large hotel chain, there’s always something to learn from the successes and failures of other companies in the industry.

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Syllabus – Principles of Marketing Management

1. evolution of marketing.

• Meaning – Demand, Need, Desires, Wants, Goods & Services
• Marketing planning

2. Nine Principles of Marketing

• Physical Evidence

3. Marketing strategy for hospitality industry

• Competitor – Types & strategies
• STP in Hotels

4. The service quality

• Forecasting
• Service attributes
• USP, unique value proposition & unique buying proposition
• Case studies

5. Pricing strategies and techniques in hospitality

6. publicity and promotion.

• Advertising
• Soft & Hard Sell
• Role of Copy Writer & Attributes of Good Advertising
• Functioning of Guest Relation Department

7. Experimental marketing, Consumer protection in India

8. financial control in marketing, marketing audit.

GatherContent is becoming Content Workflow by Bynder. Read More

12 great case study examples (plus case study writing tips)

GatherContent Contributor, Writer

5 minute read.

Interviewed by:

Table of contents

Lead with Content

How to put content at the centre of digital transformation.

Padma Gillen

Digital Content Consultant

This long-form content style is also becoming more common as more marketers discover its value. According to Hubspot’s 2021 State of Marketing report , more than 30% of marketers use case studies as a primary marketing media—up from 13% in 2020.

If you’re new to the world of case studies, we’ll be diving into what case studies are, why they’re important, and how to create your own. We’ll also highlight some compelling case study examples that you can learn from.

What is a case study?

A good case study highlights customer stories showing the following:

• The problems the business faced before using a product or service
• How the product or service proposed to solve the problems
• The before and after of using a product or service
• The measurable positive impact of the product or service on metrics such as click-through rate, website traffic, or sales

While case studies are most often product or service-focused, sometimes businesses use them to share their brand or founder story.

These types of case studies typically focus on organizational progress, such as how they grew their revenue or website traffic. One example is this Outfunnel case study on how the team saved over 80% of its time with user onboarding.

Why are case studies important?

They may not suit every business. But case studies are beneficial, for example, for helping SaaS brands reach future customers.

If they make sense for your industry, case studies should be an important part of your content marketing strategy for many reasons.

Three reasons you should incorporate them as soon as possible are:

• To provide value to your audience: At its core, the best marketing doesn’t just drive sales; it serves its audience. Case studies are a brilliant way to teach your audience tips they can incorporate into their businesses. It can also serve as research for industry experts to quote.
• To show off your expertise: A great case study is a perfect blend of data and storytelling. It showcases your expertise to your target audience, most likely dealing with similar issues. By telling a good story in your case studies, you’re essentially saying, “Look how we made everything better for X client—we can do that for you, too.”
• As social proof: Because case studies are available to the public, they’re undeniable social proof—better than hard-to-believe testimonials with client initials. This makes them extra valuable as MOFU and BOFU content ; they can drive sales at the click of a button.

Good to Know: Not sure how to use case studies? They work well as lead magnets, landing pages, repurposed blog posts, and, if you have the capacity, even video content!

12 real-life case study examples to bookmark

Reading about the mechanics of case studies is more straightforward than writing case studies from scratch.

That’s why we’ve gathered 12 real-life marketing case study examples you can review before you embark on creating yours.

1. GatherContent | University of Edinburgh

What works: In this great case study, GatherContent includes quotes from the client (the University of Edinburgh) about how their software has improved their content workflow. This adds a human element and will help readers with the same issues identify with the client.

View more GatherContent case studies .

2. Omniscient Digital | AppSumo

What works: Omniscient Digital includes client feedback in video format and shares the results they achieved in a digestible bullet point format.

3. Bit.ly | Vissla

What works: Besides hosting this case study on their website, Bit.ly provides a PDF link that can both be viewed online or downloaded. Plus, the PDF is visually appealing and easy to read.

4. Asana | Autodesk

What works: Asana leads with their impact and includes basic information about their client to the right of the page so the reader immediately gets bite-sized background information.

5. Shopify | Bombas

What works: Shopify includes a video in their case study, as well as multiple eye-catching images of Bombas products. This ensures that the case study serves both companies, possibly generating customer interest in Bombas socks.

6. Outfunnel | Alight Analytics

What works: Outfunnel has repurposed its case study into a blog post, which increases its visibility. The study is also full of client quotes, which adds valuable social proof.

7. Sapling | Zapier

What works: Sapling also shares quick preliminary information about Zapier on the left panel and includes several screenshots to show the impact of their product on the company’s processes.

8. BigCommerce | Skullcandy

What works: The quick metrics in bold hit readers quickly and highlight BigCommerce expertise to potential customers even before they read the entire case study.

9. Google Ads | L’Oreal

What works: Video format. Few things beat hearing the client praise the service and explain the process and results of the campaign in their own words.

10. ActiveCampaign | Your Therapy Source

What works: ActiveCampaign efficiently showcases the problems and solutions before delving into how they helped the client achieve desired results.

11. Intuit | Xenex Healthcare

What works: The main benefit is highlighted on the first page of the PDF and the rest of the study delves into the process and the nitty-gritty of the product’s impact.

12. Grayscale | Upwork

What works: This page features minimal text. It focuses on quotes from decision-makers at Upwork and ends with a call-to-action that will likely drive conversions.

How to write your own case study

How can you write engaging, effective case studies like the examples above? Here are six steps.

1. Identify a worthy case

Think of projects—either for yourself or for clients—that got outstanding results. Then, whittle it down to the cases that your target audience is most likely to relate to , perhaps because they experience the same problem or have the same goal as in the case.

2. Reflect on your chosen case

Once you’ve decided on the case you’ll start with, do some deeper reflection on the details. What was the project goal? What challenges did you encounter along the way? How did you overcome them to reach your goal?

3. Think about differentiation

Take the last step even further and think of anything you did differently than others might. Did you an experimental tactic or strategy or create a custom solution? If so, use those details to subtly show potential customers why they should be interested in what you have to offer.

4. Gather quotes

Next, get hard-hitting quotes from project stakeholders or clients. Having their thoughts on goals, project obstacles, the solutions provided, and the outcomes will make your description of the case more credible.

5. Draft your case study

Time to turn the details you’ve compiled into a case study draft. How? We’ll talk about the best format for case studies shortly.

6. Add visuals

Next, create visuals that will reinforce the main points of your case study. These could include:

• Charts or screenshots to show the change in metrics before and after the project
• An infographic to give a brief visual overview of the case
• Pictures of deliverables (e.g. a web design agency might show a picture of the new site it designed for a client)
• Product images such as screenshots from within your software that was used on the project

After any designated reviewers and approvers give their stamp of approval on the case study, it’s ready to be published and promoted!

What’s the best case study format?

We’ve seen A+ examples of case studies and gotten some more context on how to create them for your brand or organization. Now, it's time to get to work. As you do, remember to include the following vital sections in your case study format:

• Client name and profile
• The problem
• Your solution (and screenshots!)
• Before and after ( real results with data)
• Appealing visuals, photos, illustrations, infographics, charts, and graphs
• A memorable CTA

Ready to get started? Thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone.

GatherContent—a powerful tool for case study creation

GatherContent makes it possible to keep track of all your case study research —even while working with your marketing team. You don’t have to guess what stage the piece is at or consult another tool to know when your part is due or who to pass the torch to.

GatherContent is a content hub that helps you keep all your content creation in one place , whether you’re writing blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, or case studies. With content modeling features like Components , you can effortlessly maintain brand identity throughout all your case studies.

Read more customer success stories here to learn more!

Techniques for collaboratively prioritising content

Learn six collaborative methods for prioritising content so your team can be aligned and have confidence in the content being published..

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Roblox: Virtual Commerce in the Metaverse

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Maersk: Betting on Blockchain

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Table of Contents

Product management case study with solution: how to solve the crm marketing case study.

• May 26, 2022

Here’s some good news: You don’t need years of experience to come up with an impressive Product Manager case study solution that will get you hired. If you’ve read our ultimate guide on  how to solve a Product Manager case study , you know any that case study question can be solved in four simple steps: 

• Evaluate the need 
• Validate the need 
• Set a goal for the feature
• Decision making

Keep in mind that your case study solution should be situational and contextual to the company your interviewing for. The above steps can help you get it right. 

With that in mind, how do you solve CRM Marketing case studies? Read on for a product management case study with solution walkthrough by one of our Product Gym coaches, Cody Chang , to give you a practical idea. 

We recommend you try solving the case study along with us : think about the questions first, then compare your own product manager case study solution with what we propose. Here’s what we’ll cover:

CRM Marketing Case Study Prompt 

While conducting customer interviews, you discover that service professionals (pros) get a lot of inbound phone calls they aren’t always able to answer right away. For these customers, service pros not getting back to these calls quickly can result in lost business. 

Determine whether you should bring a solution to market. If you do, what does this solution look like and what steps would you take to get it to market? In a 1–3 page document or several slides, outline the steps you’d take to go from zero to one on this idea and bring it to market. 

Here are some things to consider (not exhaustive): 

• How do you validate the problem exists? 
• How do you validate the solution? 
• What is your solution? 
• How do you bring the solution to market? 
• How do you know if it’s successful or not? 
• Who are your key stakeholders? 
• How do you monetize this solution? 

You will need to make a variety of assumptions throughout this exercise, please state those assumptions in your document. Please plan to spend no more than two hours on this exercise and send it back to me at least three hours ahead of our scheduled time. 

Want to follow along as you read the case study solution? Get more insight by watching the full presentation walk-through:

Product Manager Case Study Solution: Step 1

To get started, let’s recap the information above in a simplified form: 

• Company:  A CRM marketing tool. 
• What they do:  Connect tradespeople with leads. 
• Problem:  The tool is getting leads to the tradespeople, but they are not answering leads. 

In this scenario, we’re imagining a service professional, such as an HVAC technician, electrician, or plumber, who has the CRM tool installed on their phone or computer. However, though customer leads are pinging them, calling, or providing their information on a form, the service professionals are not getting back to them. 

Like with everything in product management, always start with the user when solving Product Manager case study interview questions. You should have a clear idea of the user persona, their needs, and their pain points. 

In this case, there are three different parties involved: 

1. The person that needs help

In this case, the customer making the call needs help. We can further group them in terms of urgency: 

• Immediate and needs their problem fixed as soon as possible (“ The toilet pipe in my bathroom just burst!” )
• Mid-level and can be solved within the week ( “My refrigerator is leaking some water but I can probably put a towel over it.” )
• Important but not urgent ( “My dishwasher’s door handle is loose and may fall off soon.” )

2. The service professional 

• This group would like to be matched with quality jobs such as those that pay well and don’t take too much of their time. 

3. The company/third party technician

• The CRM company is responsible for ensuring the service professionals receives qualified leads, i.e., you as the Product Manager or the company representative. 

Assumptions

Exploring the user personas above brings to light some assumptions we are making as a Product Manager. This is a stated requirement in this question, but make sure to include them early on in your Product Manager case study presentation, whether outlined or not. 

In this case, some early assumptions we are making are: 

• All leads are received by the service person but they are choosing to ignore them — it is not a technical problem such as the CRM’s servers being down. The company likely has already troubleshot for this. 
• The end-user, or the person in need, is going through a process to request help — could be a form or email routed through the CRM. 
• A qualified lead is a customer that has an actual need that requires a professional. 
• Calls are equal to an service professional request and not just general inquiries or exploratory calls. 

There are a lot of assumptions you could add to the list above. Many come to you as you solve your case study questions, so keep an open-ended list as you unpack your solution. 

Product Manager Case Study Solution: Step 2

Next, we need to validate the need . Here is where the data and metrics come in. If we think about the problem as a funnel, these questions come up in our analytics:

• What is the follow-up % that has been made already to missed calls? 
• How many follow-ups per missed call are there? 
• How many missed calls per service professional or per request? 
• Of the missed calls/callbacks, how many resulted in business/closes? 

It is possible to confirm that there is an actual problem from the above analytics. In this case, the data shows that the service professionals are following up on requests, but they are doing it too late. So, we want to unpack why the service professional is not responding to the requests on time.

Could it be that the leads come in when they are too busy to answer? Or maybe they are not quality leads? This is where the next step comes in. 

Product Management Case Study Solution: Step 3

Now that the need is validated, we can now work through the possible solutions to the problems outlined. Remember to keep the user in mind to ensure you are solving their pain points. 

In this section, you should list down all possible solutions or Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). 

Solve to Qualify the Leads

• What is their location radius? 
• What budget are they willing to work with?
• What is their area of expertise? 

This filter solves the need for the qualification of leads. 

If a service professional receives a qualified lead but still does not respond to it, it’s time to think about the next problem that the leads come in when they are too busy to answer. This brings us to our second solution:

Reminder for a Service Professional to Follow up 

This involves an auto dialler or auto-reminder. It could be through an email, text, or dashboard notification on the CRM’s desktop or mobile app. This needs to be done in a timely way and should prompt them to take action. This could be a CRM tool on its own where the information from the request form is sent to a ticketing system where the service professional can see it listed. 

Redirect Requests

Another solution would be for the service professionals to bid on requests, or have the option to redirect the request to another person. 

A service professional can choose to take the request or forward it to another person if they are unavailable. Also, a lead is automatically redirected to another service professional if the request is not responded to within a certain period. This could also incentivize the service professionals to respond quickly otherwise they lose business. 

Product Manager Case Study Solution: Step 4

Now you need to make the key decisions that will inform your presentation. Here’s what you should nail down: 

Designs/ Wireframes/ Areas of Improvement 

If your case study requires designs, consider where you would make the above changes in the CRM interface. What or how would you change the interaction model to achieve success? 

Pictures do speak louder than words, and as a Product Manager, your designs should do the same. The best way to ensure that everybody understands your product is to include wireframes and preliminary designs in your presentation. 

In this case, being an isolated design, we would draw out the forms that the end-users and service professionals would use. For the latter, a mobile-phone wireframe is probably best, given that the users are constantly out in the field. 

Case Study Presentation Pro Tip

If you are working on a product that already exists for your PM case study question, embed your solution within the product’s actual design to earn extra points. Google the product to find images of its interface and consider how you would change the interactions with the user to meet the requirements of the case study or achieve greater success. 

Engineering/User Stories 

Your Product Manager case study presentation will also include the user stories that the engineer would need to build the product. Here is an example of the stories for this product: 

As an end-user, I want to send my request to a service professional about my “problem” so that they can call me back. 

Acceptance criteria: 

Show header text: Request for service professional 

• Subtext: Describe your problem
• Show text field for the user, limit it to 500 characters 
• Toilet leak 
• Show scrubber tool of budget min and max 

Data/Analytics

The next part is all about the numbers: 

• Form completion rate (open/start vs. submit) 
• Form completion time 
• Click through on the form from service professionals 
• Accept vs. reject rate of calls and forms 
• Number of completed forms 
• Number of returned or answered calls 
• Number of closed leads 
• Number of reviews/ net promoter score (NPS) 
• Number of form rejections by service professionals 
• Qualified vs. unqualified leads 
• Number of unanswered qualified leads 

Future Iterations 

If you were successful in your MVP release, what later iterations would you have to further improve this product? Write them down in the form of a user story. 

Just like we did in the step above, try creating your own user stories for this section. Make sure that your stories are based on a marketplace. 

Potential Challenges 

To come up with potential challenges, think about the product lifecycle and its release: 

• Where do you feel that there would be a difficulty? 
• How would you solve it? 

This is the slide of your Product Manager case study solution to showcase your prior Product Manager experience and expertise. This part of your answer allows you to showcase to your interviewer that you are a retrospective Product Manager who reviews the data of your past launches and applies the learnings in the future. 

For example, a Product Manager with a business operations background would have a unique point of view on the questions above: 

• Challenge 1: Service professionals may not be properly trained to handle missed calls or access the information on the forms.
• Challenge 2: End-users may have a problem communicating the depth or scope of the problem because they are not professionals. 

There are many more potential challenges that may come up. Be sure to add all the ones that are relevant to your product. 

Executive Summary 

This is the last section of the Product Manager Case study presentation. Here is where you outline all the parts of your case study. Not everyone is going to pay attention as you go through your presentation, so the executive summary gives them a chance to “catch up” on your process and solution. 

Briefly outline: 

• What you know/don’t know
• Assumptions 
• Validation of the problem 
• The solution 
• How to measure success or how you would pivot 

In this question’s case: 

• No technical issues 
• (all other assumptions you generated) 
• MVP = Create a form to validate lead quality. 
• Number of completed forms, calls answered or followed up, closed business. 

Remember to incorporate the questions asked in the prompt in your summary. Be careful not to leave out any information that is important to solving the question. 

Ace Your Product Manager Case Study Solution and Presentation

There you have it, a step-by-step breakdown of how to solve your next Product Manager case study. Need more practice solving case studies for product management? Here’s our ultimate guide on case study questions , complete with case study question examples by topic.

If you still need help solving your case study, ​​ schedule a free call with us. We will walk you through possible first impressions, solutions, and presentations that may come in handy in your next Product Manager interview. 

The Only Leading Metric to Measure Product-Market Fit and How to Use It

Microsoft New Grad PM Interview Preparation and Experience: Spring 2022

Types of Product Managers: Which Specialization Will Ignite Your Career?

The One Thing I Wish More Candidates Asked in Their Product Management Interviews

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Marketing case study examples with solutions for students

Cracking marketing case studies is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise to understand the scenarios. These case studies contextualize standard market practices.

Reading and solving these studies gives you a deeper understanding of how an actual industry functions, Remember, the more you practice, the better you get. So, without further ado, here are some effective marketing case study examples and solutions you can check out.

Case Study 1 – Coca-Cola collaborates with App Annie.

Coca-Cola is a beloved beverage brand enjoying worldwide recognition and profit. Other than its trademark soft drinks, the company also has several sister brands under its name. Over the years, Coca-Cola has developed into a tech-savvy, modern business, thanks to its innovation strategies.

The latest app developed by Coca-Cola includes the Coca-Cola Freestyle for customers, Coke Notify Service Request for retailers. Read the case study titled  “Coca-Cola relies on App Annie to amaze and delight its customers”  for more details.

The study describes the significant challenges faced by the brand and how it overcomes them with remarkable success. Towards the end, you also learn about the future prospects of the company.

Ideal solution format:

• Explain the background of Coca-Cola, and why is it such a relevant brand.
• List down the various sister brands and companies under Coca-Cola.
• Discuss the innovation strategies that the brand adopts
• Explain the three significant apps launched by Coca-Cola
• Summarize the challenges faced by Coca-Cola
• Talk about App Annie Intelligence and its benefits.
• Discuss how App Annie contributes to better customer engagement.

Case study 2 – Zomato’s new deep discounting strategy

Zomato is a popular Food Service Aggregators in India (FSAs) known for its online delivery and user-friendly interface. Recently, in an attempt to improve business, Zomato introduced some heavy discounts for its client base. The new Zomato Gold was part of this campaign.

Customers who subscribed to Zomato Gold could access free meals, drinks, and discounts in certain restaurants. The company partnered with numerous eateries to execute this plan. However, 15th August 2019, hundreds of restaurants decided to log out of this marketing campaign. This was because the heavy discounts led to a loss of revenue and profits.

Zomato co-founder, Deepinder Goyal tried to appease the partners by launching a new model. This response was soon rejected as the core issue of discounts remained unresolved. The led to an impasse between the two parties, leaving Zomato vulnerable to takeovers.

This was just a gist of the  case study on Zomato’s deep discounting strategy . Read through the details of the report, analyze the stats, and establish your take on the situation.

Ideal solution format

• Reinstate the given facts (the discount strategy)
• Establish the main objectives of the case study
• Explain what Zomato Gold includes
• Summarize the central problem (Zomato’s loss of partners)
• Talk about why and how the discount strategy affects restaurant owners

Case study 3 – Raymond’s experiment with khadi

Raymond is a significant textile business worldwide known for its fabric quality and fitting suits. The brand now plans to customize its fabric to suit the Indian market. For this, the market experts narrow down to the traditional Indian material- “Khadi”.

Khadi is a hand-woven, light, and comfortable fabric with some rich cultural and historical significance. Raymond, in its latest marketing strategy, tried to integrate Khadi in modern fashion. The marketing team adopted innovative advertising ideas to make their product more appealing and relatable.

This case study titled  “Raymond: Giving a new spin to Khadi”  discusses the deal between the company and the govt. Body. Khadi Village and Industries Commission (KVIC) is an organization that overlooks the production and distribution of khadi in India.

The case study highlights how Raymond breaks the general perception of Khadi, presenting differently. It also outlines the practical challenges faced by the brand to successfully launch the khadi line.

Ideal Marketing case study solution format

• Begin with a short introduction
• List down the traditional textile advertising strategies.
• Discuss the new marketing strategy of Raymond
• Talk about the cultural and historical importance of khadi.
• Outline the challenges Raymond would face
• Explore the deal between Raymond and KVIC
• End the case study with a brief on how Raymond would change pre-conceived notions around khadi

Marketing case study examples with solutions

What makes a good marketing case study.

Most marketing studies included as your coursework are either success stories or hypothetical scenarios. The case revolves around a company or an individual. The premise is also quite simple, with new details being added in the story as it progresses.

Every case study has three distinct parts- an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The ending is not a resolution, though but a problem that the reader must solve. Students usually develop a hypothesis and then use the given facts to prove or disprove their argument.

Here is a stepwise guide to writing a good marketing case study solution.

Begin with a catchy headline

Marketing case studies are both informative and intriguing. They aim to educate the reader by building upon facts and drawing certain conclusions from them.

Begin the case study with a unique headline that sums up the purpose of the passage in a nutshell. Include the name of the company and basic gist of the case study in the heading. A creative title also piques the reader’s interest and makes for an exciting read.

Set the background

The introductory paragraph must outline the context of the case study. You cannot dive headway into the research without providing some background for the reader. Talk about the company, the industry it’s set in and the growth of the brand.

Once you have described the basic premise of the case study, you can explain the other details. Setting the background adds some clarity to your case study. You can present the core issues and questions in the main body of the study.

Summarize the key points

The next step is to give a summary of everything you find relevant in the case study. For this, I recommend my students to read the case study multiple times and get the basic gist of it. This makes it easier to filter out information and use it for your analysis.

Most case studies have the solution hidden inside the problem. You just need to be observant enough to identify it. Summarizing the central points of the study also puts things into perspective.

An in-depth analysis

Once you have all the key points listed out, you can discuss them in detail. The in-depth analysis gives you the space to apply marketing theories to prove/disprove your arguments. It is here that you can present your unique take on the case, provided it is objective, logical, and valid.

You can also add a few footnotes and annotations to enrich your research. Refer to other similar cases, papers and studies conducted by credible institutions. You can draw from their approach, improvise it to propose a robust solution.

Throw in some numbers

Merely restating the facts and having a hypothesis is not enough to crack a marketing case study though. You also need to back it up with numbers, figures, and some charts. These infographics present the data in a visually appealing way.

Statistics also solidify your arguments, making for a convincing case. Putting together a compelling case study is not an easy job. It is a combination of theoretical research and stats.

A logical resolution

The last part or conclusion of the case study attempts to wrap up the argument. It is not necessary to have a definitive ending. You can keep it open-ended, giving the reader the freedom to interpret the case their way.

Ensure that your marketing case study reaches a rational conclusion where you address each question. It is also a section where you reinstate the points previously mentioned. You can devote this space to estimate the scope of the company in brief.

Need for marketing case studies

Marketing case studies give you a glimpse of the real-life scenarios. Every curriculum covers both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. With case studies, you observe how technical knowledge is applied to realistic situations.

It also improves your analytical abilities and problem-solving skills. You get better at handling and sorting through information. Plus, you also learn about the importance of research credibility and critical thinking.

Ensure that you add proper references and citation at the end of your analysis, though. I suggest students follow APA or Harvard style referencing as it is better suited to statistical research.

Quick links and references

Listed below are a few quick links and reference material that students can read through to know more about the topic. These links come from academic journals and government websites.

Marketing case study examples:  ICMR marketing case studies

Case study solution guidelines:  Writing a Case Study Analysis by Ashford Writing Centre

Citations and referencing:  Harvard referencing guide

Citation generator:  CiteFast

The bottom line

Cracking a marketing case study is not a one-step process. It requires a lot of practice and reading. I have picked a few case-study examples with solutions you can check out. I hope that these samples would clear some concepts for you. Good luck!

CBSE Class 12 Case Studies In Business Studies – Marketing Management

MARKETING Marketing: Definition Marketing is a social process by which individual groups obtain what they need and want through creating offerings and freely exchanging products and services of value with others. – Philip Kotler Marketing management is “the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value”. – Philip Kotler

Elements of marketing mix

Market: Definition A market consists of all the potential customers who have both the ability and willingness to buy a product or service to satisfy their needs or wants

Features of marketing

• It seeks to provide what individuals or groups need or want
• A market offering is created by the marketer.
• It adds value toa product by increasing its utility
• It is facilitated through the exchange mechanism

What can be Marketed?

• Physical product
• Organisations

Functions of Marketing

• Gathering and analysing market information is done to know the taste and preference of the target market.
• Marketing planning is needed to meet the marketing objectives of the firm effectively and efficiently.
• Product designing and development is carried out to make the product innovative and attractive.
• Packaging and labelling are needed for product protection, product identification and product differentiation.
• Branding helps to createa unique identity of the products.
• Customer support services help to create a good image of the marketer in the eyes of consumers.
• Pricing of product is a crucial decision as it may greatly influence the demand for a product.
• Promotion helps to boost the sales of a product.
• Physical distribution ensures the availability of the product at the right place, at the right time and in right condition so as to facilitate its purchase.
• Transportation creates place utility through movement of goods from the production of goods to the place of distribution.
• Warehousing creates time utility by providing for the storage during the time gap between the production and distribution of goods.
• Standardisation helps to produce goods as per predetermined specifications and grading facilitates their classification into groups on the basis of some criterion like quality, size etc.

MARKETING MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES/CONCEPTS

  PRODUCT Product: Definition A product is anything of value i.e. a product or service offered to a market to satisfy needs or wants.

Important product decisions include

• Determining its layout, features, quality, design etc.

A Product includes

• After sale services
• Handling grievances
• Replacement of parts etc.

Types of utilities offered by a product

• Functional utility
• Psychological utility
• Social utility

PACKAGING Packaging: Definition Packaging is the process of desiging a suitable wrapper or container for a product.

Importance of Packaging

• Rising standards of health and sanitation
• Useful in self service outlets
• Innovative packaging adds value to a product
• Facilitates product differentiation

Levels of Packaging

• Primary package refers to the immediate container of a product.
• Secondary packaging refers to the additional protection provided besides primary package.
• Transportation packaging refers further packaging that helps in storage, identification of transportation of the product.

Functions of Packaging

• Helps in product identification
• Provides protection to the product
• Facilitates the use of product
• Assists in promotion of the product

BRANDING Branding: Definition Branding is the process of assigning a name (brand name), sign or symbol (brand mark) or a combination of all to identify the products of a seller or a group of sellers and to distinguish them from those of the competitors.

Brand Mark: Definition A brand mark is that part of a brand can be recognised but is not utterable.

Brand Name: Definition A brand name is that part of a brand which can be spoken.

Trade Mark: Definition Trade mark is used in context of a registered brand.

Advantages of branding to the customers

• Supports in product identification
• Certifies quality
• Considered to bea status symbol

Advantages of branding to the manufacturers

• Assists in advertising and display programmes
• Facilitates differential pricing
• Ease in the launching of new products

Qualities of a good brand name

• Short and easy to pronounce, spell and remember
• Reflects the functions of the product
• Distinctive/easily identifiable
• Adaptable can be used in labelling or packaging
• Versatile can be used for brand extension
• Should not become outdated soon
• Capable of being registered

LABELLING Labelling: Definition Labelling refers to the process of designing a label for a product which may vary from a simple tag to a complex graphic.

Functions of labelling

• Describes the product and specifies its contents
• Helps in identification of the product or brand
• Enables grading of products
• Assists in promotion of products
• Provides information required by law

PRICE Price: Definition Price is the monetary value paid in consideration for purchase ofa product or service by a buyer to its seller.

Factors affecting price determination

• Cost of product
• The utility and demand
• Extent of competition in the market
• Government and legal regulations
• Pricing objectives
• Marketing methods used.

PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION Physical Distribution: Definition Physical distribution includes all those activities that ensure the availability of the product at the right place, at the right time and in right condition so as to facilitate its purchase.

Determining the components of physical distribution

• Order Processing
• Warehousing
• Transportation

Functions of distribution channels

• Accumulation
• Product Promotion
• Negotiation
• Risk Taking

Factors determining choice of channel

• Type of product
• Nature of product
• Degree of complexity of product
• Unit value of the product
• Financial strength of the firm
• Degree of control desired on channel members
• Policy of firm
• Geographical concenteration of buyers
• Quantity purchased
• Size of the market
• Economic conditions
• Legal constraints

Two main decisions involved in physical distribution

• Physical movement of goods from producers to consumers
• Choice of channels of distribution

Channels of Distribution: Definition Channels of distribution refers to the set of individuals and firms that act as intermediaries in the form of agents, wholesalers, retailers etc. that help to transfer the title of ownership to the buyer and also facilitate physical movement of the products.

Types of channels of distribution

• Manufacturer- consumer (zero level)
• Manufacturer- retailer consumer (one level channel)
• Manufacturer- wholesaler- retailer consumer(two level channel)
• Manufacturer-agent wholesaler retailer consumer(three level channel)

PROMOTION Promotion: Definition Promotion refers to the set of activities undertaken by a marketer to inform the prospective buyers about the product and persuading them to make a purchase.

Promotion mix

• Advertising
• Personal selling
• Sales promotion
• Public relations

ADVERTISING Advertisement: Definition Advertisement is a paid form of non¬personal communication undertaken by the marketers to boost the sale of a product or a service.

Objections to Advertising

• Adds to cost
• Undermines social values
• Encourages sale of inferior products
• Some advertisements are in bad taste
• Confuses the buyers

Features of Advertising

• Impersonality
• Identified sponsor

Role of Advertising

• Enhancing customers awareness about the product
• Helps in creating demand for both old and new products
• Repeated advertisements increases the confidence of the consumers
• Improves the public image of the company
• Helps to create employment opportunities

PERSONAL SELLING Personal Selling: Definition Personal selling refers to a personal form of communication between the seller and the prospective buyer.

Merits of personal selling

• It isa flexible tool of promotion
• It seeks to provides direct feedback from the prospective buyers

Features of Personal selling

• Involves personal form of communication
• May lead to the development of long term relationship between the company and a buyer

Qualities of a Good Salesman

• He should havea neat and tidy appearance.
• He should be decently dressed up and carry himself well.
• He should be cheerful and confident in his dealings.
• He should be able to communicate assertively.
• He should be alert and intelligent so that he is able to mould his sales talk as per the need of the situations.
• He should also passess good knowledge about the product that he is selling.

SALES PROMOTION Sales promotion: Definition Sales promotion refers to the short term incentives offered by the marketers to promote the sale Of their products

Commonly used Sales Promotion activities

• Product combinations
• Quality gift
• Instant draws and assigned gift
• Usable benefit
• Full finance @ 0%

PUBLIC RELATIONS Public Relations: Definition Public relations refers to the practice of managing communication between an organisation and its public in order to create and maintain a positive image about itself and its products

Roles of Public Relations

• Public relations helps to create a positive image about the company in the eyes of various interest holders like consumers, government, suppliers etc.
• It helps in launching new products as they may be accepted easily because of they may be accepted easily because of good reputation of business.
• It helps the business to reinstate itself in wake of controversies or prejudices etc.

Functions of the Public Relation Department

• It manage relations with the press to present true and correct information about the company.
• It undertakes product publicity for new products through sponsorships.
• It is proactive in promoting or defending regulations that affect business by maintaining healthy relationships with associations of commerce and industry etc. through newsletters, brochures, articles or arranging for talk shows or speeches of high officials of the company.
• It initiates or supports various kinds of corporate social activities.

LATEST CBSE QUESTIONS

Question 1. Sunita took her niece, Aishwarya for shopping to ‘Benetton’ to buy her a dress on the occasion of her birthday. She was delighted when on payment for the dress she got a discount voucher to get 20% off for a meal of Rs. 500 or above at a famous eating joint. Identify the technique of sales promotion used by the company in the above situation. (CBSE, Delhi 2017) Answer: Useable benefits is the technique of sales promotion used by the company in the above situation.

Question 2. Ginika, Tanish and Rohit were friends from college days and now they are doing different kinds of business. They regularly meet and discuss their business ideas and exchange notes on customer satisfaction, marketing efforts, product designing, selling techniques, social concerns etc. In one of such meetings, Ginika drew the attention of Tanish and Rohit towards the exploitation of consumers. She told that most of the sellers were exploiting the consumers in various ways’ and were not paying attention towards the social, ethical and ecological aspects of marketing, whereas she was not doing so. Tanish told that they were under pressure to satisfy the consumers, but stated that the consumers would not buy or not buy enough unless they were adequately convinced and motivated for the same. Rohit stressed that a company cannot achieve its objectives without understanding the needs of the customers. It was the duty of the businessmen to keep consumer satisfaction in mind because business is run by the resources made available to them by the society. He further stated that he himself was taking into consideration the needs of the customers. Identify the various types of thinking that guided Ginika, Tanish and Rohit in the marketing efforts of their business. Also, state one more feature of the various types of thinking identified that is not given in the above para. (CBSE, Delhi 2017) Answer: The various types of thinking that guided Ginika, Tanish and Rohit in the marketing efforts of their business are described below:

• (Ginika) Societal marketing concept: The main focus of this philosophy is on both the needs of the potential buyers as well as concern for the society at large. The ends include profit maximisation through customer satisfaction and social welfare.
• (Tanish) Selling concept: The main focus of this philosophy is on existing products. The ends include profit maximisation through sales volume.
• (Rohit) Marketing concept: The main focus of this philosophy is on customers needs. The ends include profit maximisation through customer’s satisfaction.

Question 3. Mediquip Ltd. is a company dealing in distribution of medical equipments. The company recently imported 15000 units of sugar testing machines to test the sugar levels without taking blood samples. For deciding the marketing strategy, the Chief Executive Officer of the company called a meeting of the marketing heads of different zones. In the meeting, Sandeep, the North Zone Marketing Head, suggested that since the machines were sophisticated they need to visit hospitals personally, to explain its working to the hospital staff who would be using the machines. He also suggested that additional trained people may be recruited for the same. Himanshu, another Zonal Head, added that since lot of money had been spent on the import of the machines, the company was short of funds to pay to the additional staff as suggested by Sandeep. Rahul, a newly appointed Zonal Head of South Zone suggested that since the size of the order is not large, a detailed study of the factors determining the choice of channels of distribution is required before making the right choice.

• Identify the factors influencing the choice of channels of distribution which were discussed in the meeting.
• Also, explain briefly the other consideration to be taken care of in each factor identified in part (1). (CBSE, Delhi 2017)
• Product related factors: It has been mentioned that the machines were sophisticated.
• Market related factors: It has been mentioned that the size of the order is not large. (in)
• Company related factors: It has been mentioned that the company was short of funds to pay the additional staff which had to be recruited to personally visit and train the hospital staff.
• Geographical concentration of potential buyers: If the potential buyers for the firm’s product are geographically concentrated at a few specific places, it is advisable for the marketer to adopt direct channels of distribution. If the market for the product is widely scattered, indirect channels of distribution will be more effective.
• Nature of product: Considering the technical nature of the industrial products they require short channels i.e., direct channel or involving few middlemen. Moreover, they are made to order and expensive products purchased by selective buyers. Whereas the consumer products, being standardised, less expensive, less bulky, non-technical can be better distributed by long network of channels, involving many middlemen. Moreover they are purchased frequently.
• Type of product: If the product under consideration is perishable like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products short channels should be adopted in order to preserve their quality. Whereas non-perishable products like toiletry products (e.g., shampoo , toothbrush, deodorants etc.), groceries (cooking oil, pulses etc.), fabrics can be best marketed through longer channels so as to reach wide spread consumers.

Question 4. Mansi took her niece Ridhima for shopping to ‘Mega Stores’ to buy her a bag for her birthday. She was delighted when on payment of the bag she got a pencil box along with the bag free of cost. Idenfity the technique of sales promotion used by the company. (CBSE, OD 2017) Answer: Product combination

Question 5. “Time Line” watch manufacturing company is a renowned company marketing watches. It performs various activities like, market analysis, product designing or merchandising, packaging, warehousing, branding, pricing, promotion and selling. The company maintains good customer relations through various follow up activities. This helps the company in procuring repeat sales orders.

• Name the concept related to the activities mentioned in the above paragraph.
• Explain any two features of the concept identified in part (1) (CBSE, Sample Paper, 2017)
• Marketing is the concept related to the activities mentioned in the above paragraph.
• Needs and wants: Marketing is a social process that seeks to satisfy the needs and wants of individuals and organisations. Needs are basic to human beings like food, clothing and shelter and do not relate to a particular product. Whereas wants are culturally defined human needs which are shaped by multiple factors like personality, religion, culture etc. Needs are limited whereas wants are unlimited. Therefore, the success of marketing lies in the competence of the marketer to identify needs of target customers and develop products to satisfy such needs effectively.
• Creating a market offering: The complete offer for a product or service possessing certain specific features like size, quality, colour etc. is known as a market offering. Thus, the success of the marketers lies in their proficiency to create a market offering in accordance with the needs and wants of the target market. For example a pack of 100 ml of mango juice is available for ? 20.

Question 6. “Coconut Joy Ltd.” are the manufacturer of vegetarian frozen dessert food products made with coconut milk, agave syrup and other certified ingredients. The founders of the company Lovely and Lalita originally developed this treat to meet their own needs but found that their friends and families around were also keen to use the products. It was not only the vegetarians, but also those who could not get enough environment friendly sustainable food, that appreciated the product. It did not take long for Lovely and Lalita to recognise the potential of their little venture. In the beginning they started from their home with the product being sold through local family parties that enable guests to personally meet the owner. This helped to establish strong connections with the prospective buyers and the company could put the product on shelves of natural food store. The company used* all marketing activities to grow and expand. The company began sponsoring booths at festivals, drawing attention to its newly created vegetarian products. It also disseminated relevant information to media about its products and the people who helped in building the company’s reputation. Lovely and Lalita were invited for an interview with one of the leading TV channels in which they talked about their environment friendly vegetarian products. To show its gratitude to customers, local business and government officials who supported the company from the beginning, “Coconut Joy Ltd.” hosted a gala event and involved all of them to raise funds for a few local NGO’s. The company also asked its fans and customers to send songs and poetry conveying their impression about “Coconut ‘Joy’s Ltd.” products.

• Identify and explain the communication tool used by “Coconut Joy Ltd”. .
• Briefly explain the role of the tool identified in (1) above. (CBSE, Sample Paper, 2017)
• Public relations is the communication tool used by “Coconut Joy Ltd”. Public relations refers to the practice of managing communication between an organisation and its publics in order to create and maintain a positive image about itself and its products.
• Press Relation: It manages relations with the press to present true and correct information about the company. Thus, public relations helps to create a positive image about the company in the eyes of various interest holders like consumers, government, suppliers etc.
• Product Publicity: It undertakes product publicity for new products through sponsorships. Thus, it helps in launching new products as they may be accepted easily because of good reputation of business.
• Corporate Communication: It promotes image of the company through different ways of corporate communication like publication of newsletters, brochures, articles or arranging for talk shows or speeches of high officials of the company.
• Lobbying: It is proactive in promoting or defending regulations that affect business by maintaining healthy relationships with associations of commerce and industry, government officials and different ministers in charge of corporate affairs etc.

Question 7. Good Living Ltd. manufactures mosquito repellent tablets tables. These tablets are packed in strips of 12 tablets each. Each of these strips is packed in a cardboard box, 48 such boxes are then placed in a big corrugated box and delivered to various retailers for sale. State the purpose of packaging the tablets in a corrugated box. (CBSE, Sample Paper 2016) Answer: The purpose of packaging the tablets in a corrugated box is to facilitate their transportation, warehousing and easy identification.

Question 8. Shreemaya Hotel in Indore was facing a problem of low demand for its rooms due to off¬season. The Managing Director (MD) of the hotel, Mrs. Sakina was very worried. She called upon the marketing Manager, Mr. Kapoor for his advice. He suggested that the hotel should announce an offer of ‘3 Days and 2 nights hotel stay package’ with free breakfast and one-day religious visit to Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar Temples. The MD liked the suggestion very much. Identify the promotional tool which can be used by the hotel through which large number of prospective pilgrimage tourists all over the country and abroad can be reached, informed and persuaded to use the incentive. (CBSE, Sample Paper 2016) Answer: Advertising is the promotion tool that can be used by the hotel.

Question 9. “Every time I travelled, people asked me to bring them chips, khakra and pickles from all over the country,” says Anoushka. Finally, she and her colleague, Sumeet, decided to make a business out of it. They launched a Facebook page, asked people what they wanted, and they came up with a list of about 100 places and tied-up with two dozen vendors to begin with. They were servicing people from Jaipur who wanted spices from Kerala, people from Panipat who wanted halwa from Jammu and people from Delhi who ordered fresh tea leaves from Darjeeling. Through their business, they wished to bridge the gap between sellers and buyers. The business is now worth millions. Explain any two important activities that Anouskha and Sumeet will have to be involved in for making the goods available to customers at the right place, in the right quantity and at the right time. (CBSE, Sample Paper 2016) Answer: Anoushka and Sumeet need to perform the activities involved in physical distribution of goods. Two such activities are explained below:

• Transportation: It creates place utility by facilitating the movement of goods from the place of production to the place of distribution. In the absence of efficient, reliable and cost effective transportation, facility marketing of goods is difficult.
• Warehousing: It creates time utility by providing for the storage of goods from the time they are produced till the time they are sold. Every marketer needs to take this decision wisely in order to create a balance between the level of customer service and cost of warehousing.

Question 10. A company was marketing juicers which were very popular due to their quality and after sales services provided to the customers. The company was a leading company in the market and earning huge profits. Because of huge profits, the company ignored the after sales services. As a result, its relations with customers got spoiled and the image of the company in the public was damaged. The top management became concerned when the profits for the current quarter fell steeply. On analysis, it was revealed that ignoring the after sales services was its reason. Therefore, the company took all possible measures to protect and promote its favourable image. As a result, the goodwill of the company improved in the society.

• Name and state the communication tool used by the marketer in the above case to improve its image.
• Also explain the role of the tool as identified in part (1). (CBSE, OD 2016)

OR A company was marketing water purifiers which were very popular due to their quality and after sales services provided to the customers. The company was a leading company in the market and earning huge profits. Because of huge profits, the company ignored the after sales services. As a result, its relations with customers got spoiled and the image of the company was damaged in the public. The top management became concerned when the profits for the current quarter fell steeply. On analysis, it was revealed that ignoring the after sales services was its reason. Therefore, the company took all possible measures to protect and promote its favourable image in the eyes of the public. As a result, the goodwill of the company improved in the society.

• Also explain role of the tool as identified in part (1). (CBSE, Delhi 2016)
• Public Relations is being used as a promotional tool by the marketer. It refers to the practice of managing communication between an organisation and its publics in order to create and maintain a positive image about itself and its products.
• Public relations helps to create a positive image about the company in the eyes of various interest holders like consumers, government, suppliers etc .
• It helps in launching new products as they may be accepted easily because of good reputation of business.
• It helps the business to reinstate itself in the wake of controversies or prejudices etc.

Question 11. Maruti Vega Ltd. entered into the market with coloured televisions and have now introduced products like audio systems, air-conditioners, washing machines, etc. The company is not only offering the products but also handling complaints and offering after-sales services. Identify the element of marketing mix discussed here. (CBSE, OD 2015) Answer: Product is the element of marketing mix discussed here.

Question 12. Radhika was a student of Business Studies of Class XII. Her father was a farmer who grew different varieties of rice and was well-versed in the various aspects of rice cultivation. He was also selected by the government for a pilot-project on rice cultivation. As a project work in Business Studies, she decided to study the feasibility of marketing good quality rice at a reasonable price. Her father suggested her to use the Internt to gather customers’ views and opinions. She found that there was a huge demand for packaged organic rice. She knew that there were no predetermined specifications in case of rice because of which it was difficult to achieve uniformity in the output. To differentiate the product from its competitors, she gave it the name of ‘Malabari Organic Rice’ and classified it into three different varieties, namely — Popular, Classic and Supreme, based on the quality. She felt that these names would help her in product differentiation. Explain the three functions of marketing with reference to the above paragraph (CBSE, OD 2015) Answer: The three functions of marketing with reference to the above paragraph are described below:

• Gathering and analyzing market information: The prime focus of marketing is to ‘find wants and fill them’. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for a company to study the needs and preferences of its target market in order to satisfy their needs and wants optimally.
• Standardisation and grading: Standardisation refers to the process of manufacturing goods as per predetermined specifications. Grading refers to the process of classifying goods on the basis of certain criteria like quality, size etc. Usually, agricultural products are subject to grading.
• Branding: Branding is the process of assigning a name (brand name), sign or symbol (brand mark) or a combination of all to a product. It is considered to be a very important decision by the marketers because it facilitates product differentiation. This helps the company to obtain a desirable market share.

Question 13. Beauty Products Ltd. is a natural and ethical beauty brand famous for offering organic beauty products for men and women. The company uses plant-based materials for its products and is the No.1 beauty brand in the country. It not only satisfies its customers but also believes in the overall protection of the planet. Identify the marketing management philosophy being followed by ‘Beauty Product Ltd’. (CBSE, Delhi 2015) Answer: Societal Marketing Concept

Question 14. ‘Haryaram’ is a famous chain selling a large variety of products in the Indian market. Their products include chips, biscuits, sweets and squashes. It charges a comparatively higher price than its competitors as it sells quality products. Besides, it offers regular discounts to its customers and easy credit terms to its retailers. It has five of its own retail shops. It also sells its products through various grocery stores so that the products are made available to customers at the right place, in the right quantity and at the right time. It regularly uses different communication tools to increase its sales. The above paragraph describes the combination of variables used by Haryaram to prepare its market offering. Identify and explain the variables. (CBSE, Delhi 2015) Answer: The combination of variables used by Haryaramto prepare its market offerings are described below:

• Product: “Their products include chips, biscuits , sweets and squashes.” A product is anything of value i.e. a product or service offered to a market to satisfy its needs or wants. A product includes physical product, after ..sale service, handling grievances etc. Every marketer needs to constantly review and revise its products in order to enhance customer’s satisfaction and have a competitive edge.
• Price: “It charges a comparatively higher price than its competitors.” Price is the monetary value paid in consideration for purchase of a product or service by a buyer to its seller. It is a very crucial decision for the marketers as consumers are very sensitive to the pricing. The factors affecting price determination are cost of product, the utility and demand, extent of competition in the market, government and legal regulations, pricing objectives and marketing methods used.
• Place: “It has five of its own retail shops.”Or “It also sells its products through various grocery shops.” It is considered an important element of marketing mix because it includes all those activities that help in making the goods and services available to the prospective buyers in the right quantity, at the right time and in right condition. The two main decisions involved in physical distribution are physical movement of goods from producers to consumers and choice of channels of distribution.
• Promotion: “It regularly uses different communication tools to increase its sales.” Promotion refers to the set of activities undertaken by a marketer to inform the prospective buyers about the product and persuading them to make a purchase. The various components of promotion mix are advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relation.”

Question 15. Radha found a worm crawling out of newly opened tetra pack of juice manufactured by a reputed company, Zest Ltd. She went back to the shopkeeper from whom the pack was purchased who directed her to call up the customer care centre. When all her efforts fell free, she went to a consumer activist, group to seek advice. The group decided to help Radha and take measures to impose restrictions on the sales of the firm’s products of the particular batch and urge customers to refrain from buying the products of the company. Zest Ltd. lost its image in the market. The CEO gave the responsibility of bringing back the lost image of the company to the Manager.

• Identify the concept of marketing management which will help the Manager to get the firm out of the above crisis.
• Also explain the role of above identified concept by stating any two points. (CBSE, Sample Question Paper 2015)
• Public relations will help the manager to get the firm out of the above crisis.

Question 16. Zoom Udyog, a car manufacturing company, has started its business with Zoom-800 and slowly launched Zoom-1000, Wagon-Z, Swy-fy etc. and offered various services like after sales services, availability of spare parts, etc. Identify the element of marketing mix referred here. (CBSE, Sample Question Paper 2015) Answer: Product is the element of marketing mix referred here.

Question 17. Crackers Ltd., a fire-cracker manufacturing company launched some new products on eve of Diwali which attracted many buyers. To meet the increased demand, the company employed children from nearby villages. Although the product was in great demand, appropriate safety warnings for use were not mentioned on the packets that led to many accidents.

• Identify and explain the important product-related decision that was not taken into consideration by the company.
• Also, identify any two values which were violated by the company. (CBSE, Annual 2014)
• The company has ignored ‘Labelling’. It is an important product-related decision. Labelling refers to the process of designing a label for a product containing product description and other relevant information which is likely to affect a prospective buyers decision in making a purchase. It may vary from a simple tag to a complex graphic.
• Abiding by law as child labour has been employed
• Concern for human life as appropriate warnings were not placed on the label.

Question 18. ABC Crackers Ltd., a fire-cracker manufacturing company, launched some new products on the eve of Diwali in the market which attracted many buyers. To meet the increasing demand, the company employed people from nearby villages where there was a lot of unemployment. Because of the good behaviour of the management with the employees, more and more people wanted to join the company. As the products were in great demand in the market, a competitor imitated the products. The products of the competitor were not accepted by the consumers as it was a status symbol to buy the products of ABC Crackers Ltd. because of their quality.

• Identify and explain the product-related decision because of which consumers preferred the products of ABC Crackers Ltd.
• Also, identify any two values which ABC Crackers Ltd. wanted to communicate to the society. (CBSE, OD 2014)
• Branding is the product-related decision because of which consumers preferred the products of ABC Crackers Ltd. Branding is the process of assigning a name (brand name), sign or symbol (brand mark) or a combination of all to a product. Branding facilitates product differentiation, assists in advertising and display programmes, facilitates differential pricing , promotes consumers loyalty etc.
• Generating employment opportunities
• Providing good working environment.

Question 19. As a project work in Business Studies, the Commerce students of Himachal Public School, Himachal Pradesh thought of preparing apple jam from the apples grown in their school premises and sell it in the school annual fete. They approached the Principal who not only appreciated the students but also gave her consent for the same. The school decided to donate 50% of the revenue generated from the sale to a nearby orphanage. After the school fete, the school also decided to extend this project by providing employment to visually challenged and disadvantaged sections of society on regular basis.

• Explain any two product-related decisions which the students had to take.
• Suggest any two functions that the ‘label’ of the jam-bottle must perform.
• Identify two values communicated to society by this project of Himachal Public School, Himachal Pradesh. (CBSE, OD 2013)
• The two product-related decisions which the students had to take are branding and packaging.
• Describe the product and specify its contents: The label on the jam bottle must provide information about the core function of the product i.e. how and why is the product is likely to be beneficial to the prospective buyer. It should educate them about the usage and precautions related to the product. It also gives detailed information about the ingredients of the product.
• Helps in identification of the product or brand: The label should contain the logo, brand name, tagline, name and address of the manufacturer etc. of the product for easy identification of the product.

Question 20. Ajay was appointed as the marketing head of Alfa Enterprise, a manufacturer of toothpastes and toothbrushes. His target sale was 2000 units a month. Apart from thinking about various channels of distribution to achieve the target, he himself started visiting schools in backward areas. He found that even after taking various steps and counselling, some school children had not started brushing their teeth. He investigated and found that they could not start brushing their teeth. He investigated and found that they could not afford to buy toothbrush and toothpaste. So with due permission, he started donating 200 toothbrushes and toothpastes every month to the school.

• Identify the channel of distribution Ajay would adopt for the distribution of toothpaste and toothbrushes and justify it by giving one reason.
• State any two values which Ajay ants to communicate to society. (CBSE, Delhi 2013)
• Ajay would adopt indirect channels of distribution for marketing of toothpaste and tooth brushes because it is a consumer product. It can be easily marketed through longer channels, for example (Manufacturer – Wholesaler – Retailer – Consumer).
• Good health
• Social welfare.

Question 21. Amar is engaged in the manufacturing of refrigerators. He surveyed the market and found that customers need a refrigerator with a separate provision of water cooler in it. He decided and launched the same refrigerator in the market. Identify and explain the marketing philosophy involved. (CBSE, Delhi 2012) Answer: Amar is following the philosophy of marketing concept. The prime focus of marketing concept is to ‘find wants and fill them’. Therefore, the marketer first assesses the needs and preferences of its target market and manufactures products accordingly in order to satisfy their needs and wants optimally. It aims at profit maximization through customer satisfaction.

Question 23. Mansi, a shoe manufacturer for school students, decided to maximise profits by producing and distributing shoes on a large-scale and thus reducing the average cost of production.

• Identify the marketing management philosophy adopted by Mansi.
• Means and Ends (CBSE, OD 2012)
• Mansi has adopted the production philosophy.
• The main focus of this philosophy is on the quantity of products produced. Means: The production philosophy can be brought into effect by making products affordable and widely available. Ends: The production philosophy aims at maximizing profits through high volume of production.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Question 1. Unilever has found a new way to make ice creams by using an ingredient called ‘ice structuring protein’ which is widely found in nature especially, in fishes which allows them to survive in freezing arctic waters. Combining ISP with stabiliser technology allows to make ice creams that don’t melt so easily thereby making it more convenient for small children and consumers in hot countries. In the context of above case:

• Identify the component of marketing mix being taken into consideration by the company.
• Explain briefly the function of marketing highlighted here.
• List any two values that the company wants to communicate to the society.
• The component of marketing mix being taken into consideration by the company is ‘Product’.
• Product designing and development: Every marketer strives to achieve his marketing objectives by creating offerings to satisfy a need or a want. Therefore, one of the core functions of marketing is to develop the product in the most effective and efficient way. Every marketer endeavours to add value to his product by introducing constant innovations in the product to enhance both its utility and attractiveness in the eyes of the potential buyers and gain a competitive edge.
• Responsibility towards consumers
• Technological advancement.

Question 2. Ranger India Limited, is an automobile manufacturer in India. It makes 1.5 million family cars every year. That’s one car every 12 seconds. It has a sales network of company approved retailers that spreads across 600 cities. In the context of above case:

• Identify the type of the channel of distribution adopted by the company.
• State the market related factors that are likely to affect the decision of a marketer about the choice of channel of distribution.
• Size of market: If the size of the target market is small, it is advisable that the marketer adopts methods of direct channels of distribution like online selling, mail order house, personal selling etc. wherein there are no intermediaries between the manufacturer and the consumers. However, if the marketer intends to target larger markets he should adopt indirect channels of distribution (one level, two level or three level) by using intermediaries like wholesalers, retailers etc.

Question 3. As a global leader in the consumer electronics and entertainment industries, Sony has set forth ‘Road to Zero environmental plan’, to achieve a zero environmental’ effect by the year 2050 by producing world-class products in a manner that both protects and promotes a healthy and sustainable planet. In the context of above case:

• Identify the marketing philosophy being implemented by the company.
• Outline the main focus and ends of the relevant marketing philosophy.
• State any two values that the company wants to communicate to the society.
• Societal marketing concept is being pursued by the company.
• The main focus of this philosophy is on both the needs of the potential buyers as well as concern for the society at large. The ends include profit maximisation through customer satisfaction and social welfare.
• Concern for the environment
• Welfare of the society

Question 4. As the number of people making online purchases has increased manifolds, there is a growing concern about the disposal and management of packaging waste. Every item bought is delivered with excess packaging and sometimes even non-biodegradable materials are used. In the context of above case:

• Name the other two levels of packaging that the marketers may be using besides the immediate package.
• Describe briefly any two points highlighting the functions of packaging.
• State any two factors that should be kept in mind by the marketers while designing the packaging of its products.
• Secondary packaging and Transportation packaging.
• Product Identification: Packaging facilitates the identification of the product with the use of different colours like wrapper of maggi noodles is red whereas yippe noodles are sold in orange colour packaging. Also, the shape of different brands of cold drinks bottles is different.
• Product Protection: One of the basic purposes of packaging is to safeguard the contents of a product from any kind of damage due to mishandling, adverse weather conditions etc. during the activities related to physical distribution like storing, transportation etc.
• The marketers should use biodegradable packaging material and packaging should enhance the usability of the products.

Question 5. Rastro Inc., is a multinational corporation that creates consumer electronics, personal computers, servers and computer software. The company also has a chain of retail stores known as Restro Stores. Despite high competition, Restro has succeeded in creating demand for its products, giving the company power over prices through product differentiation, innovative advertising and ensured brand loyalty. In the context of above case:

• What is product differentiation?
• Name any one function of marketing that facilitates product differentiation.
• Identify the component of promotion mix being used by the company by quoting lines from the paragraph. .
• Describe briefly the pricing objective pursued by the company.
• Product differentiation is a strategy used by the marketers to gain an edge over its competitors by creating a distinguished perception of the product in the minds of the potential buyers in terms of its utilities.
• Branding is a function of marketing that facilitates product differentiation.
• Advertising is the component of promotion mix being used by the company “giving the company power over prices through product differentiation, innovative advertising and ensured brand loyalty.”
• Attaining product quality leadership: Besides aiming at profit maximisation as its pricing objective Rastro Inc. seeks to establish a unique place for its products in the market by offering superior quality products which can be easily distinguished from its competitors. As a result, it is able to use differential pricing i.e. fixing up relatively higher prices for its products.

Question 6. Rupali intends to start an enterprise that produces chocolates. Initially, in order to assess the taste and preferences of the people about the chocolates. She used social media and online surveys. Thereafter, she prepared a detailed SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threatsjanalysis of her enterprise to devise a strategy that will give her an edge over the competitors. Based on her analysis of the market, she decided to launch sesame and jaggery based chocolates under the brand name ‘Desi Delight’. She has decided to fix up the price of chocolates relatively at lower level in the beginning and later on as the demand picks up she may revise the prices. In the context of above case:

• Identify the elements of marketing mix being taken into consideration by Rupali.
• Explain briefly the functions of marketing highlighted here.
• Do you think she has selected an appropriate brand name for her product? Why or why not? Give a reason for your answer.
• The elements of marketing mix being taken into consideration by Rupali are Product and Price.
• Gathering and analysing market information: The prime focus of marketing is to ‘find wants and fill them’. Therefore, it is absolutely essential1’for a company to study the needs and preferences of its target market in order to satisfy their needs and wants optimally.
• Product designing and development: Every marketer strives to achieve his marketing objectives by creating offerings to satisfy a need or a want. Therefore, one of the core function of marketing is to develop the product in the most effective and efficient way. Every marketer endeavours to add value to his product by introducing constant innovations in the product to enhance both its utility and attractiveness in the eyes of the potential buyers and gain a competitive edge.
• Pricing: Price is the monetary value paid in consideration for purchase of a product or service by a buyer to its seller. The process of determining the price of a product or service is called pricing. It is a crucial decision for the marketers as consumers are very sensitive to the pricing. The factors affecting price determination are cost of product, the utility and demand, extent of competition in the market, government and legal regulations, pricing objectives and marketing methods used.
• Yes, she has selected an appropriate brand name ‘Desi Delight’ for her product as the name reflects on the product’s benefits and qualities. The word ‘Desi’ indicates that the product contains indigenous ingredients like sesame and jiggery and Delight denotes the pleasure that the person is going to get on consuming the delicious chocolates.

Question 7. Reema, Vibha and Ratna are three women entrepreneurs who are engaged in dealing with handicraft goods under the brand name ‘Gujkriti’ through a chain of retail outlets at five different places in Delhi. They outsource all their products from tribal and rural women in the state of Rajasthan. Reema is of the opinion that in order to increase the sale of their products, they should advertise about it on television. But, Ratna is arguing that advertisement expenses will add to cost of operation. Whereas Vibha is insisting that they should set up an online portal to market their products across the globe. In the context of above case:

• Identify the tool of promotion being taken into consideration by Reema by quoting lines from the paragraph.
• How is the channel of distribution being suggested by Vibha different from the channel of distribution being used by them presently?
• Do you think that Ratna is justified in her argument that advertisement expenses will add to cost of operations?
• The tool of promotion being taken into consideration by Reema is advertising. (Reema is of the opinion that in order to increase the sale of their products, they should advertise about it on television.)
• Vibha is insisting that they should set up an online portal to market their products across the globe i.e. adopting direct marketing or zero-level channel (manufacturer – consumer). Whereas at present they are using indirect channels of distribution i.e. one level channel (manufacturer – retailer – consumer)by operating through a chain of retail outlets at five different places in Delhi.
• No, Ratna is not fully justified in her argument although advertising as a tool of promotion is often criticised on the ground that it adds to the cost of distribution which is passed on to the consumers in the form of higher prices. Therefore, it increases the burden on the consumers. But, this argument is not entirely true because advertisements help to increase demand for the product. In order to meet the increased demand the production levels have to be raised. As a result, the business is able to reap advantage of economies of scale and eventually the cost of production per unit comes down and benefits the buyers as the product’s prices are reduced consequently.

Question 8. Ravi has decided to set up a small factory to manufacture hand wash and toilet soaps in a rural area in Haryana. In order to promote the product initially, he plans to distribute small sachets of the hand wash as free samples, besides deploying a team of salesmen to sell the product door to door in the different parts of the city. Moreover, he has decided to conduct a hygiene camp in rural areas wherein he will distribute a kit comprising of hand wash and soap and also plans to organize street plays to highlight the importance of hygiene and sanitation in our daily lives. In the context of above case:

• Identify the tools of promotion being taken into consideration by Ravi.
• What are the qualities that he should consider while selecting salesmen? (any three)
• List any two values that the he wants to communicate to the society.
• The tools of promotion being taken into consideration by Ravi are Sales Promotion and Personal Selling.
• Physical appearance: A salesman should have a neat and tidy appearance. He should be decently dressed up and carry himself well.
• Social qualities: A salesman should be cheerful and confident so that he is able to communicate assertively without loosing his temper easily.
• Tactfulness and knowledgeable: A good salesman should be alert and intelligent so that he is able to mould his sales talk as per the need of the situation. He should also possess good knowledge about the product he will be selling.
• Improvement in the standard of living of the people
• Educating them about hygiene/cleanliness

Question 9. The Fancy Store’ is a popular retail shop dealing in all kinds of fashionable items. Harish, the owner of the store believes in pushing the sale of his products through aggressive sales promotion techniques. Therefore, throughout the year he keeps offering various kinds short¬term incentives to the buyers like discounts, quantity gifts, product combinations etc. On the contrary, his brother Ramesh who also runs a retail shop dealing in all kinds of fashionable items in the nearby market tries to first assess the needs and wants of the buyers while deciding upon the product range. He also believes in building long term relations with the buyers and therefore offers only good quality products and handles the complaints of the buyers if any with politeness and patience. In the context of above case:

• Identify the two different marketing concepts discussed in the above para.
• Distinguish between them on the basis of meaning, scope and strategies used.
• The Selling concept
• The Marketing concept

Question 10. Arvind is planning to start a company manufacturing room fresheners. He intends to use natural fruit extracts for adding fragrance to them. He estimates an investment of Rs. 20 crores to set up the factory. As it is difficult for him to raise the entire capital amount alone, he gives a partnership offer to his school friend, Sanjay who is an angel investor. Sanjay, after being convinced about the feasibility of the project, accepts his offer. Sanjay tells Arvind that they should also focus on other important decisions related to the product ‘room fresheners’ besides deciding about its features, variety and quality. Branding is one of the important such decision. In the context of above case:

• Name any other two important decisions related to a product.
• Why is branding considered as an important function by the marketers? Give any one reason in support of your answer.
• State any four features of a good brand name.
• Labelling and Packaging are the two important decisions related to a product.
• Branding is considered to be a very important decision by the marketers because it facilitates product differentiation. Through branding the prospective buyers are able to bring about a distinction between a company product and its substitutes available in the market. This helps the company to obtain a desirable market share.
• The brand name should be short, easy to pronounce, spell, recognise and remember e.g., Ponds.
• A brand should suggest the product’s benefits and qualities e.g Sunsilk.
• A brand name should be distinctive e.g., Lotus.
• It should be capable of being registered and protected legally.

Question 11. Somya Patel, 35, a fitness trainer, woes about a popular consumer durable brand saying that “They show a lot of advertisements for their products on television , but when you go to the store, you find these things out of stock all the time. Then why should the company put advertisements when they can’t meet the demand,” she questions. In the context of above case:

• Identify the tool of promotion mix being referred to in the above lines.
• List any two product related factors that are likely to affect the choice of channel of distribution.
• Which element of marketing mix is being overlooked by the company? Why is it considered as an important element?
• The tool of promotion mix being referred to in the above lines is Advertisement.
• Type of product (consumer or industrial)
• Unit value of product (low or high)
• Place is the element of marketing mix being ignored by the company. It is considered important because it relates to making the goods and services available to the prospective buyers in the right quantity at the right time and in right condition.

Question 12. Suraj is a small entrepreneur involved in the manufacturing of hair wax. He finds that cost of production of 100 gm of hair wax is Rs. 250. He has decided to keep a margin of 15% as profit. Moreover, he has assessed that there is a free competition in this product segment. In the context of above case:

• Identify the function of marketing being performed by Suraj.
• State briefly the two factors that he is taking into consideration while performing the function as identified in part (1).
• Pricing is the function of marketing being performed by Suraj.
• Cost of product: The price of the product is determined by adding the desired profit margin to the cost of production, selling and distribution. The cost is of three types namely the fixed cost, variable cost and semi-variable cost.
• Degree of competition: The nature and extent of competition in the market is another key factor relating to the pricing decision. If the firm faces free competition in the market it is likely to fix the price of the product at lower levels. But if it enjoys monopoly, then the prices are likely to be fixed at higher levels.

Question 13. After doing a diploma in entrepreneurship, Farihad started his own confectionary business. He started doing a lot of hard work and used the recipes taught by his grandmother in various preparations. He also learnt many recipes from online sites and television programmes. He decided to keep the price of the products low initially and also informed his customers about the goodness of the items sold by them. However, he didn’t mention on the package of each item weather it contained eggs or not. As a result, vegetarian people became hesitant in buying things from his shop as they had to verbally inquire from him about the inclusion of eggs in the preparation of various items. In the context of above case:

• Name the important aspect related to the marketing of products which has been ignored by Farihad.
• Explain briefly any three functions performed by the aspect as identified in part (1).
• Mention the right of consumer being violated by Farihad.
• The important aspect related to the marketing of products which has been ignored by Farihad is Labelling.
• Describes the product and specifies its contents: Labelling provides information about the core function of the product i.e. how and why the product is likely to be beneficial to the prospective buyer. It educates them about the usage and precautions related to the product. It also gives detailed information about the ingredients of the product.
• Helps in identification of the product or brand: The label contains the logo, brand name, tagline, name and address of the manufacturer etc. of the product which helps in easy identification of the product.
• Enables grading of products: Different coloured labels are also used by the marketers for grading of the products on the basis of flavours, quality etc. so that the buyers can easily choose a product as per their requirements.
• The Right to information is being overlooked by the company in the above mentioned case. According to the Right to information, a consumer has the right to get complete information about the product he /she intends to buy including its contents, date of manufacture, date of expiry, price, quantity, directions for use etc. Also, as per law, it is mandatory for the marketers to provide complete information about the product/ service to the buyers.

Question 14. ‘Shudh Hava Ltd/ is engaged in manufacturing of air conditioners and desert coolers. The company offers a wide range of products to meet the requirements of people from varied income groups. Recently the company has developed a new product, an air purifier that improves the quality of air by filtering out all allergens and microbes. The company introduced the product on two variants namely ‘Nano Tech’ and ‘Nano Tech Premium’. In order to persuade people to buy the product it is offering easy payment options in equal monthly instalments for different time periods. Moreover, every buyer will be offered ‘scratch a card’ option to win instant gifts like decorative items, T-shirts etc. The company is also planning to organise competitive events based on skill and luck in various malls in different cities. In the context of above case:

• Name and explain the ‘type of promotion strategy’ adopted by the company to boost the sales of air purifiers.
• Also, identify the various techniques of this promotional strategy being used by the company by quoting lines from the paragraph.
• “The company offers a wide range of products to meet the requirements of people from varied income groups.” Name the relevant consumer right being promoted by the company.
• The type of promotion strategy adopted by the company to boost the sales of air purifiers is Sales Promotion. Sales Promotion includes the various types of short term incentives offered by a marketer to increase the sale of a product or service.
• Full finance @ 0%  – “it is offering easy payment options in equal monthly instalments for different time periods.”
• Instant draws and assured gifts – “every buyer will be offered ‘scratch a card’ option to win instant gifts like decorative items, T-shirts etc.”
• Contests – “The company is also planning to organise competitive events based on skill and luck in the various malls in the different cities.”
• Right to Choose is the consumer right being promoted by the company

Question 15. Nischay, after completing his masters in computer engineering decided to start his own business. Fie visited his uncle Mr.Jaiprakash who has been running a successful business in web designing. Fie shared with Nischay that the main reason for his success in the business lies in his approach of building a life time relation with his clients. Therefore, his business is not only restricted to designing web sites according to the specifications of the clients but also providing continuous online assistance to them and handling their grievances effectively and doing all this at a profit. lie provides these services at competitive prices. Anybody interested in getting the web solutions can contact him through his website. Moreover, whenever the market is sluggish he tries to create demand by offering short-term incentives to the buyers. In the context of above case:

• Define the term ‘Marketing Management’.
• Briefly explain the various elements of marketing mix being pursued by Mr. Jaiprakash by quoting lines from the para.
• Marketing management is “the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value”- Philip Kotler
• Product: “his business is not only restricted to designing “Web sites according to the specifications of the clients but also providing continuous online assistance to them and handling their grievances’ effectively.” A product is anything of value i.e. a product or service offered to a market to satisfy needs or wants. A product includes physical product,after sale service, handling grievances etc. Every marketer needs to constantly review and revise his products in order to enhance customer’s satisfaction and have an competitive edge.
• Price: “doing all this at a profit. He provides these services at competitive prices.” Price is the monetary value paid in consideration for purchase of a product or service by a buyer to its seller. It is a very crucial decision for the marketers as consumers are very sensitive to the pricing. The factors affecting price determination are cost of product, the utility and demand, extent of competition in the market, government and legal regulations, pricing objectives and marketing methods used.
• Place: “Anybody interested in getting the web solutions can contact him through his website.” It is considered important element of marketing mix because it includes all those activities that help in making the goods and services available to the prospective buyers in the right quantity, at the right time and in right condition. Two main decisions involved in physical distribution are physical movement of goods from producers to consumers and choice of channels of distribution.
• Promotion: “Moreover, whenever the market is sluggish he tries to create demand by offering short-term incentives to the buyers.” Promotion refers to the set of activities undertaken by a marketer to inform the prospective buyers about the product and persuading them to make a purchase. The various components of promotion mix are advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relation.

Question 16. In today’s world, through social media, news spread in a flash. Moreover, if it is bad news, it acquires a speed that is virtually impossible to stop. Hence, all corporates are more susceptible to a tarnished image today than in any other day and age. The loss of goodwill may lead to decreased revenue, loss of clients or suppliers and fall in market share. Over the years, therefore, most of the companies have set up a separate department to manage the public opinions about them. The department works in close coordination with the various interest groups like consumers, government, suppliers etc. and strives to handle effectively if any controversies arise. In the context of above case:

• Identify the element of promotion mix being referred to in the above lines.
• Briefly explain any three points highlighting the role of this element of promotion mix as identified in part (1)
• The element of promotion mix being referred to in the above lines is Public Relations.

Question 17. Traditional trade or kirana stores constitute 90% of the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) business in India. HUL is the market leader in FMCG with over 60 lakh outlets. According to industry estimates, Patanjali products are currently available in two lakh traditional retail outlets. ‘Availability of the product’ is the single largest driver of FMCG sales. A shopper research suggests that 30%-40% consumers shift preference if their favourite brand is not available at the store. In the context of above case:

• Identify the component of marketing mix being discussed in the above lines.
• State the two main decisions related to the concept identified in part (1).
• Name the type of channel of distribution adopted by HUL.
• The component of marketing mix being discussed in the above lines is place/physical distribution.
• physical movement of goods from producers to consumers
• choice of channels of distribution
• Indirect channel of distribution has been adopted by HUL. It is a two level channel i.e. (Manufacturer – wholesaler- retailer- consumer)

Question 18. Arun and Rukun are good friends. After doing a fashion designing course from a reputed institute, they have set up a garment factory in the rural area of Faridabad to manufacture trendy casual wear like jeans, T-shirts, shirts etc. under the brand name ‘Swatantra’. They have employed people from the nearby villages itself in the factory. Moreover, they wish to sell the products through local retailers in the villages and also through ‘Flipkart’. In the context of above case:

• Identify the elements of marketing mix being taken into consideration by Arun.
• Name the two methods of marketing adopted by them.
• State any two values that are being fulfilled by them.
• The elements of marketing mix being taken into consideration by Arun are product and place.
• The two methods of marketing adopted by them are both direct and indirect marketing.
• Generating employment
• Raising the standard of living of the people in the village

Question 19. Yogesh buys a new laptop for his son Mukesh on his birthday from a company owned retail outlet. After a few months, some parts of the laptop get damaged in 3, road accident. Yogesh approaches the dealer to get the damaged parts replaced with the new ones. But, he is told that the company does not provide any after sale service to the customers. Yogesh feels very dissatisfied as a consumer and woes that he will never buy this companies product ever again. In the context of above case:

• Identify the function of marketing being ignored by the company.
• As a business advisor, suggest any two services that will be very effective in enhancing brand loyalty for any such product.
• Name the appropriate redressal agency that he can approach in case he decides to file a case against the dealer.
• The function of marketing being ignored by the company is customer support services.
• Setting up a separate department for handling consumer complaints.
• Providing 365 days x 24 x 7 online assistance to the buyers for any maintenance or technical issues.
• Yogesh can file a complaint in the District forum

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Marketing Management Case Studies with Answers

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What Are Common Marketing Management Case Study Answer Topics?

• Market Research: It is the very preliminary stage of marketing management. It is the extensive tidy ad research of the area where you want to set up your company. Good market researchers should be employed to do this market research work on a large scale.
• SWOT Analysis: These are the 2 internal and the 2 external factors that directly affect the business of any organization. Here S and W stand for the strengths and weaknesses of any organization and these 2 are the internal factors of the company. O and T stands for external opportunities and threats of the organization. All these 4 factors should be thoroughly studied before starting your business in any area.
• PESTL Analysis: These are also various factors that influence the business and operations of any company at any place. P, E, S, T, L stand for political, economic, social, technical and legal factors influencing any business organization. These 5 factors are always extremely important for any business.
• Market Segmentation: It is a very popular method in marketing management where the target market is segmented or divided into various parts as per the purchasing power, religion, culture, taste, custom, etc. Of the target customers.
• Market Survey: This is an extensive survey of the target markets where you are planning to establish your business. The marker surveys us to be done with the various questions to be asked to the target consumers. In this way, you can get a crystal clear idea about the exact needs, and you can pan your product that way.
• Market Forecasting: It is the statistical models by which you can forecast the future profits of your company. You need to apply the best forecasting methods here to get the best results.
• Market Logistic and Supply Chain : It deals with the transportation of the goods from one place to another inland as well abroad by various transportation methods.
• The Market is Posting: This is the method by which a newly launched product can be properly posited in a new market. Here you need to acquaint your target customers regarding the benefits that they will get by using the products or availing the services offered by your company.
• Building Brand: It is another very important part of marketing. Every new product launched in the market belongs to any particular brand or company. This new product from a new brand needs to be transported to the target consumers. This will build very strong goodwill in the market for the new product brand. This helps the company to become an MNC from a medium sized one.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Every company has a basic responsibly about the products it is offering. These offered products or services need to serve people of the society positively. Thus, you never offer any product or service that might harm your company.
• Market Ethics: There are certain ethics and laws for marketing management. You need to abide by these laws and ethics in any country where you are operating.

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