A customer success story in which a given product or service played a crucial role is the best possible social proof. However, for various reasons, customers do not want to include the brand name in the case study. So, how to create an anonymous case study that will become a good company showcase?
Why do brands prefer to remain anonymous in the case study?
A case study is a component of the marketing strategy that aims to encourage a potential customer to use products or services. Thanks to the case study, we can prove that the promises contained in the offer are fulfilled and even go beyond the customers’ expectations. We show the product or service in use, which is much more convincing than the description of the offer and benefits itself. The case study requires presenting a problem that the customer struggled with and could not cope with. For this reason, some companies do not want to disclose the brand name because they could be presented in a bad light.
If you want to publish a transparent case study, you can only mention a problem that will not damage the brand image. If you care about success stories, you can create anonymous case studies with the customer’s consent. For this purpose, the company should be presented in such a way that the audience knows what industry they are dealing with, e.g. “One of the most rapidly developing software houses in Poland”. However, one should not provide details that would allow for the company identification.
Present the problem you have solved for the customer
An anonymous case study gives a lot of room to show off, because there is no need to belittle or embellish the customer’s history. What is more, it allows for criticising the cooperation. It is possible to describe in detail what problem prevented the spread of wings and could have even led to the collapse of the company. A good case study is based on the idea of conflict – it is worth presenting the story in an interesting way, thanks to which the customer’s name will not be so important. The outline of the conflict can be quite drastic, e.g. “The company was at the verge of bankruptcy”, or presented in a slightly milder form, e.g. “The company recorded a net loss of 200,000 in the financial year 2020/2021”.
Tell what problems you have faced
A good case study is not just about describing the problem and presenting an immediate solution: this process does not often run smoothly. It is better to tell readers what obstacles arose on the way to success and how they were overcome. Thanks to this, we will maintain credibility and create an engaging customer story – a case study cannot be just a puff piece.
Describe spectacular results
Just like any other form of content marketing, the case study should carry some value for the audience. If the offer is addressed to technical directors, it is worth presenting hard data, indicators, or calculations. The customer’s story needs to be both captivating and concrete, e.g. “By using extensive segmentation in the marketing automation tool, the company achieved an email open rate of 80%” or “The company has customised marketing communication and achieved a 54% increase in conversions by using AI and marketing automation recommendations”. Such a customer case study will translate directly into greater trust among other customers! A case study may also concern the company’s sales results, the lead generation process, or the conversion level in an online store. It is important to convey the case of an anonymous customer in such a way that their name is not so important, while the attention is drawn to the solutions used and results obtained.
